Helene Darroze

The second 3-star Michelin restaurant of our Europe trip this year and also the second one run by a female chef! Helen Darroze in London is located at the very posh Connaught Hotel. With “mortgage on wheels” level cars parked out front in the valet, bellman wearing suits, and bathroom attendants you can tell the hotel caters to a certain level of clientele.

Just off the lobby, Helen Darroze is a fairly expansive restaurant with a European upscale feel. While appropriate for a 3-star Michelin dining room, we did find it a little less inviting and comfortable than CORE.

The menu at Helen Darroze shifts with the seasons, with a few staple items remaining consistent on the menu. Here is what we had for dinner on August 20, 2025:

Snacks - Red sea bream with green bean and dashi, beetroot with rose and horseradish, smoked duck with tarragon and Sarawak pepper

Mussel - Hetland Island mussels, Scotland cucumbers, yuzu kosho, Douglas pine

Tomato - France sardines, Pantelleria capers, marjoram

Squid - Scotland sea lettuce, Charlotte potato, puffed quinoa, basil

Lobster - Scotland tandoori spices, carrot, citrus, coriander

John Dory - Cornwall fregola, Taggiasca olive, saffron

Grouse Wellington being cut tableside

Grouse Wellington - Rhug Estate organic turnip, lemon thyme, Heather honey, whisky

Peach - France marigold, almond milk

Chocolate - Vietnam early gray tea

Signature baba - Armanac Darroze raspberry, bay leaf, cognac

Dinner at Helen Darroze was good, but perhaps not consistently at the level of a 3-star Michelin from my experiences. Several dishes were a bit underwhelming in terms of flavor and presentation. The standout dish of the meal (and the entire European trip), was chef Darroze’s signature lobster which has been on the menu for over a decade. The marriage of flavors and perfectly cooked lobster was perfect and the lone dish that felt truly worth of a 3-star designation.

It is interesting to note that the two standout lobster dishes we had between London and Portugal both incorporated Asian flavor profiles (Thai in Portugal at Vila Joya and Indian spices here at Helen Darroze).

Helen Darroze
The Connaught
London, United Kingdom
www.the-connaught.co.uk