Let’s do lunch

With more and more people now back in the office, at least a few days a week, lunch is back on the agenda. And on those days when you don’t fancy lugging your Tupperware on the tube, the choice for your lunchtime fix outside the office is more exciting and varied than ever. Whether you’re a local office worker looking for a quick bite that won’t break the bank or on the hunt for something more substantial, Knightsbridge has got you covered.     

Of course, there are many high-street heroes where you can pick up a hearty lunch for less than a tenner along Brompton Road, including Starbucks, Pret, Boots, Caffè Nero and Wasabi. You could also pay a visit to Sainsbury’s Local or Little Waitrose & Partners to pick up sandwiches, fresh ingredients or microwavable meals to save the pennies. But believe it or not, Harrods also sits under this category. The luxury shopping mecca’s Food Halls are the stuff of legend – and while it’s very easy to go overboard (splashing out £28 on a single wagyu katsu sando, for example), savvy diners can also pick up incredible bargains. The Fresh Market Hall has a number of takeaway options, including readymade and DIY salads for around the £8 mark, plus picnic favourites like pies, schnitzel and posh scotch eggs, as well as delicious sandwiches and bagels that cater to all dietary requirements. The tempting rotisserie sells fresh sandwiches for £10 each, allowing you to build your own from a range of meat, bread, filling and condiment choices. If you fancy something sweet, head into the adjacent Roastery & Bake Hall for hot-off-the-press scones (a steal at £1.50 each), pretzels the size of your head for £4.50 and sweet treats at less than £5 including a tiramisu “cube”, cinnamon bun and pistachio pain au chocolat.

If you’ve got some time on your hands, clients to impress or simply don’t fancy lunch “al-desko”, then a set menu is a great way to dine in some of Knightsbridge’s finest establishments without overindulging (financially speaking). Premium dining destinations such as The Mantl and The Lanesborough Grill both offer lunch set menus, the former at just £25 per person for two courses, or £28 if you opt for dessert too. The latter, meanwhile, delivers Michelin-quality food at £40 for two courses and £52 for three, served in The Lanesborough’s resplendent Regency-style dining room. The charming Fifth Floor Café and Terrace at Harvey Nichols has just launched the new Spring Dining Menu, which is a snip at £35 for three courses and even includes a choice of paloma or Tommy’s margarita cocktail (or a non-alcoholic alternative if you’ve got a meeting straight afterwards). Both branches of Caffè Concerto on Brompton Road run a daily deal of pasta or pizza plus drink for just £18.95, with an impressive choice of plant-based and gluten-free dishes. Perhaps most surprising to find on this list – considering a cut of wagyu striploin will set you back nearly £700 – is Nusr-Et, which has just introduced a lunch menu priced at a very modest £39 per person for three courses. The brainchild of Turkish butcher, chef and social media sensation Nusret Gökçe – AKA Salt Bae – the menu includes a range of starters (baby rocket and avocado salad, Nusr-Et special beef “sushi”, salmon tartare etc), some carnivorous mains (including a signature burger, meatball with cheese, striploin steak) and dessert, choosing between fresh fruit, traditional Turkish ice cream or baklava. Talk about enjoying a champagne lifestyle on a lemonade budget.  

If you’ve had your fill of bland high street sarnies then why not opt for something different from a small, independent business? Chapati & Karak on Brompton Road offers a hearty and wallet-friendly meal of a warming chapati (a traditional bread from the Indian subcontinent, available in a range of flavours) for around £5 plus an optional karak (a type of sweet chai) for £3. Located opposite Harrods but still constituting a hidden gem, is Kuwaiti restaurant Freej Swalieh. Here you can feast on traditional Middle Eastern dishes such as sheesh tawook (grilled spicy chicken pieces with yoghurt), fresh prawns cooked with mung dal, and mutton kabab in the bustling restaurant or available for takeaway. Zelman Meats at the top of Harvey Nichols has just launched its lunch menu, available Monday-Sunday, 12-4:30pm, with a choice of hearty salads, fish dishes, brisket, steaks, burgers and sides. Finally, it would be easy to miss The Lodge Café on Hyde Park Corner, located just across the way from The Lanesborough, but this quaint pit stop is definitely worth a visit, especially on a sunny day. The choice of food is simple but satisfying and definitely budget-friendly, with baguettes, bacon baps, vegetarian sausage rolls, Cornish pasties and a daily soup-and-sandwich deal clocking in between £4 and £8. Sit back on one of the outdoor benches and people-watch to your heart’s content while satisfying those hunger pangs.