Let’s face it, eating at a Michelin-starred restaurant is a luxury that's usually reserved for special occasions. But what if it doesn’t have to be? We're pleased to announce that the secret to making Michelin dining (whisper it) affordable is tucked inside this handy guide. Behold, our guide to the best-value set menus at Michelin-starred restaurants in London and the UK.
Truth be told, set menus were once perceived as offerings that played second fiddle to the main event. But no longer is that so! Not only are fixed menus getting better year by year, they’re also a valuable way for restaurants to entice diners during less busy periods. While for us hungry diners, they’re a really helpful way to eat at some of the UK’s best restaurants at the snip of the price.
Michelin dining is undeniably expensive and, with many top restaurants serving tasting menus upwards of £100 per head, is probably an out-of-reach pipe dream for most people. But, if you’re willing and able to be flexible on when you dine, there are a multitude of Michelin-starred restaurants across the country serving excellent-value set lunch menus. Many offer a choice of two or three courses for a fixed price, with the option to add on extra snacks and sides if you like.
The good news is that we’ve scoured the country for some of the best deals right now. Whether you’re on the hunt for the best set menus in London, or want to know which UK Michelin spots you can eat at on a budget, our list includes places all over the country.
Read on for our guide to the best value Michelin set menus in London and the UK, starting from as little as £15 (yes, really).
Best value Michelin set menus in London
London is chock-full of Michelin-starred restaurants, although you have to pay a pretty penny to eat at most of them. Luckily, these spots all offer excellent value set menus, so you can dine on the best food in the capital without breaking the bank.
The Ninth, Fitzrovia
What: Jun Tanaka’s swish neighbourhood restaurant serves a set lunch menu six days a week (excluding Sundays). Dishes are made using top quality seasonal produce and inspired by French-Mediterranean cuisine. Choose between two or three courses, starting from a very reasonable 30 quid, and enjoy the like of spaghetti with bottarga, trout roe and Monk’s Bead, deer with cavolo nero, hazelnut pesto and celeriac, and vanilla yoghurt with rhubarb and caramelised nuts.
How much: Two courses for £30, three courses for £35
Where: 22 Charlotte Street, W1T 2NB
Book now: The Ninth
Galvin La Chapelle, Spitalfields
What: The Galvin group’s Michelin-starred restaurant always promises to be an impressive affair. With its soaring marble columns, large arched windows and wooden beamed ceiling, the majestic dining room sets the tone for a meal with equal wow-factor. Expect fine French cuisine with an extra indulgent twist, from foie gras semifreddo with caramel, rhubarb and pain d’epieces, to barley risotto with Cornish red mullet, burrata fume and coffee.
How much: Two courses for £44, three courses for £49
Where: 35 Spital Square, E1 6DY
Book now: Galvin La Chapelle
Benares, Mayfair
What: This fine dining Indian restaurant overlooking Berkeley Square is unashamedly luxurious, with its central Mayfair location, chic dining room and, of course, Michelin-starred status. Prices do lean towards the expensive, but if you pop in for lunch you can enjoy two or three courses from as little as £35. Starters include tandoori chicken momos with endive salad, lassi dressing and chutney oil, while mains feature a lamb and chickpea masala with buttermilk naan. We like the fact that you can opt for extra sides too, from black dal to extra tandoor bread.
How much: Two courses for £35, three courses for £43
Where: 12a Berkeley Square, W1J 6BS
Book now: Benares
Elystan Street, Chelsea
What: This is your sign to run, don't walk, to Elystan Street to try its winter sale menu. For £35, you'll be treated to canapes, sourdough bread and butter, three courses, plus a selection of cheeses to round off. It's a deal that's too good to miss, and won't last forever!
How much: Three courses for £35, including canapes and sourdough
Where: 43 Elystan Street, SW3 3NT
Book now: Elystan Street
Chishuru, Fitzrovia
What: Newly awarded a Michelin star in 2024, Chishuru's pioneering West African cuisine is well worth trying if you get the chance, and modestly priced when you dine for lunch. You'll be treated to two small plates to start, followed by a choice of main - think charcoal-grilled guineafowl breast with caramelised onion and lemon sauce and yaji peanut spice - all served with rice, plantain and house pickles. For dessert, previous examples include a peanut and ginger cookie with chai ice-cream.
How much: Four courses for £35 per person
Where: 3 Great Titchfield Street, W1W 8AX
Book now: Chishuru
Best value Michelin set menus in the UK
If you know where to look, there are a huge number of Michelin restaurants in the UK offering excellent-value menus. Luckily, we know exactly where they are...
Wilson's, Bristol
What: Sustainably astute restaurant Wilson's sources its ingredients from regenerative farmers and its very own market garden, so you can always expect the freshest, most flavourful produce to be at the forefront of its menus when dining here. Its regular menu includes six courses for £73, but you can experience an abbreviated four-course version for the price of £35, and featuring the likes of oyster ice cream with rhubarb, saddleback pork with langoustine, kale and carrot, and herbs from the farm with meringue.
How much: Four courses for £35
Where: 24 Chandos Road, BS6 6PF
Book now: Wilson's
Heft, Cumbria
What: Husband and wife duo Kevin and Nicola Tickle are the brains behind Heft, a labour-of-love restaurant born out of their passion for their Cumbrian heritage. Located in a 17th century inn, with five rooms and a cosy bar, you could easily make a weekend of it at this homely destination. If you’re in a hurry though, stop by for the set lunch, a four-course affair with snacks, sourdough and butter.
How much: Four courses for £45
Where: Newton in Cartmel, LA11 6JH
Book now: Heft
Timberyard, Edinburgh
What: Set inside a 19th century warehouse, Timberyard’s dining room is one of cathedral proportions. Its enterprising approach to foraging, butchery and curing its own produce is what sets it apart from others, while the drinks list is stuffed with hidden gems. It might not be the cheapest in this list, but its set lunch menu is £35 cheaper than dinner, and includes a choice of three courses off the menu. Think pink fir potato with parsley, egg yolk and guanciale, and wild game with celeriac, quince preserve and sauce vin jaune.
How much: Three courses for £60
Where: 10 Lady Lawson Street, EH3 9DS
Book now: Timberyard
The Coach, Marlow
What: If you don’t know the drill by now, Tom Kerridge’s Michelin-starred pub The Coach serves a criminally good two-course lunch menu for the meagre price of £15. It changes weekly, and you can choose to add a third course for £7.50, if you wish. You won't get better value than that.
How much: Two courses for £15
Where: West Street, SL7 2LS
Book now: The Coach
The Walnut Tree, Abergavenny
What: Shaun Hill’s simple yet highly-skilled food is designed to show off the ingredients in the best way possible. That means you might end up eating comforting, delicious things like skate with leeks, cider and stuffed mussels, or blade of beef with bacon, mushroom and a red wine sauce. What’s not to like? Especially when three courses comes in at less than 50 quid.
How much: Two courses for £40
Where: Inn Llanddewi Skirrid, NP7 8AW
Book now: The Walnut Tree
Adam’s, Birmingham
What: If you’re happy to dine on an abbreviated three-course version of Adam’s modern British taster, you can do so for lunch from Tuesday to Friday at a reduced cost. The menu can change on a daily basis, but examples include egg white with cep, winter truffle and nasturtium, and duck with rhubarb, BBQ celeriac and treviso.
How much: Three courses for £55
Where: 16 Waterloo Street, B2 5UG
Book now: Adam’s
The Elephant, Devon
What: The Elephant was the first restaurant in Torquay to earn a Michelin star – and the only one to retain it. Naturally, it’s a must visit if you’re in the area, especially to try its insanely good value set menu. Diners will find comfort in classic and comforting flavours, from glazed confit chicken wings with roasted carrot puree, to sticky braised pork belly with shallot puree, bunt onions, cavolo nero and watermelon radish.
How much: Two courses for £29.50
Where: 3&4 Beacon Terrace, TQ1 2BH
Book now: The Elephant
Hide & Fox, Kent
What: Hide & Fox is the brainchild of hospitality duo Allister and Alice, with the couple drawing on their illustrious careers in restaurants to run this Michelin-starred favourite in the heart of Kent. Allister heads up the kitchen, while Alice’s experience as a sommelier and manager makes her well placed to tackle front of house. It's three-course lunch menu is well priced, and includes things like salmon with apple ponzu, horseradish and dill, and monkfish with artichoke, brown butter and shrimp.
How much: Three courses for £48
Where: The Green, Saltwood, CT21 4PS
Book now: Hide & Fox
John’s House, Leicestershire
What: In case you were wondering about the name, this charming restaurant is located inside the 16th century farmhouse that chef John Duffin grew up in. Here, he champions farm-to-plate cooking using the best seasonal ingredients sourced from his own family farm. Check out the lunch menu for a flavour of what’s on offer, from Cornish cod with brown butter, leeks, lemon and smoked potato, to Tamworth pork with parsnips, hen of the woods and gremolata.
How much: Three courses for £45
Where: 139-141 Loughborough Road, LE12 7AR
Book now: John’s House
Northcote, Lancashire
What: Lisa Goodwin-Allen’s Michelin-starred restaurant champions fine British produce and classic dishes, and you can enjoy a three-course meal there (with coffee) for less than £50. Dishes span Shetland mussels ‘mariniere’ with apple and cider, to Yorkshire chicken with black and white garlic, sticky Roscoff onions and leeks.
How much: Three courses for £48
Where: Northcote Road, Langho, BB6 8BE
Book now: Northcote
The Cross, Kenilworth
What: Chef-director Adam Bennett’s Kenilworth pub combines seriously high-level food with a welcoming and relaxed ambience. It sources its ingredients from a low-intervention farm a few miles down the road, while vegetables and herbs are delivered to the restaurant within a few hours of harvesting. So, how much is it? Three courses for lunch is 50 quid, which is excellent value considering its attention to quality and sustainable sourcing. Dishes combine classic flavours – think veloute of cauliflower with potted shrimps, lemon and capers, and guinea fowl with croquettes, pink fir potatoes, shimeji mushrooms, baby gem and cep jus. Don’t sleep on its ‘Banofiterole’ for pudding, which is a decadent banoffee pie and profiterole mash-up!
How much: Three course for £50
Where: 16 New Street, CV8 2EZ
Book now: The Cross
Keen to discover more of the cheapest Michelin restaurants in London? We've rounded up all the best-value spots right now.