Six new London set menus, from a £19 lunch at Le Pont de la Tour to Hutong in The Shard
Six set menus added to All Set, from £19 by Tower Bridge to four courses in The Shard
Six new set menus have joined All Set this week, from a £19 two-course lunch in the bar at Le Pont de la Tour to four courses for £39 at Hutong, thirty-three floors up The Shard. Three of them sit on the water. Le Pont looks down the Thames to Tower Bridge, Hutong looks across it from above, and Hawksmoor at Wood Wharf floats on the dock.
The other three have long histories on the same London streets. L'Escargot has been at 48 Greek Street since 1927, Bentley's has been opening oysters on Swallow Street since 1916, and No. Fifty Cheyne cooks over an open grill on Cheyne Walk in Old Chelsea. Every price, day and window below was read off the venue's own menu in the first week of October.
01 | Le Pont de la Tour
Tower Bridge
Express Lunch: two courses £19, Monday to Friday, 12pm to 3pm, in Le Pont Bar.
The set lives in the bar, which keeps a shorter card than the dining room and the same view: down the river to Tower Bridge, with the terrace on Shad Thames in between. Both courses are set. A 220g English beef onglet arrives with shallot sauce and pommes frites, and a classic French crème caramel follows. Gratin dauphinoise, a creamy spinach purée and extra fine green beans can be ordered alongside.
02 | Hawksmoor Wood Wharf
Canary Wharf
Lunch set: one course £21, two £26, three £30, Monday to Saturday, 12pm to 3pm. Early evening set Monday to Thursday, 5pm to 5.45pm.
The largest of the London Hawksmoors is a glass pavilion floating on the dock at Wood Wharf, and its lunch set can be one course, two or three. The 35-day dry-aged rump steak sits at the centre of it, alongside charcoal chicken Ana Mari with roasted garlic and lemon, and roast hake with vinegar peppers. Every main comes with a side, and beef dripping chips are one of them. A Hawksmoor Caesar with Cantabrian anchovies opens the three-course version, and a sticky toffee sundae with clotted cream ice cream closes it. Tables are capped at six.
03 | L'Escargot
Soho
Prix fixe: two courses £26 or three £29, Monday to Saturday, 12pm to 3pm, 5pm to 6.15pm and 9pm to 10.15pm.
L'Escargot serves its prix fixe three times a day, and the last sitting begins at 9pm, as Soho's theatres let out. The restaurant has been at 48 Greek Street since 1927, under chandeliers, with deep red curtains and walls hung with paintings. The set keeps to French classics: French onion soup, a salmon and smoked haddock fish cake, then crème brûlée or a pear condé with cherry sauce.
04 | No. Fifty Cheyne
Chelsea
Set menu: two courses £30 or three £35, Wednesday to Friday lunch, 12pm to 2.30pm, and Monday to Friday, 5.30pm to 6.30pm.
Tall sash windows look onto Cheyne Walk, a short walk from Albert Bridge, with leather banquettes beneath them and British produce on the open grill. Dill-cured salmon with horseradish opens the set. Sea bass follows with crushed new potatoes, spinach and dill cream, or a bavette with peppercorn sauce and fries for a £5 supplement, and a white peach and raspberry fool finishes it.
05 | Bentley's Oyster Bar & Grill
Mayfair
Daily set menu: two courses £35 or three £39.50, every day, 12pm to 3pm and 4.30pm to 6pm.
Bentley's has been opening oysters on Swallow Street, off Piccadilly, since 1916. Its daily set is served in the Grill Room at lunch and again before the theatre, and it turns with the season. This autumn it opens on a spiced crab and mussel broth with coconut milk, lime and coriander, or a tartare of Hereford beef with oyster cream and crispy shallots. Pan-seared cod with coco beans, cockles and Morteau sausage comes next, or a lamb rump tagine with pomegranate and toasted almond. Crème caramel with poached quince ends it, and a matched wine pairing is £34 for two courses or £38 for three.
06 | Hutong
London Bridge
Express Lunch: four courses from £39, Sunday to Friday, 12pm to 4.30pm.
Hutong cooks northern Chinese food on level 33 of The Shard, where red lanterns hang the length of the dining space and the river runs below the windows. The Express Lunch begins with a dim sum platter, steamed, crisp and baked, or vegetarian. A main and a side follow, Kung Po prawns or wok-tossed lotus root with pickled vegetables and pine nuts, with steamed rice, and mandarin sorbet or mango pudding with fruit salsa finishes it. A handful of dishes carry an £8 supplement.
All six are on All Set with the full menu and a direct booking link. Le Pont and No. Fifty Cheyne keep to the working week, Hutong serves its lunch Sunday to Friday, and Bentley's runs its set every day of the week, twice.
FAQ
Does Le Pont de la Tour have a set menu?
Yes. Le Pont de la Tour serves a two-course Express Lunch for £19 in Le Pont Bar on Shad Thames, Monday to Friday from 12pm to 3pm: English beef onglet with shallot sauce and pommes frites, then crème caramel.
How much is the Hutong express lunch at The Shard?
Hutong's Express Lunch on level 33 of The Shard is four courses from £39 per person, Sunday to Friday from 12pm to 4.30pm: a dim sum platter, a main with a side, and a dessert.
Does Bentley's Oyster Bar have a set menu?
Yes. Bentley's Oyster Bar & Grill on Swallow Street in Mayfair serves a daily set menu at £35 for two courses or £39.50 for three, every day from 12pm to 3pm and again from 4.30pm to 6pm.
How much is the Hawksmoor Wood Wharf set lunch?
The lunch set at Hawksmoor Wood Wharf in Canary Wharf is £21 for one course, £26 for two and £30 for three, Monday to Saturday from 12pm to 3pm, built around a 35-day dry-aged rump steak.
Does L'Escargot in Soho have a pre-theatre menu?
Yes. L'Escargot on Greek Street serves its prix fixe at £26 for two courses or £29 for three, Monday to Saturday from 12pm to 3pm, 5pm to 6.15pm and 9pm to 10.15pm.