Restaurant Interlude Retains Coveted Michelin Star in The MICHELIN Guide Great Britain & Ireland 2026
Photo by: Claude Okamoto
Dublin, Monday 9th February 2026 – Restaurant Interlude is proud to announce that it has once again retained its Michelin star for the seventh consecutive year in The MICHELIN Guide Great Britain & Ireland 2026, reaffirming its status as one of the UK’s most celebrated fine-dining destinations.
Photo by: Veldskoen Photography
Set within the breathtaking 240-acre estate of Leonardslee Lakes & Gardens in West Sussex, Restaurant Interlude continues to captivate diners with its immersive, multi-course woodland tasting menus, led by Executive Chef Jean Delport. The Michelin accolade is further strengthened by the restaurant’s continued retention of its Michelin Green Star, recognising its unwavering commitment to sustainability, seasonality, and hyper-local sourcing.
Photo’s by: Claude Okamoto and Veldskoen Photography
The Michelin recognition caps an exceptional year for Restaurant Interlude and the wider Leonardslee estate. In 2025, the restaurant was named AA Restaurant with Rooms of the Year; Overall for 2025/2026, alongside being awarded four AA Rosettes, cementing its position among the very best dining destinations in the UK. The restaurant was also ranked 49th in the National Restaurant Awards Top 100 and achieved a position of 52 out of 100 in Square Meal’s UK Top 100 Restaurants, reflecting its growing national and international reputation.
Further underlining the strength of the team behind the operation, Restaurant Interlude was awarded Hotel Restaurant Team of the Year at the 2025 Hotel Cateys, celebrating excellence across both kitchen and front-of-house.
Executive Chef Jean Delport commented:
“Retaining our Michelin star and Green star is a huge honour, and to see that recognition echoed across so many awards in 2025 is incredibly meaningful. It reflects the dedication of the entire team, from the kitchen to the dining room, the gardens and vineyards. Everything we do is rooted in respect for the land and telling the story of Leonardslee through food, and we’re excited to continue evolving that story.”
Originally from Cape Town, Jean Delport has built an illustrious career across some of South Africa’s most prestigious properties. As only the second South African chef to be awarded a Michelin star, he has firmly established Restaurant Interlude as a destination for diners seeking an experience deeply connected to place.
The restaurant’s ever-changing tasting menus, offering 11–12 courses at lunch and 15–19 courses at dinner, draw directly from the estate’s natural bounty, incorporating ingredients such as forest ash, bracken fiddleheads, pine, nettles, rabbit and venison.
The success of Restaurant Interlude is mirrored by the growing acclaim of Leonardslee Family Vineyards, which debuted at No.56 in The World’s Best Vineyards 2025. The vineyard’s 2021 Brut Reserve was also awarded Gold at the WineGB Awards, further elevating the estate’s reputation for excellence across both food and wine.
Diners enjoy an extensive wine and cocktail programme curated by the restaurant’s sommelier team, featuring bottles from Leonardslee Family Vineyards alongside selections from the acclaimed Benguela Cove Lagoon Wine Estate in South Africa, owned by Penny Streeter OBE. The list comprises over 175 wines, with a strong focus on New World producers designed to complement the restaurant’s innovative menus.
Housed within the Grade II-listed Leonardslee House, Restaurant Interlude offers an intimate 26-cover dining room with panoramic views across the estate. Guests can extend their visit with an overnight stay in one of the house’s ten individually designed bedrooms, creating a complete countryside retreat.