The Michelin inspectors have been hard at work secretly sampling the menus of renowned restaurants.

Michelin stars have become the leading global status symbol for fine dining. Establishments can win, lose or retain these coveted tokens every year. This week, the 2023 Michelin Guide to Great Britain and Ireland was revealed. A total of 20 restaurants won at least one star, six of them in London. There are now 75 restaurants in London with Michelin stars. As French, Japanese and Italian cuisine take centre stage in the capital, we explore this year’s newly crowned winners.

Alex Dilling at Hotel Café Royal, Soho

The king of caviar, Alex Dilling’s Michelin star-studded background involves names like Alain Ducasse and Hélène Darroze. Taking inspiration from his time at Caviar Russe in New York, this famed ingredient still plays a big part in Alex’s cookery. Alex Dilling at Hotel Café Royal, his first standalone restaurant, has been awarded two Michelin stars denoting “Excellent cooking, worth a detour”. Caviar aside, the menu features other delights such as oak-smoked salmon, Yorkshire rhubarb with champagne sabayon and mille-feuille with black winter truffle and smoked whisky caramel.

The Ledbury, Notting Hill

Perhaps the safest culinary bet in London, gastronomical institution The Ledbury won back the two stars it lost in 2021, having closed due to lockdown. Following a striking renovation by These White Walls, head chef Tom Spenceley reopened the doors of the Notting Hill landmark last year. The Ledbury now has a revised menu proffering dishes such as Jersey beef served with white asparagus, Portland crab with fennel and yuzu, and veal sweetbread with black garlic and Périgord truffle. Don't miss the mushrooms, grown on-site by chef de patron Brett Graham.

Restaurant St Barts, Farringdon

From the team behind Nest in Hackney and Fenn in Fulham, Restaurant St Barts is proving an even bigger hit and has been awarded one star – denoting “High-quality cooking, worth a stop”. A stone’s throw from Smithfield Market, executive chef Johnnie Crowe masterminds the restaurant’s tasting menu, which spotlights the best of foraged and regeneratively farmed seasonal British produce. Think Wiltshire truffles, Cornish cuttlefish and Scottish scallops.

Taku, Mayfair

With Hakkasan a stone’s throw away and Gymkhana on the same road, Taku is in good company on Albemarle Street. Now in possession of one Michelin star, this 16-seat counter restaurant has a tight focus on sushi. An omakase menu sees guests surrender themselves to the will of executive chef Takuya “Taku” Watanabe. Takuya trained at a traditional Kaiseki restaurant for three years and was at the helm of Jin when it became the first Michelin-starred omakase sushi restaurant in Paris. Taku offers guests a front-row seat to watch dishes such as scallop tartar, razor clam sunomono, and fried red mullet with wild mushroom ankake sauce being prepared.

Luca, Clerkenwell

Luca, an upscale Italian restaurant from the team behind two-starred The Clove Club, showcases British seasonal ingredients through an Italian lens. Launched in 2017, it has now been awarded one Michelin star. Sumptuous interiors by design studio Alexander Waterworth pair with a rustic, leafy terrace. On the menu, dishes include roasted celeriac with Castelluccio lentils, tagliatelle with braised octopus, and Hereford beef fillet served with braised short rib and cavolo nero.

Cycene, Shoreditch

Open for only five months, Cycene has been awarded its first star in impressive time. Its kitchen boasts an aging chamber allowing for meat and fish to be aged in-house, as well as fermentation lockers for the development of the soft pairings menu. These ingredients take a starring role on the 10-course menu inspired by head chef Theo Clench's travels around Eastern Asia and Australasia. Try the duck liver with red pepper or the lamb with wild garlic and morels. By working with specially selected estates, a curated wine list features rare vintages and choice grapes from terroir-driven vineyards.