With the MICHELIN Guide Inspectors on the road throughout the year, they eat a vast array of dishes from all cuisine types and restaurant styles. Each month we ask our Inspectors to choose a stand-out dish of the month from their recent restaurant visits. This could be the most creative dish they ate, something that hit the right note at just the right time or simply the one that stuck in their memory for the longest.
March 2025
Wild Sea Bass, Courgette, Langoustine, Bisque – The Bishop’s Buttery, Cashel
“Wild Irish fish really is one of the greatest delicacies you can find. This sea bass was the prime example, a perfectly snow-white piece of naturally flavoursome fish, expertly cooked so that its outer was crisp and slightly caramelised. A plump, juicy langoustine was wrapped in thin ribbons of just-cooked courgettes. The dish’s secret weapon was its bisque, bringing all the other elements together with its sublime, rich shellfish tones. Making the dish even better was the fact it fitted perfectly into the flow of the tasting menu in this beautiful restaurant.”
Couples Beef – BIGFAN, Dublin
“This dish was inspired by the traditional way to serve offal in the Sichuan region of China: cold and sliced, seasoned with a hot sauce. This was a fine example, with the meat of great quality. The tripe had a little firmness; the tongue, perfectly trimmed, was deliciously soft; and the shin had a bit more texture to it. They were all covered with plenty of fresh coriander, crunchy peanuts, chilli and toasted sesame seeds, bringing a lovely balance of flavours. An addictive blend of chilli oil and soy sauce was equally delightful.”
Banana Panna Cotta, Chocolate Mousse and Honeycomb – Hitchen’s Barn, Oakham
“When done right, a panna cotta is a thing of beauty. This one was just set, as it should be, with a wonderful ‘wobble’. It harboured a deliciously pure banana flavour, which showed the skill of the kitchen, as banana is not the easiest of fruits to extract flavour from. This was accompanied by a creamy dark chocolate mousse, which married excellently with the banana flavours, and some slices of caramelised banana. Finally, the honeycomb added a textural contrast and extra sweetness. What a great way to finish a meal!”
Hero Image: © Robert Hayes
March's top dishes are our first since the new Great Britain & Ireland restaurant selection was announced in February at The MICHELIN Guide Ceremony 2025 in Glasgow. Come back next month for new Inspectors' favourites; in the meantime, continue reading for a few of their stand-out dishes from 2024.
December 2024
Roasted Mushroom, Roscoff Onion, Bordelaise Sauce – Vanderlyle, Cambridge
“Highlighting the culinary virtues of vegetarian cuisine, this dish had such a wonderful depth of flavour. The caps of field mushrooms were pressed and cooked to provide a dense, ‘meaty’ texture. The accompanying wedges of juicy Roscoff onion were well-judged to provide crunch and freshness, while the Grelot onions and button mushrooms were glazed and caramelised for a little sweetness. Some more diced mushrooms played the role of the original bone marrow in the delicious Bordelaise sauce, which was intense in flavour and deep in colour, subtly spiced with crushed black peppercorns.”
November 2024
Mulled Autumn Fruit Trifle, Sloe Gin Custard, Ginger Parkin, Candied Hazelnuts – Pipe and Glass, South Dalton
“There are some dishes, like trifle, which you can eat so many times in your life and yet a really good one still stands out. The layers were beautifully balanced, with each one bringing a contrasting texture. The morsels of parkin had a distinct gingery flavour and laid at the base of the glass as the sponge element. The following layer consisted of pears poached in mulled wine, plus a mulled wine jelly. Atop this was a thin layer of thick sloe gin custard. This was all finished off with a generous helping of whipped cream, caramelised hazelnuts, dried red fruits and a drizzle of mulled wine syrup. It was pure, seasonal joy!”
London by The MICHELIN Guide
October 2024
‘Cheese and Onion’: Alliums, Aged Cheddar and Onion Broth – CORE by Clare Smyth, London
“An updated version of one of Clare's signatures, this dish perfectly highlighted how flavours and combinations we may perceive as humble can shine at the highest level. Five-year-old cheddar filled the gaps between the leaves of a softened, lightly charred onion half. The cheese provided a wonderful richness and flavour, with further layers added by the subtle charred taste of the onion. A light caramelised onion broth was full of fragrance and freshness. This was a simple-looking dish but was filled with so much depth and elegance.”
September 2024
The Jaffa: Chocolate Mousse, Toasted Sesame, Orange, Salted Caramel Ice Cream – The Anchor, Ripley
“It was the late and much-missed chef Gary Rhodes who first created a dessert showcasing all the flavours and textures of the famed Jaffa Cake – and I’m sure he would have admired this version for its creativity. A thin layer of sponge was topped with a smooth and airy milk chocolate mousse, then an impressive mirror glaze. Finally, a piquant orange purée sat at the base, adding colour and that all-important orange flavour. A crisp sesame tuille lent texture and acted as the anchor for a smooth salted caramel ice cream, which cleverly cut through the richness.”
August 2024
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Citrus, Wood Ants – LIGИUM, Ballaun
“At LIGИUM, Chef-Owner Danny Africano often uses produce sent by his father from the markets of southern Italy. In this case, Amalfi lemon was used for this dish that reminded Danny of his childhood. The lemon itself was huge; it was halved, the flesh scooped out and filled with a fine lemon sorbet. It was perfectly iced and the depth of flavour was extraordinary, providing an intense fruitiness and well-judged acidic hit. The wood ants on top added an appealing twist.”
July 2024
Sourdough Flatbreads with Pea Hummus – Pea Porridge, Bury St Edmunds
“The word ‘bread’ never fails to get me inordinately excited. It covers a multitude of shapes, flavours and textures, from classic loaves to wonderful buns and everything in between. I love the fact that countries all over the world have their own version of this staple foodstuff. The bread course at Pea Porridge was about as memorable and tasty as they come. It arrived piping hot from the oven, slightly charred and with a perfect texture. The topping of fresh herbs and salt was spot-on, as was the creamy hummus bursting with natural pea flavour.”
June 2024
Agnolotti, Burnt Lemon, Broad Beans and Rosemary – Story, London
“One of the highlights of my meal at Story, this dish was a wonderful mix of flavours and textures that will live long in the memory. The agnolotti was impressively precise: cooked perfectly and made with evenly thin pasta. Creamy mascarpone provided the generous filling. A wonderfully rich, full-flavoured butter sauce was a great accompaniment, as was the textural contrast of broad beans and the finishing touch of burnt lemon and rosemary juice. This was squeezed at the table using a duck press, adding a bit of theatre to the experience.”
May 2024
Dry Aged Trout, Wild Garlic and Onion – Wilsons, Bristol
“The fillet of trout itself was superb, lightly confit’d and finished on the barbecue to add an extra dimension to the dish both flavour and texture-wise. This already delicious main component was elevated even further by a light, sweet onion broth that subtly melded with a smooth wild garlic purée to fabulous effect. All this richness was cleverly cut through by a few pickled mushrooms. A dumpling of trout trimmings wrapped in nettle was the perfect finishing touch, providing a dash of originality.”
April 2024
Glazed Rare Breed Beef, Charred Leeks, Black Garlic – Celentano’s, Glasgow
“Entirely befitting of a Bib Gourmand restaurant, this dish was hearty, full of flavour and so satisfying to eat – all while showcasing the care and skill of the Celentano’s kitchen team. The beef itself had an appearance not unlike brisket, and was tender to cut, while the thin layer of fat on the meat had been rendered well. It was served with charred baby leeks, a creamy black garlic purée and some finely chopped herbs. A slightly reduced sauce added an extra layer of flavour to finish off the dish.”
March 2024
Hazelnut, Banana, Caramel – Faru, Durham
“The main element of this finely crafted dessert was a hazelnut parfait, which was served at just the right temperature to deliver a creamy, velvety texture while retaining that delicious hazelnut flavour. It sat on a thin, sweet biscuit and slices of ripe banana in a light caramel, then topped with banana sorbet that was so smooth and nailed its flavour so well that even banana sceptics would be impressed. Golden raisin jelly, rum jelly and crunchy praline rounds completed the dish, while dark chocolate sprayed around the edges provided a neat, refined appearance.”
