Cheap and Michelin aren’t two words that often go hand in hand, but if you're looking for a cheap Michelin star restaurant in London, you'll be pleased to hear that such a thing does exist.
The cheapest Michelin restaurants in London are no less of an experience than their expensive counterparts, but some come with fewer formal trappings. While this might be a bonus for some, others might miss the starched white linens and silver service of more traditional Michelin starred restaurants. If you’re happy to do away with a few of the frills and are there for the food alone, you can get some really delicious dinners in the capital for a snip of the price of what you might expect from a Michelin-starred restaurant.
These more affordable Michelin restaurants are the perfect place to treat someone special for a date night or take friends or family to for celebrations that feel marked without you having to break the bank.
The key to getting a good deal, we’ve found, is being flexible about when you eat. More often than not top-end places will look to fill their tables before their main service. That means a cut-price menu if you pop in at lunchtime or before 7pm for a pre-theatre or early-bird menu. For those of us who like to be in bed by ten, it’s the perfect scenario.
We’ve gathered together a collection of cheap Michelin star London restaurants, so that next time you’re looking to eat out in style on a budget, you’ll know where to head. From Indian and Italian through to modern small plate spots, London’s restaurant scene really does have it all when it comes to inexpensive dining. So, without further ado, here’s our top pick of the best cheap Michelin star restaurants London has to offer.
The Ninth, Fitzrovia
![sliced meet with gravy and white sauce, and bowl of figs]()
What: The Ninth sits among those few Michelin-starred restaurants that are chic but relaxed in equal measure. The food reflects this, too, offering plates of eminently refined dishes each packed with comforting flavours. The main menu here isn’t cheap, but fortunately for us, The Ninth boasts an affordable set lunch menu with two courses priced at just £33 and three for £38. Available Monday to Saturday, dishes on the menu have included strozzapreti with lamb shoulder ragu, and braised beef with honey-glazed carrots.
Michelin credentials: One Michelin star
How much: Two courses for £33
Where: 22 Charlotte Street, W1T 2NB
Book now: The Ninth
La Trompette, Chiswick
![pork with crackling on top of wilted greens]()
What: Lauded as a brilliant neighbourhood restaurant, La Trompette stands as a sophisticated restaurant just without the Michelin price tag. Instead, guests can expect a three-course set menu between Wednesday and Friday priced at just £45. The menu at La Trompette focuses on the very best seasonal produce, changes daily, and has been known to include the likes of roasted cod with St Austell Bay mussels and daube de boeuf a la bourguignon with creamed potato.
Michelin credentials: One Michelin Star
How much: Three courses for £45
Where: 3-7 Devonshire Road, W4 2EU
Book now: La Trompette
Chishuru, Fitzrovia
![roasted poultry with kumquats and a white sauce]()
What: It may seem hard to believe that a Michelin star restaurant would offer such great value, but when you find out that Adejoke Bakare (also SquareMeal Female Chef of the Year 2024) started Chishuru as a humble pop up in Brixton village it starts to make a little more sense. This four course alternative to the larger dinner menu gives diners a true taste of what Chishuru has to offer, with everything from fermented rice cake to charcoal-grilled guinea fowl. We may have been drawn in by Chishuru's heart-warming origin story, but we'll keep going back for the delicious menu.
Michelin credentials: One Michelin star
How much: Four courses for £50
Where: 3 Great Titchfield Street, W1W 8AX
Book now: Chishuru
Wild Honey St James
![plate with orange cylinder, white sauce, and cabbage]()
What: If you were thinking which of London’s Michelin star restaurants might be affordable, you probably wouldn’t consider Wild Honey, tucked inside the swanky Sofitel St James hotel. Get to the restaurant for a weekday lunch or pre-theatre menu and you can swipe three courses for just £45, and as you’ll see from our review, Anthony Demetre’s cooking remains some of the finest in the capital. Think crisp Tamworth pork belly with late autumn vegetables, and warm chocolate soup for dessert.
Michelin credentials: One Michelin star
Cost: Three courses for £45
Where: Sofitel St James’s, 8 Pall Mall, SW1Y 5NG
Book now: Wild Honey St James
Galvin La Chapelle, Spitalfields
![plate with white asparagus and dish with ice cream]()
What: One of the most impressive restaurants in London, Galvin La Chapelle boasts a lunch menu that more than matches the impressive interiors and vaulted ceiling. Jeff and Chris Galvin remain among the finest French classical chefs in London, so La Chapelle's £49 two-course set menu with the option to order a Michelin-starred dessert for just £6 extra is a steal. This one’s all about opulent French cooking with modern European influences, relying on reassuring and familiar combinations.
Michelin credentials: One Michelin star
How much: Two courses for £49
Where: 35 Spital Square, E1 6DY
Book now: Galvin La Chapelle
Benares, Mayfair
![tandoori fish with yellow sauce and grilled tomatoes]()
What: Benares has flown the flag for Indian fine dining in London for many, many years now, and despite the Berkeley Square location, you can get in and out for a steal thanks to the set menu, which starts at £43 for two courses. An extra few quid gets you a dessert as well - still at a very reasonable £49 a head. It's hard to imagine Sameer Taneja's confident cooking going for such a bargain, especially when it includes the likes of steamed Essex chicken momo with chestnut shorba and black summer truffle.
Michelin credentials: One Michelin star
Cost: Two courses for £43
Where: 12a Berkeley Square House, W1J 6BS
Book now: Benares
Veeraswamy, Piccadilly
![bowl with seared fish and red curry sauce]()
What: Famously the UK’s oldest Indian restaurant, Veeraswamy has been around since 1926 and it has always been one of London’s more affordable fine dining options. These days it is pretty relaxed, and it’s a great choice for classic Indian food. The lunch set menu is available on the weekend, offering two courses for £42 and three for £48, but there's also a pre-theatre dinner available Monday to Saturday with two courses priced at just £34. For somewhere with such heritage, it's hard to say no to numbers like that.
Michelin credentials: One Michelin star
Cost: Two courses for £34
Where: Victory House, 99 Regent Street, W1B 4RS
Book now: Veeraswamy
Kitchen W8, Kensington
![scallop dish with skinless plum tomatoes]()
What: We were pretty chuffed to discover Kitchen W8's reasonably priced lunch menu, in which diners can opt for three courses for £49.50. Bargain. Look out for dishes such as warm pheasant Caesar salad with chestnuts, pancetta and parsley root, along with mains like caramelised Cornish haddock with Delica pumpkin, hazelnut and chicken butter sauce. The menu here, devised by Mark Kempson, is all about flavour-driven plates that pay attention to the seasons, offering the greatest flavour and bang for your buck. We're sold.
Michelin credentials: One Michelin star
Cost: Three courses for £49.50
Where: 11-13 Abingdon Road, W8 6AH
Book now: Kitchen W8
Murano, Mayfair
![chicken dish with gravy being poured from a jub]()
What: Angela Hartnett’s celebrated Italian restaurant holds a Michelin star and offers up skilful reinventions of classic dishes. If you’re willing to drop the dinner slot and go for lunch instead you’ll be well rewarded by way of the set menu which starts at £55 for two courses. Granted, the price tag comes in over our usual £50 a head threshold, but the extra fiver is a small price to pay for legendary Italian cuisine. If you can't see past a pud you can add a choice of two sweets for a fiver - think cherry and almond pavlova.
Michelin credentials: One Michelin star
How much: Two courses for £55
Where: 20 Queen Street, W1J 5PP
Book now: Murano
Elystan Street, Chelsea
![two plates on grey background, one with chocolate dessert]()
What: This is another one that's slightly above £50, but there aren’t many restaurants in Chelsea where you can enjoy three courses for £57.50, let alone Michelin awarded spots. Elystan Street stands out from the crowd with its three-course lunchtime special which allows you to pick from its line-up of contemporary European dishes. There are often excellent pasta dishes in the starters, while comforting mains like slow-cooked ox cheek and double-baked souffle are a common feature.
Michelin credentials: One Michelin star
How much: Three courses for £57.50
Where: 43 Elystan Street, SW3 3NT
Book now: Elystan Street
Trishna, Marylebone
![rice in a bowl with green mash and red sauce]()
What: As a sibling to Mayfair’s Gymkhana, Trishna follows a similar setup, offering diners a cut-price menu in the early evening and at lunchtime. Here you can tuck into three courses of contemporary Indian food for £50, or splash out an extra fiver for a fourth course. Telicherry squid and shrimp are a favourite of ours from the snack plates, while the Gongura lamb shoulder main is hard to look past. Finish things off with a piece of tandoori smoked pineapple topped with young coconut and jaggery sorbet – heaven.
Michelin credentials: One Michelin star
How much: Three courses for £50
Where: 15-17 Blandford Street, W1U 3DG
Book now: Trishna
Fancy trying a few more? Here's a list of every Michelin starred restaurant in London