Dorian

British Bristo, fine dining price

Crab and artichoke rosti

Dorian is an interesting restaurant, it became very popular ever before it gained a Michelin star, it presents itself as a refined yet approachable neighborhood dining spot, effortlessly blending modern elegance with a touch of classic charm using open-fire cooking methods. Renowned for its focus on locally sourced ingredients and inventive dishes. While it does look like a casual and modern bistro, the menu is loaded with luxury offerings, from caviar, and lobster to langoustine, therefore depending on what you go for, you can end up easily spending more than  £100 per person.

Row on 5

A Culinary Symphony by Jason Atherton

Caviar, cucumber and oyster

Located on Savile Row (hence the name Row on 5), Row on 5 is the latest fine dining jewel in the crown of acclaimed British chef Jason Atherton. Known for his mastery in blending sophisticated flavours with impeccable presentation, Atherton has once again raised the bar with a restaurant that epitomizes modern elegance and culinary artistry. He has done a lot of restructuring in his restaurant empire over the last 12 months, from shutting down his flagship Pollen Street Social and Social Eating House, to opening up 5 in the space of a few months, Row on 5 is his most ambitious and the most premium offering of the lots, with only a fixed tasting menu of 15 courses.

The Devonshire Soho

 Worth the hype?

Bone in ribeye

Nestled in the vibrant heart of Soho, The Devonshire offers a quintessential British pub experience with a light modern touch. It has become one of the most popular and hyped gastropubs in London since its launch in the winter of 2023. I visited in the early days and it didn't impress me with some rocky errors on overcooked meat. 1 year later, booking a table is almost mission impossible. Known for its inviting atmosphere and hearty food using top-class ingredients with an in-house butcher, this pub has earned a reputation as a go-to spot for casual dining. I returned twice in the winter of 2024 to see if much had changed.

Goldies

 Golden goodie

BBQ corns

Located in the vibrant Kingly Court of Soho, Goldie offers a unique, wood-fired twist on dining that’s captivating London’s food enthusiasts. Known for its cozy, relaxed atmosphere and an emphasis on flame-grilled flavors, Goldie’s menu brings together fresh, seasonal ingredients with bold, rich tastes that elevate each dish. The open kitchen space allows diners to witness all the open fire actions, spreading an extremely inviting smoky aroma around the dining room. The menu is short, with around 20 dishes, mostly grilled or deep-fried.

Cornus

New yet familiar 

 

Seabass tartare, oyster cream, green apple and shiso

London is a city that never sleeps, and its food scene is no exception. The recent addition to its vibrant culinary map is Cornus. This contemporary European restaurant is already making waves, by the same group of people behind the much-loved French restaurant Medlar. Cornus’s menu is where the restaurant truly shines. It champions British ingredients while incorporating global influences. The dishes are familiar yet inventive, offering a fresh take on traditional British fare. The executive chef of Cornus is Gary Foulkes, who came from Michelin-starred Angler, and I am a massive fan of its seafood-focused menu.

Quality Chop House

Great British Meat Temple

Sunday lunch feast

Quality Chop House is an iconic restaurant that effortlessly blends history with modern culinary innovation. I always head back once in a while as at the heart of the Quality Chop House experience is its dedication to top-notch, fine-quality ingredients. The menu regularly features cuts from lesser-known parts of the animal, championing nose-to-tail dining, such as fish head and chicken liver. The restaurant prides itself on showcasing the finest British meats with simple old-school preparation techniques, with cast iron pans, a load of butter, and an open fire.

Story

 Story chapter 2

English Pea Custard, N25 Caviar

I recall when Story first opened back in 2013, it was the talk of the town and the hottest opening in London. The creativity and surprise element was so new and cutting edge for Londoners, I remember the wow factor from the beef dipping candle, which I had no idea was butter till the bread was served to me. Fast forward more than 10 years later, it got itself not 1, but 2 Michelin stars and Story has closed for almost a year as it went into a major revamp in 2023, before it reopened again in early 2024 with a brand new decor and menu. I was interested to see the progress and changes.

Kitty Fishers

 Cozy yet classy British cuisine 

Whipped Cod’s Roe On Toast

When Kitty Fishers opened back in 2014, it was perhaps the most trending restaurant opening of the year. Back then it was headed up by chef wizard Tom Parry who has gone on to become a very successful restaurant operator with Brats and Mountain which both have a Michelin star. While Tom was in charge, Booking a table was mission impossible as his approach to modern British cuisine with a nod to traditional techniques was something pretty new and exciting back then. 10 years later, the menu hasn't changed much with British cuisine still at its core, using a range of fine local ingredients.

Roe

London opening of the year?

Cuttlefish fried toast, pork skin, sesame

The team behind Fallow has launched a brand new restaurant called Roe. Located in Canary Wharf and able to 500 covers thanks to its extremely large space, taking over the whole ground floor of an entire flat just off the Canary Wharf tube station. Given the location is not known as a dining hot spot. I found Roe is such a high-risk project, especially these days when more people work from home and some businesses decided to leave the area. Judging from the menu, the food has some Fallow elements but with the addition of flatbread and a few sharing dishes.

The Cocochine

 Club vibe fine dining

Tanera Island Barbecued Native Lobster, Crème Fraîche, Wild Cardamon, Red Wine Jus

The Cocochine is a very interesting restaurant that just opened in Mayfair. Unlike many new fine dining restaurants that only offer a tasting menu, The Cocohine is going the opposite and offers only a 3 courses ALC menu. Spread across 3 floors, the ground floor is the main dining room space while the second floor is a chef counter setting with the same menu. It also has a private dining room on the top floor that has a member club vibe. I suspect it is still fairly unknown to most, as it shows when I visited. Including my table, there were only 5 tables with diners on the night.

Nest

 Pork season tasting menu

 Charcuterie and pork terrine

Nest is a one-of-a-kind restaurant, it is sister to the 1 Michelin-starred St Barts, and just like St Barts, it offers a tasting menu only but Nest does it to the next level. Every month, it offers a seasonal menu that would be completely changed vs the last one, and it focuses on one single ingredient so you would be getting multi-courses of dishes that use either the same animal or seafood. I had an excellent lamb-tasting menu back in April so it was good enough for me to return to sample its pork menu.

Origin City

Modern nose-to-tail

Crispy brawn, malt vinegar mayonnaise + Quail Scotch eggs, brown sauce

I always admire restaurants that go to the next level in sourcing ingredients, working directly with farmers and fishermen etc to really understand the ingredients. Located by Smithfield market, Origin City has taken it to another level. The people behind it also have an animal farm in Scotland so all their pork, lamb, and beef are heritage breeds coming directly from their own farm. On top of that, they have their own oyster farm and vineyards in France so they have full control of most of their supply chain. The cooking is British themed with meat playing a central stage, open fire grill and using prime cuts as well as offals.

Nest

100% British with a single focus

Lamb ‘Kebab’ Lamb & Herb Fritter Cheese & Onion Tart

I have been to the Michelin-starred St Brats twice now in Farringdon. Besides the refined British cuisine, it is able to turn out, I really enjoyed their concept of using 100% British ingredients. This helps contribute to sustainability and ensures diners are getting the freshest ingredients. The same team behind also owned a much more casual restaurant in the name of Nest in Shoreditch. Once again 100% British ingredients only, but with each season focus on a single tasting menu using one type of meat/ vegetables. The latest Spring menu is all about lamb, with each course containing a certain cut of lamb to ensure Nest can get out as much as an animal. 

Quality Chop House

 Meat Temple of London

Pollock head in miso butter

Not a lot of places I would head back to often, but Quality Chop House is a rare beast. The British meaty restaurant is all about big chops, cooked in a traditional manner with an open fire and cast iron pan, loaded with plenty of butter. I always would pay a visit every once in a while to enjoy a meaty treat. For my 9th visit, I opted for some big chops action as usual, as well as trying some new dishes from its starter selection.

Ormer Mayfair

Hidden gems in Mayfair

Canapes

I first encountered Ormer back in 2016 when it just opened, it was headed up by Shaun Rankin, a talented chef who has a Michelin star in his Jersey restaurant. 8 years later, many things have changed, with head chefs coming and going. In the last 3 years, the platform belong to Sofian Msetfi. A British chef with Moroccan heritage who appears to have a habit of mixing Japanese elements into his modern European-style cuisine. Ormer landed a Michelin star in the 2024 guide and I was interested to see how much has it changed since my last visit. The restaurant offers a tasting menu and for dinner occasions only.

Restaurant St. Barts

Totally British to the core

BBQ turbot

There are many restaurants in London these days that focus on local ingredients, trying to source as locally as possible to ensure the freshness and condition of the ingredients. However, few like Restaurant St Barts take that to the next level. It would only use ingredients from the UK and refuse to touch anything beyond that. For example, it won't use lime at all given the temperature of the UK is not able to grow lime to the desired quality the restaurant seeks. It offers a tasting menu only format, with fermentation and aging methods to produce flavours you normally would not find from British ingredients.

Berners Tavern

Classy British brasserie 

Berners Tavern pork and pistachio pie bread and butter pickles

Out of all the restaurants owned or consulted by chef Jason Atherton in London, no one would challenge you if you claim Berners Tavern is the most beautiful. Located inside the classy Edition hotel not far from Oxford Street, Berners Tavern has a New York brasserie feel with its golden colour theme with paintings spreading across the entire dining room. It offers an all day dining affair with food based on British cuisine, yet with a hint of influences from around the world. My first visit was back in 2013 when it first opened and looking at the menu, it doesn't has changed much since. 

The Game Bird

 Classy traditional charm

Venison, cabbage, redcurrant

The Game Bird is a British restaurant located inside the 5-star Stafford Hotel in Mayfair. As the name suggests, it is highly regarded as one of the top places for game meat in London, therefore, my last 3 visits have always been around the game season in late Autumn/ early winter times. My recent visit has switched things up for me to sample what The Game Bird is capable of outside game season. As expected, the seasonal ALC menu has no game dishes anymore in Spring so I opted for other meaty dishes to share.

The Grill at The Dorchester

Modern classic British fine dining

Beef wellington

The Grill at The Dorchester has long been a dining choice of mine since it appointed chef Tom Booton to be the executive chef of the venue. Since taking on the venue, Tom has turned this place into a British fine-dining powerhouse. I really enjoyed how he has taken classic British dishes with a modern makeover but maintained the true essence of British cuisine. It had just revamped its menu for 2024 so a perfect time for a revisit.

The Ledbury

Still my no 1 choice in London

Trout, yuzu, orange

By the end of 2023, I have managed to try most of the Michelin-starred restaurants across London, some with multiple visits. Sadly, I found London fine dining has peaked and the quality in fact is going backward, there are not a great deal of new openings that really caught my eye since 2020. So I always end up going back to old joints that I know would keep on delivering the goods, and The Ledbury is the one that I rate as the best in London. For my 23rd visit over lunch, I opted for the long tasting menu as usual.