It’s the dream for chefs around the world to be recognised for their food with an award. And with the Michelin guide as one of the most highly-regarded of the award-givers, to win their top accolade is something most only hope to achieve.
Here in the UK we have so many amazing chefs, cooking in kitchens big and small, who get the attention of Michelin, with some rising through to receive a second, or even a third star. It’s in these restaurants where you’ll find every minute detail has been considered, and cooking has been turned into an artform.
We’ve put together the full list of restaurants that hold three Michelin stars in the UK – from rural retreats to big city players – with creativity and culinary excellence in abundance.
What does three Michelin stars mean?
To win a Michelin star, the Michelin guide looks at these five attributes in a restaurant:
Quality of the ingredients
Harmony of flavours
Mastery of techniques
How the chef expresses their personality through the cuisine
Consistency both across the entire menu and over time
The final point – consistency – is measured through multiple visits from Michelin inspectors (all of whom are anonymous), meaning chefs must make sure any tweaks to menus maintain the same high standard.
How many restaurants have three Michelin stars in the UK?
As of 2025, there are 10 restaurants in the UK with the highest award from Michelin. One new restaurant was awarded the top accolade in the most recent ceremony – Mark Birchall’s Moor Hall. The restaurant won its first Michelin star in 2017, soon after opening, its second in 2019, and rose to the top this year.
This year 26 restaurants in total were awarded stars – 22 with one star, three with two stars.
The UK ranks seventh place in the world for the number of three Michelin star restaurants it has – France holds the top spot with 31 three-Michelin-starred restaurants, followed by Japan with 20 and Spain with 16. To make it to number six, the UK would need to have two more restaurants with three Michelin stars to beat Germany with 12.
Three-Michelin-starred restaurants in England
Moor Hall, Lancashire, England – NEW 2025
Boasting a green Michelin star alongside its three Michelin stars, Moor Hall is set in five acres of gardens and has seven guest bedrooms. Lancashire-born Mark Birchall is the chef patron, who won the Roux Scholarship in 2011. The Michelin guide describes the cuisine as “creative British” with the use of lesser-known herbs and plants. Birchall won the Chef of the Year Award at the 2025 Cateys.
Address Prescot Road, Aughton, Lancashire, L39 6RT
L’Enclume, Cartmel, Cumbria
In the 20th anniversary year of L’Enclume opening in Cumbria, it won its third Michelin star, and was the only restaurant in the 2022 guide to be newly awarded this accolade. It is run by chef Simon Rogan and his partner Penny Tapsell, who serve a whopping 20-course tasting menu for both lunch and dinner, with the option of a smaller lunch menu for those who prefer. L’Enclume means ‘the anvil’ in French and is an homage to the building’s former purpose as a blacksmith’s workshop.
Address Cavendish Street, Cartmel LA11 6PZ
The Fat Duck, Bray, Berkshire
Heston Blumenthal is known for his experimental cooking, and the Fat Duck is the epicentre of these ideals. Though it originally served French bistro-style food when it opened in 1995, over time it gained a reputation for fantastical food. Don’t be surprised if courses come with specific sights and sounds to entertain all the senses. The Michelin Guide says: “[Blumenthal’s] multi-sensory cooking is testament to his ground-breaking approach: innovative, evocative, playful and perfectly judged, with harmonious textures and flavours”.
Address High Street, Bray, Berkshire SL6 2AQ
The Waterside Inn, Bray, Berkshire
In 2010 the Waterside Inn in Bray became the first restaurant outside of France to retain its three Michelin stars for 25 years. It was opened in 1972 by Michel and Albert Roux after the success of their (currently two-Michellin-starred) restaurant Le Gavroche. Michel’s son Alain now runs the restaurant, serving classic French cuisine in a relaxed fine dining setting. There are 12 rooms alongside the restaurant, each with a unique style.
Address Ferry Road, Bray, Berkshire SL6 2AT
Three Michelin star restaurants in London
Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester, Mayfair
French chef Alain Ducasse opened his London hub in 2007, which first appeared in the Michelin Guide in 2009 with two stars. It gained its third star in 2010 and serves French cuisine. With a relaxed setting, the restaurant also offers private dining at ‘la table lumiere’ – an area surrounded by a luminescent curtain with 4,500 optical fibres. The Michelin Guide says: “Ducasse is never one to stand still so, although you’ll find many of the much-loved signatures on the menu, there are also plenty of new dishes to keep things fresh.”
Address Park Lane, London, W1K 1QA
Core by Clare Smyth, Notting Hill
The caterer of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding Clare Smyth is the first Northern Irish woman to gain three Michelin stars. Core has an emphasis on natural, sustainable food based around British cuisine. There is a classic tasting menu with dishes Smyth has refined over the years, a seasonal tasting menu and à la carte for both lunch and dinner. Smyth was awarded Restaurateur of the Year – Independent at the 2023 Cateys, with judges remarking she is “absolutely at the top of her game”.
Address 92 Kensington Park Road, London, W11 2PN
Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, Chelsea
Restaurant Gordon Ramsay was the start of the chef’s empire, opening as his first solo venture in 1998. Since then, many top chefs have passed through its kitchen who have gone on to win Michelin stars of their own, including Clare Smyth. With head chef and co-owner Matt Abé, the restaurant serves food with a French influence in Gordon Ramsay’s classic style, with dishes such as lobster ravioli, roast veal sweetbread and dover sole with white asparagus, morels and black garlic.
Address 68-69 Royal Hospital Road, London, SW3 4HP
Hélène Darroze at the Connaught, Mayfair
Hélène Darroze was named the new head chef at the Connaught hotel in 2008, taking over from Angela Hartnett. The restaurant was awarded its third star in 2021 and serves food based around seasonal produce. Each dish centres around the starring ingredient, such as pea, lobster, or dover sole on the spring menu. For an enhanced experience, you can sit at the chefs table or sommelier’s table with bespoke experiences for your party.
Address Carlos Place, London, W1K 2AL
The Ledbury, London
The Ledbury reopened in early 2022 after a two-year hiatus and regained its two Michelin stars in the 2023 guide. In 2024 it soared to achieve the top accolade of three stars. Led by Brett Graham, this London pub grows its own mushrooms to create innovative dishes.
Address 127 Ledbury Road, London, W11 2AQ
Sketch (The Lecture Room & Library), Mayfair
Sketch may be famous for it’s colourful, pod-shaped toilets, but one of the restaurants within its walls is also a three-Michelin star holder. The Lecture Room & Library is a lavishly decorated affair, serving French cuisine from head chef Daniel Stucki. There are two seven-course tasting menus, one vegetarian, and à la carte options. The Michelin guide says: “the main ‘plate’ comes surrounded by a number of complementary dishes and before long, your table is covered with an assortment of vessels, with each element excelling in terms of structure, composition, elegance and, above all, flavour.”
Address 9 Conduit Street, London, W1S 2XG
Dining and Cooking