In London, we reckon the aforementioned Bonheur by Matt Abé will go straight into the guide with two stars. Matt’s cooking continually impressed at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, where elegance remained a byword after he took over from Clare Smyth as she ventured out to her eponymous (and now three-starred) Notting Hill venture. Michelin inspectors have a track record of affection for this type of cookery and by all accounts, Matt’s transformation of the former Le Gavroche site should see the building’s legacy of hosting a multi-Michelin-starred restaurant survive.

Elsewhere in the Gordon-Ramsay-and-co world, Ramsay’s Restaurant 1890 housed in the Savoy Hotel, led by chef James Sharp, is a prime pick to be elevated from one to two stars. James has progressed his deft menu with serious skill and we could see the Michelin inspectors going for his gently evolving menu. Another elevation could see Row on 5, helmed by Jason Atherton and Spencer Metzger, receive a second star. Spencer achieved wonderful things at The Ritz and at Row on 5; the service and food have had exceptional feedback.

As far as sushi goes, Endo Kazutoshi's beautiful restaurant in the sky Endo at The Rotunda is certainly floating around two-star status, but a fire which tragically closed the restaurant's doors since September last year means it may very well miss out this year.

Further afield, and we could see the work by chef Stuart Ralston at Lyla getting recognised with a second star. Lyla’s incredible seafood-forward menu is full of bright touches, exquisite combinations and has been lauded by just about every restaurant guide going. We’d also be thrilled to see the delightful Grace and Savour receive a second star. David Taylor opened a new spot, Kynd, in early 2025, but it’s at his flagship Grace and Savour near Birmingham where a stylish seasonal menu takes centre stage. David’s experience at Maaemo where he helped the team win the restaurant’s third Michelin star should stand him in good stead here.

Finally back in London, and this does get mentioned most years, without ever happening, but we’d love nothing more than to see Adam Byatt at Trinity receive another Michelin gong; upgrading his space in Clapham from one to two stars. He’s a real ‘chef’s chef’ and from meeting HRH King Charles III to opening his new restaurant Brasserie Constance in Fulham, he’s had quite the year. Hopefully, a second star might finally come his way to top off a fantastic 12 months.

The awarding of a restaurant’s first Michelin star is where things get exciting. The chefs will have been pushing boundaries all year, hoping to wow diners and gain the attention of inspectors. Impressing these cloak-and-dagger critics is no mean feat, so it’s hard to know where favours may fall, but here are a few on our radar we think are in with a chance this year.

In London’s Soho, Himi is a recently launched Japanese restaurant which has already caught the attention of the guide, entering the broader Michelin listing shortly after opening with delicious sushi at its core. As is often the case in great Japanese restaurants, the counter seats are where the action is and in London, diners are spoilt for choice. Another pair which could be worthy of a star are Juno Omakase, or its sister spot, Luna Omakase. Juno is sequestered in a small dining space inside Los Mochis Notting Hill, while Luna is tucked away in the behemoth Los Mochis site in Liverpool Street. Both are delicious, elegant spaces where a creative omakase menu (meaning ‘left to the chef’) is served to a limited number of diners nightly.

Staying in the capital, Clare Smyth’s recently opened new restaurant Corenucopia could very well win a star. Despite being self-styled as a ‘bistro’ this is a space of serious sophistication. It’s home to a potato menu, to fish and chips and bavette steaks – but don’t be fooled. Those potatoes are some of the more luxurious side dishes (with caviar supplements, naturally) in town; the fish and chips comprises two sole fillets stuffed with lobster mousse; that bavette steak is in fact Highland wagyu. It’s Clare Smyth, after all.

Outside of London, a glut of new and existing restaurants has caught our interest across the UK. Ruth Hansom opened her eponymous restaurant Hansom in Bedale, north Yorkshire, to critical acclaim. A seasonal tasting menu assembled through wonderfully sourced ingredients via a network of local suppliers alongside a thoughtful wine list is just the kind of thing we think will whet the appetite of inspectors. Another new spot, Vraic, sees Ynyshir alumni and SY23 founder Nathan Davies move from Michelin-starred Welsh success to Guernsey, creating true destination dining and bringing a bit of Michelin magic to the Channel Islands.

A more established remote restaurant well worth some attention from the Michelin guide – and certainly ticking the 'worthy of a detour' box in the Michelin criteria – is Inver, on the banks of Loch Fyne. Secluded, seasonal and unapologetically wild; chef and founder Pam Brunton’s menu is a time capsule of the very best that Scotland has to offer. With a Michelin Green star for sustainability already under her belt, a Michelin star would be the logical next step. Elsewhere, and in the relatively more accessible Alnwick in Northumberland, restaurant Sonnet has been quietly turning heads with its 14-course menu since opening in 2024. It's already listed in the Michelin Guide, just not with a star: we think this could be the year that changes.

Others on our list for one Michelin star this year include Manchester’s Erst, which to our minds is long overdue. Patrick Withington has been cooking remarkably well this year (and was even the host for an event Great British Chefs held in Manchester in 2025) and we think the restaurant could well join mana and Skof as the newest one-starred venue in the city. Back in London, the newly Silver Birch in Chiswick is surely to be on Michelin’s radar. The seasonal menu by Nathan Cornwall, who took over in 2023, is creative, light and refined: all the things the Michelin guide should be looking for.

Lastly, and staying in London, High by Restaurant Gordon Ramsay could be in with a shout. The 12-seater counter dining experience perched atop the Bishopsgate Tower is helmed by James Goodyear, former head chef of the Michelin-starred Evelyn’s Table, and was set up by Goodyear, Matt Abé and Ramsay himself. We think High is likely to get its first star this year, with more to follow in the future.