London's Michelin star restaurants: our verdict
Female chef power. The most thrilling story of Michelin's latest awards is Clare Smyth winning two Michelin stars straight away for her first solo restaurant Core by Clare Smyth which only opened earlier this year. Jumping one star to two star immediately is very rare indeed, and, a feat only Claude Bosi's Bibendum has achieved before.
Exciting too are the Bib Gourmand awards: these are more informal (and more affordable) restaurants serving seriously good neighbourhood food. This year, there are four London recipients: Sorella: sister restaurant to The Dairy in Clapham and Robin Gill's ode to the Italian Amalfi coast; Kudu, a South-African inflected neighbourhood restaurant in Peckham; Farang, Seb Holmes' Thai meets British ingredients in Highbury and Petit Pois, an intimate French bistro in Hoxton.
Cooking over open-fire is hugely fashionable right now. Tomas Parry has the edge having immersed himself in the flavours and techniques of the fishing village of Getaria in Basque Spain, close to San Sebastian where cooking over fire at restaurants including Elkano has been raised to an artform.
Parry's whole culinary apparatus looks positively medieval with its spits and vast pots and is mesmerising to behold: the kitchen is on full view within the restaurant.
Don't miss the best tarama anywhere, the smoke infused bread and the magnificent whole turbot on the bone cooked to pearlescent perfection just has to be ordered and shared. There are superlative beef and lamb choices too, however the turbot is the supreme dish. Smoky honey cheesecake is wondrously good too.
It is amusing to think that this new Michelin star establishment is housed in a former strip club pub!
Dinner for two: £120 + with drinks
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