Even Michelin-starred chefs, it seems, aren’t immune from the cost-of-living crisis. In a bid to make fine dining more affordable, Jason Atherton has cut prices across the board at Pollen Street Social, his flagship Mayfair restaurant (the three-course set lunch now costs £49.50 – down from £75 – and wines start from £7.50 a glass). At two Michelin-starred Kitchen Table on Charlotte Street, the cost of a 20-course set menu has come down by a third (from £300 to £200).
But even before we all started squeezing our belts, there were options for enjoying high-end food at not-so-high prices – if you knew where and when to go. Follow our guide to the best-value Michelin-starred meals around the UK.
The Elephant, Devon
This elegant restaurant claims to offer the best value Michelin-starred lunch in the UK. ‘Value’ is hard to define – but at £29.50 for two courses, which includes off-the-boat-fresh seafood and fish, we’re inclined to agree. The menu changes regularly but there’s usually a scallop dish. Chef-proprietor Simon Hulstone is a master of textures, so your plump, meaty scallops will usually be accompanied by something silky and something crispy – maybe a cucumber ketchup and peanut crumb. For an extra £5.50 you can get dessert too, including gourmet takes on nostalgic favourites such as roasted pineapple glazed with sherry and dolloped with a delicate goat’s curd ice cream.
The Elephant is set in a stylish Victorian townhouse (complete with wrought iron balcony and sash windows) and occupies a prime position overlooking Torquay Marina, harking back to the glory days of British seaside holidays.
Heft, Cumbria
When dining Michelin-style, one of the biggest thrills is being able to try as many different things as possible. Heft scores highly on our list for the number of courses you get for your money. The four-course set lunch – with bread and a snack on top of that – comes out at just £45. The restaurant’s owners, Kevin and Nicola Tickle, were raised foraging, fishing and farming on the Cumbrian land that their ingredients come from.
A typical lunch kicks off with squeaky sheep’s cheese from a local maker. It’ll also usually feature the regulars’ favourite: mussels with a moreish ‘chip shop’-style curry sauce and crispy scraps of fried potato. The setting itself – a sprawling 17th-century inn with wooden floors and quirky features – completes the charming vibe.
The Walnut Tree Inn, Monmouthshire
Set just outside the pretty market town of Abergavenny, The Walnut Tree’s unassuming stone exterior is deceptive. The set lunch menu costs £40 for two courses (or £45 for three) and is usually stuffed with locally sourced delights, from foraged Welsh truffle to slow-cooked lamb from nearby farms. If you opt for à la carte, mains start from about £24. If it’s on the menu, don’t miss the twice-baked Lancashire bomb cheese soufflé. You can stay just next door to the restaurant in the charming cottages that are also part of the business.
Wilsons, Bristol
Ask the team at this light-filled bistro where one of their ingredients comes from and they’ll respond in a flash. That’s because much of the menu is sourced directly from the restaurant’s market garden just 20 minutes away. The rest comes from small-scale regenerative farmers and producers from the surrounding area. This dedication to farm-to-table food won Wilsons its Michelin green star last year. At lunchtime there’s a menu du jour (three courses for £25), or you can go for the full six-course menu for £68. The menu is highly seasonal, so not available online, and there’s no à la carte option. Depending on the month, you might get flaky mackerel with an umami smoked cream and leek sauce, or Orkney scallop on a white of white asparagus and tart sea buckthorn.
Trishna, London
Trishna is an anomaly among Michelin-starred restaurants in that here, going à la carte isn’t going to cost you the earth. At this smart, modern Indian restaurant, mains start from £20 and don’t rear their heads above £30. The side dish of dal is delicious, filling and great value for its size at £10. The tasting menu (available at lunch or for an early dinner) is affordable, too – £40 for three courses or £45 for four. The chefs’ focus is on the south-west of the country – so expect lots of fish, creamy coconut sauces and zingy mango chutneys. The soft shell crab is a star dish, battered oh-so-delicately, with rich white meat and a tangy tomato dip. Trishna has all the style you’d expect of its Marylebone location, with marble tabletops, wood-panelled interiors and antique furnishings.
Northcote, Lancashire
While Northcote may not be the cheapest option out there (the three-course lunch comes to £48, including coffee), the quality is superb – hence its inclusion on our list. Dishes are not overly fussy and seem to walk a deliciously fine line between comfort food and haute cuisine – the long-aged Lake District beef tartare with bone marrow toast is a classic example. The pie – creamy corn-fed chicken with spikes of smoky bacon – is like the best version of those pies you long for from childhood.
Chef Lisa Goodwin-Allen is a regular guest on TV programmes such as the BBC’s Great British Menu and Saturday Kitchen. The restaurant sits within a four-star country hotel, which is peppered with gorgeous eaves, mock black-and-white Tudor stripes and sunny terraces. Surrounding it is Lancashire’s Ribble Valley – popular with walkers and cyclists for its rolling hills and wooded valleys.
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