Best Lunch Restaurants in The Rookery

"Set in a 1920s car showroom, this grand all-day brasserie exudes a heady glamor, with its gleaming marble floors, red-and-gold Japanese panels, and sleek leather banquettes. Londoners tend to come to take in breakfast and the paper, with a menu that runs from stacked pancakes to an impeccable omelet Arnold Bennett, layered with smoked haddock and creamy hollandaise. The stately surroundings that never feel too stiffly formal; drop by on a whim for just about anything you fancy."

"The finest days – weekend ones or otherwise – begin at The Wolseley. The Piccadilly restaurant is the stuff of London breakfast legend: impeccable service, quietly superb food and an elegant room with an atmosphere that is at once grand and intimate, particular but unfussy. Among a menu of classics to suit all mornings, signature serves include omelette Arnold Bennett with haddock and hollandaise, and a rich portion of fried haggis with duck eggs and whisky sauce."

"Pop into The Wolseley for its famous brunch – or enjoy lunch, dinner and a great value afternoon tea – on your anniversary at this lively eatery on Piccadilly. Once a car showroom, the light-filled restaurant is influenced by the historic European "grand cafes", with a relaxed feel that's perfect for a low-key celebration. Book The Wolseley now."

"Things have changed a lot since the eponymous Bill Collison opened his homespun grocer-cafe in Lewes, in 2001. Now, his baby is a nine-strong chain, which seeks to retain some of the original's allotment chic, while giving you the hard sell. Barely have you sat down (on a seat cushion fashioned from an old potato sack), than your waitress is pressing a menu into your hand, from which you can tick-purchase the cordials, oils and tinned olives stacked on the nearby shelves."

"Bill’s was founded in 2001 by Greengrocer Bill Collinson in Lewes, East Sussex. After a flood Bill added a café to his shop and after great success went on to open a second restaurant in Brighton. Bill’s have since expanded and opened 81 sites across the UK."

"For £6.95 children can get a snack, a main course and a dessert as well as a juice. Options include fish finger sandwiches, a ham and cheese toastie and chicken or hamburgers. Where: Riversideat The Oracle, Reading town centre"

"This independent café and espresso bar is directly inspired by Australia and New Zealand’s thriving coffee culture and owner Peter Dore-Smith’s time working in the Melbourne hospitality scene. Hit up Kaffeine for a silky smooth flat white or one of the finest cortados in the whole of London but don’t forget to grab a chewy, buttery ANZAC biscuit for the road. They’re dangerously addictive and the perfect partner for a well-made brew."

"Peter Dore-Smith’s Fitzrovia institution shares something intangible with the rest of London’s best cafes — in acquiring reach and regard beyond their local area, they have not lost their importance to those closest to them. With newly secured outdoor tables on the street, this is the perfect place for just a peerless espresso, some of the best banana bread in London, or a full Aussie brunch."

"Owner Peter Dore-Smith, originally from Melbourne used to manage hospitality at Lords Cricket Ground. A lover of coffee, he opened this Fitzrovia spot in 2009. The coffee from London roasters Square Mile is always great, but Kaffeine is in the hospitality business rather than the coffee business."

"For some classic Moroccan and Medit­er­ra­nean dishes head over to Meimo. Just a short distance away from the castle you will easily be able to walk to this venue. Known for being one of Windsor’s finest restaurants, you will be able to enjoy some delicious dishes and a friendly atmosphere throughout the whole of your time in the venue."

"An atmospheric restaurant, well situated at the start of Peascod Street as you head into town. Meimo is a fusion of Moroccan and Mediterranean cuisine with some interesting and flavoursome dishes. A real treat for lunchtime or dinner – outdoor seating is great for people-watching in Summer."

"Hugely popular with locals and serving slap-up tagines or platters full of spectacular yet subtle flavour, Meimo’s smart décor and lively atmosphere make this an optimum stop to refuel and revive on a cool Windsor evening."

"This big, swanky restaurant in the City of London is worth a visit for the décor alone. The ornate cornicing is the ideal accompaniment to the upmarket Italian cuisine and polished service. An import from Russia (the restaurant’s founder is Sicily-born Remo Mazzucato), Piazza Italiana has brought with it a Muscovite enthusiasm for caviar, which is served with pancakes, quail eggs, crème fraiche and butter."

"This is the first London opening for a restaurant group that started out in Moscow. They'll have high end Italian food in a very impressive location."

"The brief for the design of The Delaunay was ‘Where would a 1940s woman carrying a hat box and leaving New York by train eat beforehand?. ’ The elegant interior features white tablecloths and dark-wood accents to highlight the mittel-European food at this Corbin & King classic. Think goulash, tarte flambée and, of course, oysters."

"This 1920s style restaurant is a glamorous spot to indulge your pancake craving. 55 Aldwych, Holborn, London, WC2B 4BB. Tube: Temple Station , Holborn Station"

"Now, versions of the Peruvian national dish pop up on all sorts of menus across the capital, and that’s largely thanks to its namesake restaurant putting it on our relatively small map. Ceviche’s Soho and Old Street restaurants serve the dish of fish cured in citrusy “tiger’s milk” in a variety of flavour-packed forms: ceviche Peruano offers a traditional mix of seabass, sweet potato, red onion and Andean corn, while the “Passionate” tiradito sees slithers of salmon swim in a passion fruit-infused curing liquor. W1, EC1, cevichefamily.com"

"Restaurants Pan-South American Soho. Undeniably cool, but casual enough for kids, this Soho-townhouse-turned-Peruvian-rendezvous comes from the team behind Ceviche. There are plenty of tasty and colourful options on the menu, from carrot fritters and corn cakes to chocolate and chia brownies."

"Restaurants Peruvian Soho"

"Croydon Park Hotel is ideal for guests visiting London for business or pleasure. Situated on a quiet, leafy road close to the centre of Croydon, we’re just 3 minutes’ walk from East Croydon Station where direct trains will transport you to the two main stations servicing both central London and the City, in under 15 minutes; London Victoria or London Bridge. Alternatively, a short 7 minute walk will take you into centre of Croydon, where guests can enjoy the Whitgift and Centrale shopping centres for retail therapy with some top brands."

"In a railway arch in Bethnal Green, this New York-inspired tap room and shop stocks an impressive array of beers brewed in the capital and across the globe. The menu of beers available on tap changes regularly and there are 19 taps serving all sorts of different styles, including limited edition brews. Sharing plates are available and street food vendors congregate outside every weekend."

"Six of them, shoulder to shoulder, shelves full of anything from Amundsen to Wild Beer Co. Pair that with 23 taps on constant rotation, and it’s fair to say this tap room has one of the most extensive beer ranges in London."

"Occupying disused bare-brick railway arches in Waterloo underground station, The Vaults is a striking space for alternative arts and immersive theatre. As well as jazz sets, indie plays, and alien-themed musicals, you can discover a continual rotation of art in its tunnels. This unique contemporary art gallery is said to feature artists who ‘have a natural affinity for the unusual, the daring, and the unknown’, and that is easy to see."

"This water-based activity area in Wimbledon is entirely free. Although it’s only open in the summer (July and August), it’s definitely worth a visit. Six paddling pools are available at the interactive splash pad and sprinkler park."

"If the ladies’, men’s and mixed bathing ponds seem a bit too murky, take your children to the lido, instead. While still brisk, the water here tends to be warmer, and after you tire the children out in the water, roam the heath and find the perfect picnicking spot for the day. The heath has no great playgrounds – though, if you must, there are plenty in neighbouring Hampstead and Highgate – but the glorious park offers endless space for roaming, plenty of wooded areas for discovering natural forts, and space for sport."

"Hampstead Heath Park London is one of the most loved parks in London. There’s plenty of things to do like visiting the Parliament Hill, Golders Hill Park-with a zoo and a gorgeous butterfly house, an open-air Lido, swimming ponds, splash pools, countless sports pitches and facilities, athletics track, playgrounds, stunning listed Pergola and Hill Garden. The list of things to do at Hampstead Heath doesn’t end!"

"Elevate your London perspective – Hampstead Heath is one of the best places in London to see the city skyline. In fact, the view from Parliament Hill in the south-east corner of the park is protected by law. Make the hike up the 322-foot (98-metre) hill and you'll be rewarded with views of Canary Wharf, St Paul's Cathedral and many more top London sights."