The Chef's Table at Hélène Darroze

Why it is on the list

Hélène Darroze at The Connaught held two Michelin stars in 2020 and has held three in every guide since 2021, the 2026 Great Britain and Ireland guide included.¹² Darroze comes from a family of restaurateurs in south-west France, and her menus are built around producers she has worked with for decades.² The Chef's Table seats up to ten at a pink marble table on a terrazzo dais above the pass, under a painted ceiling by Rochegaussen and lamps made for the room by Matteo Gonet.³

It is the wrong table for more than ten; larger parties go to the restaurant's private dining spaces.³ For a party that wants the hotel's wine at the centre of the evening, the Sommelier's Table in The Connaught's wine cellars seats up to eight with a private sommelier.³ For the same format in Notting Hill, the Chef's Table at Core, also three stars, seats up to ten and looks into the kitchen through glass.⁴¹

How to get it

Call the restaurant on +44 20 3147 7200 or write to helenedarroze@the-connaught.co.uk and ask for the Chef's Table.³ Tables in the restaurant open 90 days ahead and are held with card details; no deposit is taken unless agreed in writing.⁵ Changes and cancellations are free up to 48 hours before; later, or a no-show, costs £230 a person, and a table is released after 15 minutes without word.⁵ Private dining and special requests run on their own agreed terms, so confirm the cancellation terms for the Chef's Table when booking.⁵ Children seven and over are welcome in the restaurant; younger children only in the private dining areas.⁵

Discretion

The table stands on its own dais above the pass, so the party eats in view of the kitchen brigade.³ There is no dress code; hotel guests usually dress smart casual.⁵