5 Most Expensive Restaurants in London

Updated July 2026

The most expensive restaurant tasting menu in London is currently Sushi Kanesaka at £420 per person. It is followed by Ikoyi at £395, Sushi Amamoto at £380, The Araki at £310, and Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester at £285. These prices cover food only and can rise significantly after drinks, service charges, supplements, and private dining fees are added.

London has no shortage of expensive restaurants. Diners can spend hundreds of pounds on aged beef, caviar, lobster, truffles, rare seafood, fine wine, and carefully designed tasting menus.

However, the city's most expensive restaurants are not simply selling costly ingredients. They are offering highly controlled dining experiences built around limited seating, specialized chefs, exact preparation, premium sourcing, and several hours of service.

Three of the five restaurants on this list specialize in omakase, a Japanese dining format in which guests allow the chef to select and serve the menu. The remaining restaurants offer creative or contemporary French tasting experiences.

This guide examines five of London's most expensive restaurants, what their menus cost, what diners receive, and what to consider before making a reservation.

The Most Expensive Restaurants in London at a Glance

Prices were checked in July 2026 and can change without notice. Drinks, wine or sake pairings, service charges, supplements, and private-room fees are not included unless stated otherwise.

How We Ranked London's Most Expensive Restaurants

Restaurant pricing can be difficult to compare because luxury establishments use several different formats.

One restaurant may offer a fixed tasting menu, while another provides several menu lengths. Omakase restaurants may require full prepayment, while traditional dining rooms may add optional courses, caviar, truffles, wine pairings, or private-table fees.

For this list, we compared the highest-priced standard food menu that an individual guest can normally reserve.

The ranking excludes:

• Wine, sake, and alcohol pairings
• Service charges
• Caviar and truffle supplements
• Private-room hire charges
• Exclusive restaurant hire
• Limited collaboration dinners
• Special holiday menus
• Rare bottles of wine or spirits
• Menus priced for two or more guests

Several London restaurants currently offer menus around £285. Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester is included in the fifth position because its current July 2026 menu is publicly available and verified. The Clove Club also currently lists a £285 dinner tasting menu.

1. Sushi Kanesaka

Location: 45 Park Lane, Mayfair

Current menu price: £420 per person

Cuisine: Traditional Japanese omakase and Edomae sushi

Sushi Kanesaka currently offers London's most expensive standard tasting menu, priced at £420 per person before drinks and service.

The restaurant is located inside 45 Park Lane, a Dorchester Collection hotel overlooking Hyde Park. Guests enter through a discreet doorway before being guided into an intimate Japanese dining room centered around a hinoki cypress counter.

Sushi Kanesaka was created by Japanese sushi chef Shinji Kanesaka, who is known for traditional Edomae sushi. The style developed in Tokyo and uses techniques such as curing, marinating, aging, simmering, and precise seasoning to enhance the fish before it reaches the guest.

What Does the £420 Menu Include?

The exact menu changes according to seasonal availability. A current sample menu includes approximately 20 preparations, such as:

• King crab with vinegar sauce
• Marinated akami tuna sushi
• Chutoro sushi
• Octopus sunomono
• White fish with irizake sauce
• Squid sushi with beluga caviar
• Otoro sushi
• Unagi kabayaki hand roll
• Binchotan-grilled Kobe beef
• Botan ebi sushi
• Lobster cream croquette
• Saba sushi
• Ikura gunkan
• Negi toro maki
• Tamagoyaki
• Miso soup with clams and chives
• Seasonal Japanese fruit
• A Japanese sweet

The experience is not limited to raw fish. Cooked seafood, Kobe beef, soup, fruit, and dessert appear alongside the sushi courses.

Why Is Sushi Kanesaka So Expensive?

Several factors contribute to the price:

• An extremely limited number of seats
• Highly specialized sushi chefs
• Premium seafood and Kobe beef
• Caviar and luxury ingredients
• Traditional preparation methods
• Individual courses prepared directly in front of guests
• A luxury Mayfair hotel setting
• Two tightly controlled dinner sittings

Sushi is especially sensitive to timing and temperature. Rice temperature, fish temperature, knife work, seasoning, and the time between preparation and eating can all affect the result.

At an omakase counter, each piece is prepared and served individually, reducing the opportunity to produce courses in large batches.

What Is the Dining Room Like?

The room is designed to feel separate from the activity of Park Lane below. Natural wood, bamboo, ceramics, stone, and traditional Japanese details create a quiet setting focused on the chef's counter.

The main counter is made from a single piece of Japanese hinoki cypress. Guests sit directly in front of the chefs and watch each course being cut, seasoned, shaped, and served.

What Should Diners Know?

• The £420 price includes VAT but excludes a 15 percent service charge.
• Drinks and sake pairings cost extra.
• The menu changes with daily ingredient availability.
• Dietary substitutions are very limited.
• The restaurant currently operates two evening sittings from Tuesday through Saturday.
• Advance reservations are essential.
• The restaurant recommends the experience for guests aged 12 and older.

Sushi Kanesaka is best suited to diners who appreciate traditional sushi, premium seafood, quiet counter service, and a menu entirely controlled by the chef.

2. Ikoyi

Location: 180 Strand

Current menu price: £395 per person

Cuisine: Creative tasting menu using British produce and globally sourced spices

Ikoyi is London's second most expensive standard restaurant experience, with its full tasting menu currently priced at £395 per person.

Unlike the three omakase restaurants on this list, Ikoyi does not focus on traditional Japanese dining. Chef and cofounder Jeremy Chan develops a highly individual style based on British ingredients, micro-seasonality, aged meats, sustainable fish, and spices sourced from around the world.

The restaurant describes its cuisine as an original spice-based approach rather than a direct interpretation of one specific country or region.

What Is Served at Ikoyi?

Ikoyi serves a surprise tasting menu that changes according to ingredient quality and seasonality. Diners are not necessarily given a complete list of dishes before the meal begins.

Its cooking may feature:

• Line-caught fish
• Aged native beef
• British shellfish
• Slow-grown vegetables
• Fermented ingredients
• Carefully sourced spices
• Complex stocks and sauces
• Rice preparations
• Caviar and luxury seafood

Ikoyi is particularly known for using spices as structural ingredients rather than simply adding heat. A dish may be built around aroma, bitterness, fermentation, smoke, sweetness, acidity, and several forms of spice.

Why Is Ikoyi So Expensive?

• The tasting menu uses high-cost seasonal produce.
• Many preparations require several days of aging, fermenting, curing, or sauce production.
• The menu changes frequently.
• The restaurant serves a limited number of guests.
• Each course involves substantial preparation and detailed plating.
• The experience is built around uncommon ingredient combinations.
• The restaurant maintains a large international spice collection.

At Ikoyi, the expense comes partly from ingredients and partly from labor. A finished plate may depend on multiple stocks, oils, spice mixtures, ferments, reductions, garnishes, and cooking techniques.

Is There a Less Expensive Ikoyi Menu?

Ikoyi currently offers a shorter tasting menu for £180. This provides a lower-priced way to experience the restaurant's cooking, although it is not the complete £395 menu used for this ranking.

The full tasting menu is currently served during dinner from Monday through Friday and at lunch from Wednesday through Friday.

What Should Diners Know?

• Reservations are released on the first day of each month.
• Guests can normally book up to two calendar months in advance.
• The dining room generally accepts tables of two to four guests.
• A private dining area can seat up to six.
• Dietary restrictions should be communicated before the reservation.
• Unannounced dietary changes may involve an additional charge.
• Drinks are not included in the £395 food price.

Ikoyi is best for diners who want an unpredictable, highly creative tasting experience rather than a familiar collection of classic luxury dishes.

3. Sushi Amamoto

Location: 36 Albemarle Street, Mayfair

Current menu price: £380 per person

Cuisine: Edomae-style Japanese omakase

Sushi Amamoto offers a prestige omakase menu priced at £380 per person. The restaurant operates a 16-seat sushi counter in Mayfair and serves the menu during lunch and dinner.

The restaurant was relaunched in 2026 under chef Shogo Amamoto, whose original restaurant in Taipei became known for highly detailed Edomae sushi.

The London menu combines Japanese discipline with seafood and seasonal ingredients sourced from Europe and beyond.

What Does the Prestige Omakase Include?

The £380 prestige experience contains approximately 22 courses and uses what the restaurant describes as ultra-premium ingredients.

The specific menu changes daily, but an omakase progression can include:

• Small Japanese appetizers
• Seasonal sashimi
• Cooked shellfish
• Bluefin tuna
• White fish
• Several pieces of nigiri
• Hot dishes
• A toro hand roll
• Soup
• Several desserts

Premium menus may use ingredients such as lobster, caviar, truffle, sea urchin, fatty tuna, and rare seasonal seafood, depending on availability.

Why Is Sushi Amamoto So Expensive?

• The counter seats only 16 guests.
• Two sushi chefs work directly in front of the dining room.
• The menu uses premium fish and shellfish.
• Ingredients change according to season and availability.
• Each sushi course requires precise individual preparation.
• The full experience contains around 22 courses.
• The restaurant operates only a limited number of weekly sittings.

The restaurant's pricing also reflects the difficulty of sourcing suitable fish consistently. High-end sushi requires the correct species, size, fat content, handling, aging potential, and delivery condition.

Is There a Less Expensive Menu?

Sushi Amamoto currently offers a 17-course tasting omakase for £180 during lunch from Wednesday through Saturday.

The lunch menu costs less than half the price of the prestige experience, making it a more approachable introduction to the restaurant.

Optional Drink Pairing

An alcohol pairing selected by the restaurant's sommelier is currently offered for £320.

Ordering the prestige menu and full alcohol pairing would bring the starting food-and-drink cost to £700 per person before the discretionary service charge.

What Should Diners Know?

• The restaurant is reservation only.
• Guests at each sitting are served at the same time.
• Late arrivals may not be seated.
• A discretionary 15 percent service charge is added.
• The restaurant is card only.
• Corkage is not permitted.
• The menu contains raw fish, cooked fish, shellfish, and gluten.
• Some allergies and dietary restrictions cannot be accommodated.
• Smart-casual clothing is requested.

Sushi Amamoto is best for guests who enjoy chef-led counter dining but want a broader progression of appetizers, sushi, hot dishes, and desserts.

4. The Araki

Location: 12 New Burlington Street, Mayfair

Current menu price: £310 per person

Cuisine: Sushi omakase

The Araki serves only one menu, a sushi omakase priced at £310 per guest.

The restaurant has one of London's smallest dining rooms, with up to nine seats at the main counter and a separate private room for up to six guests.

The concept was originally created by sushi master Mitsuhiro Araki, whose earlier restaurant in Tokyo held three Michelin stars. The London restaurant is now led by chef Marty Lau.

What Is the Experience Like?

The Araki follows a structured counter format. Every guest at a sitting receives the same progression, and the chefs prepare the courses directly in front of the diners.

The menu centers on raw and cooked fish and shellfish. Exact courses change with the season and ingredient supply.

Guests can expect a progression that may include:

• Seasonal appetizers
• Raw shellfish
• Cooked seafood
• White fish sushi
• Tuna in several cuts
• Shellfish sushi
• Hand rolls
• Soup
• Traditional finishing courses

Why Is The Araki So Expensive?

• There are only nine main counter seats per sitting.
• The restaurant serves one chef-selected menu.
• The meal relies on premium fish and shellfish.
• The chefs provide direct, individualized counter service.
• The dining format allows very few guests each night.
• Most preparation is highly specialized and time sensitive.

A restaurant with only nine counter seats must spread its ingredient, labor, rent, and operating expenses across far fewer customers than a large dining room.

Private Dining Costs

The private room carries an additional charge of £40 per person, bringing the food and room cost to £350 per person before drinks and additional orders.

Exclusive use of the restaurant is currently priced at £3,100 for up to ten people.

What Should Diners Know?

• The £310 menu must generally be prepaid when booking.
• Beverages and additional orders are excluded.
• The restaurant cannot accommodate many dietary restrictions.
• There is no meat-based alternative menu.
• The menu is based on fish and shellfish.
• Strict late-arrival policies apply.
• Dinner is currently served Tuesday through Saturday.
• The restaurant offers two main dinner sittings.

The Araki is best suited to serious sushi diners who are comfortable surrendering control of the menu and eating in a quiet, closely managed environment.

5. Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester

Location: The Dorchester, Park Lane, Mayfair

Current menu price: £285 per person

Cuisine: Contemporary French

Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester offers its seven-course Harmonie menu for £285 per person.

The restaurant is located inside The Dorchester hotel on Park Lane and serves contemporary French food under chef patron Jean-Philippe Blondet.

It provides a more traditional luxury restaurant environment than the small Japanese counters appearing higher on this list. Guests dine at individual tables in a large, elegant dining room rather than directly in front of a sushi chef.

What Does the Harmonie Menu Include?

The July 2026 Harmonie menu includes seven courses:

• Hand-dived scallop with citrus beurre blanc and Kristal caviar
• Souffléed courgette flower with nasturtium and escabeche reduction
• Lobster medallion with chicken quenelle, Périgord truffle, and semolina pasta
• Cornish turbot with tenderstem broccoli, lemon, and Champagne sabayon
• East Anglian marshland lamb with artichoke and marjoram
• An assortment of French cheeses
• Raspberry with capsicum and Espelette pepper

The menu combines shellfish, caviar, lobster, truffle, turbot, lamb, cheese, and dessert, representing a classic luxury progression.

Why Is Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester So Expensive?

• The menu uses luxury seafood, caviar, truffle, and premium meat.
• French cooking relies on labor-intensive stocks and sauces.
• The meal includes seven carefully paced courses.
• The restaurant maintains a large fine-dining service team.
• It is located inside one of London's best-known luxury hotels.
• Premium tableware, design, and personalized service are part of the experience.

Unlike a small omakase counter, a grand French restaurant also requires a broad front-of-house team. Sommeliers, captains, servers, runners, reservation staff, and kitchen specialists contribute to the meal.

Other Menu Options

The restaurant currently offers other menu lengths, including:

• A three-course Plaisir menu
• A five-course Passion menu
• A seven-course vegetarian Jardin menu
• À la carte selections

The complete Harmonie experience is the restaurant's highest-priced standard food menu and is therefore used for this ranking.

What Should Diners Know?

• A discretionary 15 percent service charge is added.
• Wine pairings and drinks cost extra.
• Caviar and other supplements may be available.
• The restaurant follows a smart-casual dress code.
• Reservations are strongly recommended.
• The restaurant currently serves dinner from Tuesday through Saturday.
• Children must meet the restaurant's current minimum-age policy.

Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester is best for diners seeking a formal French fine-dining experience with polished table service rather than the intimate structure of omakase.

Other London Restaurants Near the Top of the List

London has several other restaurants with tasting menus priced close to the fifth position.

The Clove Club

The Clove Club currently lists its full dinner tasting menu at £285. The restaurant serves modern, creative dishes based on produce from the British Isles.

A shorter dinner tasting menu is currently available for £225, while the full lunch tasting menu is offered for £185.

The Ledbury

The Ledbury is another luxury tasting-menu restaurant associated with a price near the £285 level. It focuses on British produce, game, seafood, vegetables, and ingredients raised or grown through its own suppliers and farms.

Umu

Umu's high-end Japanese kaiseki experience has recently been priced around £260. Optional wine or sake pairings can significantly increase the final bill.

Restaurant Gordon Ramsay

Restaurant Gordon Ramsay offers several luxury menu formats. Its chef-led Carte Blanche menu has recently been priced around £260 per person before drinks and service.

Humble Chicken

Humble Chicken serves an intimate Japanese and European omakase menu. Its limited seating, specialist ingredients, and multi-course format place it among London's more expensive dining experiences.

Why Are Omakase Restaurants So Expensive?

Three of London's four most expensive menus are omakase experiences.

Several characteristics make this dining format costly to operate.

Limited Seating

A sushi counter may accommodate fewer than 20 customers per sitting. Some restaurants on this list serve only nine to 16 guests at a time.

Specialized Labor

Becoming a high-level sushi chef requires years of training. Knife work, rice preparation, aging, curing, seasoning, and service timing must remain consistent.

Premium Seafood

High-end omakase may use:

• Bluefin tuna
• Sea urchin
• King crab
• Lobster
• Scallops
• Rare shellfish
• Caviar
• Seasonal Japanese fish

High Waste and Strict Selection

Not every part of a fish meets the restaurant's standards. Trimming, portioning, aging, and selecting the correct cuts can reduce the amount ultimately served.

Individual Preparation

Each piece of sushi is formed, seasoned, and presented separately. The restaurant cannot prepare hundreds of identical plates in advance.

Imported and Specialty Products

Rice, vinegar, soy sauce, wasabi, seaweed, sake, ceramics, knives, and other items may be sourced through specialist suppliers.

How Much Would Dinner for Two Really Cost?

The menu price is only the starting point at an expensive London restaurant.

After adding a 15 percent service charge, the food-only cost for two at Sushi Kanesaka would rise from £840 to approximately £966.

At Sushi Amamoto, two prestige menus with two £320 alcohol pairings would begin at £1,400 before the 15 percent service charge. After service, the total would be approximately £1,610.

Additional costs can include:

• Champagne
• Wine or sake pairings
• Bottled water
• Pre-dinner drinks
• Caviar supplements
• Truffle supplements
• Private-room charges
• Transportation to and from the restaurant

Are London's Most Expensive Restaurants Worth It?

Value at this level is highly personal.

These restaurants are unlikely to make sense for someone simply looking for a filling dinner. The price reflects scarcity, technique, service, ingredients, reputation, and the experience of entering a highly controlled dining room.

The meal may be worthwhile when:

• You are celebrating an important occasion.
• You closely follow chefs and restaurant culture.
• You appreciate premium sushi or complex tasting menus.
• You enjoy several hours of structured dining.
• You value service and atmosphere as much as portion size.
• You are comfortable allowing the chef to control the meal.

It may not be worthwhile when:

• You prefer choosing individual dishes.
• You have several dietary restrictions.
• You do not eat raw fish or shellfish.
• You dislike long meals.
• You prefer casual or energetic restaurants.
• The cost would prevent you from relaxing and enjoying the experience.

How to Spend Less at an Expensive London Restaurant

Book Lunch

Several restaurants offer shorter, less expensive lunch experiences.

Sushi Amamoto's 17-course lunch menu is £180 instead of £380. Ikoyi also offers a shorter menu for £180.

Choose the Shorter Tasting Menu

Restaurants may provide a reduced number of courses using the same kitchen and dining room.

Skip the Pairing

Wine and sake pairings can cost as much as the meal. Ordering one or two glasses instead can reduce the final bill substantially.

Avoid Supplements

Caviar, truffle, wagyu, and premium substitutions can quickly add to the price.

Check the Service Charge

Many London fine-dining restaurants add a discretionary service charge of approximately 15 percent.

Review Cancellation Policies

Omakase restaurants often require full prepayment. Late cancellations or arrival after the restaurant's cutoff time may result in losing the entire menu payment.

What to Know Before Booking

Read the Dietary Policy

High-end sushi restaurants may be unable to accommodate guests who avoid raw fish, shellfish, rice, soy, gluten, or other central ingredients.

Arrive on Time

Counter restaurants serve all guests together. A late arrival can interrupt the entire sitting and may result in the reservation being canceled.

Understand the Dress Code

Most luxury London restaurants request smart-casual clothing. Sportswear, shorts, sandals, and overly casual clothing may not be accepted at some establishments.

Plan for a Long Meal

A complete tasting menu may last between two and four hours.

Ask About Photography

Some restaurants permit photographs but prohibit video. Others discourage phone use because it distracts from the experience.

Confirm the Final Price

Check whether the listed menu price includes:

• VAT
• Service
• Water
• Tea or coffee
• Supplements
• Room charges
• Deposit or prepayment requirements

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most expensive restaurant in London?

Sushi Kanesaka currently offers London's highest-priced standard tasting menu at £420 per person before drinks and a 15 percent service charge.

How much does Sushi Kanesaka cost?

The standard omakase menu is currently £420 per person. The price includes VAT but excludes beverages and a 15 percent service charge.

How much does Ikoyi cost?

Ikoyi's full tasting menu is currently £395 per person. A shorter tasting menu is available for £180.

What is the most expensive sushi restaurant in London?

Sushi Kanesaka is currently the most expensive sushi restaurant in London based on its standard £420 omakase menu.

What is omakase?

Omakase is a Japanese dining format in which the guest allows the chef to select the courses. The menu normally changes according to season and ingredient availability.

Are drinks included at London's most expensive restaurants?

Drinks are generally not included. Wine and sake pairings may add several hundred pounds per person.

Is service included in London tasting-menu prices?

Not always. Several luxury restaurants add a discretionary service charge of approximately 15 percent to the final bill.

Which expensive London restaurant has the cheapest lunch?

Prices change, but both Ikoyi and Sushi Amamoto currently offer shorter £180 tasting experiences. Other luxury restaurants may offer lower-priced weekday lunches.

Do expensive London restaurants require prepayment?

Many omakase restaurants require full or substantial prepayment because they have very limited seating and purchase ingredients for a specific number of guests.

Can expensive tasting-menu restaurants accommodate vegetarians?

Some can, while others cannot. Sushi restaurants based on fish and shellfish may have very limited alternatives. Dietary requirements should be confirmed before booking.

How long does an expensive tasting menu take?

Most complete tasting experiences take approximately two to four hours, depending on the number of courses and style of service.

Why are sushi tasting menus so expensive?

High-end sushi requires specialized chefs, premium seafood, limited seating, individual preparation, strict ingredient selection, and precise timing.

Which London restaurant has three Michelin stars and a £285 menu?

Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester currently offers its seven-course Harmonie menu for £285 and holds three Michelin stars.

Final Thoughts

London's most expensive restaurants represent several very different interpretations of luxury.

Sushi Kanesaka, Sushi Amamoto, and The Araki focus on intimate omakase service, premium seafood, and direct interaction with the chefs.

Ikoyi builds an original tasting menu around British produce and a global spice collection. Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester presents a more classical luxury experience with French technique, formal service, caviar, lobster, truffles, and an elegant hotel dining room.

Sushi Kanesaka currently takes the top position at £420 per person, but the final bill at any restaurant on this list can rise far above the menu price after drinks, pairings, supplements, and service.

For diners planning a visit, the most important question is not simply which restaurant costs the most. It is which experience best matches their tastes, expectations, and reason for celebrating.

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