The latest Michelin Stars were unveiled earlier this year, welcoming some new London faces to the list.
The Michelin Guide is the go-to for any foodies looking for the crème de la crème of gastronomy. The latest Michelin Stars were unveiled earlier this year, welcoming some new London faces to the list.
Earning the honour of two stars each were Alex Dilling at Hotel Café Royal and The Ledbury. At the Hotel Café Royal on Regent Street, chef Alex Dilling showcases his accomplished cuisine at his first standalone restaurant that opened a mere six months before it earned the two-star Michelin rating. From aged Kaluga caviar and wagyu sirloin steak to oak-smoked salmon and more, dishes are ‘harmonious and exhilarating’.
Return of The Ledbury
In Notting Hill, The Ledbury closed indefinitely in 2020, consequently losing both of its stars. Following a refurbishment, it reopened last year and regained both its Michelin Stars in March this year. Chef-patron Brett Graham maintains a close relationship with his suppliers and British ingredients, such as Portland crab, Poole Bay mackerel and six-year-old Jersey beef, are paramount.
Restaurants that have earned one star are deemed as serving ‘high-quality cooking, worth a stop’ and that is certainly the case for Cycene in Shoreditch, a newcomer this year. The name may be old English for ‘kitchen’ but don’t let that fool you. A constantly evolving 10-course menu is created in the state-of-the-art kitchen, with a specialised ageing chamber for meat and fish, and fermentation lockers where drinking vinegars and elixirs are developed. The wine list, curated by James Brown, also changes regularly with rare and unique bottles rotated from the offsite cellar.
In Clerkenwell, Luca is one of those special restaurants that feels right from the moment you walk in. On the menu, seasonal British produce is presented through an Italian lens: roast Orkney scallops with Jerusalem artichoke and ‘nduja, and Hebridean lamb with wild garlic, sweetbread, asparagus and sheep’s curd, for example. For the ultimate Italian experience, take a seat in the sheltered, cobbled terrace and sip a Negroni.
A Journey Through the British Isles
A short walk from the Barbican, St Barts earned its first Michelin Star this year, and for good reason too. Taking diners on a journey through the British Isles, executive head chef Johnnie Crowe and his team serve a tasting menu that champions small-scale farmers, growers and conservationists from around the country. There is a short set lunch menu available Wednesday to Saturday (noon-2pm), or the longer dinner menu with optional wine pairing. Ask for a window seat to overlook the cloisters of London’s oldest church.
The last of the new one-star additions is Taku, a small sushi restaurant in Mayfair from Takuya Watanabe, previously of Jin restaurant in Paris. There’s a purity and elegance to be found in every moment and even a nod to his French sojourn. All guests are served at the same time so arrive on time.
www.alexdilling.com;
www.theledbury.com;
www.bluemountain.school/cycene;
www.luca.restaurant; www.restaurant-stbarts.co.uk;
www.takumayfair.com
AMY HUGHES