9 three-Michelin-star restaurants in the UK

One Michelin star is a guarantee that you’re in for something special – a restaurant that’s truly at the top of its game.

Now, three Michelin stars? That’s the holy grail.

Here, we have a stellar lineup: six hotspots in London (because of course), two in nearby Bray, and one tucked away in Cartmel.

These are the crème de la crème of fine dining that have food connoisseurs booking flights and making reservations months in advance.

Below are the brightest three Michelin star restaurants in the UK, each a shining example of culinary excellence.

1. CORE by Clare Smyth

Address: 92 Kensington Park Rd, London W11 2PN, UK

CORE sits in the upmarket Notting Hill district, the only restaurant on its street and three Michelin-starred at that.

Clare Smyth, former chef patron at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay and the sole female British chef on this prestigious list, has created some unforgettable dishes here.

British ingredients and seasonal produce receive the royal treatment in Chef Clare’s kitchen.

The crown jewel is the potato and roe, where the humble spud is cooked confit-style in butter, paired with delicate herring-and-trout roe mix, and finished with a decadent beurre blanc sauce.

Another standout is the scallop tartare, served in seaweed-flavoured consommé. The roasted cod is immaculate, as is the palate-refreshing, toffee apple-inspired Core Apple.

CORE offers two tasting menus – the classics and the seasonal dishes – and à la carte options. Book well in advance; this place fills up fast!

2. L’Enclume

Address: Cavendish St, Cartmel, Grange-over-Sands LA11 6QA, UK

Set in a stone building in picturesque Cartmel, L’Enclume showcases fresh bounty and foraged herbs from Chef Simon Rogan’s 12-acre farm.

The tasting menu might include the elegant seaweed custard with the house caviar, a sack of colourful candied fruit, flowers, and sweet herbs, or the anvil-stamped caramel mousse.

Protein can come in the form of dry-aged pork or monkfish, pork and eel fritter, or raw scallops swimming in reduced whey sauce.

3. The Waterside Inn

Address: Ferry Rd, Bray, Maidenhead SL6 2AT, UK

Perched on the banks of the Thames, The Waterside Inn is picture-perfect in every way, from its location to the crockery and dishes.

A true bucket-list destination for gastronomes, it’s the oldest three Michelin-starred restaurant in the UK.

The desserts are particularly exceptional. The chocolate pudding, topped with a ribbon of vanilla mousseline cream, is accompanied by cherry in various preparations: jellied, poached, and turned into the smoothest cherry ripple ice cream.

My favourite spot is the jetty, where you can sit under the shade of a weeping willow tree while sipping coffee or digestif.

On calm days, you can sail out on a boat with up to five friends for £150 per 30 minutes.

4. The Ledbury

Address: 127 Ledbury Rd, London W11 2AQ, UK

Also in Notting Hill, The Ledbury has been recently glammed up with mirrors, marbles, and soft light.

Chef Brett Graham marries French techniques with the finest British and Japanese ingredients.

The menu changes with the season, but you can expect the usual brown sugar tart, truffle-laced bantam’s egg, flame-grilled mackerel, and veal tartare on toast.

Nods to sustainability include homegrown mushrooms and retired dairy cow charcuterie.

Wine pairings are available with the set menus – pricey but worth the splurge.

5. The Fat Duck

Address: High St, Bray, Maidenhead SL6 2AQ, UK

Set in the sleepy suburb of Bray, The Fat Duck offers mind-bending dishes that delight the senses.

Inspired by Willy Wonka and Alice in Wonderland, self-taught Chef Heston Blumenthal plays a mad scientist in the kitchen.

The restaurant’s most popular dish, Sound of the Sea, exemplifies his multi-sensory style.

A medley of seafood, shiitake kombu foam, and edible sand (made with miso, panko, and tapioca starch) comes with an iPod hidden in a conch shell, playing ocean music.

The nitro-poached apéritif offers tableside theatre. A shot of margarita or vodka sour is served with flash-frozen meringue that lights the table in warm amber.

Another experience is the Topsy Turvy menu, which is basically a reverse Fat Duck. The meal starts with dessert and ends with a starter.

6. Hélène Darroze at The Connaught

Address: Carlos Pl, London W1K 2AL, UK

Hélène Darroze’s eponymous restaurant at the well-heeled Mayfair district is tasting menu-only, available in five and seven courses.

The oak-panelled dining room benefits from the high ceilings and tons of natural light streaming through the tall windows.

The food is the true star, and Darroze’s global travels shine through in every dish. UK-sourced ingredients like British grains, Cotswolds butter, and Cornish crab undergo Asian reimaginings.

Deep-pocketed patrons can book the chef’s table with a clear view of the kitchen’s hot line or the sommelier’s table in the wine cellar three flights down.

Don’t miss Darroze’s famous baba, lavishly doused in her bespoke Armagnac.

7. Restaurant Gordon Ramsay

Address: 68 Royal Hospital Rd, London SW3 4HP, UK

I expect nothing less than spectacular from Gordon Ramsay’s flagship restaurant in upscale Chelsea.

From the lightly seared scallops brushed in seafood oil to the chestnut linguine with white truffle, every course is an exercise in precise, flavourful execution.

For me, the apple tarte tatin, sometimes made with pink lady apples, remains the highlight.

Perfectly tart and golden, with a generous drizzling of caramel sauce and a scoop of Tahitian vanilla ice cream.

8. Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester

Address: 53 Park Ln, London W1K 1QA, UK

Located inside the swanky Dorchester Hotel at Park Lane, Alain Ducasse has kept its three Michelin stars since 2010.

The lobster medallion, served with homemade semolina cannelloni and Périgord truffle, is as old as the restaurant itself.

Desserts include a superb rum baba, soaking in a choice of rum, and a light, airy hazelnut soufflé.

The wine list is extensive, with luxury bottles going for as much as £2,750. A handful of token wines range from £30 to £50, but the average bottle is still a hefty £220. 

9. Sketch The Lecture Room and Library

Address: 9 Conduit Street, London W1S 2XG, UK

Hidden behind an unassuming Victorian townhouse (once Dior’s HQ), the Instagrammable The Lecture Room & Library is opulent.

I’m talking bubblegum pink carpeting, fringed chandeliers, jewel-toned chairs, and human-sized vases on the main floor.

The second dining room is more subdued, with gorgeous wooden floors in a chevron pattern and more candy-pink seating.

The padded walls and thick draperies muffle the thumping sounds of the downstairs bar.

But unlike the flashy interiors, the dishes are all understated elegance. The menu comes in a leather-bound notebook, and the wine selection is small but excellent.

Have you visited any of these three Michelin star restaurants in the UK? Let me know your favourites in the comments below!

You may also like: 

• 20 best luxury hotels in London
• 20 amazing Michelin star restaurants in London
• 12 incredible foodie breaks in the UK
• 12 best restaurants in the world