Restaurants have finally reopened and you’ve got a special occasion coming up; maybe a big birthday or a landmark anniversary. Or perhaps you’ve got a few which passed without fanfare during lockdown to make up for – let’s face it, you deserve it!
Here are ten places in the capital perfect for a celebratory meal à deux.
CORE by Clare Smyth
North Kensington
Three Michelin Stars
85 - 165 GBP • Modern British
No matter where you are travelling from, this place is worth a special journey, both in terms of its food and the overall dining experience. Nothing is too much trouble for Clare and her team; the room is elegant and each table has plenty of space; the sommelier is knowledgeable and charismatic, and the assured, beautifully crafted dishes deliver superb flavours and textures with a luxurious edge.
Le Gavroche
Mayfair
Two Michelin Stars
76 - 178 GBP • French
Le Gavroche is an iconic London restaurant but one which moves with the times – (and what could be more of the times than Michel Roux Jr’s kind offer to treat 25 pandemic heroes to dinner at his restaurant?) The menu offers a roll-call of sophisticated, boldly flavoured French classics made with fine ingredients. Service is highly professional and the wine list well worth exploring!
River Café
Hammersmith
One Michelin Star
68 - 95 GBP • Italian
A great choice for a special occasion lunch, thanks to its riverside terrace, the River Café is another of the city’s icons. It’s been here for over thirty years and is as delightful as ever, offering vibrant, unfussy, well-crafted Italian cooking with superlative ingredients at its heart. The team are like one big happy family and servers welcome you with genuine enthusiasm.
Ritz Restaurant
St James’s
One Michelin Star
56 - 115 GBP • Modern British
Stunning Louis XVI decoration sets a celebratory tone in this most striking of dining rooms, which still has the ability to take one’s breath away. Menus successfully tread the line between tradition and innovation, thus keeping everyone happy. Ingredients are top-notch, flavours are confident – and there’s a flamboyancy in the delivery that matches the surroundings.
Seven Park Place
St James’s
One Michelin Star
35 - 95 GBP • Modern Cuisine
This hidden gem of a restaurant is found inside the grand St James's Hotel and Club in the heart of Mayfair, and offers an intimate dining experience perfect for a celebratory meal à deux. Cooking is in the classical vein and comes with plenty of flavour, with seasonal British ingredients given the space to shine.
Sketch (The Lecture Room and Library)
Mayfair
Three Michelin Stars
145 - 150 GBP • Modern French
Mourad Mazouz and Pierre Gagnaire’s 18C lavishly decorated house of fun is the epitome of luxury, and a team of unfailingly attentive staff are on hand to guide you through every step of this opulent dining experience. Each main dish is accompanied by various additional smaller plates; ingredients are top quality and cooking is generous, highly original and full of flavour.
Restaurant Gordon Ramsay
Chelsea
Three Michelin Stars
75 - 195 GBP • French
Another culinary icon in the city, which is still at the top of its game, Gordon Ramsay’s flagship restaurant is a great choice for a push-the-boat-out bonanza: it’s elegant yet relaxed, serves sophisticated French cuisine and offers service which is polished and professional but also comes with plenty of personality. Dishes are understated, technically adept and a treat for the tastebuds.
The Five Fields
Chelsea
One Michelin Star
90 - 110 GBP • Modern Cuisine
Luxuriously decorated, elegant and intimate, this restaurant is well-suited to a special meal for two. Cooking showcases the abundance of produce that comes from their own kitchen garden, and the elaborate, attractively presented dishes are intricate, original and sophisticated in their combinations. Service is attentive and the wine list, extensive.
Davies and Brook
Mayfair
One Michelin Star
110 - 145 GBP • Modern Cuisine
Located within the legendary Claridge’s Hotel, Davies and Brook is sophisticated but never stuffy, describing itself as ‘an exacting and exciting dining experience which is also warm and fun’. Dishes reflect London’s culinary diversity and are refined and elegant; their pared-down style serving to highlight their sublime flavours. Charming service further adds to the experience.
Murano
Mayfair
One Michelin Star
37 - 95 GBP • Italian
With an experienced team at the helm, this long-standing Mayfair restaurant is a great choice for a celebratory meal: effortlessly elegant, relaxed, welcoming and attentive. Cooking focuses on the North of Italy, with modern interpretations of classic dishes exhibiting a delicious vitality and freshness.
