1 Star Michelin
This is the original Hakkasan, based, you guessed it, in Hanway Place, which is a piddle-riddled alley just behind Tottenham Court Road. The Hakkasan restaurant empire has grown to 12 restaurants worldwide but this one has been here since 2001. On one of the hottest days of the year, there is no finer place to have lunch than in Hakkasan’s air conditioned basement. Outside it’s … Continue reading Hakkasan Hanway Place
Tamarind has recently undergone a ravishing, multimillion pound makeover. There are now two dining options when visiting this Mayfair Indian stalwart; upstairs for lunch or downstairs for dinner. Up (where we go) is a rather bright and airy affair with views of the neighbouring rooftops. In the basement it’s more sexy with an open kitchen for added drama. We’re prepared a mini tasting of highlights from … Continue reading Tamarind Mayfair
Kitchen W8, that Kensington neighbourhood restaurant which has held a Michelin star since 2011, is fresh from a smartly appointed refurb. The elegant dining room has had a lick of paint and some fresh linen and the result is splendid. We are however the youngest people in there by a country mile. It’s all white hair and people who don’t realise it’s their mobile ringing. … Continue reading Kitchen W8, Kensington
La Dame de Pic sits within the Four Seasons hotel in the former Port of London Authority headquarters right by Tower Bridge. As hotels go, it’s an ever so beautiful space, inside and out. The restaurant is by Anne-Sophie Pic, a lauded French chef, and it was awarded a Michelin star in the 2018 guide. We visit to sample the set lunch menu (£32 for … Continue reading La Dame de Pic, Tower Bridge
Awarded a Michelin star in 2015, this is the 8th restaurant in the UK Jason Atherton empire. Sitting pretty on the 24th floor of Tower 42 in the City, the view is pretty outstanding. We arrive early for a drink in the bar. Half the space is taken over for a private function, which matters not as we get a table by the window and … Continue reading City Social, Tower 42
Cumbria is home to two Michelin-starred restaurants as of the 2018 guide. There’s The Forest Side in Grasmere (a better meal in the UK you may struggle to find) and Hrisihi at Gilpin Hotel and Lake House which has Indian chef Hrishikesh Desai at the helm. Their website is slightly annoying as they don’t have a menu. Upon request they email one over but it doesn’t … Continue reading Hrishi at Gilpin Hotel and Lake House
I first heard of Simon Hulstone and his restaurant, The Elephant, when he appeared on BBC’s Great British Menu a few years back. His food looked decent. Finding ourselves down in Padstow for a few nights, we decided to make the extra two hour trek to Torquay to finally pay his Michelin-starred, sea view restaurant a visit. It’s a super relaxed setting; the large bright … Continue reading The Elephant, Torquay
It was no surprise when The Ritz was awarded a Michelin star back in the 2016 guide. The biggest shock was more why it had taken so long; exec chef John Williams is highly regarded within the industry and arguably one of the finest fine dining chefs cooking in London. His speciality, handy for the time of year, is grouse, and so I’m invited to … Continue reading The Ritz, Piccadilly
A trip to Cornwall’s handsomest harbour town, Padstow, and you have to visit Paul Ainsworth’s Michelin-starred No.6. Finer food in Cornwall might be hard to find. The restaurant has also undergone a rather gorgeous renovation and there’s a new bar upstairs which is perfect, as we find out, for a glass of bubbles before your meal. The dining room, with its greys walls and leather … Continue reading Paul Ainsworth’s No.6, Padstow
Named after the ninth restaurant chef Jun Tanaka has been involved with, The Ninth on Charlotte Street may not win any awards for name innovation but it did recently receive a Michelin star. We arrive to a busy and bustling ground floor dining room. We’re taken upstairs however which is far less atmospheric (request the downstairs if possible). The walls are grey and distressed in an … Continue reading The Ninth, Fitzrovia
It doesn’t get more secluded than The Whitebrook in Monmouth, Wales – well I’m sure it does but you really do feel in the middle of nowhere. There’s no wifi (they say they have it but good luck getting a connection) and there’s certainly no phone signal. With a view from our room of the Wye Valley opposite, a night at this Michelin starred restaurant … Continue reading The Whitebrook, Wales
Galvin at Windows is one of those restaurants that quietly chugs along, sitting pretty on the 28th floor of the London Hilton on Park Lane, which was made more famous recently as Fred Sirieix off of First Dates is the maître d’. The restaurant, owned by the Galvin brothers, has been open for years and has retained its Michelin star since 2009. The dining room … Continue reading Galvin at Windows, Park Lane
The Goring hotel, made famous by Kate Middleton’s stay the night before her wedding day, is now home to a Michelin starred dining room. We’ve had the afternoon tea before in the bar which was quite wonderful. The hotel is all glamour, from the outside to the lobby. The dining room however has a little less grandeur and the clientele are north of 60; it’s … Continue reading The Goring, Belgravia
A day trip to Paris is far less extravagant than you might think and it’s the perfect way to get your Parisian fix without spending a fortune on a hotel. With a small gang, we booked Alain Ducasses’s michelin starred bistro Benoit on rue Saint Martin. It’s as quintessentially French as you could hope for; brass rails, red velvet banquettes and wood panelled walls. And … Continue reading Benoit, Paris
It’s been quite a year for Michael O’Hare (he’s the chap with the crazy black mullet). His first Michelin star was awarded to his restaurant The Man Behind the Curtain in Leeds, then he won the regional heats and cooked the fish course at the banquet on BBC’s Great British Menu. And he’s had a haircut – it’s all go. The restaurant is on the … Continue reading The Man Behind the Curtain, Leeds
