Guide to tasting menus in London

Clare Smyth is the only woman to hold three Michelin stars in Britain (shout out!) and is working to break down some of the stereotypical barriers of standard fine dining. There's a whole animal and fish approach in an attempt to minimise waste and a classic tasting menu featuring dishes like Isle of Harris scallop tartare and Highland wagyu beef with Porthilly oysters. It's one to bookmark for a special occasion.

A restaurant on the first floor of Michelin's former HQ was always going to impress. Bibendum is an aesthetically pleasing spot decorated in an Art Deco style with floor-to-ceiling stained glass windows. The menu is also something to get excited about; it's two Michelin-starred French haute cuisine spread across different menus. The à la carte focuses on the classics whilst the tastes of the seasons serve up precisely what it promises.

Trishna is an Indian fine-dining restaurant that takes classic dishes from western India and modernises them. The six-course “Taste of Trishna” seafood menu is one of the best ways to experience the plethora of food they offer here, including dishes like cashew and pepper chicken and tandoori lamb chop. You can also add on the sommelier wine pairing for an additional surcharge.

Andrew Wong has reinvented traditional Chinese cooking at his Victoria restaurant A.Wong. His two-Michelin-starred 3-hour multi-course menu has gardened the attention of foodies around the capital, which is inspired by the country's 14 international borders. The dishes are small, but there are many of them, so be sure to arrive hungry.

Lyle's is a minimalistic restaurant with simple tasting menus for dinner. The one Michelin-starred spot focuses on modern fare with just a few dishes on each menu, like Hereford rib with brassicas and anchovy and olive oil ice cream with lemon leaf meringue. The set dinner menu is also available in a vegetarian option, and both are accompanied by a wine list with options by the glass and bottle.

This fine dining restaurant opened during the hectic pandemic and has still managed to earn a prestigious reputation amongst London foodies. The high-end restaurant in London Bridge is run by husband and wife duo Woongchul Park and Bomee Ki, who source the majority of their ingredients from the neighbouring Borough Market. The menu is chock with Korean flavours and techniques, and is experienced via their nine-course tasting menu. It only seats 26, so promises an intimate, cosy affair.

This snug Hackney restaurant serves a weekly changing Asian-inspired set four-course menu of modern European fare. It's a neighbourhood favourite, with a handful of tables and chairs, making for the perfect dining spot for an intimate dinner. The menu is simple, and the food is beautifully presented in a rainbow of different colours. Past menus have included highlights like crab with jersey royal potatoes, rhubarb and fennel and venison with clam, cider and carrots.

Ikoyi is the epitome of fine-dining, specialising in fragrant West African flavours focusing on seasonal, sustainably-sourced ingredients. There's a particular focus on sub-Saharan West Africa, best experienced via their long dinner tasting menu or shorter lunch menu. Menu highlights have included spider crab with daikon, overripe plantain with ginger and Nassu eggplant with pumpkinseed mayo. This is one for the special occasions.  

This no-menu Chinese restaurant located between Chelsea and Pimlico specialises in 12 and 18-course tasting menus, only asking if there are any ingredients you don't like and what your spice preferences are. There's nothing stand-out about the decor per se, but that's because the food does all the talking here.

Italy meets Japan at Angelina in Dalston, where a ten or four-course omakase and kaiseki tasting menus take you on an gastronomy adventure. They pay homage to both cuisines and are passionate about using the finest ingredients to showcase the best of their fusion dishes. The tasting menus are the chef's choice, and you can add on wine pairing for an additional surcharge.

The former chef of The Ledbury, chef James Cochran, has crafted tasting menus at his signature restaurant 12:51, where the food is a homage to his heritage, having grown up by the sea in Whitstable but having parents from the Caribbean and Scotland. The set menu is a five-course taster featuring highlights like chalk-steam trout with roast Jerusalem artichoke and wild garlic and slow-braised goat shoulder with sea herb chimichurri emulsion, BBQ sweet potato, rum glaze, goat's curd and almonds. You can also opt for the veggie-tasting menu and add drink pairings for a surcharge.

This restaurant in Shoreditch Town Hall has a couple of tasting menus showcasing the finest seasonal British ingredients. The restaurant is low-key and casual with three tasting menus to choose from; one six-course, an eight-course and a veggie version of the eight-course menu. Menu highlights include smoked Wiltshire trout with almond milk and watercress, Torbay prawn tartare and aged rack of middle white pork.

This Soho institution, headed up by Chef Alexis Gauthier, combines plant-based cuisine with fine dining. Choose from a five or eight-course menu of classic French fare with a contemporary twist, featuring dishes like Jerusalem artichokes with hazelnut and chives and Roscoff onion with parsley and sea lettuce. 

Evelyn's Table is a cosy 12-seater counter dining experience led by acclaimed chef James Goodyear. The food is classic British with a contemporary touch, experienced via their five-course constantly-evolving menu and short wine list. His experience working in French cuisine has influenced the menu, and British produce is prepared using Scandinavian and Japanese techniques. The restaurant was also awarded one Michelin star in the 2022 Michelin Guide.

Six By Nico is a fun restaurant that serves a changing six-course themed menu at an affordable fixed price. They change their menu every six weeks, and past themes have included Ancient Rome, Cooking Childhood and Circus. They're usually super fun and playful, evoking a sense of nostalgia and conversation at the table.

Asian fusion flavours are the aim of the game at Scully St.James's, where head chef Ramael Scully has crafted a selection of unique tasting menus chock with fresh flavours and vibrancy. The tasting menus will take you through multiple courses of creative dishes, like caramelised sticky coconut rice and aubergine sambal.

Umu is a Kyoto-inspired Michelin-star restaurant in the heart of Mayfair that oozes elegance and sophistication. Ingredients are at the heart of the menu, featuring high-quality produce like indigenous line-caught seafood from around UK shores. Chef Rio Kamatsu uses traditional Japanese methods to handle the seafood, crafting it into a delectable menu of mouthwatering delights.

Hot Stone is a Japanese restaurant in the heart of Islington, serving a refined menu of melt-in-your-mouth sushi, sashimi and high-grade wagyu beef. The best way to experience their food is by opting for the tasting menu, which is designed to be enjoyed by the whole table. It features a range of dishes, including A5 sirloin Japanese wagyu cooked on the table on a sizzling hot stone at 400 degrees.

Kitchen Table, a two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Fitzrovia, promises an intimate dining experience to remember. Inside, you'll find a 19-seat U-shaped table curved around a cooking station, offering a first-hand view of chefs cooking up a European storm. The menu uses responsibly sourced and foraged seasonal British ingredients, which are used to craft a daily changing tasting menu of the best produce of the day. Every course hones in on one element, like truffles, oysters or deer. You can opt for drink pairings, too; they have champagne, wine or soft drink options.

This stylish Peruvian restaurant in Chelsea specialises in seafood in all its glory. Enjoy small plates with the à la carte menus, or opt for the Chef's Table for an up-close glimpse at the food being prepared. They also offer ceviche and pisco sour masterclasses for those who want to delve deeper into the art of Peruvian cuisine.

Dining at Cornerstone is a must for any avid seafood fan. This Hackney Wick restaurant is run by chef Tom Brown and his team, where they serve a fresh menu of seafood-based dishes in a stylish, east London-esque setting. People flock here for the iconic crab crumpet, but the best (and probably most affordable) way to try a bit of everything is to opt for the eight-course tasting menu, designed to be shared between two people. You can also add a standard or premium wine pairing on for a surcharge.

Myrtle is chef Anna Haigh's Modern European venture, located in the affluent borough of Chelsea. There are stories behind the dishes Anna has created, like the Taste of Ireland tasting menu, a seven-course tasting menu inspired by dishes hailing from Ireland. Anna has also been working with grape growers in southern France to create a curated list of elegant wines to accompany the food.

Pied à Terre is one of the city's longest-standing Michelin restaurants, offering a range of delicious veggie and vegan set menus alongside an impressive wine list. Head chef Asimakis Chaniotis has created a menu using produce from small, independent suppliers focusing on quality. The ten-course tasting menu is the best way to experience the menu highlights.