The tasting menu is a staple of fine dining in London. Similar in concept to Japan’s Omakase, it puts the chef in full control of your culinary journey. They shape the number of courses and dishes to bring out the strongest elements of the ingredients involved. And those ingredients are often seasonal and locally sourced for an added layer of sustainability. Here’s a look at some of London’s best tasting menu restaurants you should try.
KOL
KOL’s tasting menu is inspired by Mexican cuisine and rotates to suit seasonal British ingredients. A sample menu includes girasol, pitaya, langoustine tacos, huarache, chimole, tetela, trout zacahuil, lamb mole, lamb barbacoa, nieve sorbet, tamal, and buñuelos. Like Ikoyi, it also makes an appearance on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, at an incredible 17th position. It’s the project of chef Santiago Lastra, who you can meet during the chef’s table experience with a private dining room for up to 20 guests.
Where: 9 Seymour Street, Marylebone, W1H 7BA
Price: £230
Bookings: kolrestaurant.com
IKOYI
Founded in 2017, Ikoyi quickly rose to notoriety for its blend of fine dining, traditional African flavours, and British seasonal ingredients. In 2024 it came 42nd on the list of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, published by a panel of 1,080 culinary experts. On top of that, it’s one of only 36 UK restaurants to achieve two Michelin star status or higher. The man behind the menu is chef Jeremy Chan known for his precision and balance of taste and presentation.
Where: 180 Strand, Temple, WC2R 1EA
Price: £350
Bookings: ikoyilondon.com
Core By Clare Smyth
There are 36 restaurants in the UK with two Michelin stars or higher, or more specifically there are 27 two stars and just nine three stars. Core by Clare Smyth is not only one of the elite three- star restaurants, it’s also the first British restaurant run by a woman to achieve this status. Clare Smyth’s service to hospitality resulted in her being awarded an MBE in 2013. A sample seasonal menu includes Portland crab, Norfolk turnip, Cornish sea bass, Highland wagyu with Porthilly oysters, and a desert inspired by the Bakewell tart.
Where: 92 Kensington Park Road, Kensington, W11 2PN
Price: £245
Bookings: corebyclaresmyth.com
A.Wong
Two Michelin star restaurant, A. Wong is the project of Andrew Wong, who took over from his parents in 2012. They have a range of menu options, but our focus here is the The Collections of China tasting menu, which presents a wide range of traditional and contemporary Chinese cuisine produced from fine British ingredients. The multi- course meal is enjoyed over three hours and features dishes such as Isle of Mull seared scallop and honey glazed Iberico char siu, Shanghai steamed dumplings, and a fish dish evocatively titled ‘Why we don’t need to eat Shark’s fin soup’.
Where: 70 Wilton Road, Pimlico, SW1V 1DE
Price: £200
Bookings: awong.co.uk
The Clove Club
Set in the impressive surroundings of Shoreditch Town Hall, The Clove Club offers a pared back look at the essentials of modern cuisine. Dishes include Orkney scallops, blue shell lobster, suckling pig leg, Anjou pigeon, and sorbet. It’s as quintessential as it’s possible to get with fine British tasting menus; seasonal and superb. The chef patron of The Clove Club is Isaac McHale, a Scottish chef born in Orkney, hence his close connection to Scottish ingredients.
Where: Shoreditch Town Hall, 380 Old Street, Shoreditch, EC1V 9LT
Price: £225
Bookings: thecloveclub.com
