As the last of the turkey fades from view, there are vegan menus at London’s two Kolamba , to brilliant value set lunches at the likes of The Ninth and Hawksmoor in Edinburgh for every lunchtime occasion.
Kolamba
Kolamba, modern Sri Lankan restaurants will serve a duo of new vegan set menus throughout January, featuring three courses for £35pp.
At the newly opened Kolamba East, dishes include Idli with Sambar; a main course of Cashew and Broadbean Curry with Channa Dahl, Fried Okra and Rice, and Payasam – a spiced rice pudding from the north of Sri Lanka – for dessert.
Over in Soho, dishes at Kolamba include Paniyaram, crispy fermented rice flour batter served with fresh chutneys, followed by Kalu Pol Pumpkin with sides of Dhal, Beetroot Curry, Pol Sambol and Rice, and Watalappam for dessert – a coconut custard flavoured with nutmeg and jaggery.
Non-vegan versions of the set menus (three courses for £35pp) will also be on offer at both sites, and sit alongside existing lunch deals at East (two courses for £25pp or three for £30) and Soho (two courses for £17.50).
Mauro Colagreco at Raffles London at The OWO – offers an elevated yet excellent-value meal with a three-course set lunch menu (£60pp) from the eponymous Chef Colagreco, of three Michelin-starred Mirazur in France.
Available between Thursday – Saturday, the menu offers a curated overview of Mauro Colagreco’s dishes exploring more than 70 fruits and vegetables native to the British isles.
Guests begin with an amuse-bouche and pain partage, before a selection of dishes including Cep with Westcombe cheddar curd, puffed spelt and rocket and Kohlrabi with Cornish turbot and smoked sauce. Rounding off the meal, desserts, such as Citrus, served in a crispy ravioli shell with black lemon ice cream and yogurt fontainebleau are accompanied by complimentary mignardise.
Hawksmoor Edinburgh is inviting guests to kickstart the year with a limited-edition offer of a steak and side for just £19.50.
For a high-protein, low carb lunch, guests can enjoy a rump steak with a choice of English lettuce salad, Caesar salad, spinach or sweet potatoes for under £20. Or, for those looking for a treat to combat the January blues, there’s also the option to choose Hawksmoor’s signature beef dripping chips.
The steak and side are best enjoyed alongside Hawksmoor’s menu of Lo and No-Alc cocktails, from a zingy Social Swizzle with Three Spirit Social, pink grapefruit, lime and ginger to the refreshing Winter Sun with Three Spirit Nightcap, lemon, chilli and pineapple soda.
The Ninth, Jun Tanaka’s Michelin-starred restaurant in Fitzrovia, offers a daily set lunch menu with two courses priced at just £33, and three at £38.
The regularly-changing menu highlights the best of the seasons, with sample dishes including Seabream carpaccio, green chilli, kumquat and pickled kohlrabi followed by Braised beef, honey glazed carrot, celeriac puree and mojo verde or Chargrilled Delica pumpkin, tardivo, sage and aged parmesan. To finish, guests can enjoy the likes of Pain perdu and tonka bean ice cream or Gruyere Alpage cheese and biscuits.
Cornus, set across the top floor of “The Ice Factory” in Eccleston Yards, offers a three course set lunch menu for £55pp.
From Executive Chef Gary Foulkes, dishes showcase the bounty of British and European seasonal produce – and include Ravioli of Pheasant with a game consommé, quince and truffle; followed by mains of Roast Red Mullet, Cornish Mussels, chanterelles and seawater potatoes.
Desserts from Head Pastry Chef Kelly Cullen include an indulgent Vanilla custard tart with blackcurrant and fig leaf or a selection of Cheese from Buchanans Cheesemonger in London.
Cornus is open for lunch from Tuesday – Saturday (12 – 3pm).
Roka, the Japanese robatayaki restaurant, is serving a set Lunch Menu at all of its London locations.
The classic lunch menu (£38pp) begins with sharing starters – including Beef, ginger and sesame dumplings and Chef’s 3 piece sashimi selection – followed by a signature robata main, such as Salmon fillet teriyaki with sansho salt or Baby back pork ribs with sansho and cashew nuts. A premium edition (£48pp) is also available.
The menu can be enjoyed as a pre- or post-theatre option at selected times at Roka Aldwych and Charlotte Street.
Inko Nito – the playful younger sister to Japanese robatayaki restaurants Roka and Zuma – offers an Express menu (£27).
True to Inko Nito’s offering of Korean-influenced Japanese robatayaki dishes and snacks, the menu begins with a selection of sharing starters, followed by a main dish each.
On 6th January, Inko Nito will also introduce a limited-edition £10 Donburi menu (Jan only).
The Express INKO Menu is available all day Monday-Thursday, and from 12pm-5pm on Fridays.