Posts Tagged ‘lunch’
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Gorgeous lunch for a fiver
One of my favourite new London discoveries is Canela Café on Newburgh Street, which offers a rather brilliant line-up of budget-friendly Brazilian and Portuguese dishes. I really love the warm and deliciously fragrant Brazilian cheese bread as a starter or snack, and their coffees come with a stick of cinnamon for a real Portuguese kick.
But they really win brownie points with their fab £4.95 lunch specials, such as this hearty Portuguese stew served with salad and rice. It’s worth dropping by if you’re out and about in the Carnaby area – although you can also find them in Covent Garden.
Canela Café
1 Newburgh St
London W1F 7RB
Tel. 020 7494 9980
Posted in Food
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Gorgeous lunch for a fiver: Princi
First up in our “Gorgeous lunch for a fiver” series is Princi on Wardour Street in London. This relatively new addition to Soho comes all the way from Milan, and is backed by Alan Yau (of Hakkasan, Yauatcha and Cha Cha Moon).
On my visit, the sleek minimalist space is buzzing with a hungry lunch-time crowd, but service at the long glass counter is quick and easy. As well as an enticing line-up of freshly-baked bread and pastries, there’s also a range of pizza slices, pasta, meat dishes and salad.
I perch on a stool in the front window and watch Wardour Street go by, whilst munching on a generous slab of pizza, which with a can of Coke comes to a total of £5.20. (I would have got it under £5 if I opted for water instead, but I needed the massive caffeine/sugar hit.)
Oh, and while you’re there, make sure you sample some of the gorgeous bread dipped in olive oil, which is offered to customers on top of the counters.
Princi London
135 Wardour Street
London W1F 0UT
Tel: 020 7478 8888Posted in Food
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Eat out at a top restaurant for under £10
I’m a bit of a foodie and love eating out in London and trying new restaurants, but it can add up to fairly expensive exercise. But there’s no reason why I can’t still experience some of the best that London has to offer, even on a budget of £10.The trick here is to make a day-time booking. Lunch menus are always less expensive than dinner, but you still get to try the same chef’s food and eat in an amazing setting.
Better still, and something that I do time and again, is visit for tea and cake. I’m mad about my tea, and have something of a wicked sweet tooth, so this is a win-win option for me. One of my favourites is Sketch, an amazingly avant-garde restaurant in Mayfair. It’s like something out of Kubrick’s wildest imagination, and a visit to the Ladies’ room is quite a surreal trip.
The tasting menu at the Michelin-starred Lecture Room and Library costs £90 (without factoring in drinks), so I always make a beeline for The Parlour. Here, a divine cream tea of fruit scones served with jam, clotted cream and a choice of tea is an affordable £9.50 per person. It’s served on gorgeous vintage fine bone china, and the room itself is a stunningly visual treat.
Alternatively, try a traditional tea or herbal infusion, which start at £4, and then take your pick from the decadent display of gateaux at the patisserie counter, which are also priced from £4. If you fancy something savoury, you could always go for the £5 smoked salmon bagel instead.
Oh, and while you’re there, you can also take advantage of the free Wifi!
COST: £9.50
SAVINGS: £80.50Sketch
9 Conduit Street
London W1S 2XG
Tel. 020 765 94500Posted in Food
