Restaurant in London, United Kingdom
Near-impossible to book. Worth the effort.
Kitchen Table earns its two Michelin stars with a 19-seat counter tasting menu at £195 per person, led by James Knappett with a champagne programme curated by Sandia Chang. It is among London's hardest bookings and one of its most consistently praised fine-dining experiences. Book well in advance and commit to the full evening.
Yes — but you need to go in knowing exactly what you're signing up for. Kitchen Table at 70 Charlotte Street is a 19-seat counter restaurant built around a single, chef-led tasting menu at £195 per person. It holds two Michelin stars, a Pearl Recommended status for 2025, and ranks #68 in the Opinionated About Dining Leading Restaurants in Europe (2024). The price is not modest, the booking is not easy, and the format is not flexible. If that framing sounds like a deterrent, Kitchen Table probably isn't for you. If it sounds like a promise, book immediately.
Fitzrovia's Charlotte Street has long operated as a quieter alternative to the Mayfair fine-dining corridor — less trophy-hunting, more repeat locals. Kitchen Table fits that character precisely. It sits within the Bubbledogs space (the more casual champagne-and-hot-dogs concept from the same team), and the physical arrangement of the room reinforces this contrast: you pass through a relaxed bar before arriving at the counter itself, a horseshoe configuration that places you directly in front of the open kitchen. The neighbourhood's relative lack of splashy hotel dining rooms means Kitchen Table has occupied its own category here for years, drawing a crowd that is specifically seeking this format rather than stumbling into it. For context on other serious kitchens in London, see our full London restaurants guide.
The atmosphere at the counter is focused rather than festive. Nineteen seats arranged in a horseshoe means you are close to your neighbours and closer still to the chefs. The energy reads as attentive and low-hum: conversation happens, but the room does not compete with itself. This is not a place for a loud group celebration or a background-noise business dinner. It rewards the kind of guest who wants to watch a dish being finished two feet away and talk about what they're eating. If you want spectacle with more theatrical noise, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal delivers a different kind of drama in a larger room. Kitchen Table's atmosphere is closer to a well-run chef's table at a serious country-house restaurant , think L'Enclume in Cartmel in its intimacy and chef-forward intensity, compressed into central London.
James Knappett runs a surprise tasting menu that changes with the seasons and pulls heavily from British produce, with seafood regularly cited as a highlight. There are a significant number of courses , guests typically begin with drinks and canapés in the lounge before moving to the counter, so the full evening is genuinely long. Expect to be there for three or more hours. The wine programme is handled by Sandia Chang, Knappett's wife, and the champagne list is extensive enough to be a draw in its own right. A champagne pairing is available at £250 per person, which is serious money on leading of the menu cost, but the depth of selection is consistent with the restaurant's reputation. Other pairing options exist at different price points. For a comparable commitment to British sourcing in a more accessible format, Portland is worth knowing. For counter dining with a different register, Evelyn's Table offers a similar intimacy at lower spend.
Pearl rates Kitchen Table as Near Impossible to book. The restaurant's own survey data reflects this: it is consistently described as one of the hardest reservations in London, and its diners' poll performance suggests that those who do secure a table tend to rate the meal as among their leading of the year. The restaurant opens Tuesday through Saturday for dinner only, 7pm to 11:30pm, and is closed Sunday and Monday. There is no lunch service. With 19 seats and no walk-in culture at this level, your window to book is narrow and the release schedule matters. Set a calendar reminder to check availability the moment tables open , don't treat this like a same-week reservation. If you are planning a broader London trip around dining, our London hotels guide and bars guide are worth reading alongside this.
Kitchen Table belongs to a category of serious British tasting-menu restaurants that extends well beyond London. If you are building a trip around this kind of cooking, the relevant comparators include The Fat Duck in Bray, Moor Hall in Aughton, and Gidleigh Park in Chagford for destination dining outside the city. Within London, CORE by Clare Smyth is the closest peer in terms of Modern British credentials and Michelin weight. Kitchen W8 and Trinity serve a similar audience at lower price points if the £195-per-head commitment is a stretch. For those who want to extend their exploration of Modern British cooking in other regions, House of Tides in Newcastle, John's House in Mountsorrel, hide and fox in Saltwood, and Hand and Flowers in Marlow each represent the format at its most regional and specific.
At £195 per person before drinks, Kitchen Table asks for a genuine commitment , of money, time, and attention. What it returns is a two-Michelin-star counter experience with one of London's most respected champagne programmes, a chef who has been producing serious work consistently, and a room that is specifically designed to make you aware of what you're eating and why. The Opinionated About Dining ranking at #68 in Europe and La Liste's 82-point score for 2026 place it clearly within the top tier of London dining. It is not the easiest meal to arrange, and it is not the cheapest. But among London restaurants at this price point, the format and the focus are harder to replicate elsewhere on the same street or in the same neighbourhood. If you are the kind of diner who builds a trip around a table, this is one worth building around.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Booking Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kitchen Table | Modern British, Modern Cuisine | ££££ | Near Impossible |
| CORE by Clare Smyth | Modern British | ££££ | Unknown |
| Restaurant Gordon Ramsay | Contemporary European, French | ££££ | Unknown |
| Sketch, The Lecture Room and Library | Modern French | ££££ | Unknown |
| The Ledbury | Modern European, Modern Cuisine | ££££ | Unknown |
| Dinner by Heston Blumenthal | Modern British, Traditional British | ££££ | Unknown |
Side-by-side comparison to help you decide where to book.
With only 19 seats arranged around a horseshoe counter, large groups are not the right fit here. Parties of two work naturally at the counter format; groups of four can book adjacent seats, but the layout is not designed for party dining. If you need a private room or a table for six-plus, look at The Ledbury or Sketch's Lecture Room instead.
The format is a surprise tasting menu at £195 per person — you do not choose dishes, and the number of courses is substantial. You begin in a lounge with canapés before moving to the counter, where the kitchen is open in front of you. Sandia Chang manages the drinks programme, and the Champagne pairing at £250 per person is a serious option if the budget allows. Arrive prepared to spend three-plus hours and to engage with what's happening in the kitchen.
Kitchen Table does not serve lunch — service runs Tuesday through Saturday from 7pm only. There is no choice between a lunch or dinner sitting, so dinner is your only option.
For the format — a surprise counter menu with full kitchen interaction — yes. Kitchen Table holds 2 Michelin stars and ranked 68th in Opinionated About Dining's Top Restaurants in Europe (2024), and diner survey feedback consistently describes meals here as among London's best. The caveat: at £195 before drinks, you are paying for a specific, immersive experience. If you prefer the flexibility of ordering à la carte or a shorter meal, this is not the right venue.
Book as far out as the reservation window allows — Pearl rates Kitchen Table as near-impossible to secure. The restaurant's own survey data describes it as one of the hardest bookings in London, and with only 19 seats and no lunch service, availability is extremely limited. Check the website directly for release dates and act immediately when new slots open.
At £195 per person for food and up to £250 for the Champagne pairing, this is one of London's more demanding price points — but the two Michelin stars and consistently high diner poll scores suggest the kitchen earns it. Past complaints about pricing have largely dropped out of recent survey responses, which is a meaningful signal. If the surprise counter format suits you and you can get a reservation, the value holds up better here than at several London peers charging comparable or higher prices for less interaction.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
