18 Incredible Set Menus You Need To Try
Forget about the difficult decision-making process that comes with a la carte – open your palate to exciting dishes and new cuisines by putting your trust in a restaurant’s set menu, and treat yourself to a special lunch or dinner (without the sky-high price tag).
These are some of the best set menus in London for their value, from utterly extravagant Sunday lunches and set menus with incredible views, to extremely affordable, cheap eats. Most importantly, they’re all completely delicious.
Sam’s Riverside
Sam’s Riverside, located on the river overlooking the Hammersmith Bridge, has a great lunch offering with two courses for £26.50 and three for £31.50. The offer is available Monday to Friday for lunch, and Monday to Thursday from 5pm to 6:30pm for the early dinner eaters. Starters include wild mushroom soup with parsley oil, a cured seabream with citrus and shaved fennel and chorizo picante with crispy polenta and chive mayonnaise. For mains, go for grilled rump steak with autumn vegetables and truffle is a popular choice or roast cod with spinach, tomato and basil.
where: 1 Crisp Rd, London W6 9DN
website: www.samsriverside.co.uk
Bocconcino Soho
One of the newest additions to Soho’s dining scene, Bocconcino offers an excellent and affordable set lunch menu that, given the chic interiors and quality food, is incredible value for money. Expect creamy burrata with baby plum tomatoes and pesto; tagliolini with prawns and peas; classic Roman-style pizzas; and for dessert, a delicious (and huge) tiramisù to end your meal in true Italian style. The set lunch menu comes in two courses for £24, or three courses for £28 per person Monday to Thursday – ideal for a post-shopping feast near Oxford Street.
If you fancy booking dinner here instead, an evening spent tasting their cicchetti dishes is definitely worth your attention.
Expect creamy burrata with baby plum tomatoes and pesto; tagliolini with prawns and peas; classic Roman-style pizzas
Where: 59 Great Marlborough St, London W1F 7JY
Website: www.bocconcinorestaurant.co.uk
Hutong
Located on floor 33 of The Shard, Hutong boasts breathtaking views of the capital. Of course, this usually comes with a price tag to match, but if you head up there for lunch on a weekday, you can dine on the delicious flavours of Hutong set menu for £39 per person. Menu highlights include salted egg yolk prawns, Iberico pork dumplings, and Sichuan shredded beef. The perfect traditional Chinese lunch with unbeatable views.
Where: 33 St Thomas St, London SE1 9RY
Website:www.hutong.co.uk
The Lanesborough Grill
Forget Sunday lunch at your local pub. How about a three-course Sunday lunch in one of London’s most beautiful dining rooms instead? Think a domed glass roof, softly lit chandeliers, and the finest quality British beef, cooked to perfection.
This isn’t your average Sunday lunch experience. Your meat will be carved at your table from an ornate, antique trolley alongside a selection of the very best trimmings, with produce from handpicked artisan suppliers from across the country. There’s also a huge selection of dishes to choose from. Think Buttermilk fried quail, mushroom and spring onion; Jerusalem artichoke ravioli with winter greens, white wine and tarragon; Beef Wellington with caramelised Roscoff onion, Tunworth cheese potatoes, pale ale and honey; and Lemon tart with candied citrus fruit and Earl Grey meringue. Priced at £40 per person for a two-course lunch, it’s some of the best food in town.
Where: Hyde Park Corner, London SW1X 7TA
Website: www.oetkercollection.com
Zahter
Looking for a lunch menu where veggies and vegans are well catered for? The Zahter Istanbulite lunch menu consists of nine dishes to choose from, and five of those are vegetarian or vegan (and trust us, meat eaters won’t complain).
Flavour-forward dishes include Odun Atesinde Patates (wood fire potatoes and gremolata); Fava (broad beans, dill, green chillies, and candied sunflower); and Kofte Piyaz (lamb and beef patties, cannellini beans, tomatoes and red onions). The set menu comes in at £35 per person for three courses.
Where: 30, 32 Foubert’s Pl, Carnaby, London W1F 7PS
Website:www.zahter.co.uk
Town House Kensington
For an elevated affair, The Kensington Hotel has curated an indulgent three-course set menu, seated in the opulent and smart setting of the Town House.
For an elevated affair, The Kensington Hotel has curated an indulgent three-course set menu
Divulge in dishes like Beef Carpaccio with Rocket & Parmesan salad and balsamic glaze to start; Summer Squash Risotto with Pine nuts, mascarpone & Pecorino shavings for mains; and Crème Brûlée with Strawberries & shortbread.
Where: 109-113 Queen’s Gate, South Kensington, London SW7 5LP
Website: www.townhousekensington.com
Mareida
This set lunch will truly blow your taste buds out of the park, and dare we say, features a unique menu that tastes like nothing you’ve had before. Some of the standout dishes include the charcoal-grilled yuca fries, which are completely black, served with a rich black garlic aioli. Then there is the ‘Tomato Bomb’, a dish of tapioca crisp and semi-dehydrated tomatoes that almost tastes like meat. It’s also rude not to get a steak when you go to any South American restaurant, and let us tell you, this one isn’t to be missed, served with tiny, crunchy fries, sweet caramelised onion and a fried egg. To drink, the bar is sporting the restaurant’s Chilean twists on classics like the Maredia Sour (their Pisco Sour) as well as their own creations, and the wine list has a perfect range of crisp Sauvignon Blancs, deep reds and more, all exclusively from Chile.
This fun and delicious set lunch was worth every penny of the £32. I’d recommend choosing the three-course option, as the flan with manjar, banana, and hazelnut brittle was unmissable. It’s also worth treating yourself to a side of empanadas and the ensalada chilena to add a perfect bit of freshness.
Imogen, Graphic Designer
where: 160a Great Portland St, London W1W 5QA
website: www.mareida.co.uk
Corrigan’s Mayfair
A set menu that never fails to be showstopping value, Corrigan’s Mayfair provides the ultimate luxury dining on a budget. Whether dining for lunch or dinner, you can enjoy an exciting three-course meal with optional wine pairing. The menu changes from week to week to accommodate the freshest seasonal ingredients delivered, but options include the likes of Corrigan’s classic Game Terrine, a fantastic day-boat fish and a Salted Caramel Custard Tart.
For lunch expect to pay £34 for two courses and £38 for three, or £58 if you opt for the wine pairing.
Where: 28 Upper Grosvenor St, London W1K 7EH
Website:www.corrigansmayfair.co.uk
Scott’s Richmond
If you’re on the hunt for a set menu with a stunning view, Scott’s Richmond is the glittering new riverside restaurant to turn to.
From tempura fried cod cheeks and chalk stream trout, to whole roasted plaice and grilled brie on toasted focaccia with honey and thyme, the set lunch menu is a top-notch shout at £28 for two courses and £34 for three. Add a Scott’s Rhubarb Kir for £11 and soak in the opulent interiors and unrivalled views.
Where: 4 Whittaker Ave, Richmond TW9 1TH
Website: www.scotts-richmond.com
Meraki
When you’re looking for a set menu for a big group, head to Meraki in Fitzrovia for a menu with the soul of Greece in mind. The set menu is priced at £30pp for two courses and £35 for three, including seasonally changing sharing mezze dishes, chargrilled meats, and whole fish dishes.
Head to Meraki in Fitzrovia for a menu with the soul of Greece in mind
Where: 80-82 Great Titchfield St., London W1W 7QT
Website:www.meraki-restaurant.com
Gordon Ramsay Bar & Grill
This two-courses-for-£19.50, three-courses-for-£24 set menu is available at Gordon Ramsay’s Bar & Grill’s Chelsea location, and with the a la carte menu usually coming in at twice the price, there really is no contest.
Start with a Caesar salad; move on to grilled Cornish mackerel with escabeche, lemon and coriander; and end with a 70% chocolate brownie with hazelnut praline and vanilla ice cream.
Where: 79 Royal Hospital Rd, London SW3 4AN
Website: www.gordonramsayrestaurants.com
Daffodil Mulligan
The set menu at Daffodil Mulligan provides the perfect opportunity to share a selection of delicious plates with a focus on seafood and subtle Irish influences.
An ever-changing menu with a chef’s selection of options, dine on two sharing plates for £19.50, or three for £25. The selection currently includes sugar pit pork, scorched mackerel, tikka celeriac and dark chocolate parfait.
The perfect opportunity to share a selection of delicious plates with a focus on seafood and subtle Irish influences
Where: 70-74 City Rd, London EC1Y 2BJ
Website: www.daffodilmulligan.com
River Restaurant
The River Restaurant by Gordon Ramsay is set inside The Savoy, one of London’s most iconic hotels, so the set lunch menu really couldn’t be better value for the surroundings.
Two courses are £37, three courses are £45, and for that there’s a great selection of dishes, including seabass ceviche, burrata, BBQ soy glazed aubergine, and sticky toffee pudding with clotted cream ice cream.
Where: The Savoy Hotel, Strand, London WC2R 0EZ
Website:www.gordonramsayrestaurants.com
The Ninth Restaurant
Located on Charlotte Street, Fitzrovia sits The Ninth Restaurant which focuses on simple French-Mediterranean-style food. It has had a Michelin-star since 2015, and you can instantly see why. The atmosphere is vibrant, relaxed and sophisticated, driven by the chic decor and friendly and attentive staff. The food is delicious without being fussy – we especially recommend the sea bream carpaccio and pain perdu and tonka bean ice cream. The wine list is considered, with plenty of options but not overwhelming.
The set lunch menu gives an option of 3 dishes per course with two courses costing £33 and three courses for £38.
where: 22 Charlotte St., London W1T 2NB
site: www.theninthlondon.com
Indigo at One Aldwych
This London hotel restaurant has a lovely set pre-theatre menu for £39 for two courses, or £47 for three, including Suffolk pork rillette; confit potato with heritage carrot, preserved winter truffle and sea aster; Cornish monkfish baked in seaweed; and honey parfait with walnut sponge, poached pear and honeycomb.
Where: 1 Aldwych, London WC2B 4BZ
Website:www.onealdwych.com
The Restaurant at St Martin’s Lane
An excellent spot for whiling away an afternoon, The Restaurant at St Martin’s Lane offers a sophisticated set menu with dishes ranging from spaghetti and corn-fed chicken to Atlantic cod.
Finish off by choosing strawberry pavlova from the dessert menu. The set menu is priced at two courses for £29 and three for £34 – and both include a glass of house wine.
Where: 45 St Martin’s Ln, London WC2N 4HX
Website: www.book.ennismore.com
The Game Bird at The Stafford
Get ready to impress as this charming restaurant inside five-star The Stafford Hotel offers up a great value lunch menu at just £38 for two courses. The menu specials change weekly, but expect dishes like garden pea veloute with Tunworth cheese and white onion croque; and braised beef cheek with honey-glazed carrot and puffed grains. Wine pairings are also available for those who are looking to enjoy a tipple with their lunch.
Quality food and five-star surroundings at a super great value price.
Where: The Stafford, 16-18, St James’s Pl, St. James’s, London SW1A 1NJ
Website: www.thestaffordlondon.com
