The offering: Three courses for £29; Mon-Fri

This Clerkenwell institution has been serving good meat to busy Londoners since 1869. Today, it’s all about hearty portions of seasonal fare, meticulous sourced and boldly flavourful. The current set menu features mangalitza ham with celeriac remoulade, cod with warm tartare sauce, and crème brûlée.

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The offering: Two courses for £32, three for £38; for bar diners, daily

One of the capital’s most acclaimed – and busiest – Italian restaurants doesn’t come cheap. But at its sleek bar, it does an ‘express menu’ featuring some of its elegant dishes. Think fried Jerusalem artichokes with hen of the woods; stracciatella with pesto, roasted red pepper and smoked almonds; john dory with lime bisque; roasted aubergine with smoked tomatoes and mozzarella; and tiramisu.

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The offering: Two courses for £24, three for £28; daily

Manteca is a textbook example of a Michelin Bib Gourmand spot, serving delicious food at a fair price. This nose-to-tail restaurant majors in fresh pastas, cured meats and Italian wines. Its ‘rapid rigatoni lunch menu’ currently features wild garlic caesar salad, rigatoni with slow cooked beef ragu, and meringue with fruits and cream.

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The offering: Two courses for £36pp; Mon-Sun, 12pm-3pm

Ambassadors Clubhouse offers a modern Punjabi menu rich in big flavours. Count on meats and fish cooked over coals, in the tandoor or made into fragrant curries, and all served with fluffy rice and breads. There’s also an excellent selection of Punjabi-inspired margaritas, as well as other zingy drinks. The set menu includes papads with chutneys, a starter like lamb kebabs, and your choice of main (don’t miss the butter chicken chops).

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The offering: Two courses for £29, three for £33; Tues-Fri, 12pm-2.30pm

Skye Gyngell’s Spring at Somerset House is a celebration of British produce and understated luxury. This season, you can enjoy beetroot soup with horseradish and chervil; pork and veal meatballs on soft polenta with salmoriglio; and vanilla pot de crème with roasted plums. For even better value, the three-course, £40 ‘Scratch’ menu (Tues-Sat, 5.30-6.15pm) offers spontaneous dishes made from surplus ingredients – a delicious way to dine sustainably.

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The offering: Two courses for £25, three for £29; Weds-Fri

Sommelier Honey Spencer and her partner Charlie Sims are behind one of the best restaurants at Broadway Market. Sune’s menu champions standout British produce, with smartly presented sharing dishes and a quietly buzzy atmosphere that has turned many locals into regulars. Right now, the set menu features tomato, sweet onion and black olive tart; lamb köfte with harissa and labneh; and apricot and pistachio tart.

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The offering: Bubala Mezze for £35.50; Mon-Fri, 12pm-3pm

You won’t be asking where the meat is – Bubala’s veg-led Middle Eastern plates more than hold their own. Its vegan mezze includes dishes like hummus with jalapeño oil, crispy oyster mushroom skewers, tahini-dressed cucumbers and falafel with sumac onions. There’s a solid wine list as well as proper cocktails.

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The offering: Three courses for £44; Mon-Fri, 12pm-5pm

Chefs Will Murray and Jack Croft are behind ever-popular Fallow in St James’s Market, where you’ll find a dining room, bar, wraparound terrace and seven-seater chef’s counter overlooking the open kitchen. The menu focuses on bold sharing-style dishes celebrating sustainable produce from across the British Isles. A three-course lunch could look like burrata with caramelised onion, followed by chicken with seasonal veg, and warm plum galette with crème fraîche.

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The offering: £38pp; Mon-Fri

Roka’s robatayaki-style cooking brings smoky depth to its contemporary Japanese dishes. The set menu includes starters like beef dumplings or a three-piece sashimi selection, and mains such as miso seabream or pork ribs with cashew. Dessert is an extra £5pp, and there’s also a premium set menu including the signature black cod.

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The offering: Two courses for £24, three for £28; daily

The set lunch menus at Noble Rot’s three locations – Soho, Mayfair and Lamb’s Conduit Street – change with the seasons to showcase the best of British produce. This month, we’re drawn to the Mayfair outpost, where the menu features chicory and blue cheese salad, plaice grenobloise, and chocolate and hazelnut mousse.

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The offering: Two courses for £35, three for £40; daily

Few hotel restaurants offer better value for money than Café Royal’s glamorous Grill, perfect for a special occasion for less. Expect attentive service in its opulent gold-adorned dining room, where waiters serve sparkling wines and hot bread with whipped butter while you wait for your food. Go French with a selection of pear, roquefort and walnut salad, followed by minute steak with fries and crème brûlée for dessert. 

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A French restaurant from the group behind the Wolseley and the Delaunay, Brasserie Zédel offers traditional Gallic dishes in handsome art-deco surroundings. Start with pea and mint soup, followed by coq au vin, and chocolate and passion fruit delice for dessert. You can stop by Bar Américain for cocktails and champagne before or after your meal.

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