Only the finest restaurants can expect to achieve a Michelin star - for most chefs it is simply a pipe-dream. Undeterred, an even smaller number will receive a second. And then, at the top of their game, are the rare few restaurants who will achieve three. There are only six such three-Michelin-starred restaurants in London.

The world's financial hub, London is also almost certainly one of the finest cities when it comes to fine dining. In a melting pot of cuisines and cultures, these restaurants have risen to the top - and I'm excited to take you on a whistle-stop tour of what you can expect from each.

Are you hungry yet? Be warned - you will be.

Sketch The Lecture Room & Library, Mayfair

Link: Sketch The Lecture Room & Library

Prepare for an experience of opulence and decadence like no other. The lavish Sketch Lecture Room & Library is led by renowned superstar chef, Pierre Gagnaire.

Expect a whirlwind of whimsical dishes that push culinary boundaries. 'Flotsam' is a multi-layered concoction featuring black olive jelly, borlotti velouté, glazed bluefin tuna, salted mackerel, razor clams, and green bean salad. Meanwhile, 'Péir' combines French rabbit, Swiss chard and ricotta gateau, octopus and cuttlefish carpaccio, and chilled bouillon.

Main courses showcase the best of both land and sea. From red mullet, sole, and wild turbot arrangements to pan-roasted veal sweetbread with angelica, crispy red quinoa, onion fondue, potato 'bilou,' and green apple sorbet.

Desert is a no less glorious affair. Expect a sugar rush of wildly creative pastries presented in two services or a vacherin encased in pink meringue with semi-confit melon and Muscat de Beaumes de Venise jelly to truly tickle your taste buds.

Remember, all the while, that you will be in the ambience of 'The Lecture Room' - a ballroom style backdrop with towering ceilings, plush armchairs and regal décor.

Hélène Darroze at The Connaught, Mayfair

Link: Hélène Darroze at The Connaught

The Connaught is one of two in this list with a female head chef, and it shows - French chef Hélène Darroze's restaurant exudes chic French femininity, with brightened wood panelling, flowing curves, and a soft pink colour scheme.

Darroze began her career under the esteemed Alain Ducasse (see The Dorchester, below) and her food is a lighter take on his haute cuisine.

Guests can choose from either a five or seven course tasting menu, featuring signature dishes which include sweet Cornish crab with pomelo mousse and foie gras with crunchy koji rice.

Darroze takes simple ingredients and does a glorious job of elevating them - the mackerel in gazpacho consommé and sweetbreads with vadouvan emulsion are two such examples.

Under her watchful eye, The Connaught stands out among its peers, offering an once-in-a-lifetime dining experience that is fabulous for special occasions.

Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester, Mayfair

Link: Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester

He's not called the godfather of French Cuisine for nothing. Renowned for his twenty Michelin stars (the second most of any chef), for serious foodies Alain Ducasse will need no introduction.

His Mayfair restaurant, The Dorchester, is centred around a cascading central curtain of shimmering LED lights, which serves as preparation for the glamour and theatre of what is to come.

The tasting menu is a harmony of seasons, kicking off with a plump, buttery scallop in citrus beurre blanc, delicately seasoned with caviar. Further courses include mackeral and wasabi; lobster; chicken quenelles and truffle.

Lest we forget, The Dorchester boasts an impeccable flight of top-class wines, which attentive staff are on hand to pair perfectly with your meal. At £285 a head for the tasting menu, it's unlikely to be the cheapest meal you've had all year - but for an unforgettable meal, you can't do much better.

Restaurant Gordon Ramsey, Chelsea

Link: Restaurant Gordon Ramsey

Another chef on this list that you will have heard of, Gordon Ramsey's superstar celebrity hasn't dampened his fierce commitment to fine dining excellence.

His flagship restaurant offers irresistible signature dishes that read delightfully off the menu. Among them are such delights as ravioli filled with succulent lobster, langoustine, and succulent suckling pig, featuring crispy belly, roasted loin, and spiced shoulder sausage.

Our favourites though arethe roast sweetbread with artichoke, sunflower and brown butter, and the Cornish turbot with ceps, black garlic and jus gras; innovative and delicate yet deliciously simple.

You can also expect a gorgeously flavoured amuse-bouche, delectable desserts and an extravagant 81-page wine list. The recommended 'Menu Prestige' is available at £210 at the time of writing, and it's worth every penny.

The Ledbury, North Kensington

Link: The Ledbury

Chef Brett Graham is unique among his peers in this list for his closeness to and careful choosing of suppliers. Going so far as to feature deer raised on his own small estate, and mushrooms hosted in the restaurants own cabinets, you get a sense that every ingredient has been painstakingly chosen.

It shows, of course, in the genius-level innovation of the divine food. Audacious dishes feature Cumbrian veal tartare accompanied by grilled artichoke oil; smoked and dried eel served alongside clay-baked ‘candy’ beetroot and English caviar and Chinese water deer with smoked bone marrow to name but a few.

Somehow incredibly delicate dishes pack knock-out punches, and as expected there is an intriguing wine list which knowledgeable sommeliers will be on hand to guide you through.  

Core by Clare Smyth, Notting Hill

Link: Core by Clare Smyth

 A disciple of Gordon Ramsey, Clare Smith has struck out and is in her own right an exceptional chef. Her minimalist-chic Notting Hill restaurant exudes gorgeous luxe-casual ambience.

Whilst the setting is undeniably beautiful, the food of course takes centre stage. Highlights include the 'potato and roe' dish, featuring skin-on charlotte potato topped with herring and trout roe in a seaweed beurre blanc. Not to be overlooked is the whole carrot with braised lamb and sheep’s milk yoghurt.

Our favourite recommendation, though, has to be the a sweet Colchester crab doughnut alongside a glass of crab consommé - a delight-inducing dish full of flavour and brilliance.

Desserts, in a word, are ravishing, and the French wine list is both extensive yet not necessarily expensive - with plenty of options that will set you back less than £50. Cocktails, too, are superb - the cherry on the cake of a well-rounded and luxurious night out. 

Final Notes - London's Six Three-Michelin-Star Restaurants

Food is something to be treasured, and many of us will be lucky to eat at even one or two restaurants of this calibre in our lifetimes.

With that said, luxury dining at this level must be considered at least a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Each of us has two lives - one that starts when we are born, and the other that begins as we sit down to first tasting menu. 

So if you've made it this far, dig out your bucket list and add some truly lip-smacking journeys through taste from the list below. You won't regret it.