London’s world-famous Ritz Restaurant and the innovative Soho venue Humble Chicken have both been awarded two Michelin stars.
The Ritz Restaurant, led by the much-loved chef John Williams, earned its first star in 2017 and many had tipped it to move up to two.
“You know, I’ve waited 50 years for this,” said Williams. “I’m not joking. It’s special. And The Ritz is a special place. We’ve built the restaurant on what the room was, and on classic cuisine.
“I thought we were forgotten. But we carried on cooking to the best of our ability, and looking after our guests. We’ve got great people. Fantastic people. It’s all about the experience.”
Read restaurant critic David Ellis’s review of The Ritz
Humble Chicken was founded by chef Angelo Sato in 2021. It launched as a casual yakitori bar, but Sato switched to a more elevated concept in 2023, reopening with a £185, 16-course tasting menu.
Dishes such as “Humble Fried Chicken” and mussels with avocado earned the restaurant a star after less than a year. After winning a second, Sato said: “I want to say thank you to Michelin. When I was a young kid, I didn't have a lot going for me. Michelin gave me a purpose. It gave me something to chase.”
The Ritz, 150 Piccadilly, W1J 9BR, theritzlondon.com
Humble Chicken, 54 Frith St, London W1D 4SJ, humblechickenuk.com
