Had I known last week, when I dined at Helm for a first taste of Josh Boutwood’s new Monochromatic 2025 menu, that it would receive the country's first two-star Michelin rating, I would have done nothing differently, and I would have enjoyed myself immensely, just like I always do. I have had the pleasure of many meals at Helm and at Josh Boutwood’s other restaurants, and every experience has been quietly revelatory. There’s a rare balance here: the service is highly calibrated, almost choreographed, yet never stiff. Josh’s dry humor and playful banter with diners weave warmth into precision, reminding you that behind the artistry is a chef who loves what he does and who has loved it since he first apprenticed at sixteen in a Michelin-starred kitchen. “I was captivated by the precision and care that went into each dish,” he once told me. “It was from the very..
