The Ledbury

It may live and breathe “effortlessly smooth” old-school affluence, but Brett Graham’s über-suave two-Michelin-starred powerhouse feels more like an inclusive neighbourhood destination – albeit one with arty tortoiseshell chandeliers, leather chairs, judiciously placed mirrors and every seat “well-positioned” for maximum comfort. As a vision of white-walled chic, it’s very soothing – although one fan thinks that the whole package “takes decadence to a whole new level”. 

Locals, tourists and perambulating foodies make a beeline for The Ledbury in search of brilliantly inventive, palate-challenging cuisine from a chef who cooks with extraordinary precision, authority and more than a dash of audacious brio. The kitchen’s form never dips, and the results are “simply divine” – although we always defer to the tasting menus for “superlative satisfaction”.

Our samplings are invariably top-drawer, but readers also have much to cheer about: Cumbrian veal tartare dressed with grilled artichoke oil, horseradish and a morsel of truffle-sprinkled beef fat on toast; smoked and dried eel served with clay-baked ‘candy’ beetroot and English caviar (“a masterstroke”); monkfish cleverly teamed with orange and a superb pumpkin and shellfish purée; a “sensational” sanguine-hued dish of Chinese water deer (“sourced from Norfolk”) with smoked bone marrow, pickled beetroot cream, quince and red leaves.

Meals are bookended and interspersed with a cavalcade of “little wonders”, while incredible desserts might bring brown sugar tart with stem-ginger ice cream or mara de bois strawberries partnered by rose jelly and ewe’s milk sorbet.

Service is “doting” but never suffocating, and every member of staff is “enthusiastic and well-schooled” (right down to the tiniest detail); it’s also worth consulting one of the knowledgeable sommeliers if you want to get the best from the endlessly fascinating wine list. It may be at “the top end of the scale” when it comes to price, but The Ledbury is quite simply “out of this world”.

The Ledbury is a three Michelin-starred restaurant in Notting Hill, regularly ranked among the finest in the world, run by Australian chef-owner Brett Graham.

Originally opened in 2005, The Ledbury had already earned two Michelin stars by 2010. Like many restaurants, it was forced to close during the COVID-19 pandemic, taking a hiatus from 2020 to 2022 due to social distancing measures. In early 2022, Graham reopened the legendary restaurant with a refreshed look and a completely new food and drink offering. In 2024, The Ledbury was awarded three Michelin stars, cementing its place among the very best restaurants in the UK.

The dining room strikes a careful balance between elegance and comfort. Guests are greeted by a ceiling adorned with dried flowers, while hand-scalloped woodwork and lime-washed walls add texture and warmth. A standout feature is the Mycelium-tiled wall - an unusual, velvety material more commonly used in construction - which reflects Graham’s passion for mushrooms and brings a natural, organic feel to the space.

The Ledbury offers tasting menus for both lunch and dinner, with dishes that evolve regularly to reflect a commitment to exceptional ingredients and precise, inventive cookery. Former Kitchen Table head chef Tom Spenceley runs the kitchen alongside Graham, overseeing a menu that has featured dishes such as Limousin veal sweetbread with English peas, pale ale, wild watercress and smoked eel, and hay-aged Anjou pigeon with Scottish girolles, vadouvan, English cherry and sauerkraut.

The ever-changing menu showcases the best of British produce, from Cornish seafood and Orkney scallops to English-grown Dorset wasabi. In recent years, Graham has also turned to farming, raising Jersey cows, Iberian pigs, and several species of deer on two specialist farms in Shropshire. These farms supply The Ledbury as well as other top restaurants - including Le Manoir, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, The Devonshire, and Noble Rot - through his farming company, Capability Graham. The company provides premium venison, Jersey beef, Iberian pork, charcuterie, honey, and cold-pressed rapeseed oil.