Every year they come under a little bit of criticism, but there's not getting around that Michelin stars are both the awards most recognised by the public as they are the ones most desired by (a majority of) the chefs. So who did Michelin choose to award with stars this year - here's the full list of new entries, including why they're rated and, most importantly, how much it costs to eat there...
New two Michelin-starred restaurant for 2019
2 Michelin stars
Notting Hill - 92 Kensington Park Rd, London W11 2PN
Who's the chef? Clare Smyth, Jonny Bone
Why it's rated: Smyth is quite simply one of the best chefs in the country. Heading up the kitchen at Gordon Ramsay's Royal Hospital Road she maintained three Michelin stars there for years. She got a perfect 10 in the Good Food Guide for both RHR and Core. Here at Core she and her team are serving up fine (and refined) dining, but they're aiming for a more relaxed feel to the experience.
How much is dinner? Main tasting menu: £115, 5 courses: £95, 3 courses £85
How much is the lunch? 3 courses £65
Find out more about Core by Clare Smyth
2 Michelin stars
70 Charlotte St, London W1T 4QG
Who's the chef? James Knappet
Why it's rated: Described by Michelin as "a totally memorable experience" - Kitchen Table and Bubbledogs was opened by James Knappet and his wife Sandia Chang in 2012. Chang runs the front restaurant - a gourmet hot dog restaurant and champagne bar while James concentrated on his all counter dining restaurant at the back, tucked away behind a curtain. The menu changes every single day, depending on what's on offer.
How much is dinner? Tasting menu: £125
Find out more about Kitchen Table
New one Michelin-starred restaurants for 2019
1 Michelin star
Shoreditch - 4 Redchurch St, London E1 6JL
Who's the chef? Tomos Parry
Why it's rated: What you mean aside from the wall-to-wall excellent reviews? When Tomas Parry first hit headlines in London it was for his cooking at Kitty Fishers. Now he's transferred that enthusiasm for cooking over fire to Shoreditch where his Basque-inspired menu has been sending foodie fans into paroxysms of joy ever since day 1.
How much is dinner? Starters £8-£9.50, mains £18-£38 (min £65 for the turbot)
1 Michelin star
Mayfair - 85 Piccadilly, Mayfair, London W1J 7NB
Who's the chef? Ollie Dabbous
Why it's rated: Having closed down his Fitzrovia restaurant and severed his links with Henrietta in Covent Garden, Dabbous found himself free to focus on this flagship restaurant. And we mean flagship in every sense of the world - visually it's an extraordinary space, but the food more than lives up to the opulent surroundings.
How much is dinner? Tasting menu: £95
How much is the lunch? 5 courses £48
1 Michelin star
St James - 1 St. James’s Market, London, SW1Y 4AH
Who's the chef? Jeremy Chan
Why it's rated: Ikoyi is run by co-founders Iré Hassan-Odukale (front of house) and Jeremy Chan (Head Chef) and its modern take on West African cuisine has won over every critic to pass its door (and we thought its jollof rice and smoked bone marrow was pretty damned wonderful).
How much is dinner? Tasting menu: £60
1 Michelin star
Shoreditch - 18 Phipp St, London EC2A 4NU
Who's the chef? Sam Kamienko
Why it's rated: Since moving from London Fields to Shoreditch, Ellory got a new name and a new vigour as it stepped things up to bring a Parisian bistro vibe to this part of town. The menu changes regularly and look out for their own wine on a really inventive list.
How much is dinner? Small and large plates range from £7-£30
1 Michelin star
Marylebone - 5-7 Blandford St, Marylebone, London W1U 3DB
Who's the chef? Simon Rogan
Why it's rated: For London foodies who get a little panicky at the thought of heading outside the M25, Simon Rogan's London restaurant gives them a chance to try his clever cooking without having to travel all the way to Cumbria for it.
How much is dinner? Tasting menu £85, short version £65
How much is the set lunch? Set business lunch menu £35
1 Michelin star
Mayfair - 35 Heddon Street, London W1B 4BR
Who's the chef? Nieves Barragan
Why it's rated: Perhaps it's the fact that almost a year after opening it's still bloody difficult to get a seat up at the counter here? I mean, foodie Londoners all adored Nieves when she was running the show at Barrafina and her loyal acolytes followed her here, where her cooking if anything got even better. The buzz, sound, smells and general atmosphere of the ground floor restaurant makes you entirely forget you're just off Regent Street.
How much is dinner? Small plates range from £6 to £16.50
The full list of London's Michelin-starred restaurants
Want to see every single London restaurant that has a Michelin star? For the full list, in descending star order, click here.
2019 Michelin Bib Gourmands in London
Michelin's Bib Gourmand awards go to restaurants 'offering good food at moderate prices'. In London 'moderate' translates to three courses for £28 or less - so that's a pretty good deal for great food. This is also where Michelin gets the chance to reward more restaurants that aren't in the starched white tablecloth brigade. This year the new Bibs go to the following London spots:
- Petit Pois - "cosy bistro serving French food with bags of flavour"
- Farang - "passionately run Farang in Highbury focuses on Thai street food"
- Sorella - "superb Sorella brings the Amalfi coast to Clapham"
- Kudu - "Peckham’s loveable Kudu offers dishes inspired by its chef’s South African roots"
Want to know more? Read our news coverage of the announcement here.
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