The best tasting menus in London

One of the best tasting menus in London can be found in an 18th-century Mayfair building – but it's not at all like anything you'd expect. Originally from Sweden, the Punk Royale team have made a name for themselves by tearing up the fine dining playbook and replacing rigidity with playfulness, tradition with innovation. You never know what's coming next during their multiple-course tasting menus, or how it'll be served, as possibilities include but are not limited to syringes, cigarettes, and more. It's memorable and unique in all the best ways.

Having evolved from a supper club run at home by a talented chef, The Water House Project is now showcasing some of the most progressive cooking in a pretty East London space. Firmly adhering to an ethos of sustainability, seasonality, and responsibility, the restaurant infuses fine dining elegance with the warmth of a home meal with friends. Helmed by experienced chef Gabriel Waterhouse, the restaurant serves exquisitely crafted tasting menus championing low-waste cooking and paired with natural wines or non-alcoholic infusions.

The crown jewel of the Sketch concept, The Lecture Room & Library on the top floor is where culinary maestro Pierre Gagnaire and head chef Daniel Stucki showcase their contemporary French fusion. Boasting no fewer than three Michelin stars, the restaurant is housed within a grand chamber featuring vivid colours, rich fabrics, and lavish decor, and serves prestigious tasting menus for both lunch and dinner. The selections are accompanied by one of the finest wine lists around.

Chef Victor Garvey attained a Michelin star with his creative Californian cuisine at SOLA in Soho, but his latest venture looks to his time in Japan for culinary inspiration. Emphasising restraint and simplicity in showcasing the complex flavours of peak seasonal produce, the tasting menus here are available in reduced and standard versions, with wine or non-alcoholic pairings. The experience starts the moment you enter through the sliding doors, with the hero ingredients of the upcoming menu displayed in a softly lit passageway.

Paladar is a lively, colourful spot that brings South American flavours to South London. You can take your tastebuds on a comprehensive journey across the continent with Chef Jose's tasting menu, which includes dishes like green plantain crisps with taquero guacamole or seared duck breast and mole poblano with citrus-pickled fennel. Like the rest of the restaurant's offerings, the tasting menu is gluten-free throughout, and wine pairing is available as well.

Colonel Saab is an Indian fine-dining establishment dedicated to showcasing the best of Indian cooking. Dishes from royal recipe books, street-food classics and plates of hearty home-cooking are all delivered to a very high standard. The tasting menu at Colonel Saab is more than a series of courses - each dish is a step along the journey taken by the owner's parents which inspired the restaurant itself. The ornate interiors and glittering chandeliers also provide an elegant background to enjoy this Indian tasting menu.

Step into this izakaya and listening bar for a unique sensory experience where the sound of sizzling skewers mingles with the slow disco beats drifting from hi-fi sound system. Settle at the counter and allow Junsei's team of expert chefs to lead you on a Japanese culinary experience. This omakase-style tasting menu offers a curated audio experience as well as a flavourful one. Opt for the sake pairing to bring the experience to a whole new level.

At Aces Foodcraft, former Sosharu head chef Alex Craciun presents a tasting menu that reflects the evolution of his fine-dining craft. The Fitzrovia restaurant operates as a relaxed lunch spot by day, but in the evening the focus turns to a more intimate setting where a live tasting menu experience takes centre stage. Exceptional produce is key to the kitchen's approach, sourced with the help of Craciun's wife and business partner Aleksandra Jazevica, a respected costermonger. Dishes might include salmon tataki with coconut rice, vegetable ramen with mushrooms and truffle, or tuna sashimi with smoked soy-marinated garlic and Japanese mustard.

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-full of fresh flavours and top-notch produce. The tasting menus will take you through multiple courses of creative dishes, like caramelised sticky coconut rice and aubergine sambal, although as expected, the menu does change.

This Soho institution, headed up by Chef Alexis Gauthier, combines plant-based cuisine with fine dining. Choose from two menus of classic French fare with a contemporary twist, featuring dishes such as Jerusalem artichokes with hazelnuts and chives, and Roscoff onion with parsley and sea lettuce. But expect the menu to change here based on what's in season and available.

Andrew Wong has reinvented traditional Chinese cooking at his Victoria restaurant A.Wong. His two-Michelin-starred menus have garnered the attention of foodies around the capital, which is inspired by the country's 14 international borders. The lunchtime tasting menu is a celebration of the Cantonese lunch tradition of 'Dim Sum', served with a flight of wine. The dinner menu can be served with a classic wine pairing, or you can go all out and opt for the prestige wine pairing. There's also a vegetarian option.

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 multi-course tasting menu is the best way to experience the menu highlights.

Ikoyi is the epitome of fine dining, specialising in fragrant West African dishes made with 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 Nassau eggplant with pumpkinseed mayo, although the offerings change frequently. This is one for a special occasion.  

Plates in London takes plant-based dining to new heights with its elegant, changing tasting menus. It's set in a swanky Shoreditch spot, serving up seasonal, sustainable fare that's as visually striking as it is creative. Expect meticulously plated courses of dishes, such as caramelised lion's mane with English asparagus, burnt aubergine, and olive and pickled cucumber, all paired with thoughtful storytelling.

Clare Smyth is the only woman to hold three Michelin stars in Britain 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, along with a classic tasting menu featuring the very best seasonal produce, such as Merrifield Farm duck, Herdwick lamb and Porthilly oysters. It's one to bookmark for a special occasion.

Sushi Tetsu was opened by husband and wife Toru and Harumi Takahashi in 2012 on the premise of word-of-mouth. The inconspicuous restaurant is located down one of London's tiny alleyways. The space is super small, seating only seven people at once, and is regularly labelled as one of the hardest restaurants to secure a booking at. Embrace Harumi's warm and welcoming hospitality while chef Toru prepares the omakase menu in front of your eyes. The tasting menu is an excellent way to experience the restaurant's highlights. 

Trishna is an Indian fine-dining restaurant that takes classic dishes from western India and modernises them. The six-course Taste of Trishna menu is one of the best ways to experience the plethora of food they offer here, and you can also add on the sommelier wine pairing for an additional surcharge. There's also a 'Taste of Trishna Diwali menu available for part of October, as well as a 'A Taste of the Western Ghats' menu, which is more affordable and available at certain times throughout the week. 

This fine dining restaurant has earned a prestigious reputation among London foodies. The high-end restaurant in London Bridge is run by the 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-full of Korean dishes made using traditional techniques, and is showcased through their multiple-course tasting menu, available at lunch and dinner, with a vegetarian option. It only seats 26, so it promises an intimate, cosy meal.

This no-menu Chinese restaurant is located between Chelsea and Pimlico and offers a fine dining experience inspired by the food of China. The restaurant aims for everyone to experience a wide variety of dishes, and for this reason, there is no menu. Instead, each table receives a selection of small dishes, often enjoying over 15 in a single sitting. Each plate evokes the flavours and memories from Taiwan, Sichuan, Guangdong, and beyond.

Italy meets Japan at Angelina in Dalston, where multi-course menus take you on a gastronomical adventure. They pay homage to both cuisines and are passionate about using the finest ingredients to showcase the best of their fusion dishes. The dishes on the menus change every five weeks to reflect the seasonal ingredients, and you can add on wine pairing for an additional surcharge.

This restaurant, located in Shoreditch Town Hall, offers a couple of tasting menus that showcase the finest seasonal British ingredients. The restaurant is low-key and casual with multiple tasting menus to choose from. Menu highlights include dishes like smoked Wiltshire trout with almond milk and watercress, Torbay prawn tartare and aged rack of middle white pork, although it does change based on ingredients and seasons. 

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.

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 menu of mouthwatering dishes. Opt for the Kaiseki menu to get a taste of everything, with optional wine pairing available to add on.

Hot Stone is a Japanese restaurant 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 features responsibly sourced and foraged seasonal British ingredients, which are used to craft a daily-changing tasting menu showcasing the best produce of the day. The restaurant currently offers its usual tasting menu and an alternative vegetarian tasting menu, with the option to add on drink pairings, including champagne, wine, or soft drinks.

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, such as the Taste of Ireland tasting menu, a multi-course menu inspired by dishes from Ireland. Anna has also been working with grape growers in southern France to create a curated list of elegant wines that pair well with the food.

The tasting menu at Frog highlights the very best of Britain's seasonal produce, sourced from across the country. Working hand-in-hand with local farmers, fishermen and growers, and even foraging themselves, they ensure every ingredient is at its peak before serving. The restaurant is upmarket and perfect for a special occasion.