Here Are The Best Places For Lunch In London

Breakfast is ‘the most important meal of the day’, and dinner is the one for special occasions. But there’s an art to lunching – be it lounging, brief, a payday indulgence, or cheap as chips, it’s the meal that bisects your day. And these restaurants in London are the absolute best for any kind of lunch.

Best Places For Lunch In London

Michelin Stars & Fine Dining Under £70

Dinner By Heston Blumenthal, Knightsbridge

Best for: Affordable Michelin-star set lunch menus.

Rather counterintuitively named if you’re stopping by for a midday menu, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal is the chef’s two Michelin-starred outpost in the Mandarin Oriental hotel. Over three courses, prepare to be taken on a journey through British culinary history – each dish has a date stamped alongside it in the menu – and with Blumenthal’s signature quirky gastronomical experimentation, you can expect to try a (delicious) riff on pig’s ear ragu, followed by a 12th-century compost tart. Priced at £65 for all three courses, the luncheon menu offers unparalleled dining value. The wine pairing is only £49 extra, and the menu runs Monday through Saturday, pipping other menus which forego weekends.

Hero dish: Swallow back any hesitation or squeamishness. The ‘Ragoo of Pigs Ears on Toast (c.1727)’ contains a heady mix of oxtail, onion, mustard, lemon and – yes – pig’s ear. But it’s delicious.

BOOK IT: dinnerbyheston.co.uk

Apricity, Mayfair

Best for: Sustainable, veg-forward dining and green Michelin stars.

Chantelle Nicholson won a now-defunct green Michelin star for this Duke street restaurant. The menu here is designed to minimise waste at every stage – and often gets creative in how this happens (the staff uniforms are made from bottle tops, for example). It ‘does’ sustainability in a quiet way, in spite of this; think a veg-first menu, and while you can still plump for dishes like the Otter Valley hogget, its vegetarian dishes might just tempt you their way. Read our full review here. 

Hero dish: The amuse bouche – a savoury chickpea donut with a heavy-umami caramelised red onion filling.

BOOK IT: apricityrestaurant.com

Spring at Somerset House, Aldwych

Best for: Elegant seasonal menus and post-exhibition dining near the Strand.

For a more refined experience, Spring ticks the box. Located within the neo-classical Somerset House, just off the Strand, the former tax office is a light-filled pistachio-hued room with white pillars, a stunning marble bar, and floaty chandeliers. The three-course menu for £39 is a delightful mélange of seasonal ingredients presented with finesse: charcuterie served with sourdough and kefir butter, chilled pea and mint soup, and grilled mackerel with poached leeks and black olive and tomato dressing, followed by a sweet cicely posset with roasted rhubarb and spelt shortbread. The ideal spot for lunch after a morning wandering around an exhibition, Spring feels grown-up – and very special. 

BOOK IT: springrestaurant.co.uk

Petrus, Belgravia

Best for: Fine wine

If you enjoy a spot of pampering, head for Gordon Ramsay’s Michelin-starred Pétrus in Belgravia. Even the weekday four-course set lunch menu for £45 is preceded by an array of amuse-bouches, delivered by a flurry of waiters in choreographed precision. A tiny tartlet of heritage carrot, a beef tartare croustade and a chicken consommé served from a tiny teapot, the presentation is exquisite and the food delicious. Our starter of cured salmon wrapped in nori seaweed with a cracker of squid ink and tapioca was superb, while for the main course, you can choose between chicken breast or, for a £25 supplement, lobster raviolo, in a dark lobster bisque. And don’t forget the wine. The charming head sommelier is only too happy to suggest wine pairings from the circular glass wine room that sits at the centre of the restaurant – and with a 1200-strong wine list, you’re spoilt for choice. 

BOOK IT: Four courses for £45, gordonramsayrestaurants.com

Quick, Trendy Catch-Up Spots

Caia, Notting Hill

Best for: A trendy weekend lunch spot

Downstairs at Caia, there’s the kind of vinyl setup that’d make any audiophile drool: a record collection sourced in partnership with Stranger Than Paradise, a HiFi sound system, and regular guest DJ nights. But, to be honest, there’s a lot here to make anyone drool. The restaurant opened in 2022 from the team behind Fiend with chef John Javier at its helm. Javier made his name in Australia cooking up Chinese feasts, and so you can expect an Asian twist to seasonal, produce-led food at Caia – as well as an impressive sear (the restaurant is named for the Roman goddess of fire, hence open fire cooking techniques in the kitchen). The weekend set menu (yes – you heard that right: weekend!) runs from 12-3pm on Fridays and Saturdays and is a bargain, at that: two courses come in at £25, while three only sets you back £30. (Featured image). 

Hero dish: The Cacio e Pepe cheung fun which is a playful twist on the Roman classic, and which marries the restaurant’s name to its food philosophy perfectly.

BOOK IT: caia.london

74 Charlotte Street, Fitzrovia

Best for: Upscale fried chicken

Fancy a bit of fried chicken for lunch? We promise that the small bite offering at 74 Charlotte Street will be a world away from anything you’ve sampled before. Served in a ceramic chicken (and with a choice dollop of Oscietra Caviar on top), crunch through the perfectly crisp exterior to the herby, minced chicken within. Casually cool and sleek, this classy Fitzrovia joint from chef Ben Murphy is the kind of lunchtime spot made for a cocktails catch-up between friends. Prepare for the dishes to continually delight and surprise – from a taco-take on your classics fish and chips, to a ‘tomato’ made of parmesan where the real Isle of Wight tomatoes are hidden below.

Hero dish: Ben’s Fried Chicken

BOOK IT: 74charlottestreet.com

Sushi Kyu, Soho

Best for: Fast omakase and authentic sushi

Everyone gets a front row seat when the chef prepares your nigiri at Sushi Kyu. There are only ten seats so you can expect speedy service, but we would recommend you plot out a bit of time for the Chef’s Omakase menu: a salad, seven pieces of nigiri presented one by one, finished off with matcha ice cream. The sister restaurant is Mayfair’s Cubé (which does a nailed-on Japanese izakaya), and its Soho posting takes a similar outlook on sourcing: the menu is curated based on what’s looking good each day at the markets, so don’t expect the same dishes on a subsequent visit.

Hero dish: See what the chef has in and be led by the team. On my visit, I tried a sea urchin nigiri which was creamy and sweet, and can be pretty hard to source in the UK – allow yourself to be surprised.

BOOK IT: sushikyu.com

Kanishka, Mayfair

Best for: Quick business lunches and set Indian menus

There is nothing worse than checking the clock during lunch, conscious of a time limit. Chef Atul Kochhar’s pan-Indian Kanishka offers a two-course experience in just 45 minutes, which aims to provide an ‘elevated yet efficient’ lunch option for Mayfair diners. At £29.50 for two courses or £34.50 for three courses, you can expect a starter followed by hearty main – think Norwich chicken supreme tandoori or the catch of the day, all served up with plenty of rice.

Hero dish: The Lake District lamb mince braised curry with lamb chop, potato and leek bhaji.

BOOK IT: kanishkarestaurant.co.uk

Cheap Eats

Plaza Khao Gaeng, Tottenham Court Road

Best for: Authentic Southern Thai food and cheap eats

This cult-favourite dining room is hidden away in the Arcade Food Hall on Tottenham Court Road in its own private space upstairs. It’s the recipient of a Michelin Bib Gourmand because its menu is so inexpensive yet still so impressive that you’ll no doubt visit time after time. Luke Farrell is the chef behind Plaza Khao Gaeng, and he’s also the talent heading up its sister venue Speedboat. Where Speedboat champions the food of Bangkok, Plaza is focused on coast-to-jungle Southern Thai dining. Think beef shoulder massaman curries and an aromatic sea bream that’s blow-your-head-off spicy. A word of warning: when they ask your level of spice tolerance… Be honest. Wash down with a Singha beer if you don’t have any afternoon appointments to get to.

Hero dish: The fried chicken (gai tord hat yai) is worth the trip alone. The chicken is accompanied by crispy shallots and a sweet chilli sauce, and unfortunately always seems to be served in odd numbers, causing a guaranteed scramble for that final piece among dining mates.

BOOK IT: plazakhaogaeng.com

Mareida, Fitzrovia

Best for: Authentic South American and Chilean set lunches

The London culinary scene is having a South American renaissance, so make sure you beat the crowds to Mareida, which serves up the under explored cuisine of ribbon-shaped Chile. The small, inky dining room is packed with authentic wares shipped from the homeland in a dusky palette, while the kitchen is headed up by Prenay Agarwal and a team of native talent. The menu boasts a delectable array of not-to-be-missed dishes – think beef tongue, potato pancakes, rich crab cake Chupe de Jaiba and seafood galore – but since you are looking for lunch, we will have to save those for date night. A stone’s throw from Great Portland Street, Regent’s Park, Goodge Street and Oxford Circus stations, Mareida is perfectly located for a working lunch or an indulgent break off the clock. Available Tuesday to Friday, the set lunch of two (£28) or three (£32) courses is a flavour-packed whistle-stop tour of Chilean cuisine; think potato ceviche, a rib-eye served with a poached egg, and an indulgent apricot-topped chocolate mousse to finish. For a real pit stop, there’s also the £15 lunch special: a Churrasco sandwich served with Yuca fries and black garlic aioli, plus a chilled glass of beer.

Hero dish: You’ve eaten rib-eye steak, but not like this: topped with caramelised onions, an unctuous jus and a poached egg beside potato crisps. You won’t want it to end.

BOOK IT: mareida.co.uk

Rabbit, Chelsea

Best for: Sustainable farm-to-table dining

The Gladwin Brothers have a pretty impressive portfolio of restaurants – the Shed, Fat Badger and Nutbourne to name a few. Rabbit does not let the side down. The interiors are all-wood, all-leather, and while perhaps a little macabre with stag skulls and stuffed birds mounting the walls, this dining room offers a slice of countryside charm in the heart of Chelsea. The family’s farm supplies a lot of its menu, so dishes are super seasonal and typically so fresh that it is literally plucked from the ground and on your plate within the span of 24 hours.  The weekday lunch menu sits at £28 for three courses, but do add on an extra £3.50 to try the mushroom marmite éclair as a snack to begin – the secret is that there’s no real marmite in it.

Hero dish: You’d be remiss to skip the Marmite mushroom eclairs. The secret to how it tastes like Marmite (despite its lack thereof) is actually a mushroom mayonnaise containing a whofty hit of umami.

BOOK IT: rabbit-restaurant.com

Ognisko, South Kensington

Best for: Weekend set menus; authentic Polish food

Located on the ground floor of the Polish Club, Ognisko is the ideal place for lunch after a morning visiting the museums around South Kensington. It’s a beautiful space: dark wooden floors, high ceilings and white linen tablecloths, plus a mahogany bar stocked with endless varieties of flavoured vodkas. The menu changes daily, but expect hearty fayre: Kopytka dumplings with chestnuts and forest mushrooms or hot smoked salmon salad with beetroot to start, followed by pan-fried sea bream or confit duck leg, with caramelised apples and red cabbage to follow. It’s a great way to sample Polish cuisine in a stylish environment, plus the set lunch menu is available at the weekend (rare!), and there’s a summer terrace. Just don’t leave without trying the raspberry vodka.

BOOK IT: Three courses for £29, ogniskorestaurant.co.uk

Cher Thai Eatery, Clapham Old Town

Best for: A cheap eat in Clapham

For a quick catch-up over simple but delicious Thai food, this local eatery in Clapham Old Town is hard to beat. It’s always super busy in the evenings, when stand-out dishes include river prawn glass noodles and deep fried whole seabass with tamarind sauce, but they also do a bargain basement Lunch Express Deal, where you can choose from the classic green and red curries, and stir-fried dishes for £12.95, along with the usual spring rolls and chicken satay to start. Opening just before lockdown in 2020, it’s become one of the most popular local restaurants in the neighbourhood.

BOOK IT: cherthailondon.co.uk

Kolamba East, Spitalfields

Best for: Authentic Sri Lankan food

Tucked away among the warehouses and stunning Georgian houses of Spitalfields, Kolamba East feels like a hidden gem. A sister restaurant to the original in Soho, Kolamba East serves exceptionally tasty and spicy Sri Lankan cuisine in a stylish pared-back setting. The set lunch menu includes idli with sambar and sea bream cooked in banana leaf with a delicious sauce accompanied by dhal with spinach, cucumber sambol and yellow rice, as well as a coconut and lime sorbet dessert, all for £30. It even includes a glass of Marqués de Riscal white or red or a guava mocktail. Unlike many set menus, portions are super generous and I couldn’t eat for the rest of the day. The dining room wraps around a central bar, with a great sound system. Definitely coming back in the evening!

BOOK IT: kolamba.co.uk

Impressive Business Lunches & Client Meetings

Piazza Italiana, The City

Best for: High-end business lunches and client meetings in The City.

Piazza Italiana is situated in the City between banks and financial firms, and is itself housed in the former home of the British Linen Bank. And, yet, despite the location, it’s not filled to the rafters with finance types (which might be a decision-making factor for you, dear reader/lunch booker). Frankly, these bankers are missing out. The restaurant has breathtaking interiors which are well-matched by a very strong menu overseen by exec chef Remo Mazzucato. Read our full review here.

Hero dish: If your client permits it… Stay for dessert and pick the firm tiramisu, which pairs perfectly with an espresso for the road.

BOOK IT: piazzaitaliana.co.uk

Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, Chelsea

Best for: Luxury set lunches in Chelsea

The jewel in the crown of the Ramsay empire, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in Chelsea has held on to its three Michelin stars for the past 24 years. Most of us can only dream of sampling its culinary delights due to cost and the difficulty in securing a table. Yet its new lunch menu, designed by Chef de Cuisine Kim Ratcharoen, offers us all the opportunity to experience the restaurant’s fine dining excellence for £125 per person, with wine pairings for each of the three courses for £50. The highlights include scallops from the Isle of Skye and Cornish cod, preceded by a parade of beautifully presented amuse-bouches – steak tartare tartlets and a Montgomery Cheddar macaron were my favourites – and a grand finale of Savarin, a delicious French dessert, similar to a rum baba. Exquisite food, impeccable service, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay is the epitome of luxury and elegance. 

BOOK IT: gordonramsayrestaurants.com