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 from the past month's 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.
December 2023
Suya: ox tongue, bone marrow – Akoko, London
“The mark of a confident, talented chef is taking an ingredient that isn’t considered to be from the luxury end of the scale and making it delicious. In this case, folds of smooth ox tongue had been skewered and layered, then fire roasted until caramelised and crisp at the edges. The tongue was topped with a salty crumb packed with rich spices and plenty of umami flavour. Finishing the dish was a beautiful, aerated bone marrow espuma that felt light, elegant and, yes, luxurious.”
Salsifis mikado, glazed morels, fondue, vin jaune, coffee – Club Gascon, London
“On a cold and rainy night, this complex, seasonal dish provided all the pep and uplift required in such conditions. Lightly cooked, earthy roasted salsify was balanced by two large morels which were filled with plenty of morel cream. A welcome sweetness was added from the vin jaune sauce, but the stand-out element was a rich coffee sauce which worked beautifully with the flavour profiles of the mushrooms and the salsify; it showed such understanding and skill, and enhanced the dish as a whole.”
31-day-aged Cornish lamb, beetroot sauce, Castelfranco & onion chutney, cedro –
Humo, London
“This dish is considered to be the restaurant’s signature, and rightly so. It illustrates so well the kitchen’s ability to use their fire-centric
cooking methods to achieve a satisfying and flavoursome result. The meat was perfectly pink and succulent, with the fat rendered until soft and melting. It was accompanied by a glossy beetroot sauce, plus the natural sweetness of wilted Castelfranco radicchio and lightly caramelised onions, finely balanced with the mild citrus taste of the lesser-seen cedro fruit.”
November 2023
Roast breast of pheasant, beetroot, blackberry sauce, leg ragu, swede and carrot mash – Food Leigh-On-Sea
“As we venture deeper into game season, it’s great to see so much quality produce appearing in restaurants; in this case, two delicious, nicely trimmed pheasant breasts. The other elements on the plate also impressed, including sharp purple beetroot and a smooth, subtly sweet beetroot and blackberry sauce – a classic combination that always works so well. On the side was a delicious ragu made from the leg meat, served on an equally enjoyable carrot and swede mash.”
Loch Fyne salmon, spiced rice cracker, avocado, radish, citrus cream – Gordon’s, Inverkeilor
“This long-standing restaurant uses the best of the Scottish larder, and this Loch Fyne salmon dish was the perfect example. It provided a wonderful start to the tasting menu with soft, flavoursome poached salmon hiding under a large crisp cracker, which gave a super contrast in texture. Creamy avocado and fresh, crunchy radish also worked well, but the key to this dish was a delightful, restrained citrus cream that brought all elements of the dish together.”
Bread – Woven by Adam Smith, Ascot
“If you’re as addicted to bread as I am, then look no further than Woven by Adam Smith’s mesmeric array of all things crispy, fluffy and nutty. Crisp Armenian flatbread, super chewy sourdough, a rich croissant with Old Winchester cheese and a Parker House roll with cumin and honey made up the selection. Accompanying them were a spectacular selection of dips, including beurre noisette and a beautifully flavoured lobster oil with molasses. People may tell you not to ‘fill up on bread’, but the chefs make it all too tempting here.”
October 2023
Scariff fallow deer, garden celeriac, heirloom kale – Homestead Cottage, Doolin
“This elegant dish tasted even better than it looked. A single noisette of perfectly cooked loin was meltingly soft and joined by a delicious homemade faggot that used up the trimmings and was covered in a wonderful glaze. Celeriac from the restaurant’s own garden was hay-baked and accompanied the meat in a variety of textures: quenelles, confit, rustic mash and rich whipped cream. Crisp kale and a stunning reduction with elderberries and bone marrow completed the dish. It was Autumn on a plate.”
Roasted scallop and Crown Prince pumpkin – L’Enclume, Cartmel
“The beautiful Orkney scallop was fresh, glistening and lightly cooked to keep its sweetness intact, with a dusting of dried roe powder adding an extra flavour. A slightly foamed, gently spiced pumpkin and shellfish sauce was delicate but brought so much depth of flavour to the dish, while a little pumpkin purée added just the right amount of richness to complement the sweet shellfish flavour. Enhancing the restaurant’s Green Star credentials, the scallop shell was then ground down and used as soil feed for their farm.”
Loukoumades, lavender honey, crushed walnuts, chocolate sorbet – Mazi, London
“The first time I tried loukoumades was many years ago, while on holiday on a Greek island. I fell in love with these wonderful warm boules of deep-fried batter and returned for more every night for a week. Mazi’s version of the dish was just as good; the loukoumades themselves had a fine flavour, drizzled with floral honey and joined by a rich, bitter hit of chocolate sorbet – the temperature contrast worked wonders for me. This was a wholly satisfying dish, and one that evoked some wonderful memories.”
September 2023
Ex-dairy beef, Worcester corn, nasturtiums – Carters at Westlands, Evesham
“This divine, juicy beef dish showed that the Carters team are thriving in their new location at Westlands. An ex-dairy cow from Callander was used for the wonderful, full-flavoured and fatty cap that was expertly cooked. A rich, creamy sweetcorn sauce added complementary sweetness, while charred sweetcorn added texture and depth of flavour. A delightful side salad had a fabulous dressing and was the necessary cleansing part of the dish. This was understated yet complex cooking and I would return for this dish alone.”
Roasted Brixham plaice, aubergine pickle, lamb merguez stuffing and sumac emulsion –
Stage, Exeter
“The fillet of plaice itself was both firm and moist – a clear indicator of well-judged fish cookery. It sat on a lightly spiced aubergine and pepper casserole with a hint of sweetness, while a sumac emulsion brought a balancing citrus note. A crunchy breadcrumb stuffing with lamb merguez sausage was a brave and bold addition, yet a successful one which added further depth of flavour. Utilising vegetables grown in the chef's garden, this was a dish which showcased the personality of the restaurant and a diverse range of flavours.”
Pittormie Farm gooseberry crumble soufflé, Knockraich Farm crème fraîche ice cream –
The Kitchin, Leith
“Who doesn’t love a good soufflé? This particularly impressive example ticked all the right boxes: soft and creamy inside, slightly crisp on the outer, well-risen and with perfectly judged flavours. A wonderful hit of fruitiness came from the base of the dish, almost akin to a compote, and cut through the sweetness with a slightly tart flavour. A smooth, sharp and intense crème fraîche ice cream was the ideal accompaniment; when dropped into the
soufflé, it was like culinary alchemy.”
August 2023
Haggis, neaps and tatties, whisky & peppercorn sauce – Kildrummy Inn, Kildrummy
“Haggis is a ‘love it or hate it’ dish, but to me this was an utter delight. Each element was spot on: the rich, spiced minced haggis itself was expertly seasoned and delivered a lovely offal flavour; the wonderfully light creamed potatoes were a great accompaniment; and the neeps (swede), were the most delicious I’ve had in a long time. The key part of the dish, however, was a super whisky and peppercorn sauce that brought all the elements together – the finishing touch on a dish that was a joy to eat.”
Turbot, cockles, peas – SY23, Aberystwyth
“For me, entering the dining room at SY23 to see two glisteningly fresh whole turbots ready to go on the wood-fired grill was the stuff of dreams – and when a fillet of this locally caught fish arrived on my plate, it did not disappoint. The kitchen team showed their expertise in grilling the turbot to perfection, constantly turning it as it cooked. The fish sat on a bed of local peas and a dashi base of Swansea cockles, mussels and clams. The turbot skin was not wasted but crisped up and used as a cracker with the following course.”
Veal sweetbread, French style peas, truffle – Trinity, London
“This dish was a piece of true classical French cooking – and it was wonderful. The sweetbread had a light, melt-in-the-mouth texture, and was encased in a thin crépinette made with minced offal and a few slithers of truffle for further depth of flavour. This was topped with a shiny glaze and sat on a smooth, verdant pea purée. As an accompaniment was a side dish which contained all the elements of petits pois à la française set inside an aerated pea purée – another interesting modern take on a classic.”
July 2023
Cherry, yoghurt and almond – 263, Preston
“Providing great textures and flavours along with a little cleansing acidity, this was an ideal way to bring my lunch to an end. It was simple, fresh and had a nice balance of flavours. A pleasingly nutty almond sponge brought the sweetness and the cherry jam a complementary sharpness, with the yoghurt offering a mineral quality, and some fragrant lemon verbena leaves rounding out the dish. There was a seasonal element too, with some perfectly ripe cherries demonstrating how delicious they are when used at their peak.”
Scallop, carrot & oyster and nori – Bow Room at Grays Court, York
“This was a classic example of how a seemingly simple dish can be one of the most successful on a menu. The scallops themselves were firm, plump and perfectly cooked, with good depth of flavour and a slight crunch on top from where they had been caramelised for added texture. The smooth, velvety sauce blended oyster and sweet carrot flavours in perfect harmony. Two well-risen milk rolls, glazed and fresh from the oven, were perfect for catching the remnants of the sauce.”
Lake District hogget, orange wine and white miso sabayon – mana, Manchester
“I could see this large saddle of gently roasted, prime quality hogget resting on the pass, with thick collops sliced off for each guest. The meat was perfectly cooked: rare, juicy and succulent. It also provided a truly intense and memorable flavour, made all the better by the thick, crisped layer of fat on the top. The hogget sat on a little parsley purée and was accompanied by a rich, creamy sabayon with a strong miso flavour. This was the main course on the tasting menu and proved to be one of the highlights of the meal.”
June 2023
West Coast turbot, black beauty courgettes, lovage and smoked bone sauce – Aulis, London
“This was a wonderful demonstration of how to utilise multiple parts of a fish. First and foremost, the quality of the main slice of turbot was superb – it had an excellent flavour and beautiful texture. It was then complemented by a well-set, herb-infused mousse made using the offcuts of the fish. The bones of the turbot had been smoked and used to create a delicately creamy sauce – and fresh mini muffins were on hand to mop it up too!”
Apple tarte Tatin, calvados, crème fraîche –
Mae, Dublin
“Walking up the stairs to dinner at Mae, the delightful aroma of caramel and freshly baked pastry immediately suggested that tarte Tatin was on the menu. It wasn’t just a slice, but a beautifully caramelised individual tart. The warmed apples simply melted into the crisp pastry base, while the chilled, soft crème fraîche and a rich Calvados caramel sauce finished the dish off perfectly. A taste of this tarte Tatin is a must when visiting Dublin.”
Carpaccio of Scottish scallops, East Neuk crab, fennel, hazelnuts and avruga caviar –
The Peat Inn, Peat Inn
“This dish relied on the freshest, highest quality seafood from pure Scottish waters. The carpaccio of scallops was served at room temperature, to avoid their flavour being muted by the fridge. This was topped with only the sweet white meat of the crab to keep the flavours suitably delicate, then textural contrast was provided by the fennel and hazelnuts. The dish felt relevant to the locale, the chef and the season – exactly what we’re looking for.”
May 2023
Chalk steam trout, cucumber, dill – Kintsu, Colchester
“The first dish on the Kintsu tasting menu turned out to be one of the best, offering a delicious nugget of top-quality trout. The fish was slow-cooked and had a wonderfully delicate flavour, which was classically accompanied by the acidity of some finely diced cucumber. The addition of dill oil to the dish was wholly complementary and brought with it a pleasingly intense flavour.”
Islands chocolate, cocoa nib, Manni olive oil, pedro ximénez – Olive Tree, Bath
“The first of two desserts on the tasting menu, this dish was a brilliantly executed cross-over of sweet and savoury flavours. The chocolate element at the base was soft and melting, and somewhere between the texture of soft custard and the molten insides of a fondant. It was topped with a wafer thin tuile and cocoa nib ice cream. A few drops of sweet sherry were added at the table and the rich, fruity olive oil brought the required savoury note.”
Caramel bavarois with apple – The Scran & Scallie, Edinburgh
“A bavarois on a dessert menu used to be ubiquitous, but in recent years this classical, creamy and custardy dessert has fallen out of fashion. This excellent example, helped by the complementary flavours of apple and caramel, makes a compelling case for a return. The bavarois itself was set just right and a tart apple purée was the ideal companion to cut through the rich caramel flavour.”
April 2023
Sole Véronique – 1890 by Gordon Ramsay, London
“The restaurant is named after the year that renowned French chef Auguste Escoffier joined the kitchen at The Savoy, where this Gordon Ramsay venture now sits. It is fitting, then, that this Escoffier classic was brought up-to-date with a sophistication that would make him proud. The sole was of premium quality and succeeded in being meaty yet beautifully light, and was accompanied by a silken beurre blanc, dill oil, finely sliced grapes and a few tiny cubes of tender razor clams.”
Pringle House lamb bhuna with puffed rice and coriander – Dog and Gun Inn, Skelton
“The lamb for this refined version of a good pub curry was sourced from Pringle House Farm, at the other end of the village. The slow-cooked meat was so soft it fell apart and was generously coated with a rustic bhuna sauce, which had a superbly fragrant sweet and sour flavour that complemented and enhanced the lamb. Crispy puffed rice added texture and the fresh coriander a little more fragrance and freshness.”
Banana soufflé with vanilla custard ice
cream and milk chocolate & Plantation
original dark rum sauce – Hand and
Flowers, Marlow
“One of my best desserts of the year, this
was a terrific modern interpretation of a
soufflé. We see many soufflés in our job, but
not many as spectacular as this. It didn't come
in a ramekin but stood tall on the plate, on a
bed of finely sliced caramelised banana. The texture of the soufflé was near perfect, but
the star of the show was a super-rich milk
chocolate and dark rum sauce that had incredible depth of flavour.”
