1 Michelin star chefs: Michael Caines, Michael Caines at The Stafford
Michael Caines MBE is the culinary strategist behind Michael Caines at The Stafford, the St James’s restaurant awarded its first Michelin star in the Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland 2026.
The restaurant marks Michael’s first London residency and opened at The Stafford in 2025, bringing his modern European cooking to one of the capital’s best-known luxury hotels.
Michael is one of the UK’s most established chefs, with a career spanning more than three decades. He held two Michelin stars for 18 consecutive years at Gidleigh Park and later won a Michelin star for Lympstone Manor just six months after opening.
He was awarded an MBE in 2006 for services to hospitality and is also head of the UK and Ireland delegation of Relais & Châteaux, as well as sitting on its World Culinary Council.
Early career and background
Over the course of his career, Michael has built a reputation for cooking rooted in quality, seasonality and precision. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in British hospitality, with his name closely associated with fine dining in the south west through Gidleigh Park and later Lympstone Manor.
That depth of experience is what made his move to The Stafford such a notable London moment.
When his appointment as culinary strategist was announced in 2025, it was presented as a major new chapter both for Michael and for the hotel, with his role spanning the wider food direction of the property as well as the launch of the new restaurant bearing his name.
Michael Caines at The Stafford
Set within The Stafford London in historic St James’s, the restaurant was conceived as a refined destination dining experience combining Michael’s signature dishes with new creations and selected Stafford favourites.
The hotel describes the concept as modern European cuisine meeting timeless elegance, with menus led by the seasons and celebrating the best of British produce.
Michelin’s own description gives a clear sense of the restaurant’s character.
The Guide calls it a discreet and intimate place tucked away inside the hotel, bringing a little part of Devon into St James’s. It highlights a choice between Stafford classics, including beef Wellington carved tableside, and Michael Caines signatures featuring Devon produce.
Michael Caines’s cooking style
At The Stafford, Michael’s food is presented as a blend of tradition and innovation. The restaurant says the menu combines exclusive new dishes, signature plates from Lympstone Manor and long-standing Stafford classics, all built around seasonal British ingredients.
That approach fits closely with the philosophy that has shaped Michael’s career more broadly.
His arrival also gave The Stafford a clearer culinary identity. Rather than simply acting as a consultant figurehead, the hotel presents Michael as playing a central role in shaping its food offering, using his modern British and modern European style to create a fresh fine dining destination in the heart of Mayfair and St James’s.
Michelin star at The Stafford
In the Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland 2026, Michael Caines at The Stafford was awarded its first Michelin star.
Coverage from The Stafford said the recognition came five months after opening, underlining how quickly the restaurant had made its mark. Michelin’s own listing positioned it among London’s one-star restaurants and praised the quality of the cooking, the balance between Stafford heritage and Michael’s own signature style, and the discreet feel of the room.
The award also represented an important milestone in Michael’s career. While he had long been one of the country’s most decorated chefs, this was his first London residency and a notable return to the capital’s restaurant scene under his own name.
Other Michelin Star Chefs
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1 Michelin star chefs: Michael Caines, Michael Caines at The Stafford
