Eating wonderful food is one of life’s great pleasures. That’s what the Michelin Star represents: it directs you to restaurants that serve truly memorable dishes. And while this experience can often prove expensive, there are thankfully a great number of Starred restaurants who go out of their way to offer more affordable ways to enjoy their fabulous cooking. Lunch is often the key to good value dining, but sometimes dinner just feels like more of an event, a proper night out. So, here's our selection of the cheapest dinner menus available at Michelin Star restaurants.
Bridge Arms, Bridge
This smart pub boasts gorgeous fireplaces, a large garden and, crucially, excellent cooking. Superb produce is the bedrock of it all, with dishes executed well to make the most of the ingredients. Sauces are a particular highlight, proving to be packed with flavour, well-balanced and showing a good degree of depth. There’s a great buzz to both the charming bar and more formal restaurant area.3 Courses, Weds-Thurs Dinner – £35
3 Courses, Wed-Sat Lunch – £35
Campagne, Kilkenny
There is something delightfully unpretentious and understated about Campagne. The assured classical cooking delivers bold, complementary flavours with real skill, ensuring technical flourishes are never there for the sake of it. Alongside the appealingly priced early bird/Sunday lunch menu, is a wine list with something to suit every purse. It’s no surprise that they have a loyal following of local diners.3 Courses, Weds-Sat Early Evening – €48
3 Courses, Sunday Lunch – €48
Fordwich Arms, Fordwich
Run by the same team as the nearby Bridge Arms, there is a similar style of cooking on offer at this pub in what is officially England’s smallest town. Seasonal produce guides the menu, where dishes are executed with a modern approach and deliver plenty of flavour. The riverside location is a big selling point too, as is the attractive terrace that always proves popular in the summer months.3 Courses, Weds-Thurs Dinner – £45
3 Courses, Weds-Fri Lunch – £45
Le Champignon Sauvage, Cheltenham
Over three decades have passed since Le Champignon Sauvage opened, and for much of that time it’s been something of an institution in the town of Cheltenham. Within easy reach of those visiting the Cotswolds, the restaurant offers classically based cooking with a French influence but centred around British produce. Dishes on the good value fixed-price menu could include roast onion soup or Cotswold White chicken with sweetcorn cream.3 Courses, Weds-Fri Dinner – £47
3 Courses, Weds-Sat Lunch – £47
Masons Arms, Knowstone
There’s a reason this thatched pub has held its Michelin Star for 17 years. The menu is founded on quality local produce, which is used in more elaborate dishes than you might expect from the pubby surroundings. It’s a 13C property that was built by the masons who constructed the nearby church and exudes plenty of rural charm. Have a drink in the cosy beamed bar or lounge, before being seated beneath a Grecian ceiling mural in the dining room.3 Course À La Carte, Tues-Sat Dinner – £56.80 (average price)
3 Courses, Tues-Sat Lunch – £34.50
Paco Tapas, Bristol
There’s no set time or fixed menu necessary to ensure you have a good value meal at Paco Tapas. The all-day selection of tapas dishes are both delicious and appealingly priced, with the flexibility to tailor your ordering to your budget – which is part of what makes small plates dining so attractive. Recognisable dishes like jamón croquetas and tortillas are skilfully executed and use quality ingredients – a real recipe for success.Tapas À La Carte, All Opening Hours – £56.50 (average price)
Pea Porridge, Bury St Edmunds
There’s a homely, slightly bohemian vibe to Pea Porridge, with its wooden furnishings and interesting artwork hung on exposed brick walls. The restaurant sits inside two cottages that date back to 1820 and formerly served as a bakery, with the original cast iron bread oven still in situ. The ‘Grizzly’ charcoal oven gets plenty of use across dishes that blend warming spices with a herby freshness.3 Course À La Carte, Weds-Sat Dinner – £57 (average price)
3 Courses, Thurs-Sat Lunch – £45
Pipe and Glass, South Dalton
This East Yorkshire pub’s passionate owners have nurtured it into a destination dining inn, where you’ll be greeted by a lovely terrace full of colourful planters. Inside, it’s cosy and characterful, with a large bar and a country house style dining room with garden views. The refined pub dishes come packed with flavour and are served by a great team, ensuring you leave with a smile on your face.3 Course À La Carte, Tues-Sat Dinner – £59.75 (average price)
Star Inn at Harome, Harome
The best cooking is so often dependent on using the freshest, most local produce available. They know this at Andrew Pern’s flagship operation, which is why they aim to offer a market menu alongside their extensive à la carte and tasting menus. It’s brilliant value too, letting you try the flavoursome, ingredient-led cooking at a lower price point. The place itself is hugely characterful, having been lovingly restored following a fire in 2021.3 Courses, Market Menu (availability dependent on produce) – £30
The Barn, Aughton
Part of the historic Moor Hall estate, The Barn is positioned as a more relaxed, accessible restaurant than the Two Michelin Star flagship situated in the main house. In that it succeeds, while offering delightful cooking of its own. Dishes showcase bold, punchy flavours and top-notch ingredients, while the hand-crafted cocktails are enhanced with their own fermented produce. Attentive, professional service is the icing on a rather delicious cake.3 Courses, Weds-Thurs Dinner – £48
3 Courses, Thurs-Sat Lunch – £42
The Coach, Marlow
With its charming staff, tasty cooking and reasonable prices, this relaxed younger sibling to The Hand and Flowers is a pub that appeals to everyone. Whether you’re tucking into a rotisserie poussin or a chocolate brownie, dishes are well-executed and full of flavour. Alongside the well-priced à la carte, there’s also a phenomenally good value set lunch menu at just £15 for 2 courses or £22.50 for 3 courses.3 Course À La Carte, Weds-Sun Dinner – £50.50
3 Courses, Weds-Fri Lunch – £22.50
To discover a host of affordable Michelin Star lunch menus, read The Cheapest Michelin Star Restaurants For Lunch.
For good value London Stars, see The Cheapest Michelin Star Restaurants in London.
Hero image: Bridge Arms
