Little Slices of Heaven: London's Michelin-Starred Restaurants
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Apsleys at The Lanesborough, a St. Regis Hotel
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Nobu at The Metropolitan
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Viajante at the Town Hall Hotel
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Seven Park Place at the St. James Hotel and Club
It should come as no surprise that London boasts one of the best culinary scenes on the planet. After all, it's one of the world's most vibrant and multicultural cities. So chefs from around the globe have made this rainy corner of the world their home and created a unique restaurant scene that, despite local fare's boring reputation, rivals those in other bustling metropolises. Simultaneously nodding to the past and playfully looking to the future, British cooking today includes both a widening scope of global culinary traditions and a rustic simplicity that pays tribute to the island nation's roots. And it is most certainly paying off. Michelin stars abound in London nowadays, and some of the best restaurants can be found at our favorite hotels. Dig in!
Apsleys serves delicious Italian cuisine in a stunning setting.
A definite highlight of the luxurious Lanesborough is this one-starred restaurant from renowned Italian chef Heinze Beck. Apsleys was Beck's first restaurant outside of Italy and was awarded a Michelin star faster than any other London restaurant — and with good reason. The setting itself is stunning: The Venetian-style dining room, with its glass roof and plush upholstery, is one of the most beautiful and elegant places to dine in London. The menu centers around light Mediterranean fare, such as Beck's signature Cabonara Fagotelli, and Beck also designs three course lunch menus that change daily and five to seven course dinner menus that change seasonally.
Nobu, as ever, creates some of the most unique, scrumptious sushi dishes.
Nobuyuki Matsuhisa and Robert DeNiro's Japanese restaurants seems to pick up Michelin stars no matter which continent they're located on, and this bright, breezy, and bustling outpost is no different. The Metropolitan's incarnation — Nobu London — serves Japanese-Peruvian fusion cuisine in a stylish setting with immaculate white decor. Some of the delicious offerings include Langoustine with Red Chilli Shiso Salsa, Beef Tenderloin Tataki with Ponzu and Garlic Chips, and, of course, some of the best sushi offerings in London.
The Corner Room restaurant, also at the Town Hall Hotel, serves food from Michelin-starred chef Nuno Mendes as well.
Chef Nuno Mendes nourishes his love for his native Portuguese cuisine at Viajante. Working on his family farm as a child inspired Mendes to create a sustainably-focused menu that supports ethical food gathering, fair trading principles, and local producers. Viajante specializes in seafood and occasionally ventures into the realm of molecular gastronomy. Menus are subject to seasonal produce and often consist of multiple course meals, including a 9-course lunch menu and a 12-course dinner menu, both of which must be requested in advance. Tasty offerings such as brill with duck tongue, beetroot, and toasted milk as well as pig's tail with pecan mole, bay leaf yogurt, and sweet cornbread have both been featured on the menu.
The elegant dining room at Seven Park Place sets the stage for delicious fare.
All of the dining services at this luxurious boutique hotel are directed by Michelin-starred executive chef William Drabble. The Seven Park Place restaurant, which was awarded a Michelin star only one year after opening, focuses on modern French cuisine while utilizing seasonal British ingredients. Drabble's signature dish -- poached native lobster tail with cauliflower puree and lobster butter sauce -- is a staple on the menu. The chef also had a direct hand in the design and decor of the elegant space, which features natural fabrics in bright, jewel tones. It exudes homey-ness and elegance at the same time, quite like Drabble's fresh cuisine.
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