3 tips from Michelin-Starred restaurants to perfect your service

Recognition in the Michelin Guide is one of the greatest accolades a restaurant can have.

Not only does an award mean excellence in culinary prowess, but it also celebrates stellar service and sustainability initiatives.

Across the UK, 18 new Michelin stars have been awarded in 2024, so we thought we’d get some expert advice from some of the distinguished restaurants who are supported by TheFork in their quest for excellence.

Discover three key lessons from Michelin-starred restaurants that have perfected their service.

Focus on Quality

There’s no shortcut to success and all great restaurants share a common trait - an obsessive commitment to quality. That starts with sourcing the finest ingredients and ends with refining and perfecting each and every dish - from idea conception to final presentation.

Investing time in getting every constituent part just right and maintaining stringent quality control is vital to ensuring a consistently excellent product.

You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Serving up classic cuisine with even a small contemporary twist can become a modern classic if there is a clear focus on making each dish the best it can possibly be.

From initial ingredient selection to the final plating, Michelin-starred restaurant work hard to ensure consistency and excellence in every dish served.

TheFork Manager supports restaurants of all sizes to gain greater visibility, build customer loyalty and hone their marketing efforts, allowing restaurant managers, chefs, and service professionals to do what they do best – create the best possible customer experience without worrying about anything else.

Innovation in the Kitchen

Pushing the boundaries of the culinary experience requires creativity as well as skill.

The chefs behind Michelin-starred restaurants are often renowned for their willingness to experiment as they strive to create unique dining experiences. That can come in many forms, from blending different elements of distinct culinary traditions to creating unique flavour profiles based as much on art as on science.

Ormer Mayfair, overseen by chef Sofian Msetfi, was awarded its first Michelin star in 2024 and offers exceptional seasonal produce sourced from dedicated suppliers as well as its own kitchen garden in Essex.

It offers classic flavour profiles, but within its tasting menus it has imbued originality with subtle nods to more innovative combinations - from Iberico ham and British Bramley apples, to Cornish mackerel with sesame and a kombu-infused nage.

Ormer Mayfair’s other bold choice was to offer only tasting menus - available in pescetarian, vegetarian, and vegan versions. Msetfi’s creativity in adapting this menu to cater to everyone is a feat almost worthy of a Michelin star by itself, but ensuring as wide an audience as possible is aware of the offering is a crucial part of the operation and the ultimate goal of the restaurant’s marketing efforts.

Sustainability Practices

Sustainability in the restaurant industry is both a moral and a business imperative.

From reducing waste to supporting local farmers and implementing eco-friendly practices, restaurants can not only benefit the planet, but also resonate with environmentally-conscious diners. This can have a knock-on effect on food quality too, encouraging chefs to showcase great, seasonal ingredients from local producers.

The Michelin Guide in 2024 now awards Green Stars to some of the most sustainable restaurants serving up excellent fare, like Wild Honey St James. An impressive restaurant in a stunning location, the spot was launched in the spring of 2019 by chef Anthony Demetre and was designed by interior specialist Jim Hamilton. Combining an elegant ambience with a clever menu, Wild Honey St James also champions sustainably sourced ingredients from artisanal producers, a diligent practice that even extends as far as the drinks menu.

TheFork Manager can help you along the way, streamlining your operations and opening the door to wider audiences, allowing you the space to strive for innovation, prioritise quality, and embrace sustainability.

Reaching excellence isn’t easy and there is no shortcut to success, but a good first step is taking cues from some of London's Michelin-starred gems.

Discover how more restaurants are using TheFork Manager to turn customers into loyal diners