I’m taking my 62 year old mother for a day in London in early December. She wants to do a bit of shopping, maybe go to a museum or 2, etc. I would like to treat her to a nice lunch somewhere and wondered if the hive had any ideas. I would somewhere “nice” rather than cool/trendy that does simple, good food would be good, I remember that Claridges used to do lunch for £30 which would have been ideal but sadly said offer is no more. A central location would be good to save going too far out on the tubes.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Arbutus on Frith St, Soho.

Rowley’s in Jermyn st might fit the bill..

Afternoon Tea at the Lanesborough

Trad french at http://www.brasseriezedel.com/

I really liked brasserie Zedel when I went

For that sort of thing;
Rules – Covent Garden
The Georgian at Harrods (Seriously, it’s lovely!)
Inn the Park – St James’s Park (Excellent, seasonal food, nice and simple)
Fountains – Fortnum & Mason’s. Very stylish, very good.

If you’re thinking pub – The Admiral Codrington, near South Ken, does an outstanding Sunday lunch. As does the Marquis of Westminster, in Pimlico.

Rules or the wolsey.

£30/head mrsmith!

I still like The Chop House for quality british nosh – the view across the Thames by Tower Bridge is a great backdrop too.

Stoner, OP said the thirty quid option “would have been ideal”, so I think we can go a little over, shirley!

Your mum isn’t worth it? After all she’s done for you?

Cookbookcafe – Go for their Market Table lunch.

Even better, go on Sunday for their “Brunch”… superb!

go on Sunday for their “Brunch”… superb!

BRUNCH?
BRUNCH?

This is Great Britain, damn you! We have a late breakfast or an early luncheon. We do not have “brunch”.

*Wanders off muttering about the youth of today etc*

£30 would be ideal, a touch more would be fine but I don’t want to be getting up to £50 per head if I can avoid it.

Edit. We’re going in a Monday if that makes any difference.

I don’t want to be getting up to £50 per head if I can avoid it.

With that in mind, close to Albertopolis, The Admiral Cod, as mentioned above. Nice quiet backstreet, excellent service.

KFC.

What museum are you going to? There are so many great places in London and travelling is such a pain I always think it’s best to narrow down the area first….

If going tot he Nat Portrait Gallery in TrafSq then why not use thier restaurant on the top floor, bag a seat by the window overlooking the Sq and eat French’ish food. Then pop downstairs to catch a few Pics of old dead people..

No, really it’s really rather good. 😀

We used to love going to The Grenadier in Wilton Row. Quite central (near to Hyde Park Corner) but a bit tricky to find. Very quaint and traditional, nice selection of beers and do an outstanding Bloody Mary. Food is traditional British stuff but generally pretty good. Well worth a visit.

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g186338-d258348-Reviews-The_Grenadier-London_England.html

Or as suggested above the Portrait Gallery is also a really good option if you can bag a window seat.

Orrery in marylebone highstreet do deals on lunch. Its within OP budget and quality is high end. Its not far off baker street station, Madam Tussauds, Sherlock Holmes museum or Hertford house Wallace collection in Manchester square. Oxford street is stone throw away.

I used to work in Dorchester hotel, and most lunches in restaurants there were reasonably priced (30-50 set menu) for what you get. Hell coffee was there at £5.95 in Italian bar. The trick, was … unlimited complimentary selection of italian buscuits with it. That alone would trumpet any coffee shop price wise, never mind classy place.

Or wild card, go to Ruben’s restaurant on baker street. And get proper authentic Jewish saltbeef sandwich!

BRUNCH?
BRUNCH?

This is Great Britain, damn you! We have a late breakfast or an early luncheon. We do not have “brunch”.

*Wanders off muttering about the youth of today etc*

I suggest you give it a go and then let me know what your views are 😉

Eggs Benedict (or waffles etc), followed by cold market table (cold meets / salads / sushi / sashimi etc), followed by a selection of roasts… finished off by a massive desert table. Whilst this is going on, your glass gets constantly topped up with bellinis.

I wasn’t sold on the idea until I tried it, stop being so narrow minded 😉

I’ve always wanted to try Simpson’s-in-the-Strand and soak up some of that old imperial splendour. They do fixed price lunches, two courses for £25 or three for £31

have a look at totable, loads of set lunch offers on there.

Outlaw’s at the Capital, Basil St just behind Harrods – three courses £25 per head, “Best Value Set Lunch Menu in the UK Good Food Guide 2014”

Launceston Place also £25 in quiet square in South Ken 10 to 15 min walk from museums in South Ken.

Only problem in December is that they may have switched to more expensive Christmas menus.

Set lunch at Benares is very pleasant, you should get in at £50 a head with pairing wines.

The V&A Museum has an excellent cafe/restaurant – often very busy though.

Nandos.

Another thought – Lunch at the Wallace Collection. Two birds, one stone.

Ask Molgrips, he should surely be an expert on where to got for lunch in London now. And it’ll probably cost you a lot less than £30 a head 😉

If you’re at the V&A, Bibendum does a 30 quid 3 course lunch about a five minute walk away – http://www.bibendum.co.uk/

Art Deco, Michelin-man splendour!