From watermelon-feta salads in Yorkshire to sky-high cocktails above London, these are the cooling dishes and refreshing spots to escape your kitchen this summer.
When it’s simply too hot to cook, the smartest move is to let someone else handle the heat. Across the UK, restaurants are leaning into the season with lighter menus that make the most of summer’s best ingredients: juicy watermelon, ripe tomatoes, delicate sashimi, fresh mint. This is eating that feels like relief, not effort.
Mayfair Summers on a Plate
At two Michelin-starred Bonheur by Matt Abé in Mayfair, Chef Patron Matt Abé has built a new three-course seasonal lunch menu around the scent of tomatoes on the vine and the anticipation of watching them ripen. The Isle of Wight Heirloom Tomato Tart pairs vibrant tomatoes with peach and elderflower, finished with smoked buttermilk and basil sauce. Roast chicken with young English peas, charred onions and black garlic follows, before a classic strawberries and cream finale. The Summer of Bonheur runs Thursday to Saturday for £110 per person.
Just a few streets away, Nobu London on Old Park Lane has launched the Nobu Signature Lunch, a weekday set menu that distills Chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s greatest hits into a lighter, lunch-sized format. For £40, choose between Sashimi Three Ways—Yellowtail Jalapeño, Salmon New Style, Tuna Tataki—or the Signature Sushi Selection, followed by a trio of hot dishes including Rock Shrimp Tempura, Black Cod Miso and Beef Tenderloin with your choice of Teriyaki or Anticucho sauce. It’s available Monday to Friday, 12pm to 2.30pm.
Yorkshire Freshness and London Elegance
Up north at The Orchard at Grantley Hall, the Watermelon and Barrel-Aged Feta Salad is everything you want on a sweltering afternoon. Juicy watermelon meets salty barrel-aged feta, fresh mint, finely sliced green chilli and extra virgin olive oil—a refreshing balance of sweet, salty and gentle heat, served in an elegant marquee overlooking the West Lawn.
Back in London, Charlie’s at Brown’s Hotel offers the Bluefin Tuna, Pea and Jalapeño Tea, Apple and Mint—a delicate, ingredient-led dish that pairs seasonal peas with the cooling freshness of apple and mint and a gentle kick of jalapeño. It’s light, considered and exactly what rising temperatures call for.
Sky-High Sipping
When lunch calls for something cold in the glass, head to floor 52 of Shangri-La The Shard for the newly launched Icons of Asia cocktail menu at GŎNG Bar. The Golden Orchard—an elegant, floral tribute to Singapore—combines Haku Vodka, white peach, lychee, wakame, wild blueberry and Fenjiu Silk Road Rose. Pair it with the GŎNG Platter, featuring chef’s choice sashimi, California roll, edamame and prawn tempura, all served with unbeatable views across the city.
Whether you’re after Michelin-starred precision or a sky-high cocktail with a view, there’s no shortage of ways to escape the kitchen right now. Find full menus and booking details at each venue’s site—and if you’re looking to stretch your budget further, check out tastecard for discounted dining at your favourite restaurants.
