During the last two years, there has been a renewed appetite for lunch, and London has some of the very best on offer. As a result, the work lunch became our favourite meal. We had to eat outside, so anyone with a lighter coat could eat at midday. In addition, lunch is always the best choice if you’re hosting a party: getting a coveted table is easier, and it’s cheaper too. You can also visit our guide to the best Michelin-recognized lunches in London if you’re looking for something more affordable.
Here are some of the best lunch spots in the capital.
Kol
As you walk into Kol’s earthy, textured interiors, adorned with clay cups, linen curtains, and sultry dark wood, you feel as though you are in another country, specifically Mexico. Throughout the entire dining experience, whichever fun, warm wait staff member is available at serving time ferries the five or seven courses, making the whole experience as quick and streamlined as the menu itself. As soon as 1pm rolls around, the place is usually packed (tip: newsletter subscribers get first choice of tables). There are 25 different ingredients in the mole, including rattlesnake chilli (so-called because it rattles after drying – no snakes harmed) and purple carrot jerky. You’ll be blown away by the enoki and crab chalupa, and you’ll break your own heart if you eat it. It’s a place where you will be excited about life, or at least lunching, all over again because of its special, sparky energy. Becky Lucas.
Barrafina
Traditionally, going to Barrafina for lunch – specifically arriving at noon – was a good way to get a seat. Currently, all the restaurant’s are taking bookings, including Dean Street’s newly reopened original, so it’s less a strategic move than a desire to eat dazzling Spanish food in the summer. Enjoy small plates of Mallorcan specialties that are even better than on the island itself as you perch at the counter and order a glass of Fino.
Brat
At Brat, four or six people is the perfect party size. The larger your squad, the more you can try, but if you dine as a daring couple, many of Brat’s most celebrated dishes (whole turbot, huge chunks of beef) have epic proportions. Located in a handsome, high-ceilinged dining room (originally a pub, but most recently a pole-dancing club), star chef Tomos Parry’s food is cooked over fire.
Dinings SW3
Dinings fans threw out their celebration chopsticks when the SW3 site opened: it’s bigger than the Marylebone version, allowing everyone to sample the sushi and izakaya. In a Grade II-listed building, the main dining room is above ground, making it perfect for lunch. The lofty arched windows are pierced by saber-like rays during daylight hours, dappling light over all the tables. Your granny’s best silver is as polished as our service.
Above at Hiden
The only way is up in Ollie Dabbous’s Hide complex. The street-level entrance leads to a polished spiral staircase that must be one of the most beautiful in London. Politely decline the private car lift (apparently preferred by celebrity guests) and head up the street-level staircase instead. A stunning view of Green Park stretches out from the first-floor Above space. There’s no doubt that the food here is most elevated as well – precise yet playful. It’s definitely one to add to your haute-cuisine wish list.
Petersham Nurseries Café
The Petersham Nurseries Café offers a bucolic, rustic-boho garden setting like no other. The glass ceiling is high and shrouded in darkness, and the earthen floor is all that you love about being outdoors. The menu here is not casual cafe food. It’s a serious restaurant menu with a serious price tag (lunch costs £55 for two courses and £65 for three courses). There’s a good chance you’ll spot Richard E Grant (he’s a regular) and you don’t have to worry about the weather ruining your fun.
The River Café
A staff canteen was opened by Ruth Rogers and her friend Rose Gray for her husband’s next-door architectural practice more than three decades ago. It is still a thrill to book a table at the River Café today, let alone eat here. The dining room may appear functional (and blue) – its founding ethos was high-end food in an informal setting – but it is home to some of London’s finest Italian dishes. When the weather is sunny, sit on the leafy garden terrace; if you’re indoors, ask nicely for a window seat.
Royal China Club
You’ve come to the right place when you need dim sum at lunch (i.e., when you should eat it – but you already knew that). It’s not just because the food here is terrifyingly good; it’s also because it’s a serene space with slick, ultra-professional service. Staff will slip you a cloakroom ticket if you ask for a to-go bag, so you can pick it up discreetly.
Scott’s
See that person in the corner wearing those dark glasses? That’s a serious celebrity (not the reality TV kind). Caprice Holdings has been running this historic restaurant for more than 15 years, and it continues to attract A-listers due to its light seafood menu and its smart location. It’s mostly the superb service: you’ll not only get expert filleting at the table from the charismatic staff, but also they won’t ever call the paps on you.
Vardo
While Vardo isn’t technically vegetarian, its meat-free menu is so vibrant that it’s a must-try for vegetarian lunches in Chelsea. Despite sharing much of the same crew as Caravan, it delivers better results – like raiding the global larder. There are lots of outdoor tables with great views across the King’s Road, and the glass in the archways drops down when the sun is out.
Noble Rot, Soho
It would be stupid not to have wine with your lunch here, but you don’t have to. It’s not just a great wine list (in case you hadn’t guessed, it’s owned by Noble Rot), but you can also get 75ml tasters here. There was once a Soho institution called The Gay Hussar in this wood-panelled space. The food, from Alex Jackson (ex Sardine), is gutsy and glorious.
