For many, food is inextricably linked with travel. And while life-changing meals can come from the most unassuming spots — a food truck, a hole in the wall in a residential neighborhood — vacation is a time to treat yourself. Personally, I love taking myself out to an award-winning meal in a luxurious setting at least once while exploring a new place — and I’ve come up with a way that allows me to do this without breaking the bank.
Enter: lunchtime fine dining. High-end restaurants around the world tend to offer what is known as a prix fixe lunch menu or a business lunch. Some even feature early dinner menus. Usually, these special menus are less expensive than their dinner counterparts and designed to lure in diners during a less busy time of day by providing a more limited number of courses (usually three or so). Still, they’re the exquisitely prepared meals you expect of the establishment, created by the same buzzy chefs. Another benefit to enjoying a swanky meal over lunch? Reservations will be easier to get, if even necessary. Plus, it makes for a nice midday break, fortifying you for the rest of the day ahead.
Read on for some upscale restaurants around the globe in which you can enjoy award-winning food for less.
Nobu — Tokyo, Japan
Ever since Japanese chef Nobu Matsuhisa, actor Robert de Niro, restaurateur Drew Nieporent, and investor Meir Teper opened the first Nobu restaurant in the 1990s, the now global chain has been a favorite among celebrities. In Tokyo, a famously expensive city, heading to Nobu for dinner can set you back some 28,000 yen, roughly $180, if you’re sampling some chef favorites (and that’s without drinks). But come to the sleek and minimalist restaurant for lunch and opt for a Bento box or a lunch short menu, both of which offer several courses, including the dish of the day, sushi rolls, a sashimi salad, and dessert, for anything between 4,400 yen ($28) to 12,000 yen ($75).
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal — Dubai, UAE
British Michelin star-winning chef Heston Blumenthal is regarded as “the pioneer of multi-sensory food experiences,” where nothing tastes the way you expect it might, and each morsel challenges and delights your taste buds. But his creations come at a price: Have dinner at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal in the swanky Atlantis The Royal in Dubai and the Tipsy Cake alone will set you back AED 130 (roughly $35). Instead, go for Sunday Roast, which takes place every Sunday between noon and 3 p.m. You’ll get a three-course feast, starting with Blumenthal’s Meat Fruit — a liver parfait that looks like a mandarin — an enormous, typically English Sunday roast complete with Yorkshire pudding and a slew of delicious sides, as well as the aforementioned Tipsy Cake, all for around AED 495 ($135).
Kai’s Songbird — Doha, Qatar
No trip to Doha is complete without a stop at Kai’s Songbird on Pearl Island. The only sister restaurant of Michelin-starred Kai Mayfair, London, serves up superb Nanyang (Chinese) cuisine in a gorgeous setting by the marina. But instead of going for dinner, go for Friday brunch, when you can enjoy a three-hour feast of Kai delicacies, from a crispy duck platter to a comprehensive bao selection, fish and meat courses, and an entire trolley full of desserts to sample, all from QAR 340 ($93).
Gymkhana Mayfair — London, UK
Gymkhana is a two-Michelin-star Indian restaurant that looks somewhat like a traditional pub. However, your favorite Indian dishes, from Chicken Tikka to Methi Malai Mutter Paneer in the form of a tasting menu will cost around GBP 195 ($250). A la carte, each entree is around $30 to $40. However, come lunchtime, you can enjoy two courses (with a generous pile of pappadums) for GBP 55 ($70) in the same cozy, wood-paneled setting.
Wild Honey St James — London, UK
Wild Honey, a Michelin-star restaurant, is located on the poshest mile in London, mere steps away from Buckingham Palace. A gorgeous grand dining room with high ceilings, huge windows, and a French brasserie vibe, it serves up superb modern English and European cuisine. Despite its location and Michelin status, it’s a generally affordable restaurant, with set dinner menus from GBP 95 ($120). Still, lunchtime is a better deal, as is the pre-theater seating, which feels a little more like dinner, albeit an early one (Insider tip: London is full of special offers for those heading out to catch a show). So, between 5 p.m. and 6.30 p.m., you can enjoy a three-course Early Supper/Pre-Theatre menu for GBP 45 ($57). The current menu allows diners to choose between two options per course but includes tempura and ceviche of Cornish sardines, grilled haunch of Denbighshire venison, and rice pudding.
The Ritz Restaurant — London, UK
The Ritz is a world-famous institution — and a great excuse to get dressed up. The famous hotel on Piccadilly is utterly luxurious and boasts a sumptuous Michelin-starred restaurant. The seven-course menu priced at GBP 200 ($250) would have even gotten Marie Antoinette’s approval. While not Michelin-starred, I recommend going to The Ritz for its traditional Afternoon Tea. For GBP 75 ($95) you’ll get a mindboggling array of delectable sandwiches, pastries, chocolates, and treats.
Candlenut - Singapore
Singapore dining is a mix of cuisines, and Peranakan food, in particular, reflects Chinese, Indonesian, and Malay influences. Candlenut has won a Michelin star for its fantastic Paranakan cuisine and offers a lunch tasting menu that starts at $108. Its three delectable courses — think Boston lobster, slow-cooked Iberico pork jowl, and local red snapper — can be enjoyed either on the terrace in a lush garden setting or inside under a stunning array of gorgeous lanterns.
The Modern - New York City, New York
Fine art and fine dining go hand in hand at chef Tom Allen’s super sleek two-star eatery inside the Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan. But while the tasting menu at night might set you back an eye-watering $275 per person (and another $195 if you want to add a wine pairing), you can sample the same exquisite cuisine at lunch for a much more affordable $150. The food changes seasonally, but cross your fingers for the world-famous roasted Turbot with parmesan.