English beetroot with stracciatella and black cardamom followed by Cornish cod in citrus velouté and exquisite British cheese to finish: a slap-up meal courtesy of Claude Bosi’s two-Michelin-starred Brooklands restaurant in London that’s yours for £58 and – crucially for the time-poor among us – delivered in under 60 minutes.
The Concorde is one of a number of speed-focused menus that are cropping up at Michelin-star restaurants across the capital whose purpose is to provide a less intimidating, less pricey and far less time-consuming alternative to their full-blown counterparts of seven or more courses. “There are lots of people on business who want a quick, in-and-out lunch, but there are also those who come because they want to try a double-Michelin-star restaurant, sample what we do, but not spend too much money,” says Bosi.
For those tasked with rolling out quick-fire versions of precisely executed dishes, it’s a military operation; one chef reveals that the timer is set to just eight minutes for some plates to reach the table. But all stress that neither the customer’s experience, nor the quality of the food, is compromised; “quality is what we do,” says Bosi. “To do it in that time is about organisation and using produce to create dishes we know we can pull out quickly.”
These are the London restaurants offering a taste of full-blown fine dining for a fraction of the time.
Brooklands at the Peninsula, London SW1
Price
£58pp for three courses
Available
Tuesday to Saturday, 12pm-1:30pm
The modern-British Concorde menu put on by chef director Claude Bosi and chef de cuisine Francesco Dibenedetto is designed to “provide an exceptional dining experience at ‘Concorde speed’” (indeed, the restaurant pays homage to the iconic aircraft with a scaled replica hanging from the ceiling). Featuring ingredients including beetroot from Mora Farm in Cornwall, St Austell Bay mussels and Yorkshire rhubarb, you can embark on a quick-stop gastronomic tour of the UK and land back in time for tea.
Star dish
St Austell Bay mussels cooked in cider with three-cornered garlic
St Barts, London EC1
Price
£55pp for three courses
Available
Tuesday to Friday, 12pm-2pm
Having achieved a green star (Michelin’s award for sustainable practices) alongside its one-star rating, St Barts has prioritised seasonal dishes that reduce food waste for its three-course “Business Lunch Hour” menu. “In the evening you might get lamb rib one night and rump another night, while in the lunch hour you’ll get a real mix of different cuts of one meat,” explains head chef Johnnie Crowe. “It’s a really good way of us being able to support that sustainability of using a whole carcass, making use of the whole animal and serving it across the week in various different forms.”
Star dish
Lamb and green sauce
Pavyllon, London W1
Price
£55.50pp for four courses
Available
Sunday to Friday, 12pm-2:30pm
Nestled inside the Four Seasons hotel on Park Lane, Pavyllon markets its 55-minute lunch menu to tourists and locals alike – all with a busy schedule in common. Whether you’re there for a quick lunch between meetings or for a special occasion, you’ll be treated to Michelin-star, modern French cuisine that’s affordable, fun and dynamic, according to head chef Benjamin Ferra Y Castell. “We’re trying to break the impression that we’re unaffordable and boring,” he says. “We make traditional dishes but in a more creative and fun way.”
Star dish
Braised beef cheek with bone marrow crust and parsley butter
Murano, London W1
Price
£50pp for two courses or £55pp for three
Available
Monday to Friday, 12pm-2:30pm
Angela Hartnett’s British-Italian restaurant Murano offers a choice between a two- or three-course lunch, giving diners the opportunity to enjoy her much-loved dishes (duck lasagne; risotto primavera; dark chocolate tart) at a pace that’s practical but not rushed. Although described as the “perfect hour-long lunch treat”, guests are given as much or as little time as they need.
Star dish: Cornish hake with lentil and mussel ragù, and spice velouté
Kitchen W8, London W8
Price
£34.50pp for three courses
Available
Monday to Saturday, 12:15pm-1:30pm
Co-owned by Phil Howard and Rebecca Mascarenhas, Kensington’s self-proclaimed “neighbourhood restaurant” provides an hour-and-15-minute time slot in which gourmands can enjoy one of the most affordable Michelin-star experiences in London. Relaxed and friendly, it’s the ideal casual lunch spot – or scoot in for the same menu for a pre-6:30pm dinner ahead of the opera at Holland Park.
Star dish
Fillet of chalk stream trout with dill pickled cucumber, watercress and sweet mustard
Elystan Street, London SW3
Price
£35pp for three courses
Available
Monday to Friday, 12.30pm-2:30pm; Saturday, 12:30pm-2:45pm
At Kitchen W8’s sister restaurant, Elystan Street, the six-course tasting menu costs £115; plumping for its set lunch or early evening menu will be kinder on your wallet and your time, and will deliver, as they claim, “gimmick-free dishes which are full of vitality and flavour”.
Star dish: Strozzapreti pasta with chicken stock, farmhouse butter, tarragon and aged Parmesan
Galvin La Chapelle, London E1
Price
£44pp for two courses or £49pp for three
Available
Monday to Saturday lunch
Chris and Jeff Galvin’s Spitalfields outpost has catered to shifts in dining habits over the years, moving away from lengthy indulgences at midday to quicker and lighter options. Its swift lunch menu gives diners the chance to soak up the glitz and glamour of the restaurant’s interiors over a feast of braised Herdwick lamb shank and the brothers’ famous Tarte Tatin in the narrow confines of their lunch break.
Star dish
Saffron risotto
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