Core by Clare Smyth
“The first British woman to hold three stars, cooking potatoes and lamb into high art. Book the 91 day window for an anniversary.”
About Core by Clare Smyth
Clare Smyth ran the kitchen at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay through a decade of three stars before opening her own room in Notting Hill in 2017. In 2021 Core made her the first British woman to hold three Michelin stars in her own name, and the restaurant has not loosened its grip on them since. The premise is quietly radical: take the humblest British ingredients, a potato, a carrot, and give them the treatment French kitchens reserve for turbot and truffle.
The proof is the Potato and Roe, a Charlotte potato cooked in seaweed butter with dulse beurre blanc and trout roe that has become one of the signature dishes of modern British cooking. The lamb carrot, braised and glazed until it eats like the meat it accompanies, makes the same argument from the vegetable side. Menus run from about £205 at lunch to £275 for the full evening tasting.
Smyth herself remains a fixture in the kitchen between her Sydney and Monaco projects, and the service, led from the floor rather than a script, is among the warmest at this level anywhere. This is three stars without the starch.
The Room
A converted Notting Hill townhouse: pale wood, deep carpets, generous table spacing and a glassed kitchen at the back that hums rather than roars. Sound level stays conversation easy all night. Dress is smart, no jacket required, and the room carries none of Mayfair’s stiffness. Around 54 covers, plus a chef’s table facing the pass.
Why book it, occasion by occasion
Every great room has evenings it serves and evenings it wastes. Core by Clare Smyth divides cleanly.
For a marker year with warmth instead of pomp
Book it because the room celebrates without performing. The menu’s emotional register, childhood ingredients carried to three stars, suits a night about shared history; tell the team the occasion and the kitchen closes with a personalised touch rather than a sparkler. Weeknights keep the room at its calmest.
For the guest who thinks they have seen London
Everyone entertains in Mayfair. Bringing a client to Notting Hill for the country’s most decorated kitchen reads as insider knowledge, not expense account reflex. The wine list runs deep in mature Bordeaux and grower Champagne, and the staggered menu keeps the meal to a civilised two and a half hours.
For a first date you are taking seriously
Core is the rare three star room that works for two people getting to know each other: tables far enough apart to speak freely, lighting that flatters, staff who read the table and step back. The lunch menu at £205 makes the grand gesture without the closing bill drama.
What to order
The tasting is the format, but inside it there are calls to make and one seat worth requesting.
- Potato and Roe
The signature. A Charlotte potato with dulse beurre blanc and trout roe that justifies the trip on its own. It will be on your menu; savour it.
- The lamb carrot
Smyth’s vegetable led argument at full strength: a braised carrot with lamb that inverts the usual hierarchy of the plate.
- The chef’s table, booked ahead
Four seats facing the pass turn the meal into theatre without noise. Request it in the OpenTable notes and confirm by phone.
- The British cheese course as a supplement
The trolley leans hard into small British producers and is worth the addition over a second dessert.
Practical
- Address
- 92 Kensington Park Road, Notting Hill, London
- Reservations
- OpenTable · rolling 91 day window
- Menus
- £205 lunch tasting · £235 to £275 evening
- Pairings
- Tiered wine pairings; grower Champagne strength
- Dress
- Smart, jackets optional
- Seats
- About 54 plus chef’s table
- Dietary
- Vegetarian tasting fully developed; allergies handled with notice
- Tube
- Ladbroke Grove or Notting Hill Gate, 8 minutes
Questions diners ask
Is Core by Clare Smyth worth it?
Yes. Three Michelin stars, a genuinely warm room and a menu with a point of view make it London’s most complete fine dining evening. At £205 to £275 before wine it is priced with its Mayfair rivals but delivers more personality than any of them.
How hard is it to book Core?
Structured rather than brutal. OpenTable runs a rolling 91 day window; prime Friday and Saturday seats go the morning they release, but weeknights hold for days. Set a reminder 91 days before your date, and check for returns midweek.
What is the dress code at Core?
Smart, with no jacket requirement. Most of the room wears jackets anyway; the atmosphere is polished Notting Hill rather than formal Mayfair. Trainers and shorts will feel wrong even in summer.
What should I order at Core?
The menu is a set tasting, so the real decisions are the seat and the supplements. Request the chef’s table if you want the theatre, add the British cheese trolley, and do not skip the Potato and Roe moment by booking the shortest menu on a first visit.