Reassuringly inexpensive London restaurants

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The current tough times have curbed the greed of the restaurant industry. Even among the elite there's a whiff of genuine competition in the air. At the moment you can eat like a hedge fund bonus boy even if you don't have a banker's pension. The key lies in the offers — lunch offers, prix fixe offers, pre- and post-theatre offers. Cute diners will start by thinking carefully about when they're going to eat. Dishes will taste all the better in the knowledge that you could pay three time as much in the evening. Here are a few of the bargains available at some of the finest restaurants in the land.

Le Gavroche
Upper Brook Street, W1 (020 7408 0881)
Le Gavroche is a legend in its own lunchtime. The set lunch here has been packing them in for years and still offers stellar value. £48 buys you a three-course lunch including half a bottle of wine. You get stunning food (two Michelin stars) and slick formal service. Gentlemen have to look smart and wear a jacket but it's worth it.

L'Ambassade d'Ile
117/119 Old Brompton Road, SW7 (020 7373 7774)
This is the recently opened (and recently Michelin-starred) London outpost of Lyonnaise chef Jean-Christophe Ansanay-Alex. He offers a competitive set lunch — two courses, mineral water, coffee and two glasses of wine chosen by the sommelier for just £32. Follow a salade Lyonnaise or chicken liver mousse with "escalope of Scottish salmon with spinach, beurre blanc and Sauce Nantua" or "free-range chicken breast with vinegar, leeks and potato mousseline".

Umu
14-16 Bruton Place, W1 (020 7499 8881)
Umu is a top-rated Japanese restaurant with a pricey reputation, so try the Hangetsu set lunch: several different combinations start at just £21. Green salad or a seasonal appetiser is followed by red or white miso, clear soup or hot somen noodles and fresh fruit or homemade ice cream.

Le Café Anglais
8 Porchester Gardens, W2 (020 7221 1415)
At Rowley Leigh's bustling restaurant the set lunch menu is a highly accessible £16.50 for two courses and the bargains continue at dinner time with a set dinner menu available all night on weekdays. £20 for two courses, £25 for three; pay an extra £10 for half a bottle of wine.

Sketch
Lecture Room & Library, 9 Conduit Street, W1 (020 7659 4500)
Pierre Gagnaire is the chef overseeing this Michelin-starred establishment. To avoid paying for a formal dinner, consider the Gourmet Rapide set lunch. Two courses for £30, three for £35. Half a bottle of mineral water and half a bottle of wine ups the bill to £48 for three courses.

Ristorante Semplice
10 Blenheim Street, W1 (020 7495 1509)
This comfortable Italian restaurant recently won its first Michelin star — expect well-presented and authentic Italian regional food. The lunch deals are particularly good value — two courses with coffee £16, add a glass of wine £19, or three courses with a glass of wine and coffee £22.

L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon
13-15 West Street, WC2 (020 7010 8600) The London branch of another highly rated Frenchman. M Robuchon tempts us with a set lunch deal — two courses for £19, three for £25. Elegantly presented food underpinned by classical French technique.

Corrigan's Mayfair
28 Upper Grosvenor Street, W1 (020 7499 9943)
Richard Corrigan's new Mayfair restaurant has a healthy respect for local produce and honest cooking. The lunch deal is amazing — two courses for £19.50, three for £23.50, including a 250ml carafe of wine. A bargain.

The Capital
22-24 Basil Street, SW3 (020 7589 5171)
At the Capital Hotel restaurant (Michelin two-star) chef Eric Chavot changes his style slightly for the lunch service with more bourgeois dishes such as a white bean velouté with smoked bacon tortellini, or a daube of beef. Two courses for £27.50, three for £33.

Benares
12a Berkeley Square house, W1 (020 7629 8886)
One of the first Indian restaurants to be honoured by Michelin, Benares does a great set lunch — how does tandoori smoked salmon followed by slow-cooked lamb breast with rogan fettucine sound? You get three choices for each course. Two courses £19.95, three £24.95.