Credit: Starling – Nick Beardshaw
I know, I know – the entire premise of this article seems flawed from the very get-go. How on earth could a Michelin-starred restaurant possibly be affordable? Well, if you know where to go, where to look, and when to dine, it is possible to chow down on Michelin-starred food without breaking the bank. And after painstaking research (aka reading all the menus), we can reveal that London’s cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant is Esher’s neighbourhood bistro, the one-Michelin-starred Starling.
Now, when we talk about affordable meals at these restaurants, we’re not typically talking about their full-on tasting experiences. Instead, many of these spots have special menus at certain times of the day to entice you to try their food at a fraction of the usual price.
If you visit Starling for lunch on Wednesday or Thursday, you can enjoy an impressive 3-course meal for just £30. That’s arguably less than a typical pub lunch! And you know the food is going to be good, since the restaurant was founded by Great British Menu winner Nick Beardshaw.
Credit: Starling – Nick Beardshaw
As with other Michelin-starred restaurants, the menu can change at the drop of a hat. (When you want the best of the best ingredients, you’re sometimes beholden to the seasons, after all!) If you visit for lunch, you could be enjoying the likes of Truffle Cheese Crumpets, Herb Crumbed Cotswold White Chicken, and Xoco Mayan Red Chocolate Ice Cream. London’s cheapest Michelin-starred meal is a bit better than a plate of Huner’s Chicken and a pint of Neck Oil down the local, isn’t it?
Outside of the lunch special, a full meal at Starling would typically run you in excess of £100 a person. And that doesn’t even include a drink!
Other cheap(er) Michelin-starred restaurants
There are plenty of other spots in the city with impressive deals available to diners. You can have a top-notch meal at these spots for a mere fraction of the usual cost:
Amaya offers up a Large Lunch Platter (“A complete meal in one platter”) for £32 from Monday to Sunday. The platter could include dishes such as Black Pepper Chicken Tikka, Yellow Dal Tarka, and Ghee Naan.
At Luca, the Bar Express Lunch menu is available for £32 for 2 courses, or £38 for 3 courses. Choices range from Stracciatella with broad bean pesto to John dory with burnt apple and hispi cabbage.
Image: @luca.restaurant, via IG
The Ninth’s set menu is available for lunch from 12-2:30pm or the 6pm dinner service. Priced at £35 for 2 courses or £38 for 3, dishes include Burrata, Datterini Tomatoes & Pickled Strawberries, and Pork Tenderloin, Green Beans, Chimichurri & Mustard Frills.
Head to Veeraswamy for the Pre-Theatre Dinner, between 5:30-6:15pm from Monday to Saturday. Dishes range from Bori Soya Mince Samosa to Chicken Dilkush, Kaala Jaam, and more. Enjoy 2 courses for £34 or 3 courses for £41.
At Chishuru, you can enjoy an impressive 3-course lunch from one of London’s most exciting restaurants for a (relatively) paltry £45. Dishes include the likes of Àkàrà (Bean fritter with chicken & duck liver parfait or mushroom parfait), Èbìrìpò (Char-grilled guineafowl) and more.
Credit: Chishuru
Elystan Street’s set menu is available for lunch or early dinner (6:30 or 6:45pm) from Monday to Saturday. It costs £45 for 3 courses, with dishes like Chicken and duck liver parfait to Spiced lamb sausage with a fregola, and more.
Wild Honey St James’ ‘Working Lunch’ treats guests to 3 courses for £45. Dishes include Crisp ox tongue with potato purée and summer greens, Slow cooked crisp pork belly, and Congolese chocolate tart.
La Trompette treats diners lunch-ers to a 3-course set lunch for £45 from Wednesday to Friday. Choose from the likes of Chilled gazpacho, Roasted cod with mussels, Tiramisu, and more.
And then there is Behind. This one costs a bit more, but features twice as many courses for less than twice the price. Sate your palate with a 6-course lunch on Thursday or Friday, for £64 per person.
Image: @behindrestaurant, via IG
So there you have it, the cheapest Michelin spot(s) to enjoy a taste of luxury in London. Don’t delay – make those bookings now!
Find out more about Starling here.