The story
Restaurant Story occupies a smart address on Tooley Street in Southwark, London, within sight of Tower Bridge. The dining room is air-conditioned and wheelchair accessible, welcoming a wide range of guests.
The kitchen’s modern cuisine has earned a Michelin two-star rating, a recognition of exceptional cooking. The award reflects a commitment to technical skill and balanced flavours, though the restaurant itself shares little publicly about its daily work.
Without a detailed backstory or list of dishes from the restaurant’s own materials, the focus here is on the setting and the standard of the cooking. The Southwark location places it in a lively part of the city, yet the space maintains a calm, refined atmosphere suited to a meal of this calibre.
For those seeking a modern dining experience in London with a Michelin two-star pedigree, Restaurant Story presents itself as a destination where the food speaks for itself.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
Excellent cooking
In 2023, Tom Sellers celebrated a decade at the helm of Restaurant Story, a period of sustained excellence that has seen the place propelled into the first division of London dining. However, the striking glass building was closed for the best part of that year to allow for the addition of a second floor (creating a private dining room and terrace), while Sellers took the opportunity to develop other restaurants in London. Normal service has been resumed, albeit with a tasting menu now in the premium pricing league. Step inside and little has changed, unless you venture up to the top floor where the view down Tooley Street is quite something. The entrance remains surprisingly modest, playing on the expectations of diners – the tone is that of all great eating places, a hum of people enjoying themselves. Sellers’ stock-in-trade has always been modernist cooking with a rare degree of refinement; simply factor in a little bit of luxury to increase the special-occasion feel. Standouts abound: a delicate BBQ langoustine tail and crisp-fried claw with a preserved tomato dipping sauce; a seriously fresh nugget of golden-roasted turbot served with white asparagus, a morel stuffed with fish mousse and a rich vin jaune sauce; 14-day dry-aged, glazed duck breast, brought whole from the kitchen for show and tell, then whisked back to be sliced into flavourful, tender pink slices with a dark glossy sauce. While there have been plenty of tweaks, some old favourites remain: the Oreo-like 'storeos', the rabbit sandwich, and the famous story book-style beef-dripping candle. Every gesture sounds exactly the right note, be it the umami hit teased out of a ‘welcome broth’ of fermented lemon and langoustine consommé, or the impossibly light, creamy potato and brown butter emulsion dish that's topped with a generous dollop of N25 caviar (and a side of crisp game chips to scoop everything up), or even the silky agnolotti with soft chunks of pumpkin and toasted milk piled with Périgord black winter truffle. Desserts continue the theme, exploring particular ingredients and extracting contrasting textures – as in a delicate millefeuille (layers of chestnut, apple, white chocolate, cream and rum) served with an almost-savoury Jerusalem artichoke ice cream. Proceedings run at a gentle pace, overseen by a brigade of impeccably trained staff who strike just the right balance between chat and service. The sommelier’s wise counsel is priceless when it comes to navigating the stupendous wine list, which is high on quality.
5 Rosette Award for Culinary Excellence
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