London restaurant the Ledbury has been awarded the “enormous achievement” of three stars in the Michelin Guide Great Britain and Ireland.
The Notting Hill restaurant is the sixth in the capital to hold the guide’s most prestigious accolade while Gymkhana has become one of two Indian restaurants to become the first in the UK to receive two stars, alongside Birmingham’s Opheem.
Michelin, which revealed its latest guide at a ceremony in Manchester on Monday night, said the Ledbury’s third star was “an enormous achievement”, the “very highest of gastronomic honours” and “not given lightly”.
It said: “Led by Brett Graham, the kitchen team display a technical mastery across dishes that deliver sublime flavours using ingredients of unsurpassable quality.
“Each mouthful provides considerable depth of flavour, with the consistently harmonious combinations showcasing a streak of originality.”
Gymkhana, opened by the hospitality group JKS in 2023 and known for its muntjac biryani, lamb chops and salmon tikka, is the latest in a line of upmarket Indian restaurants in the city.
Judges described Gymkhana as “largely based on traditional Indian recipes that have been exquisitely executed by the chefs”, adding: “The detail and precision that goes into the cooking is of an assured two-star level, with superbly balanced spicing present throughout.”
Opheem, described as “progressive Indian cuisine” by chef-owner Aktar Islam, served “highly original dishes that keep Indian cooking at their core but have a more modern slant than at Gymkhana”, Michelin said.
It added: “Each creation demonstrates sophistication and depth of flavour while showcasing the fabulous culinary knowledge that goes into such complementary flavour and texture combinations.”
Elsewhere in London, Trivet made the jump from one star to two for the “flavour-packed, technically superb cooking of Jonny Lake and his team” while Brooklands, inside the luxury Peninsula Hotel, went straight into the guide with two stars.
In Crieff, The Glenturret Lalique has become the second two-star restaurant in Scotland. Set inside a working distillery, it “boasts not just a brilliant whisky selection but precise, sophisticated cooking from a kitchen team led by chef Mark Donald”, judges said.
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