Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales)

Edinburgh-born chef Martin Wishart brought the city its first Michelin star. Set in the docklands of Leith, this sophisticated restaurant has wood accents, muted colors and gentle lighting. Look for starters such as Gigha halibut ceviche mixed with mango and passion fruit, and Orkney scallops with Comté cheese, parsnip and pear in a light white-wine sauce. Main courses might include a cheese soufflé with a side of creamed chard; roasted John Dory fillets served atop a potato-artichoke confit; and roasted Goosnargh duck with red cabbage, beetroot, macadamia nuts and red currant. The multicourse vegetarian menus, serving dishes such as black truffle risotto and tortellini stuffed with celery root, morels and raw sheep’s milk, are also enticing. In addition, there is an on-site cooking school that offers demonstration classes led by chef Graeme Carlyle. Closed Sunday and Monday. 

Located just off the Royal Mile with views down Victoria Street, this restaurant and oyster bar takes full advantage of Scotland’s superb seafood. Chef Roy Brett’s menu includes starters such as a platter of roasted seafood with lobster, langoustines, rock oysters, clams, Shetland mussels and Fife cockles. Main courses might include native lobster grilled with garlic butter or served Thermidor-style; mussels from Shetland cooked in an Asian broth of fermented ginger and black bean; or fine grilled rib of Orkney beef accompanied by a thin-cut fries and topped with a shallot confit and béarnaise butter. The restaurant’s signature North African-inspired fish soup served with a spicy harissa-based rouille, Gruyere cheese and buttered croutons is not to be missed. Closed Sunday. 

This innovative French restaurant is set in a restored Georgian townhouse. Chef Paul Kitching’s multicourse menu changes weekly, but representative dishes have included a risotto with curried egg, beans, mango and onion, filet of beef with dill and smoked figs, and a surprisingly delicious heart-shaped custard tart with lemon barley for dessert. Closed Sunday and Monday. 

At his establishment on the Royal Mile, chef Paul Wedgwood combines the atmosphere of a French bistro and the superb produce of Scotland. Look for starters such as Isle of Mull cheddar-and-onion bread-and-butter pudding with tomato confit and soused fennel, or pistachio-dusted scallops from the Kilbrannan Sound served with cauliflower korma, pineapple, capers and peanuts. Among the ever-changing mains, keep an eye out for fillet of beef accompanied by ale-soaked barley, charred spring onion and ox tongue, or herb-crusted hogget loin with fermented garlic croquettes. Wedgewood Hampers, a unique amenity offered by the restaurant for diners interested in picnicking in style, comprises a chest fully stocked with customized meals using fresh regional ingredients, crockery and crystalware, linen napkins, blankets and electric coolers (alcohol can be added for an extra fee). 

Scottish chef Dominic Jack has worked in some of Europe’s top kitchens, including as a sous chef to head chef Alain Solivérès at Le Taillevent in Paris. The restaurant is a model of comfortable contemporary style, and Jack makes full use of fine Scottish produce. Representative dishes might include a spelt risotto with sautéed North Sea squid, seared hand-dived Orkney scallops served with Jerusalem artichoke and bacon, and, for meat eaters, Perthshire mallard ballotine served in its own consommé with pickled vegetables. The restaurant does not accommodate children under the age of 5. Closed Sunday and Monday. 

In his waterfront restaurant set within a former whisky bonded warehouse, chef Tom Kitchin offers imaginative “from nature to plate” fare using seasonal produce in surprising combinations. Starters might include hand-dived Orkney scallops baked in the shell, served with a white wine, vermouth and wild-herb sauce; Highland venison terrine accompanied by venison tartare, a liver parfait, celeriac, bramble and orange; or vol-au-vent filled with crispy veal sweetbreads from Inverurie and baby artichokes in a chicken jus. Among the main courses, look for dishes such as poached Scrabster monkfish wrapped in pancetta and served with monkfish cheek tripe, red pepper and onions, or stuffed Highland lamb saddle and braised shoulder accompanied by a Wye Valley asparagus purée. Save room for one of the restaurant’s excellent desserts. I especially recommend the coffee soufflé and the Calvados crêpe filled with a sweet apple mousse. The restaurant does not accommodate children under the age of 5. Closed Sunday and Monday. 

Traditional British

Slightly off the beaten track near the Smithfield meat market in East London, Trevor Gulliver and chef Fergus Henderson’s restaurant serves traditional English food that changes daily. You might start with the roasted marrowbones and parsley salad, a house classic; then a meat dish like sweetbreads with butter beans and wild garlic, or maybe one of the savory pies such as beef and kidney. Don’t miss the currant-filled Eccles cake, or the bread pudding with a butterscotch sauce. Closed Sunday dinner. 

International

The pioneer of upscale Indian cooking in London, this intimate place in Mayfair was the first restaurant in the city to win a Michelin star in 2001. Try delicious dishes such as broccoli cakes with potato and spring onions with gooseberry chutney; a salad of melon, peach, figs, apple and cucumber with a grapefruit-cumin dressing; and slow-cooked lamb shank with turmeric, yogurt and a mix of freshly ground spices. The vegetarian dishes, including a main of okra and baby potatoes tossed with ginger and red onion, are also quite tasty. 

International

The minimalist interior of this chic restaurant in Knightsbridge provides the venue for upscale European-inspired Japanese cuisine. The chef puts his own twist on traditional izakaya-style dishes and presents “Japanese tapas” of sushi and sashimi that change with the seasons. The sea bass carpaccio appetizer with fresh truffle ponzu jelly was exceptional. Other favorites were the freshwater eel and pan-fried foie gras roll in a sweet soy sauce, grilled marinated black cod with green apples and honey Koji salt, and British lobster tempura served with a sweet soy and spicy sesame sauce. 

International

This sumptuously decorated two-floor establishment, overseen by chef Tong Chee Hwee, sets the bar for Cantonese food in London and has maintained a Michelin star for several years. Terrific dim sum are always available, and the signature Peking duck with Prunier or Beluga caviar, baby cucumber and spring onion is not to be missed. Imaginative tasting menus includes the likes of stir-fried spicy venison, rib-eye with lily bulb in a black-bean sauce, jasmine tea-smoked chicken, and Alaskan king crab in a rich XO sauce with snap peas and shimeji mushrooms. The wok-fried Tristan lobster with black truffle sauce and asparagus, and the wok-seared bass in a ginger soy sauce are always popular mains as well.