London's Top Ten Best Michelin Restaurants By Cuisine

London is the top place in the UK for Michelin-starred restaurants. In fact, there are nearly 50 to choose from. So to help focus your fine dining attention, we've put together a list of the best restaurants in London. Nearly half of London’s Michelin-starred restaurants have a major French influence, but we’ve stuck to one entry per food style. This has meant some stunning restaurants haven’t made the list (Gordon Ramsay’s three-star for instance). But there are still many choices from household names like MasterChef-star, Michel Roux Jr, and plenty of chefs stepping out of the shadow of their more famous counterparts, like Ashley Palmer-Watts at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal. The London top restaurant scene continues to get better and better as each chef strives to be the best. So with this "entree" out of the way, it is time to head straight to the main course and our flavoursome top ten.

French

Opened by the legendary Roux brothers, Michel and Albert, and now transformed in the hands of Michel Roux Jnr, this was the first UK restaurant to be awarded one, two and three Michelin stars. Still influential after decades at the forefront of UK cooking, Le Gavroche is revered for the sheer brilliance of the food and its exceptional service. Prepare to be wowed.

Michel Roux Jr: My aim at Le Gavroche is to achieve the highest possible quality, not just with the food for which we are renowned, but in every aspect of the dining experience.

Signature Dish: The Soufflé Suissesse (Cheese souffle cooked in double cream)
Address: 43 Upper Brook Street, Mayfair, W1K 7QR
Phone number: 020 7408 0881

Contemporary French

This is luxury dining on an epic scale. With arguably the smartest address in town, the Dorchester’s elegant dining rooms include the ethereal Table Lumière, which is surrounded by 4,500 shimmering optics. Awarded three stars in 2010, Executive chef Jocelyn Herland has continued founding Chef Alain Ducasse’s philosophy, which is to make seasonal ingredients the star of the show. “Each good product, grown with love and respect, in its distinctive land, has an incomparable flavour. Without which, a chef is nothing." Alain Ducasse

A contemporary, creative and refined take on classic French cuisine.

Signature Dish:  five ways, or fillet of Angus beef and seared foie gras Rossini
Address: 53 Park Lane, Mayfair, W1K 1QA
Phone number: 020-7629-8866

Modern European

It might take two months to get a table, but it's well worth the wait. Expect top-notch food in a relaxed setting. The focus here is on the incredible dishes, served with exquisite style and presentation, and a crucial focus on making diners feel welcome before wowing them with exceptional seasonal cooking. Head chef Brett Graham’s culinary skills and flare have seen this restaurant heaped with (well deserved) plaudits.

Signature Dish: grilled mackerel, with pickled cucumber, Celtic mustard and shiso
Address: 127 Ledbury Road, Notting Hill, W11 2AQ
Phone number: 020 7792 9090

For Vegetarians

The apprentice has become a master. Alyn Williams is producing outstanding contemporary cooking with, unusually, an exceptional vegetarian menu to go with the traditional meat and fish dishes, one Michelin Star.

The influence of kitchen mentors Gordon Ramsay and Marcus Wareing has certainly rubbed off on Alyn Williams. One year into his first solo venture at The Westbury, he clinched a coveted Michelin star in 2012. A die-hard West Ham United fan, a huge influence on his career was his father. His east London allotments yielded huge varieties of vegetables, instilling in a young Alyn a love of seasonal and fresh produce. Now firmly established in Mayfair in the luxurious surroundings of the five-star, The Westbury, this is another British chef flying the flag for cooking in this country.

Constantly evolving - while his French classical training is still the basis for many of the dishes on the menu, his fondness for  Asian flavours, inspired by backpacking in his youth round India, means there is an international influence at work with some of the spicing. Packing a flavoursome punch with every mouthful, the menu changes regularly, as they keep the choices as seasonal as possible.

Signature Dish: Laverbread ravioli with roasted onion stock and Welsh beach vegetables
Address: 37 Conduit Street, London, W1S 2YF
Phone number: 020 7183 6426

Japanese

The name Umu, meaning “born of nature”, comes from executive chef Yoshinori Ishii’s philosophy of using only the best and freshest local ingredients. Although regarded by many as one of London’s most expensive dining experiences, this is the only Kyoto-influenced restaurant in the UK, so be prepared for a unique and artistic take on the fine-dining experience, sake sommelier included.

Signature Dish: Their Kaiseki – traditional Japanese tasting menu
Address: 14 – 16 Bruton Place, Mayfair, W1J 6LX
Phone number: 020 7499 8881

British

Only Heston Blumenthal could create such a novel approach to fine dining; reinventing British gastronomy from as far back as Tudor times. In tandem with head chef, Ashley Palmer-Watts, the menu is packed full of culinary surprises. From Meat Fruit (a popular middle-ages illusion food) to Frumenty (c1390) and Tipsy cake (1810). The stunning restaurant interior by Tihany Design, coupled with the splendour of its Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park setting, makes this an experience to savour.

Signature Dish: Spiced Pigeon (c1780) with ale & artichokes
Address: Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, 66 Knightsbridge, London, SW1X 7LA
Phone number: 020 7201 3833

Scandinavian

Scandinavian culture has never been more popular, and Agnar Sverrisson’s complex and innovative restaurant ensures the Nordic vibe will also captivate the fine dining market. A protégé of Raymond Blanc, Sverrisson, alongside head sommelier Xavier Rousset, has created a sophisticated and sleek eating experience which has wowed the critics.

A creative take on modern European food; with the delicious and fresh twist of Icelandic influences

SIgnature Dish: Icelandic lightly salted cod, with avocado, brandade, squid and chorizo
Address: 34 Portman Street, Marylebone, London, W1H 7BY
Phone number: 020 7224 0028

Indian

You have to be something special to become one of the first Indian chefs to gain a coveted Michelin star, and Atul Kochhar is certainly that. Credited with helping redefine Indian cuisine as a fine dining experience, Kochhar conjures up culinary works of art you won’t find in any local curry house. The dishes in his Mayfair restaurant are sourced and researched from across his homeland, then combined with the best of British ingredients.

Signature Dish: Karara Kekda Aur Lagosta – Crispy soft shell crab, Atul’s signature Peri-Peri Lobster Cocktail, chilli cress.
Address: Berkeley Square House, Berkeley Square, Mayfair, London, W1J 6BS
Phone number: 020 7629 8886

Italian

The words fine dining and family-friendly are unlikely bedfellows, but this is the unique atmosphere created at this top-notch restaurant by one of Italy’s top chefs, Giorgio Locatelli. The menu happily follows the traditional Italian format, from amazing antipasti to perfect pasta, right through to their delicious dolci; including the perfect pick-me-up Tiramisu. With a predominantly Italian wine list, carefully selected by Sommelier Virgilio Gennaro, and a retro design by David Collins, this is a real treat for the senses. Famous for its intimacy, family atmosphere and quality of food; Marylebone resident and singing superstar Madonna is reported to be a big local fan.

Signature Dish: 'Risotto ai gamberi di Mazara del Vallo e zucchine' - Sicilian red prawns and courgette flower risotto
Address: 8 Seymour Street, Marylebone, London, W1H 7JZ
Phone number: 020 7935 9088

Chinese

With Hakkasan you have not just one, but two classy restaurants to choose from. The original Hakkasan in Hanway Place set incredibly high-standards in Chinese fine dining, but its Mayfair sister restaurant, a particular favourite with celebrities, definitely does not suffer from second sibling syndrome. Although renowned for its sexy and stylish moody night-club interiors, the glitz and glamour does not take anything away from the pure quality of the food, but instead intensifies the overall experience. This is fine dining with a difference.

Signature Dish: Peking duck with Royal Beluga caviar
Address: 8 Hanway Place, Bloomsbury, W1T 1HD (Flagship) & 17 Bruton Street, Mayfair, W1J 6QB
Phone number: 020 7927 7000 (Bloomsbury) 020 7907 1888 (Mayfair)