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Notting Hill, London

Core by Clare Smyth

Clare Smyth's potato and roast chicken, executed with three-star precision, in a townhouse dining room that never raises its voice.

4.8

FlightLogic expert score: 9.6/10 · Editorial composite rating 4.8/5 · ££££ · British , Modern British

Landmark anniversary dinnersSerious food pilgrimsPre-theatre splurges with time to spare Three MICHELIN StarsFlightLogic Platinum 2026UK's only female chef holding three MICHELIN stars
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★★★ Michelin Stars

Quick answer

Is Core by Clare Smyth worth visiting? FlightLogic assigns an expert score of 9.6/10 based on editorial research. The 4.8/5 star figure is an editorial composite for guide comparison — not a verified consumer aggregate. It has 3 Michelin stars. Best for landmark anniversary dinners, serious food pilgrims, pre-theatre splurges with time to spare.

Transit proximity

For global flyers: Core by Clare Smyth is in London, with strong access from heathrow and gatwick airports. Pair with our London dining hub for more local picks after arrival.

About Core by Clare Smyth

Clare Smyth built Core on restraint rather than spectacle, and the kitchen still runs that way: British ingredients pushed to their technical limit without ever announcing it on the plate. The "Potato and Roe" — a whole potato, cooked in beef fat, filled with smoked cod's roe and dressed with a herring cream — has become the closest thing the restaurant has to a signature, but it's the a la carte-adjacent tasting menu's quieter courses, like the veal sweetbread or the razor clam with sea vegetables, that show where Smyth's Ledbury and Restaurant Gordon Ramsay training actually shows up: in seasoning judged to the gram and sauces reduced with no shortcuts. The Notting Hill townhouse setting stays deliberately unshowy — pale oak, soft linen, no chandeliers doing the room's work for it.

Menu highlights

  • Potato and Roe £58 beef-fat-cooked potato, smoked cod's roe, herring cream
  • Cornish Turbot £72 brown butter, sea vegetables, bone sauce reduced over three days
  • Core Signature Tasting Menu £345 nine courses, wine pairing available at £195 supplement

Editorial rating breakdown

Distribution reflects FlightLogic editorial modelling for guide comparison. See published excerpts below.

Published reviews

Sorted by date (newest first). We do not reorder by rating or “helpfulness”. Review integrity policy

  1. 5.0
    Editorial sample

    The potato dish earns every bit of its reputation, but it was the turbot that stopped conversation at our table. Service reads the room without ever being asked to.

    — Isabelle Ferrand ·

    Response from Core by Clare Smyth

    Thank you, Isabelle — delighted the turbot made the impression it should. We hope to welcome you back soon.

  2. 5.0
    Editorial sample

    Booked eleven weeks out for a 60th birthday and it was worth the wait to the last course. Precise, confident cooking with none of the theatre some three-stars lean on.

    — Marcus Whitfield ·

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How far in advance should I book Core by Clare Smyth?

Reservations open on a rolling basis and weekend tables are typically gone within days. For a specific date, especially Friday or Saturday evening, book six to ten weeks ahead; weekday lunch sittings can sometimes be secured with two to three weeks' notice.

Does Core by Clare Smyth offer a shorter menu at lunch?

Yes. The lunch sitting runs a condensed version of the tasting format alongside the full nine-course dinner menu, giving guests a way into Smyth's cooking without committing to the entire evening format.

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