Take yourself out to lunch
Three tips from a food & drinks journalist about how to find the best places to eat
One aspect I overlook when working from home is that I can still eat lunch out if I want to.
I lean so heavily into the benefits of actually being at home. Caught up in homemade flatbreads, tucking in to Turkish eggs at 11 as I can’t wait until lunch, or creating concoctions from leftovers (potatoes, obvs), I forget that I can still go out.
But when I used to go out (out the house to an actual office) to work, I would go out for lunch sometimes. Why don’t I do that occasionally now?
In an old office years ago, we’d get sandwiches from a favourite place on a Friday. I still remember looking forward to that choice and having the freedom from not forcing myself to eat the sandwich I’d packed up the night before. On other days, a trip to the supermarket or a bakery for a little something extra if my packed lunch wasn’t cutting it. And in a very distant memory, there was the odd lunch out with colleagues or reps.
Further back than that, my first taste of a proper working lunch was being taken out for lunch on my first day of work experience. Is this what work will be like, I thought, aged 15. Commuting to Covent Garden with a cappuccino in hand, Italian food for lunch, starter and main followed by coffee. I had no clue what restaurant it was at the time, but looking back, I’m pretty sure it was the first Carluccio’s on Neal Street. The watercress soup left a lasting impression on me — it was like sipping liquid velvet. As did the curt words from Marco Pierre White later in the week when I had to answer the phone because no one else was available to talk to him about his book.
Nowadays, there are a few reasons why I don’t go out for lunch very often. Save for a few country pubs and a village shop, there’s not much on offer without getting in the car as my nearest town is six miles away. That doesn't usually put me off; I drove an hour to a market last weekend just to get kardemummabullar (Swedish cardamom buns). Completely worth it. But during the week when I’m working?
Then there’s deciding where to go. It’s so incredibly disappointing when you go out to eat only to find the menu is uninspiring and the food is mediocre at best.
We’ve all been caught out, eager to try somewhere or else limited for choice, and ended up paying (too much) for a meal that we could quite simply have made better at home.
There are multiple variables and factors at any time influencing what we want from eating out. The best company can save the worst food. Fantastic food can fall flat if the atmosphere is uncomfortable.
Because I’m nosey curious and greedy, I’m always on the lookout for new places to try.
What’s the best way to find new places to eat? Are some places better at lunchtime?
In a world where we hear about new places to eat via Instagram, how do we know what’s genuine?
What would a professional food writer look for before they picked somewhere new to try?
Well, I asked a food and drink journalist for their advice.
Three tips from food and drink journalist Bradley Lengden about how to find the best places to eat.
1. Try somewhere you might not otherwise
Lots of places will run discounted lunch menus, making it a significantly cheaper time to visit. I often use this as a way of trying new places that I've fancied for a while, but without committing to spending a fortune on an evening menu, which will usually be twice as expensive. If I go at lunch and it's good, then odds are I'll go back for a 'proper' meal in the evening.
2. Take social media with a pinch of salt
I find that word-of-mouth is always a more reliable way to discover restaurants than social media. Lots of restaurants will partner with publications or influencers, so you don't always know what is a genuine review and what isn't. If you know someone that's really into their food, try and pick their brain.
3. Don't be scared to take the plunge
In sort of a follow-on to the last point, not all restaurants have massive marketing budgets, particularly if it's a little family-run place (which are so often the best). That means you might rarely see them on socials or in local media, which, these days, will be a put-off for a lot of people. However, some of the best meals I've had have been when I've randomly wandered by somewhere and the menu looked good, or it smelled great from outside, and I've just taken a chance and gone in and ordered on a whim. Sure, it can be hit and miss, but the pay-off is definitely worth it.
Where will you try for your next lunch out? I’ve got my eye on a really old Italian restaurant in a local town. After point number 3, I’m fascinated by their complete lack of social media presence and dreadful website — clearly a sign they don’t need to do any promo!
Normal lunch service will resume next week. Until then, you can look for lunch inspiration in the archives.