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All Articles 7 best celebrity chef restaurants in London

7 best celebrity chef restaurants in London

A fine dining chef preparing a dish
Image: Sebastian Coman Photography / Unsplash
E-lyn Tham
By E-lyn Tham3 Jun 2022 4 minutes read

Anyone can cook, but some can really cook. Celebrity chefs like Gordon Ramsay, Heston Blumenthal, and Giorgio Locatelli can whip up feasts and experimental dishes that look like they’ve leaped right off a magazine page.

Here’s your chance to try some of the dishes by these internationally renowned celebrity chefs in the flesh. Here are the top celebrity chef restaurants in London to visit on your next trip.

1. Gordon Ramsay Bar & Grill

A plate of beef at Gordon Ramsay Bar & Grill celebrity chef restaurant in London
Image: Management / Tripadvisor

Price: $$$

Gordon Ramsay is one of the world’s most renowned celebrity chefs, best known for his flaming quips on Masterchef. Have a taste of his culinary prowess at Gordon Ramsay Bar & Grill, a meat-centered establishment modeled after New York’s grill restaurants.

At its locations in Mayfair, Park Walk, and Chelsea, this restaurant tempts with rare breed steaks from the salt block, paired with some of London’s freshest produce. The créme de la créme is the Butcher Block experience, which includes snacks, champagne, starters, an extravagant Butcher’s Feast, and a spread of desserts—while you enjoy the theatrics of the open kitchen.

That’s not all. Gordon Ramsay has many restaurants in London, each with different concepts and dishes. There are kid-friendly ones—think: ice cream bars and all-you-can-eat pizza—and even two that hold Michelin stars.

2. Dinner by Heston Blumenthal

Cutting into the Meat Fruit at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal celebrity chef restaurant in London
Meat Fruit dish at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal celebrity chef restaurant in London
Image: Homesleep (left), Management (right) / Tripadvisor

Price: $$$$

To Heston Blumenthal, dinner is the most important meal of the day. And he channels that very ideal into the swanky Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, the award-winning restaurant that holds AA Rosettes, Michelin stars and many other accolades.

Exclusivity is key here: indulge in a specially curated bespoke menu at the Chef’s Table, or enjoy a private dining enclave adorned with 16th-century decor. The main dining room has floor-to-ceiling glass walls with full views of the kitchen’s special pulley system—an innovative dining concept that matches its equally innovative menu. Be intrigued by Heston’s scientific cooking methods, with molecular gastronomy at the forefront of his creations.

Don’t leave without trying the Meat Fruit, Salamagundy, Spiced Squab Pigeon, and the Tipsy Cake.

3. Rick Stein Barnes

Interior of Rick Stein Barnes celebrity chef restaurant in London
A seafood platter at Rick Stein Barnes celebrity chef restaurant in London
Image: Management / Tripadvisor

Price: $$–$$$

Settle in for a more casual affair at Rick Stein Barnes, helmed by none other than Rick Stein himself. In fact, he stays right across the river from the restaurant and is regularly sighted in the kitchen.

Authentic and unpretentious are two key elements of this restaurant. As Rick Stein so aptly puts it, the restaurant isn’t trying to win any Michelin stars; instead, all he wants is a welcoming place for diners to spend time with their loved ones.

But Rick Stein Barnes is anything but modest. Located along the Barnes waterfront, this celebrity chef restaurant brings ‘dine-with-a-view’ to the forefront of the experience. The restaurant’s mainstay is seafood sourced directly from Padstow, a local town known for its fishing port. Don’t miss out on the Dover sole a la meuniére (sole cooked in butter and lemon), Cornish crab with wakame seaweed, spiced Gremolata prawns, or the hearty Indonesian seafood curry.

4. Locanda Locatelli

A dish at Locanda Locatelli celebrity chef restaurant in London
A dessert at Locanda Locatelli celebrity chef restaurant in London
Image: Flergie (left), sarettap (right) / Tripadvisor

Price: $$$$

Unlike many of London’s other fine dining experiences, Locanda Locatelli keeps the atmosphere cordial and laidback. Head here for food for the soul—especially with the celebrated Italian chef at its helm.

The menu channels all types of Italian recipes, accompanied by an extensive list of wine labels from every region of Italy. Tuck into starters of creamed salted cod or a wild chicory salad, before being spoilt for choice by a variety of homemade pasta—complete with gluten-free options.

Extreme attention to detail is the crux here; waiters spend a great deal of time with the cooks, and even taste everything before the service. The restaurant has even played host to celebrities like Madonna, whom Locatelli proudly treats ‘just like people’.

5. Corrigan’s Mayfair

A wellington at Corrigan's celebrity chef restaurant in London
The entrance of Corrigan's celebrity chef restaurant in London
Image: Management / Tripadvisor

Price: $$$$

Proudly set up by acclaimed Irish chef Richard Corrigan, Corrigan’s Mayfair is known for its timeless menu that reflects the best of the seasons.

Michelin-starred Richard Corrigan is no stranger to the scene, with his restaurant serving quintessential British food in a humble German lodge interior. You’re in for a treat at Corrigan’s Mayfair—the restaurant was awarded three AA Rosettes among others, and was even named London Restaurant of the Year by the Evening Standard within the first three months of opening.

The food here is fuss-free and nostalgic, reflective of this celebrity chef’s humble upbringing. The portions are generous and are served alongside a long wine list. Expect fresh game cuts, such as venison, monkfish, pigeon, côte de boeuf, and even a glorious Sunday roast—only on Sundays, of course.

6. Marcus

Pouring sauce on a dish from Marcus celebrity chef restaurant in London
Image: Management / Tripadvisor

Price: $$$$

While Marcus Wareing has been famously feuding with Gordon Ramsay since the 90s, it hasn’t stopped him from opening a showstopper restaurant named after himself.

Despite its one Michelin star and five AA Rosettes accolades, Marcus creates food that is far from pretentious, staying loyal to classic British flavors. Located in the five-star Berkeley hotel, the restaurant uses only the finest seasonal ingredients from a curated group of suppliers.

Go all out with the seasonal tasting menu, which offers the choice of five or seven courses. The courses are handpicked by the head chef and senior sous chef, including dishes like roast Orkney scallop, and confit double-smoked pork belly—paired with an exquisite sommelier’s selection.

7. Le Gavroche

A  decorative plate at Le Gavroche celebrity chef restaurant in London
A dish at at Le Gavroche celebrity chef restaurant in London
Image: pesadilla argentina (left), Georgia B (right) / Tripadvisor

Price: $$$$

Le Gavroche, meaning ‘street urchin’, rose spectacularly from its humble beginnings to an explosive bout of fame. How’s this for size: it was the UK's first restaurant to gain one, two, then three Michelin stars, on top of accolades like a Lifetime Achievement Award for Michel Roux Jr, the Chef Patron, the Laurent Perrier Award of Excellence, and more.

Think of Le Gavroche as The Julliard of fine dining—the restaurant has trained the likes of celebrity chefs such as Gordon Ramsay, Marcus Wareing, and Bryn Williams. First opened in 1967 by Michel and Albert Roux, it’s now run by Michel Roux Jr, whom you might recognize from his Masterchef fame.

Expect nothing less than the most refined French classics. The Menu Exceptionnel is a true feast for the senses—an eight-course meal that features dishes like lamb and sage ravioli, red wine braised ox cheek, and an elaborate cheese trolley.

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E-lyn Tham
E-lyn is a writer by day, and adventurer by heart. She aims to discover all the magic in this world, inhibitions thrown asunder – all best done with a good glass of wine in hand, and her dog by her side.