The pelicans of St James's, the river from Westminster to Greenwich and the martini bars of Mayfair – the tables, the hotels and the neighbourhoods, in one guide.
In London now
–
Weather
–
MICHELIN
80 ✱ tables · 48 Key hotels
Photo: heyengel/Adobe Stock
In this guide
Every table and hotel the MICHELIN inspectors have chosen in London – 80 starred, 43 Bib Gourmand, 241 more restaurants and 126 hotels – on one map, with our own stories as we write them.
Book a free ticket for London's highest public garden at the top of 20 Fenchurch Street and watch the light go over the Shard; the garden is open until 18:00 on weekdays, and the Sky Garden site gave sunset as 16:41 on 28 October (earlier through November).
West to Mayfair for a martini mixed at your table from the Martini Trolley, with a choice of aromatic bitters; the bar opens at 16:00, Monday to Saturday.
Classic British cooking at London's oldest restaurant, opened by Thomas Rule in 1798 on Maiden Lane in Covent Garden; on Fridays the kitchen takes last orders at 23:30.
The market opens at 09:00 on Saturdays (until 17:00; closed Mondays): graze the stalls, with food from all over Britain and further afield, before the crowds arrive.
From London Bridge City Pier, ride Uber Boat by Thames Clippers downriver under Tower Bridge to Greenwich; tap in with contactless or Oyster, children 5–15 half fare, 4 and under free.
Walk up from Greenwich Pier and climb aboard the fastest sailing ship of its time; open daily 10:00–17:00 (last entry 16:15), adult £22, child £11. The free National Maritime Museum is close by.
Back upriver to Sea Containers on the South Bank for Mr Lyan's inventive cocktails – on Saturdays the bar is open 13:00–01:00; walk-ins welcome, booking recommended.
Be there for the 10:00 opening (free; book a free ticket to skip the queue) and head for Hope the blue whale in Hintze Hall and the animatronic T. rex; open until 17:50.
Free entry to more than 1,000 paintings, from Uccello and Gentileschi to Turner and Van Gogh, with the family Welcome Space open 10:00–18:00 at weekends; enter by the Sainsbury Wing.
Down Villiers Street to London's oldest wine bar for a glass in the candlelit cellar among the sherry barrels, with cheese from a list of more than 15; open on Sundays 12:00–22:00, kitchen until 21:00.
✱ MICHELIN star · Bib Gourmand: good cooking at a fair price · ◆ selected in the Guide · € to €€€€: the Guide's own price bands, from «on a budget» to «spare no expense».
04
Sunset and drinks
Where to drink
Martinis in Mayfair and St James's, London's oldest wine bar and two places to watch the sun go down.
London's highest public garden at the top of 20 Fenchurch Street, with two bars, Sky Pod and City Garden, and free tickets to watch the sun go down over the Shard and the river; a Belvedere alpine terrace arrives on 16 November.
Rooftop bar and restaurant · StrandSunsetRadio Rooftop
A rooftop on the Strand with heated terraces and a wide view east over the river to the Shard and the City – a short walk from Charing Cross for a drink at dusk.
Thought to be London's oldest wine bar (1890): a vaulted, candlelit cellar of sherry and port barrels, more than 15 cheeses, and a terrace on Watergate Walk two minutes from Charing Cross.
Mr Lyan's bar in Sea Containers London on the South Bank, the first bar awarded 3 PINs by The Pinnacle Guide, with a menu of unusual ingredients and views of the Thames.
A St James's institution since 1908 whose martinis come from frozen glasses and even colder spirits with no ice – The New York Times called it one of the world's best.
A restored 1889 pub by Thomas Verity on the corner of South Audley Street and Mount Street, pouring Sambrook's ales and what it calls one of the best pints of Guinness in London, with a Sunday roast and Mount St. Restaurant upstairs.
Sources: the bars' and hotels' own pages, Sky Garden and VERA PI's Atlas guide to Mount Street, read 28 October 2026.
05
Where to stay
The hotels worth the trip
The MICHELIN Guide's Keys first – its mark for hotels with character, service and a sense of place – then the rest of its selection and the ones we would book ourselves.
Charles II's private carriage road, opened to the public only in 1830, became the shop window of the 1960s – Mary Quant opened Bazaar here in 1955 – and the stage for punk in the 1970s.
Past Peter Jones at Sloane Square (William Crabtree, 1932–36), a landmark of the Modern Movement, The Royal Court Theatre (1888, Grade II), The Duke of York's Headquarters of 1801, now the Saatchi Gallery (open daily 10:00–18:00)
All year. Shops open daily; the Saatchi Gallery is open Monday–Sunday 10:00–18:00.
Pavements throughout, so fine with a pushchair.
Start: Sloane Square (Underground station), Chelsea
Piccadilly's grandest stretch in one go: a Wren church, Fortnum & Mason, the 1819 Burlington Arcade, the Royal Academy and the Ritz, ending at Apsley House on Hyde Park Corner.
Past Wren's St James's Church (Grade I), serving its parish since 1684, Fortnum & Mason (Nos. 181–184), Burlington House and the Royal Academy (Grade II*)
All year.
Short and flat with plenty to look at; The Green Park runs alongside the western half if children need space.
The Royal Parks' own highlights route through Hyde Park, round the Serpentine – look out for the heron under the bridge and the hardy swimmers at the Lido, home to Britain's oldest swimming club.
Past The Rose Garden, near the sandy Rotten Row, The Serpentine, with its lakeside paths, waterfront cafés and the Lido, Speakers' Corner
Pedestrian gates 05:00–midnight, all year. Winter Wonderland occupies the south-east of the park from 19 November 2026 to 3 January 2027.
Greenwich's royal park climbs to the most popular viewpoint over the London skyline, beside the Royal Observatory where the Prime Meridian begins.
Past King William Walk and the National Maritime Museum, The hilltop by the Royal Observatory, the park's most popular viewpoint over the London skyline, Blackheath Avenue
Pedestrian gates 06:00–18:00 at this time of year (Royal Parks page, read 28 October 2026).
The hill is steep for little legs and pushchairs; the park playground is in the north-east corner.
An 11 km loop round all corners of London's largest Royal Park, through ancient woods and grassland among free-roaming deer – the Royal Parks' pick for an autumn walk.
Past King Henry's Mound and its view to St Paul's Cathedral, Sawyer's Hill, Herds of red and fallow deer
Pedestrian gates open 24 hours; vehicle gates 07:30–16:30. Deer rut from late September to early November.
Long for young children: the Royal Parks suggest the 2.4 km (45-minute) Beverley Brook section from Roehampton Gate as a shorter walk.
Start: Pembroke Lodge, Richmond Park (the trail is a loop and can be joined at any gate)
Sources: the Royal Parks, VERA PI's Atlas street guides, the Saatchi Gallery, St James's Church Piccadilly and Royal Museums Greenwich, read 28 October 2026. Coastal paths close in rough seas – check before you set off.
08
With kids
London for children
Dinosaurs, a pirate-galleon playground, river buses and Mail Rail – free museums, Royal Parks and day trips by Tube and train.
Walk in under Hope, the blue whale skeleton hanging in Hintze Hall, then find the roaring animatronic T. rex in the Dinosaurs Gallery and the earthquake simulator in Volcanoes and Earthquakes.
Fifty hands-on exhibits across seven zones, from a giant Tesla coil making real lightning to friction slides and a Chemistry Bar, with live science shows run by Explainers through the day.
Museum open daily 10:00–18:00 (09:00 opening during half term, Saturday 24–Friday 30 October 2026).
Museum · Ages Children, young people and families; the V&A's 'mused' digital experience is for ages 10–15.Young V&A
The V&A's museum for children, Art Fund Museum of the Year 2024, built around three big galleries – Imagine, Play and Design – where children can imagine, play and design; Inside Aardman: Wallace & Gromit & Friends is the current exhibition.
Open daily 10:00–17:45; galleries close from 17:00.
Museum · Ages All ages can ride Mail Rail; under-12s must be with an adult over 18. Sorted! play area for ages 1–8. Under-2s free.The Postal Museum and Mail Rail
A ride on the little Mail Rail train through the Post Office's old underground tunnels, plus Sorted!, an indoor play area for children aged 1 to 8.
Tuesday–Sunday 10:00–17:00; last Mail Rail ride 16:00.
Free galleries that travel from the Arctic to the Pacific, a new interactive gallery, Astronomers Take Over, and The Cove, a sea-themed playground to climb and explore.
Climb aboard the tea clipper that was the fastest sailing ship of its time, from the main deck down to the hold, with volunteer explainers on board through the week.
Museum · Ages Childhood in War exhibition designed for families with children aged 8+ (younger visitors welcome).IWM London
A Spitfire hangs in the atrium, and the free, immersive Childhood in War exhibition uses hands-on activities and real stories to show how children have lived through conflict since 1914.
Open every day 10:00–18:00, except 24–26 December.
Nine decks of a real warship moored opposite the Tower, with a chapel, a bakery and a radio station on board and the stories of the 950 people who lived and served on it.
Open every day 10:00–17:00 (last entry 16:00), except 24–26 December.
A day among the animals on the edge of Regent's Park, with an outdoor playpark, Animal Adventure, and ZooTown, a new role-play area full of costumes, toys and hands-on interactives.
24 October 2026–12 February 2027: daily 10:00–16:00, last entry 15:00.
A small zoo made for young children, with more than 100 animals from monkeys, meerkats and otters to lemurs and farm favourites, and an adventure playground with a real tractor, fire engine and helicopter, a giant climbing web and a sensory sandpit.
Playground · Ages Adults are admitted only when supervising children up to the age of 12 (unaccompanied adults may look round 09:30–10:00).Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Playground
Reopened on 5 August 2026 after a £3 million renewal: a 17-by-12-metre wooden galleon moored on a sandy beach with crow's nests, a tunnel slide and a play kitchen below deck, all inspired by Peter Pan, plus a separate area for younger children.
Pelicans have lived here since 1664, when the Russian Ambassador gave a pair to Charles II; they rest on rocks in the lake and sometimes sit on the park benches, a few minutes' walk from Buckingham Palace.
Park open all year; some pedestrian gates 05:00–midnight.
London's largest Site of Special Scientific Interest, a National Nature Reserve where free-roaming red and fallow deer graze among ancient oaks, with the view from King Henry's Mound to St Paul's Cathedral.
Pedestrian gates open 24 hours; vehicle gates 07:30–16:30.
London's river bus: a fleet of 20 high-speed boats calling at the main piers every 10–20 minutes, so a trip to Greenwich or the Tower doubles as a ride down the Thames.
All year; boats from all major piers every 10–20 minutes, early morning to night (see the operator's timetable).
To do · Ages Pip and Posy Live on Stage: ages 2–5. Puppet Playcation workshop: ages 5–9.Little Angel Theatre
A puppet theatre tucked into a passage in Islington; this autumn it stages Axel Scheffler's Pip and Posy for the very youngest, with half-term workshops where children make their own puppets to take home.
Pip and Posy Live on Stage: 28 October–21 November 2026.
Two floors of Story Worlds and a Story Garden where under-11s play their way into stories, with immersive exhibitions – currently Luna Loves London – and a Winnie-the-Pooh 100th anniversary trail.
Open every day 10:00–17:00; closed 24, 25, 26 and 31 December and 1 January.
Walk across the glass floors of the high-level walkways 42 metres above the Thames, then down to the Victorian engine rooms that once powered the bridge lifts – check the lift schedule to watch the bridge open for a passing ship.
Playground · Ages Suitable for children of all ages; younger children's equipment in the centre, more challenging pieces around the edge.Gloucester Gate Playground
Rebuilt in 2019/20 from wood, rope, bark and willow just east of London Zoo, with a 50-metre zip wire, sand and water play, and wheelchair-accessible bridges and a wide slide.
Free family spaces next to more than 1,000 paintings: a Welcome Space of activities 'made by children, for children', a Social Space with cosy reading corners and room for a packed lunch, and The Keeper of Paintings, a free game on your phone.
Gallery open daily 10:00–18:00, Fridays until 21:00; closed 24–26 December and 1 January.
The real Harry Potter film sets, costumes and props; from 14 November the Great Hall is dressed for Christmas with towering trees, a feast and floating candles for Hogwarts in the Snow.
Open all year (tickets on sale until 31 December 2027).
Sources: the Royal Parks, the museums', theatres' and attractions' own pages, Uber Boat by Thames Clippers, OpenStreetMap and VERA PI, read 28 October 2026. Drive times from the town centre without traffic. Check seasons and ages with the place before you go.
09
The atlas
London at a glance
The MICHELIN tables, the hotels and the sights, on one map.
Photo: Mistervlad/Adobe Stock
10
The directory
Every place in London
Every restaurant, hotel and sight the MICHELIN Guide lists within 6 km – 505 places, each with its own page. The six nearest the centre of each kind are here; the rest are in the directory, A to Z.
StayBrown's Hotel – Mayfair's original hotel, Two MICHELIN KeysA guide to Brown's Hotel in Mayfair: history since 1837, rooms, Charlie's restaurant, the Donovan Bar, spa and Two MICHELIN Keys.
StayThe Cadogan – Chelsea's literary address, reopened
StayHaymarket Hotel – John Nash's stage, Kit Kemp's curtain call
StayThe Dorchester – Mayfair's floor-a-week landmark
StayMandarin Oriental Mayfair – red brick, Ming marble and a square reborn
ShopFortnum & Mason and Hatchards – Piccadilly's royal grocer and bookseller
StayBrown's Hotel, Mayfair – where Kipling spent his wedding night
✱✱✱Three MICHELIN StarsCORE by Clare SmythModern British · LondonRead the story 
✱✱✱Three MICHELIN StarsRestaurant Gordon RamsayFrench · LondonRead the story 
✱✱✱Three MICHELIN StarsThe LedburyModern Cuisine · LondonRead the story ✱✱✱✱✱✱Three MICHELIN StarsAlain Ducasse at The DorchesterFrench · LondonThe address ✱✱✱✱✱✱Three MICHELIN StarsHélène Darroze at The ConnaughtModern Cuisine · LondonThe address ✱✱✱✱✱✱Three MICHELIN StarsSketch, The Lecture Room and LibraryModern French · LondonThe address ✱✱✱✱Two MICHELIN StarsA. WongChinese · LondonThe address ✱✱✱✱Two MICHELIN StarsAlex Dilling at Hotel Café RoyalModern French · LondonThe address 
Three MICHELIN KeysClaridge's269 rooms · LondonRead the story 
Three MICHELIN KeysMandarin Oriental Hyde Park194 rooms · London
Three MICHELIN KeysRaffles London at The OWO120 rooms · London
Three MICHELIN KeysThe Connaught122 rooms · London
Three MICHELIN KeysThe Peninsula London190 rooms · London
Three MICHELIN KeysThe Savoy268 rooms · London
Two MICHELIN KeysRosewood London306 rooms · London
Two MICHELIN KeysThe Berkeley190 rooms · London
Two MICHELIN KeysThe Chancery Rosewood144 rooms · London
No. 1Royal Ascot – the Royal Procession, the dress code and five days in JuneRoyal Ascot in June: Queen Anne's racecourse from 1711, the daily Royal Procession at 2pm, the Gold Cup, the enclosures and the dress code explained.Read 
No. 2Hampton Court Palace – Henry VIII's Thames palace and Wren's Baroque wingHampton Court Palace near London: Wolsey's Tudor palace, Henry VIII's Great Hall and kitchens, Wren's Baroque wing, the astronomical clock, maze and Great Vine.Read 
No. 3Royal Opera House and Covent Garden – opera, ballet and Inigo Jones's piazzaThe Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London: the 1732 theatre, E. M. Barry's 1858 building, the Paul Hamlyn Hall and Inigo Jones's 1630 piazza next door.Read 
No. 4Holland Park, London – Holland House, the Kyoto Garden and Kensington's villasHolland Park in Kensington, London: the Jacobean Holland House and its Blitz ruins, the Kyoto Garden, peacocks, Opera Holland Park and the Victorian villas.Read 
Greenwich, London – a guide to Maritime Greenwich and the Prime Meridian
Pall Mall and St James's – a walk through London's clubland
Regent's Park and Primrose Hill – John Nash's terraces and London's best view
Spitalfields, London – Huguenot silk weavers' houses and Hawksmoor's Christ Church
Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens – a guide to London's great royal park
South Kensington museums – Albertopolis from the V&A to the Royal Albert Hall
Three private museums in London – the Wallace, the Soane and Leighton House
Chelsea Flower Show – May in London when the gardening world comes together
Hampstead and the Heath – London's village on the hill
Kew and Chelsea Physic Garden – London's two botanical treasures
Belgravia's mews – the stable streets behind London's whitest façades
Notting Hill – hidden gardens, mews and Portobello Road
