The best value Michelin-starred restaurants in London
Where can you find the best value fine-dining meals in London? Assuming that -- at least according to the venerated judges at the rubber tire factory known as Michelin -- one-, two-, and three-starred restaurants are all of roughly commensurate quality, we did the maths, and found out where you’ll get the most bang for your belly...
One star
For the one-star restaurants, we took the average price of a main course on their a la carte dinner menu, assuming that they A) had an a la carte, and B) had main courses (unlike, say, some tapas/sushi places). There are 51 single-star spots in the capital, here are the top 10 best value...
St. John (address and info)
Smithfield
The menu, and therefore prices, rotate daily here, but the average remains amazingly low. Consistently in the top 50 restaurants in the world, this is an incredibly good deal.
Average main: £18.50
Trishna (address and info)
Marylebone
An Indian spot, all of its seven menus have some great deals.
Average main: £19
The Harwood Arms (address and info)
Fulham
Proudly declaring itself "the only Michelin-starred pub in London", the prices remain amazingly pub-like, considering the quality.
Average main: £22.50
Lima (address and info)
Fitzrovia
New on the scene, Lima's already got a sister resto in Covent Garden.
Average main: £23
Gymkhana (address and info)
Mayfair
Despite being in Mayfair, the prices at this Indian spot are actually quite low.
Average main: £23
Arbutus (address and info)
Soho
A perennial candidate for "best value Michelin star", Arbutus' a la carte is surprisingly far down the list.The best deals are with its set menus, where you can get a three-course lunch for less than £20.
Average main: £24
Club Gascon (address and info)
Smithfield
The first French restaurant on the list, if you want the prices to remain low, go easy on the wine.
Average main: £24
Social Eating House (address and info)
Soho
Run by Gordon Ramsay alum Jason Atherton, he outdoes his former boss for price, here.
Average main: £24.5
Tamarind of Mayfair (address and info)
Mayfair
Another Indian spot, Tamarind has an even cheaper street food restaurant in Soho (Imli Street) if price is a concern.
Average main: £24.75
Kitchen W8 (address and info)
Kensington
Defining itself as "Kensington's Michelin-starred neighbourhood restaurant", this is where prices begin to align themselves with what you'd expect from such a place.
Average main: £26
Special mentions
Barrafina (address and info)
Soho
It's a tapas restaurant, so it's a little unfair to judge it straight against the rest of the pack, but Barrafina's still an immensely good deal.
Average: Around £8 per dish
Amaya (address and info)
Knightsbridge
Although Amaya doesn’t publish a menu online, they state that their "average vegetarian dish" is a mere £11.
Average main: "£12 to £30 " (according to their website).
Two stars
For the doubly blessed eateries, true a la carte eating generally ceases to exist, and the menus simply set a price for a minimum two/three/four courses, which vary greatly in size. There are nine two-star spots in London, and assuming that their minimum spend constitutes a decent meal, but these are the three most reasonable...
Marcus (address and info)
Knightsbridge
Another Ramsay alum, Marcus Wareing's spot advertises a £45 set lunch, and a great deal of flexibility in its dinner menu.
£85 for three courses
The Ledbury (address and info)
Notting Hill
A current award magnet, the Ledbury is nevertheless one of the best two-star options in town.
£90 for four courses
Hélène Darroze (address and info)
Mayfair
Overcoming initial poor reviews, this place recently added another star -- to join its sister spot in Paris (also named Hélène Darroze) with two each.
£92 for five courses
Special mention
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal (address and info)
Knightsbridge
Dinner actually does have a true no-minimum a la carte, with the average price for a three-course meal here coming in at just £65 -- and you can get a three course set lunch for a mere £38!
£65 for three courses
Three stars
Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester (address and info)
Mayfair
There are only two triple-threat winners in London (yes, Gordo owns the other), but Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester’s three courses for £90 is actually on level with many of the two-star spots sitting below it.
£90 for three courses
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