How to Get the Most from Michelin

For most of us, the idea of dining in a Michelin-starred restaurant is but a distant dream. Food worthy of international recognition surely comes with a hefty price tag - Or does it?

It’s natural to assume exceptional cuisine costs more than many could reasonably afford, but this isn’t always the case. When you consider that you’d sample up to 18 courses in single sitting at some of the UK and Ireland’s top restaurants, what you pay for each plate might not be as unreasonable as it initially seems.

To help you discover your Michelin-dining dream, we glanced over the menus at every one of the 158 1, 2 and 3-star awarded restaurants in the British Isles. Taking the price of their most extensive taster options, we crunched the numbers to find which of these exceptional eateries would end up costing you the least for every delicious dish served. And the findings made for a pleasant surprise.

Take, for example, Ynshir Hall in Powys, Wales. This one-star restaurant’s £110-per-head bill might look a little lofty on the face of it, but consider the fact you’ll be sampling 18 different courses and it comes in at just £6.11 per plate. That’s almost in line with most high-street tapas restaurants.

Of course, it’s all well and good getting a great price in rural Wales, but you’d never get the same in a city like London, right? Wrong. Indian restaurant Amaya might be nestled at the heart of high-end Belgravia, but its £45 taster menu is something of a steal – its seven courses meaning you’ll get Michelin 1* meals at just £6.43 per plate.

But what if you really want to push the boat out? There are just 67 Michelin 3* restaurants in the entire world, five of which are in the UK. Surely three or four-figure prices are to be expected at these world class eateries?

Well, not quite. At Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, in Chelsea, the £155 price tag for its 8 course taster menu works out at £19.38 per dish. That’s surpingly affordable, given it can lay claim to being one of the best restuarants on the face of the earth. 

Browse our carefully-crafted menu below, and find out how and where you could get the most out of your Michelin.