Three London restaurants added to Michelin

The Michelin Guide added three London restaurants to its selection in May, with the update published on May 20 as part of its monthly Great Britain and Ireland additions. The new London entries were KHAO BIRD in Soho, Cometa in Fitzrovia and Rucola in Covent Garden, according to Michelin’s London update page. Time Out reported the additions on Monday, pointing readers to Michelin’s latest monthly changes. Michelin said the restaurants were approved by its anonymous inspectors and marked with a “New” symbol on the guide’s website and app. ### Which London restaurants were added in May? Michelin named KHAO BIRD, Cometa and Rucola as the three London restaurants added in May 2026. The guide described the trio as showing the “variety and vitality” of the capital’s dining scene, spanning Thai, Mexican and Italian cooking. Soho-based KHAO BIRD was listed as Thai, with Michelin’s inspectors describing it as focused on Northern Thai barbecue dishes. Fitzrovia’s Cometa was listed as Mexican, while Covent Garden’s Rucola was listed as Italian Contemporary. ### What did Michelin say about KHAO BIRD in Soho? KHAO BIRD was described by Michelin as a “sultry little spot” in Soho serving Northern Thai barbecue dishes. In a separate Great Britain and Ireland monthly additions page, Michelin said the restaurant came from the team behind Lucky Khao in Brighton and followed a year-long residency near Borough Market. Michelin said the menu centers on barbecued dishes from Northern Thailand, citing khao soi noodles with chicken thighs as one example. The guide also said the restaurant’s prices were affordable and the atmosphere matched Soho’s relaxed, lively nightlife. ### What stood out about Cometa in Fitzrovia? Cometa was described by Michelin as a permanent Mexican restaurant opened by the team behind Carousel on Charlotte Street. Michelin said the restaurant took over the space that had previously housed Carousel’s wine bar. Fitzrovia’s Cometa has what Michelin called a slight seafood focus. The guide singled out crab chilpachole rice with smoked eel cream as a standout dish in the restaurant’s bright dining room. ### What did Michelin highlight at Rucola in Covent Garden? Rucola was listed by Michelin as an Italian Contemporary restaurant on the fifth floor of The Conduit club in Covent Garden. Michelin said the restaurant offers a terrace overlooking the city and serves classic Italian dishes. The guide pointed to menu items including pici ai gamberi and tomato bucatini. Michelin also framed the setting as a way to sample a private-members’-club location without joining one. ### How do these monthly Michelin additions work? Michelin said in its May additions roundup that inspectors add restaurants to the selection throughout the year, while Stars and Bib Gourmands are announced only at the annual Michelin Guide Ceremony. The latest additions are released monthly and identified with a “New” symbol, Michelin said. The May 2026 Great Britain and Ireland roundup said eight restaurants in total were added that month across the wider guide. London accounted for three of those eight, with the rest spread across other cities and regions in Great Britain and Ireland. ### Where can readers track the next updates? Michelin said readers can find the monthly additions on its website and free app, and it told users to “check back monthly” for future live updates. The three London restaurants now appear in Michelin’s London selection alongside the city’s broader list of starred, Bib Gourmand and recommended restaurants.