by Keri Withington

Created on: October 16, 2009

One of the most prestigious awards that a chef and their restaurant can earn is the envied Michelin Star. A Michelin star is awarded only to the most accomplished of chefs that create beautiful and delicious fine dining, the type of the food that looks as good as it tastes and requires huge amounts of culinary skill to create. If you love food, if you are a 'foodie' or love high class gastronomy, if you appreciate the gourmet and artistic, then these are the restaurants that you dream of eating at.

Here's a guide to the Michelin Starred Restaurants in England.

Three Michelin Stars

These are considered to be some of the best restaurants in the world. Eating here will not be cheap, but it is guaranteed to be an incredible experience.

The Fat Duck

Heston Blumenthal's ber modern and experimental creations reinvent food in ways that you wouldn't dream of. He's a scientific chef who is fascinated by the chemistry of cooking and using scientific methods in the kitchen. For example, his menu includes an English breakfast, but with elements like: Nitro-Scrambled Egg and Bacon Ice Cream. He has inspired a new generation of experimental and scientific chefs, but you will not find another restaurant quite like this one.

Restaurant Gordon Ramsay

Gordon Ramsay has become an international celebrity thanks to his TV shows and cookbooks. Love him or hate him, the man is famous because his foundation is in high-class cuisine. Ramsay has a classical French training that his menu stays true to. Unlike The Fat Duck, the food is not hugely innovative, but it is executed perfectly.

The Waterside Inn

The Roux family is legendary in the culinary world with multiple internationally celebrated chefs. Alain Roux (son of Michel) is head chef at the Waterside Inn. Expect each plate of food to be a work of art that is exceeded in appearance only by taste. To view the menus, click here. This is the kind of dining that is usually reserved for royalty, food critics, and the very wealthy. Expect to pay upwards of 30 per course.

Two Michelin Stars

From only three restaurants in England with 3 Michelin Stars to their name, we jump to 14 restaurants that have been awarded 2 Michelin Stars. Half of these are in London (The Capital Hotel, Le Gavroche, Marcus Warerring at the Berkeley, Pied Terre, The Square, Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester, Hibiscus, and L'Atelier de Jol Robuchon), and the rest are scattered around the rest of the country (The Dining Room in Wiltshire, Le Champignon Sauvage in Gloucestershire, Gidleigh Park in Devon, Le Manoir Aux Quat'Saisons in Oxfordshire, Midsummer House in Cambridge, and The Vineyard at Stockcross in Berkshire). All of these offer exceptional food that is beautifully presented and well cooked. Most of them will offer seasonal menus using seasonal (and often local, where possible) ingredients.

One Michelin Star

There are currently 58 restaurants in England that have been awarded a Michelin Star. To see a full list, click here. These are not quite as exclusive, or as expensive, as the one and two star restaurants. The chefs may not be quite as famous, or the names quite as prestigious, but these are still incredible restaurants that offer great dining experiences. These are restaurants that offer exceptional food (both taste and presentation), service, and atmosphere. Prices vary, and some of them offer surprisingly affordable menusespecially for lunch.

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