Is the age of affordable elite dining upon us? The signs are there. A number of chefs who spent decades chasing – and scoring – multiple Michelin stars are now branching out, opening relaxed eateries where the flavours are just as serious, but the atmosphere is not. Meaning: no dress codes, no fussy tasting menus, and no bill that feels like a second mortgage.
From Felipe Bronze’s wood-fired grill in São Paulo to Enrique Olvera’s Brooklyn taco counter and Jordan Bailey’s London burger bistro, these casual dining outposts by top-tier chefs provide the chance to indulge in Michelin-grade cuisine at a fraction of the price.
Corenucopia
Clare Smyth made history as the first (and still only) British female chef to hold three Michelin stars, which were awarded to her flagship restaurant, Core, in London’s Notting Hill. Corenucopia, her more casual Belgravia follow-up, already holds a star of its own – and it’s easy to see why. The menu leans into elevated British comfort food, including Dover sole fish and chips, lobster mousse, chicken Kyiv, Barnsley chop and seafood vol-au-vent, as well as a nostalgic sherry trifle made with Bristol cream and red berries.
Then there’s the potato menu: an homage to Smyth’s Northern Irish farming roots, featuring spuds in just about every iteration from dauphinoise to croquettes and fondant. And while the room looks posh, the soundtrack – Oasis, the Stones, Clapton, et al. – keeps things positively grounded. It’s fine-dining packaging with a pub-lunch soul.
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Heard
Chef Jordan Bailey has enjoyed a meteoric rise in the culinary world, earning three stars as Head Chef at Oslo’s Maaemo before opening his own outpost, Aimsir, in Kildare, Ireland – and promptly securing not one, but two stars in just over four months. Now, he’s applying his impressive epicurean skills to… burgers?
At two locations across London, Heard beefs up the humble hamburger with 35-day-aged patties, sustainably sourced produce, and sauces that range from the basic to the brilliant; think jalapeño hot honey, Italian truffle mayo and smoked bacon jam. A limited-edition menu in collaboration with Akoko, the Michelin-anointed West African restaurant, keeps the flavours alive and evolving, while full-meal rates around GBP25 (USD33) keep patrons coming back. Choose between the locations in Soho and Borough – although, at these prices, why not do both?
Brasserie Colette
Tim Raue is one of Germany’s most celebrated chefs, holding two Michelin stars at his flagship Restaurant Tim Raue in Berlin. Lesser-known, however, is his more relaxed side project, Brasserie Colette, serving up modern French-inspired fare at locations in Berlin, Munich and Constance. Berlin is where the real bargain can be found: available at lunchtime Monday through Friday, a special La Table Dressée menu encompasses five small starters, including a salad, beef tartare and soup, followed by a main and a dessert, all for just EUR37 (USD43) per person.
La Taberna del Chef del Mar
International epicures are likely familiar with the three-Michelin-star Aponiente in the coastal town of El Puerto de Santa María in Cadiz, Spain. But they might not know that Ángel León, the so-called “Chef of the Sea”, has another outpost just a 15-minute walk away.
La Taberna inhabits the same building where Aponiente once stood, and where León first earned two stars for the sustainably based seafood stylings that also garnered him a Green Michelin Star. Now, the space has transformed into an informal neighbourhood spot turning out food for the soul – and for sharing. While the menu borrows some of León’s iconic ideas, like plankton risotto, it also reveals its own personality in unique dishes like salt-marsh fish tartare and squid gnocchi, all at a fraction of the prices down the street.
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Na Oh
A car factory might be the last place you’d expect to find a restaurant worth visiting, and yet here we are. Led by the culinary vision of Corey Lee, the first Korean-born chef to earn three Michelin stars (for his San Francisco restaurant, Benu), Na Oh is situated inside the Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center in Singapore.
What makes it truly noteworthy – aside from the obvious culinary excellence – is the setting and sourcing: most of the ingredients are picked each morning from a robotics-driven, vertical smart farm next to the dining room. The menu changes with the season, but the concept remains the same: Korean dishes reimagined through a creative mix of modern and traditional techniques. A prix fixe menu with various appetisers, a main and a dessert will currently run you SGD88 (USD69) – not dirt-cheap, but certainly worth a small splurge.
Mercado Little Spain
Think of it as Spain, compressed into one edible NYC block: chef José Andrés, the two-Michelin-starred restaurateur and humanitarian, joined forces with legendary Catalan brothers Ferran and Albert Adrià to bring the spirit of a Spanish mercado to the Hudson River waterfront. The result is Little Spain, an all-day destination with two sit-down restaurants alongside food stalls, farm stands, bars, grocery stores and even a Museo del Jamón outpost. Whether you’re in search of a plate of Iberian ham at lunch, a glass of the best Rioja at happy hour, or an order of churros for dessert, this is a one-stop shop for an array of authentic sabores españoles.
ESSE Taco
A two-Michelin-starred chef. A five-dollar taco. This is the unlikely combination to be found at Enrique Olvera’s ESSE Taco in Brooklyn. The culinary mind behind Mexico City institution Pujol took everything he knows about Mexican food and stripped it back to its most essential and authentic form: the corn is sourced from independent farmers in Oaxaca, the tortillas are fresh and hand-pressed daily, and the salsas are taken seriously enough that the staff can tell you exactly which belongs on each taco. With a traditional taqueria set-up and a streamlined menu, Olvera confirms that the best meals start with the best building blocks – and that you can never have enough napkins.
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Augie’s On Main
Josiah Citrin spent two decades establishing his reputation at Mélisse, his two-Michelin-starred flagship in Santa Monica, California. Then he opened the nearby Augie’s On Main to prove that great food doesn’t have to be served on white tablecloths. The star of the show is his famous “dirty chicken”, a reimagined take on classic roasted poultry, but you can also find Citrin’s beloved burgers and veggie burgers, as well as dip sandwiches, hot dogs, salads and more, all under USD15. Available for takeout or to eat on the cosy patio, it’s quintessential American cooking done the way only a two-star chef knows how.
Panadería Rosetta
Elena Reygadas doesn’t need a Michelin dining room to make something extraordinary. Named the World’s Best Female Chef in 2023 and holding a Michelin star for her Mexico City restaurant, Rosetta, she has channelled the same passion into Panadería Rosetta, a bakery tucked into the Roma Norte district. Sourdough loaves and slow-fermented pastries share the counter with traditional conchas, pan de muerto and puerquitos de piloncillo, all baked fresh each morning beneath the Art Deco façades of one of the city’s most beautiful neighbourhoods.
Pipo
As the owner and mastermind of the fiery two-Michelin-star Oro, Felipe Bronze is among the most decorated chefs in Rio de Janeiro. But at Pipo over in São Paulo’s , Bronze trades formality for even more flames.
Almost everything on the menu – tapas, appetisers, mini sandwiches, main dishes – passes over the grill, meaning everything from seafood to seasonal vegetables and succulent cuts of meat is shaped by the kind of smoky, primal flavour that only live fire can produce. The space is split between a comfortable indoor dining room and a breezy terrace offering stunning views. With all mains clocking in well under BRL150 (USD30), and a two-person tasting menu priced at just BRL490 (USD96), it’s serious cooking in a relaxed setting at an affordable rate – which in São Paulo is its own kind of luxury.
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