From Gordon Ramsay’s flagship eatery to country pubs, here are the best restaurants for UK fine dining and how to visit them by private jet charter.
The best fine-dining experiences in the UK
From Gordon Ramsay’s flagship eatery to country pubs, here are the best restaurants for UK fine dining and how to visit them by private jet charter.
Best UK fine dining restaurants
Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, London
Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay’s flagship restaurant is located in swanky Chelsea, boasts three Michelin stars and is ranked sixth in the Good Food Guide’s top 50 restaurants of 2018. The intimate venue hosts just 44 guests for lunch and dinner, serving both à la carte and tasting menus consisting of French dishes made with seasonal ingredients, which are prepared using a blend of modern and classic cooking techniques.
The menu features dishes such as Cornish brown crab, roast pigeon, St Bride’s Farm chicken and Earl Grey parfait, with vegetarian options also available. For an extra-special dining experience, book the Inspiration Table, where you can watch head chef Matt Abé and team create meals in front of you and interact with them as they work.
Location: 68 Royal Hospital Road, London, SW3 4HP.
Price: An à la carte three-course menu costs £120 and a three-course lunch is £70. The seven-course Menu Prestige costs £155, while the seasonal version goes for £185.
Contact details: Call 020 7352 4441, email royalhospitalroad@gordonramsay.com or book online.
Private jet charter options: Restaurant Gordon Ramsay lies 45 minutes to an hour away from London City Airport.
L’Enclume, Cumbria
L’Enclume is a two Michelin-starred, farm-to-table restaurant with rooms located in the former blacksmith village of Cartmel. Inspired by the Cumbrian countryside, chef Simon Rogan set up his own farm and 12-acre garden kitchen where he grows ingredients including organic vegetables, herbs and fruit. Offering an ever-changing 20-course tasting menu, L’Enclume is second in the Good Food Guide and 18th in Harden’s 100, as well as being one of TripAdvisor’s top 10 UK restaurants.
Location: Cavendish Street, Cartmel, Nr Grange over Sands, Cumbria, LA11 6PZ.
Price: The lunch and dinner tasting menu costs £155 per person, while there’s also a shorter £49 lunch and wine pairing option available.
Contact details: Call 01539 536 362, email info@lenclume.co.uk or book online.
Private jet charter options: L'Enclume is situated just over an hour north of Blackpool Airport.
Ynyshir, Wales
This Welsh gem is located on the edge of Snowdonia National Park and has comfy rooms attached. The kitchen is run by chef Gareth Ward, who has been awarded a Michelin star as well as five AA Rosettes. Ynyshir was voted 12th best restaurant in the Good Food Guide and 15th in Harden’s. Come to enjoy set menus with seasonal ingredients, but book ahead as there are just five tables in this cosy restaurant with open kitchen.
Splash out for a chef’s table experience in the pastry section overlooking the action, complete with a surprise menu. The New Pass Bench, an oak table in the heart of the main kitchen, is available for just two guests who can dine while conversing with Gareth as he cooks. Sample menu selections include Aylesbury duck from Fishguard, sweet-and-sour mackerel, Welsh lamb and rhubarb and custard, offering a journey through British landscapes and seasons.
Location: Eglwys Fach, Machynlleth, SY20 8TA.
Price: Lunch is £75 per person and dinner costs £110-£125. The chef’s table with surprise menu costs £100 for lunch and £130 for dinner. The New Pass Bench costs £120 for lunch and £150 for dinner.
Contact details: Call 01654 781 209, email info@ynyshir.co.uk or book online.
Private jet charter options: The closest airport to Ynyshir is Mid Wales Airport, about an hour and 15 minutes away. Alternatively, Liverpool John Lennon Airport lies about 2.5 hours northeast.
Casamia, Bristol
Casamia is a family-run restaurant set in the heart of trendy Bristol, in a Victorian-era former hospital. Book a spot at this popular nine-table restaurant, which serves dinner from Wednesday to Saturday and lunch on Friday and Saturday. Chef Peter Sanchez-Iglesias has earned a Michelin star and placed Casamia 10th in the Good Food Guide and second in Harden’s for his seasonal, multi-course tasting menu, often featuring fresh fish such as brown trout and John Dory. For front-row kitchen seats, go for the chef’s table experience.
Location: The General, Lower Guinea Street, Bristol, BS1 6FU.
Price: The set menu ranges from £98-£118 per person.
Contact details: Call 0117 959 2884, email info@casamiarestaurant.co.uk or book online.
Private jet charter options: Casamia is located just 20 minutes from Bristol Airport.
Restaurant Andrew Fairlie, Scotland
Chef Andrew Fairlie runs Scotland’s only two Michelin-starred restaurant, blending classic French cuisine with a taste of the Scottish countryside. Listed eighth in the Good Food Guide, the restaurant is set in Gleneagles against a backdrop of rolling hills and a five-star luxury hotel. Dinner is served six nights a week with an à la carte menu. Specialities include wild mushroom and truffle ravioli and Jerusalem artichoke velouté, highland lamb loin and passion fruit soufflé. Eight-course tasting menus are also available, featuring dishes such as crab and caviar.
Location: Gleneagles Hotel, Auchterarder, PH3 1NF.
Price: A three-course à la carte meal costs £110 per person, while four courses are priced at £140. The tasting menu is £155 per person.
Contact details: Call 01764 694 267 or book online.
Private jet charter options: You can reach Restaurant Andrew Fairlie in under an hour, travelling north from Edinburgh Airport.
The Fat Duck, Bray-on-Thames
If you’re looking for a totally unique fine dining experience, you can’t go wrong at celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal’s signature restaurant. There’s no menu at The Fat Duck, just a map of a journey to the seaside. Expect a 17-course, multi-sensory food experience, designed with retro family holidays through the British countryside and coast in mind. The Fat Duck boasts three Michelin stars and places fifth on both the Good Food Guide and Harden’s.
Offering 42 slots for the set lunch and dinner menu, The Fat Duck is one of the UK’s most expensive fine dining experiences at up to £325 per head. Highlights include ‘Sound of the Sea’, a plate of sashimi served on a glass box filled with sand and accompanied by an iPod playing wave sounds. Then there’s the mock turtle soup, whisky wine gums, rabbit tea and a meringue of piña colada prepared in liquid nitrogen at the table.
Location: High Street, Bray, Berkshire, SL6 2AQ.
Price: £255-£325 per person.
Contact details: Call 01628 580 333 or book online.
Private jet charter options: The Fat Duck is situated just 20 minutes west of London Heathrow.
Bohemia, Jersey
Located near the French coast in Jersey, it’s no wonder Bohemia makes use of both French and British produce in its ever-changing dishes. Chef Steve Smith has earned a Michelin star and five AA Rosettes, while Bohemia is 11th in the Good Food Guide. Choose from set lunch menus, dinners and six-course tasting experiences, as well as classic and surprise menu options. Specialities include belted Galloway sirloin, oyster cassonade, local crab tart and sea bass. There are also vegetarian and afternoon tea options.
Location: Green Street, St Helier, Jersey, Channel Islands, JE2 4UH.
Price: A set lunch costs from £16.50 and a six-course surprise lunch menu starts at £45. A seven-course tasting menu costs £79 per person, while a sample classic dinner menu costs £65.
Contact details: Call 01534 880 588 or book online.
Private jet charter options: Bohemia is a 16-minute drive from Jersey Airport.
The Black Swan, Oldstead
The Black Swan is a rustic, family-run pub with rooms just half an hour from York in the village of Oldstead. The pub offers just one tasting menu, based around ingredients sourced or foraged locally. Chef Tommy Banks has a Michelin star and his hearty meals have put The Black Swan at the top of TripAdvisor and on Harden’s restaurant list. Examples include lobster with onion and gooseberry, chicken dumpling, and chicory root and blackcurrant cake. Dinner is served every evening and lunch between 12pm and 1pm on Saturdays.
Location: Oldstead, York, North Yorkshire, YO61 4BL.
Price: The tasting menu costs between £98 and £110 per person.
Contact details: Call 01347 868 387, email enquiries@blackswanoldstead.co.uk or book online.
Private jet charter options: The Black Swan lies just over an hour northeast of Leeds Bradford Airport.
So what are you waiting for? Book private jet charter to experience one of these top UK restaurants for yourself.