Two of my greatest loves, besides coffee before 12pm, are Michelin-starred meals and bargains, but the two don’t often go hand in hand. The more popular and esteemed a restaurant gets, the higher the price tag - a unique dining experience usually comes with a kick to the wallet and a plate of food you can’t recreate at home but spend weeks (hell, even years) dribbling about.
This is where the set lunch menu at The Ninth comes in. Available from midday until 2.30pm, it serves two courses for £35 and three for £38, featuring some of its most raved-about dishes, including the pain perdu and tonka bean ice cream that’s been there from the very start of the restaurant’s inception.
Bronzed tones and back-lit mirrors make up the restaurant's pretty decor.
DesignMyNight Reviews The Ninth In Fitzrovia
Perched on Charlotte Street, where you’ll find a string of rated restaurants such as Pied à Terre Restaurant, Lisboetta and Carousel, is another gem - The Ninth. Founded in 2015 by Jun Tanaka (of Le Gavroche, The Restaurant Marco Pierre White, and The Square fame), it received its first Michelin star in 2017 and has retained it ever since. The dainty eatery specialises in French Mediterranean-style cooking using high-quality, seasonal ingredients and serves plates that are advised to be shared. Head chef Filippo Alessandri leads the kitchen, which is tucked away out of sight from the first-floor dining room.
The interiors are chic - refined yet shabby around the edges thanks to exposed brick walls and copper pans dangling from a wire rack. We were seated adjacent to the olive green tiled bar and given a complimentary glass of Champagne; this was delightfully crisp and sped my decision-making when it came to choosing my food (I wanted it all).
The Ninth menu is made for sharing, but the set lunch affair can easily be enjoyed on your own.
I began with the seabream carpaccio, featuring blush pink strands of rhubarb, and dusted with sprigs of fennel and dill. Tart and light, it had a pickled tang about it from where the citrus dressing had married the white fish - it was the perfect palate cleanser before my mains, whereas my partner opted for something a little heavier in the form of the beef ragu tagliatelle with bone marrow and pumpkin. Modestly portioned (it was a starter after all), it included meaty chunks of beef and was very rich.
Continuing with the fish theme, I tucked into hake encrusted with herb butter on a bed of cannellini bean puree and cime di rapa. The fish fell apart so delicately and melted in my mouth; the addition of the puree added earthy notes to the dish and the crime di rapa’s leafy texture was an appreciated contrast to the softness of the rest of the plate.
My partner’s roasted Guinea fowl with cavolo nero, hazelnut pesto and glazed shallots had a completely different flavour profile to the delicate nature of mine. It was smoky, succulent and had the added excitement of the birds’ kidneys, which are most definitely an acquired taste.
Pain perdu directly translates as 'lost bread' in French.
In addition to our mains, we ordered a side of chargrilled hispi cabbage with kohlrabi, miso and furikake (£11) and devoured the entire lot. It was easy to eat, already chopped into strips and each one was generously dressed in the smoky, umami marinade.
Undoubtedly, the star of the show was the dessert. I gave into the most decadent, sugar-high-inducing treat of them all - the pain perdu (French toast) with tonka bean ice cream. A rectangular, crispy sponge was perched next to a scoop of cinnamony goodness atop a biscuity crumble and as soon as I popped a slice into my mouth, I felt myself mentally transported to dessert heaven. It was light, fluffy and had the consistency of an egg-drenched sponge you’d find in bread and butter pudding, but the airiness of an omelette cake. I didn’t want it to end but knew it was medically necessary - perfectly portioned, it was a moreish finale to an all-around delicious meal.
Overall: The Ninth
The lunch set menu at The Ninth is fantastic value for money. I enjoyed the fact it included a lot of its most popular dishes at the restaurant without skimping on quality, allowing those who may not have the budget for fine dining to indulge. The pace of the courses was slow, which I appreciated but if you’re incredibly hungry, you might not. I would definitely return - the pain perdu is calling my name.
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💰 Price: £87 for two, excluding service charge. 📍 Address: 22 Charlotte Street, W1T 2NB. 👌 Perfect for: A cheap lunch date in Central London. ⭐ Need to know: The set menu can be enjoyed for dinner with a complimentary glass of Lanson Champagne. It’s £48 for two courses or £52 for three. |
Hungry for more? Check out our guide to the cheapest Michelin-starred restaurants in London.
