Affordable Fine Dining: Which London Restaurants Have Michelin Bib Gourmands?

Often, it’s the restaurants with multiple Michelin stars that steal the limelight. But savvy diners know to also look at the places with Bib Gourmands: the award given to eateries which offer the best value for money. You might not get white tablecloths and silver service (who really wants that nowadays, anyway?), but you can guarantee high-quality food that’s a little kinder on the wallet.

Currently, 43 London restaurants have them, including 10 newly awarded this year. So which ones are worth visiting? We bring you our favourites, which have been tried and recommended by the C&TH editorial team.

Michelin Bib Gourmands: What Are They & Where To Find London’s Best

What Is A Michelin Bib Gourmand?

The first Michelin Guide came out in 1900, created by the eponymous tyre company in a bid to encourage more drivers onto the roads. Stars were introduced in 1926, and restaurants that offered ‘good cuisine at reasonable prices’ were flagged with an ‘R’. In 1997 the Bib Gourmand was created to officially mark these spots – named after Bibendum, the name of the Michelin Man mascot.

Michelin describes the Bib Gourmand as ‘not quite a star, but most definitely not a consolation prize’, recognising ‘friendly establishments that serve good food at moderate prices’. Like stars, they are awarded by anonymous inspectors, who travel around the world trying different restaurants to decipher the ones worthy of accolades. There’s no price cap, as the value takes into account local living costs, but generally Bib Gourmand restaurants are more affordable than their Michelin-starred counterparts.

What’s The Difference Between Bib Gourmand & Michelin Recommended?

As well as securing stars and Bib Gourmands, restaurants can secure a listing in the Michelin Guide. ‘A restaurant in the selection without a star or Bib Gourmand is the sign of a chef using quality ingredients that are well cooked; simply a good meal,’ says Michael Ellis, International Director of the Michelin Guides. ‘It means that the inspectors have found the food to be above average, but not quite at star or Bib level. One star (or more) indicates a truly gastronomic experience.’

Bib Gourmand Restaurants In London: Top C&TH Picks

Mambow, Clapton

Abby Lee’s Malaysian food concept Mambow has come a long way since its humble beginnings. It started as a bowl food pop-up in East London, later reopening as a stall in Peckham, showcasing dishes inspired by Lee’s Peranakan heritage. In 2023, Lee relocated again, opening her first bricks-and-mortar restaurant in Clapton. Mambow serves signature dishes like the Otak-Otak Prawn Toast, which sees prawn toast combined with otak-otak, a red curry and kaffir lime leaf paste, then wrapped up inside a wild betel leaf. The Lor Bak is also a long-standing favourite: five spice pork and prawn bean curd rolls, which come with chilli jam for dipping. The diner scooped up a Michelin Bib Gourmand earlier this year – but Mambow is no stranger to awards, having been named London’s best local restaurant in the Good Food Guide’s 2024 list of 100 Best Local Restaurants. There’s no set menu, but starters begin at £5 and larger plates cost between £12 and £29.

78 Lower Clapton Rd, Lower Clapton, London E5 0RN, mambow.co.uk

Sour Mango salad & Kolae chicken bamboo skewer. © Ben Broomfield Photography

Kolae, Borough Market

It’s worth battling through the Borough Market crowds to take refuge in Kolae, a southern Thai restaurant helmed by the team behind cult favourite Som Saa (currently closed following a kitchen fire). At Kolae, it’s all about fiery Thai plates, with a particular focus on meat, fish and vegetable skewers cooked over an open flame, plus specials like stir fried parlour clams with basil and chilli, and whole butterflied gurnard with orange chilli jam. This is a good option for plant-based diners: there’s a dedicated vegan/vegetarian menu featuring dishes like aubergine and green bean curry, and grilled king oyster mushrooms. And, of course, it’s affordable: the most expensive dish on the menu right now is £16.50.

6 Park St, London SE1 9AB, kolae.com

Donia, Carnaby St

Since landing on the top floor of Soho’s Kingly Court last year, small Filipino restaurant Donia has received rave reviews. Traditional Filipino flavours are paired with British produce: begin with pandesal, a staple type of bread in the Philippines, and some nibbles of adobo mushroom croquettes, prawn and pork dumplings, and sea bream kinilaw, an alternative to ceviche which sees raw fish marinated with citrus and vinegar. For larger dishes, highlights include a juicy chicken inasal which is marinated in a secret house sauce for maximum flavour, and the signature aubergine ensalada: steamed aubergines wrapped in courgettes and topped with tomato relish. It’s not the cheapest spot in Soho (mains range from £22 to £39) but, like all Bib Gourmand restaurants, it’s fairly reasonable – particularly considering the quality of the food.

2.14, Top Floor, Kingly Ct, Carnaby St, Carnaby, London W1B 5PW, doniarestaurant.com

Padella, Borough Market

Despite opening nearly a decade ago, Padella still draws in big queues – no surprise, considering it serves some of the capital’s best pasta at reasonable prices. The brainchild of chefs Tim Siadatan and Jordan Frieda – who rose to fame with their Islington restaurant Trullo – Padella is all about fresh, hand-rolled pasta, made daily and executed to perfection. If you want to try the cult favourites, order the beef shin ragu or the pici cacio e pepe (Padella’s twist on the Roman classic, made with parmesan and butter). Wines are decently priced too (glasses are generally around £7 or £8), available alongside signature cocktails like the Padella Negroni (£8.50). Top tip: you can scan the QR code outside the restaurant to join the queue virtually – have a wander round Borough Market, then rush back once a slot pops up.

Borough Market, Padella, 6 Southwark St, London SE1 1TQ, padella.co

Mignonette, Richmond

New Richmond bistro Mignonette secured a Bib Gourmand this year after being open for just five months. Run by chef John McClements, it serves high-end French fare for reasonable prices, focusing on ‘elevating more affordable meat options rather than simply prime cuts, such as steak tartare, stuffed pigs trotter and ox cheek bordelaise, with daily fish specials and impressive vegetarian/vegan options to match.’ Go for the set lunch menu to enjoy two courses for just £20 or three for £23: think starters of sirloin carpaccio or warm fresh asparagus with pomegranate, followed by Sutton Hoo chicken breast, fish of the day or caramelised chicory tart. End on a sweet note with a classic tarte tatin, or the standout Basque burnt orange cheesecake.

109 Kew Rd, Richmond TW9 2PN, mignonettebistro.com

Kricket, Soho, Canary Wharf, Shoreditch & Brixton

London’s Indian food scene tends to be split into top-end, glitzy spots and low-key curry houses. But there are a handful of spots perched somewhere in the middle. Kricket is one of those places, offering seriously tasty modern Indian plates across three branches. The menu is fairly priced, but if you want a really good bargain visit for lunch to try the £20 Thali, where you can choose between two signature dishes: Mangalorean Chicken Gassi or Grilled Squash Makhani. Both are served with a generous helping of samosa, kachumber salad, paratha, papads, mango chutney and raita for a sumptuous Indian feast that doesn’t break the bank. Another option is the Taste of Kricket menu, which includes a spread of signature dishes like the Keralan Fried Chicken and the Recheado Butter Prawns for £47pp, designed to be shared by the whole table.

Multiple locations, kricket.co.uk

The Hero, Maida Vale

Don’t fancy waiting months for a reservation at The Devonshire? Instead, head to Maida Vale to try west London’s best foodie pub, The Hero. The latest venture from the team behind Notting Hill favourite The Pelican and Cotswolds hotspot The Bull in Charlbury, this gastropub has garnered Instagram fame for its cottagecore interiors – but it’s certainly not style over substance. The Hero’s recently opened Grill restaurant offers some of the capital’s best pub fare, focusing on specialty cuts of meat and fish cooked over open fire. We’ll admit, it’s not exactly cheap (mains cost between £26 and £44), but the pub downstairs offers impressive food at a lower price point, like steak and chips for £26 and a cheese and onion pie for £20.

53 Shirland Rd, London W9 2JD, theherow9.com

Other Michelin Bib Gourmands

• Bancone, multiple locations
• Palomar, Soho
• Kiln, Soho
• Berenjak, Soho
• Hoppers, Soho
• The Barbary, Seven Dials and Notting Hill
• Bao, multiple locations
• Imad’s Syrian Kitchen, Carnaby Street
• Plaza Khao Gaeng, Fitzrovia
• Evernight, Battersea
• July, Fitzrovia
• Pahli Hill, Fitzrovia
• Agora, Borough Market
• Brutto, Clerkenwell
• Morchella, Clerkenwell
• Legare, Tower Bridge
• Josephine Bouchon, Chelsea
• Plaquemine Lock, Islington
• Gunpowder Spitalfields
• Manteca, Shoreditch
• St. John, Barbican
• Popolo, Shoreditch
• Upstairs (at Trinity), Clapham
• Smokestak, Shoreditch
• Kateh, Little Venice
• Artusi, Peckham
• Kudu, Peckham
• Empire Empire, Notting Hill
• The Pelican, Notting Hill
• Westerns Laundry, Islington
• Miga, Hackney
• Primeur, Canonbury
• Farang, Highbury
• Les 2 Garçons, Crouch End
• Provender, Wanstead
• Dastaan, Epsom