Three London restaurants added Michelin

Michelin added three London restaurants to its guide in May, giving central London new entries in Soho, Fitzrovia and Covent Garden. The restaurants were listed in Michelin’s May 20 monthly update of new additions to the Great Britain and Ireland selection. The three are Khao Bird, a Northern Thai barbecue restaurant in Soho; Cometa, a Mexican restaurant in Fitzrovia with a seafood tilt; and Rucola, an Italian restaurant on the rooftop of The Conduit in Covent Garden. (guide.michelin.com 1) (guide.michelin.com 2) ### Which three London restaurants were added? Khao Bird, Cometa and Rucola were the London names in Michelin’s May update. Michelin said the three additions showed the “variety and vitality” of the capital’s dining scene, with Thai, Mexican and Italian cooking represented in one month’s intake. (guide.michelin.com) Time Out reported on June 1 that only eight restaurants across the United Kingdom joined the guide in May, and three of those were in London. That made May’s London intake smaller than the city’s March and April additions, according to the publication. ### What does it mean to be “added to the Michelin Guide”? (guide.michelin.com) Michelin said restaurants are added to the selection year-round by anonymous inspectors, while Stars and Bib Gourmands are held for the annual Michelin Guide ceremony. The monthly additions are marked with a “New” symbol on Michelin’s website and app. (guide.michelin.com) Time Out said inclusion in the guide puts a restaurant in contention for a future Michelin star. The publication said inspectors look for quality ingredients, mastery of flavor and technique, consistency, and signs of the chef’s personality in the dishes. (timeout.com) ### Why did Khao Bird stand out in Soho? Khao Bird opened its first permanent London site in Soho after a year-long residency near Borough Market, Michelin said. The guide described the restaurant as focused on barbecued dishes from Northern Thailand and said dishes including khao soi noodles showed “bold yet balanced flavours.” Michelin also said the prices were affordable. (guide.michelin.com) Time Out said Khao Bird’s permanent restaurant opened in Soho in late 2025 in a building that had previously housed the neighborhood’s last adult cinema. The publication highlighted dishes including raw beef larb, mutton fries and onglet steak with white curry, and said the highest-priced item on the menu was a whole sea bass at 25.90 pounds. (timeout.com) ### What is Michelin’s pitch on Cometa in Fitzrovia? Cometa operates on Charlotte Street in the former wine bar space at Carousel, Michelin said. The guide described it as a permanent Mexican restaurant with a “slight seafood focus” and pointed to crab chilpachole rice with smoked eel cream as a standout dish. (guide.michelin.com) Time Out said Cometa opened in February 2026 and called it a fish-focused Mexican restaurant. The publication listed dishes including oysters with fermented petróleo, prawn ceviche with burnt mandarin and ginger, and sea bass with mole verde and chile de árbol. (timeout.com) ### What kind of restaurant is Rucola? Rucola sits on the fifth floor of The Conduit club in Covent Garden, Michelin said, and is open to diners without a private-members’ club subscription. Michelin described the menu as “classic Italian goodness” and highlighted dishes such as pici ai gamberi and tomato bucatini. (guide.michelin.com) Time Out said Michelin called the menu a “straightforward yet mightily appealing read.” The publication said the offer includes small pizzas, fresh pasta dishes such as shrimp linguine and spicy vodka paccheri, and grilled fish and meats including Dover sole and Iberico pork chop. (timeout.com) ### Where can diners track what Michelin adds next? Michelin said its inspectors’ latest additions are published monthly on the guide’s website and app. The three London restaurants added in May now appear within Michelin’s London selection, which the guide says includes more than 85 starred restaurants and more than 45 Bib Gourmands. (timeout.com) (guide.michelin.com)