Working lunch
Our guide to the best places to eat during office hours in The City
AMARU
WHAT? An incy-wincy new Nikkei (translation: Japanese-Peruvian fusion) restaurant combining first class sushi with sweet potato, avocado, cured beef and other South American favourites.
WHERE? A welcome entry into a St Katherine Docks restaurant scene dominated by chains, it’s right next to the popular and highly rated Bravas Tapas whose team also manages Amaru.
WHO? Co-owner Bal Thind knows his asian flavours: he was the one of the original investors in Hakkasan and Yauatcha. Thind and his head chef Victor Garvey combined to make Bravas Tapas one of the best restaurants in the area.
ORDER THIS… Stars of the show are the signature dishes: toasted sesame crusted tuna with avocado, spicy sesame dressing, truffle and umeboshi plum (£9); cured beef with crispy sweet potato and wasabi mayo (£6). If you’re having desert, the green tea tiramisu and coconut sorbet are special too.
BUSINESS OR PLEASURE? Either. The atmosphere in the tiny, 10 cover restaurant is chilled to the point of zen, so if you’re looking for some boozy deal-making you better head somewhere else. If, however, you want somewhere healthy, quiet and relaxed where you can easily hear your lunch partner, look no further.
NEED TO BOOK? Amaru markets itself primarily as a takeaway restaurant, so it’s unusual for it to be full. Still, it can’t hurt to book, especially given that there are only four tables.
THE VERDICT Amaru combines unusual flavours with virtuosic flair. Its food is tasty, fresh and presented with an elegance rarely seen in dishes under £10. Depending on how many plates you opt for, you could easily eat a first class lunch for under £10 a head. The décor is tastefully done, too, with plenty of wood and even a living wall contributing to the temple-like vibe
ONE MORE THING… It’s seriously small. If you need the toilet you’ll have to head next door to the sister restaurant Bravas Tapas where you’ll witness the polar opposite restaurant experience – lively, loud and with a frantic open kitchen. You might feel a little envious, thinking back to the hushed atmosphere at Amaru.