In recent years, a taco stand in Mexico and Singaporean street food stalls have earned Michelin stars. Perhaps hoping to shed its image as an arbiter merely of the finest of fine dining, the tyre guide has opened its coveted star system to a wider array of establishments.
While there’s nothing in this country to match those $5 tacos, it is possible to eat at Michelin-starred spots in Britain without remortgaging the house. Many offer highly competitive set meals – usually at lunchtime.
On Monday evening, 22 restaurants were added to the guide – 20 with one star. Two London spots, Bonheur, run by former Gordon Ramsay protégé Matt Abé, and Row on 5, from a former head chef at the Ritz, were given two stars.
It can cost hundreds to dine at many of the country’s top restaurants (Bonheur’s seven-course menu will set you back £225). But many in the new cohort offer affordable lunch deals. At Labombe by Trivet in Mayfair, there’s a £30 set lunch from Tuesday to Saturday that includes a main and a snack, while further south, the Kerfield Arms in Camberwell has an unbeatable lunch offer of a dish and a pint or glass of wine for £15.
These prices may seem surprisingly cheap for Michelin-starred food, but according to Johnny Smith, a co-founder of Luca in Farringdon, which offers a three-course lunch for £38, it helps bring in a wider audience. And restaurants would rather have a healthy crowd midweek than empty tables.
While few quite match the Kerfield Arms (and, of course, service and drinks will bring up the final bill), here are 14 Michelin-starred restaurants with set menus under £40, from the cheapest to most expensive.
The Kerfield Arms, Camberwell, London
Try the midweek lunch special of a dish for £12, or £15 with a glass of wine or pint of beer
This gastropub in Camberwell, from the team behind the equally well-respected the Baring in Islington, has been open for less than a year. It offers Britain’s cheapest Michelin-starred set lunch. For £12 (or £15 with a drink), you can grab a weekly changing dish, and a fairly substantial one at that – think a Korean fried chicken bun or steak frites.
The Coach, Marlow, Buckinghamshire
Try the weekday set lunch (available Monday, Wednesday-Friday) at £20/£25 for two/three courses
Tom Kerridge has long been committed to egalitarian Michelin dining, and at his one-star pub in Marlow, you can eat a three-course lunch for just £25. The menu changes weekly, and there’s only one option per course, but expect the likes of Cullen skink, chicken curry and red wine poached pear with vanilla cream.
Ambassadors Clubhouse, Mayfair, London
Try the lunch and pre-theatre menu (available 12pm-6pm daily) at £21/29/35 for one/two/three courses
Not yet two years old, this Punjabi restaurant is already a cult classic – so much so that it opened a branch in New York in February. You can have a pretty filling meal without splashing out, with the likes of rabbit keema, Punjabi prawn lababdar or chicken burrah with chicken keema pilau.
The Hand and Flowers, Marlow, Buckinghamshire
Try the weekday set lunch at £25/£32.50 for two/three courses (available until the end of March 2026)
Another unrivalled offer from Kerridge, and probably the most affordable way to eat a two-Michelin-starred meal in the UK. At his flagship gastropub the set lunch includes the likes of Lincolnshire poacher and leek tart, romesco, manchego and almond crusted hake, and blood orange sorbet. You’ll probably end up ordering the optional extras (triple-cooked chips, homemade sausage roll), but it’s still far cheaper than the Ritz.
Labombe by Trivet, Mayfair, London
Try the set lunch (available Tuesday to Saturday) at £30 for a main and a snack
A meal at the two-Michelin-starred Trivet will easily set you back at least £100, but at its one-starred sister restaurant, which won a Michelin star in 2026, there’s a weekly rotating snack and main deal. Past dishes have included Tamworth pork neck with braised beluga lentils or wood-fired poussin with spiced tomato relish and bitter leaf salad. Not bad for Park Lane.
Luca, Farringdon, London
Try the lunchtime bar express menu (daily, 12pm-2pm) at £32/£38 for two/three courses
London isn’t short of great Italian restaurants, but Luca stands out as one of its best – as well as one of the most stylish. The pasta is always on point, and main options might include Cornish brill, squid and cauliflower with pine nuts, raisin and roast chicken sauce or crisp polenta with winter vegetables, smoked chilli and sheep’s ricotta.
Amaya, Belgravia, London
Try the lunchtime platter, available Monday to Sunday, from £32
It is often possible to find Indian fine dining at accessible prices, and despite being in one of London’s smartest postcodes, Amaya is no different. Open since 2004 and Michelin-starred for 20 years, you can still get a complete meal for lunch in one platter, including curries, dal and naan.
Mark Poynton at Caistor Hall, Norfolk
Try the set lunch (available Wednesday to Saturday 12pm-2pm) at £35 for three courses
Not many chefs have lost and then won back Michelin stars, but Mark Poynton has, earning one at this luxury hotel in 2025 for his classic fine dining. Expect quality ingredients cooked with technical proficiency in luxe surroundings.
The Elephant, Torquay, Devon
Try the set lunch (Monday to Saturday) at £35.95/£42.50 for two/three courses
Having held a star for two decades, chef Simon Hulstone’s delightful seaside restaurant is just the place for a special meal. Sample the likes of cured trout to start, cod risotto as a main and a lemon drizzle cake or chocolate mousse with salted caramel to finish.
Starling, Esher, Surrey
Try the set lunch (available Wednesday and Thursday) at £37.50 for three courses
William Sitwell was suitably impressed when he visited this welcoming bistro last year. The hearty cooking from Great British Menu winner Nick Beardshaw, featuring the likes of a steak tartare hash brown with a bone marrow emulsion and Cotswold white chicken with mashed potato and creamed chanterelles is a steal on the set lunch deal.
The Ninth, Fitzrovia, London
Try the set menu (available for lunch and dinner between 5.30pm and 6pm, Monday to Saturday) at £38 for two courses
Expect modern French-Mediterranean cooking at this relaxed Fitzrovia restaurant. With three options at each course (think veal carpaccio with truffle mayo or beef featherblade with white polenta), Jun Tanaka’s set menu is an excellent offer.
Wilson’s, Bristol
Try the short lunch set menu (available Wednesday-Friday) at £39 for three courses
This inviting independent restaurant is a shining example of Bristol’s thriving food scene. It puts quality produce at the forefront, including fruits and vegetables from its own market garden, so it’s no surprise it holds both a Michelin star and a green sustainability star. Expect high-quality cooking in a relaxed setting. The attached bakery is worth a visit, too.
The Masons Arms, Knowstone, Devon
Try the set lunch (available Wednesday-Friday) at £39.50 for three courses
British and French classics are several cuts above your normal pub grub at this picturesque thatched tavern near Exmoor. Chef Mark Dobson’s world-class cooking might feature smoked duck breast with duck liver parfait and poached pear or a herbed fillet of cod in a bouillabaisse-style sauce.
Chez Bruce, Wandsworth, London
Try the set lunch (available weekdays) at £39.50 for two courses
A long-time favourite (many still cite it as their favourite London fine-dining spot), Chez Bruce first earned its Michelin star in 1999. It offers a fine blend of French classics with modern British and European sensibilities. The set lunch is a fantastic chance to try this classic spot without breaking the bank.