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Regular readers will know that on our website, we champion set lunch menus as they’re a great way to experience some of the very best restaurants at a bargain price. A set lunch gives you a snapshot of what the restaurant is all about, a way to experience the food, service and ambience, and as I have done, return to delve into their à la carte menu. So today it was the turn of The Cocochine, which introduced a set lunch earlier this year.
1 The Restaurant
The Cocochine opened in 2024, housed in a beautiful townhouse on one of my favourite foodie streets, Bruton Place. It took about three years of development and building to create the restaurant, and on arriving, you can see why – it’s a stunning space set over three floors.
The main dining room downstairs features low lighting that enhances each table, pictures that bring colour into the room, and deep burgundy seating that adds warmth and a luxurious feel. The décor makes you feel at home and relaxed.
The next floor offers counter dining with an open kitchen in the middle – this is a ringside seat to the action. From the counter, you can watch the chefs at work in the most pristine of kitchens.
Upstairs is the most stunning private dining room. Trust me, you could quite easily live in this room. A large dining table seats 24 diners, and there are also two sofas to relax in after your meal, comforted by a large open fire.
Oh, I nearly forgot to mention that the extensive wine cellar is in the basement.
2 Chef Patron Larry Jayasekara
It’s worth mentioning that Chef/Patron Larry Jayasekara has a very impressive CV since arriving in the UK from his native Sri Lanka in 2002.
His pathway to his own restaurant included working under some of the most renowned chefs in Britain and France, including Marcus Wareing, Alain Roux, Michel Bras, Raymond Blanc, and Gordon Ramsay. His career includes prestigious positions at top-tier restaurants like the Waterside Inn, Michel Bras and Le Manoir aux Quat’Saison.
He became head chef of Gordon Ramsay’s Michelin Star restaurant Pétrus and won the National Chef of the Year competition in October 2016. Produce plays a big part in his philosophy when it comes to creating the menu.
3 The Philosophy Behind the Menu
Larry Jayasekara’s philosophy at The Cocochine is deeply rooted in exceptional produce. Nearly all ingredients arrive from regenerative mixed farmland in Northamptonshire – fruit, vegetables, seasonal flowers, and rare-breed livestock, including game and native pigs. The farm even supplies the restaurant’s still and sparkling water from its natural spring.
The menu ventures beyond British shores too, showcasing single-origin chocolate from Suffolk, preservative-free coconut cream from Sri Lanka, Norwegian reindeer, and Otoro tuna flown directly from Ginza. It’s a carefully curated blend of local and global excellence.
Sustainability runs through every aspect. Larry and his team waste nothing – vegetable and fruit peel transform into stocks and sauces, while animal skins become rugs and seating at The Cocochine’s sister spot, the Rex Deli. Every ingredient is utilised thoughtfully.
4 The Set Lunch Menu
Let’s get onto the food and, more importantly, the set lunch. First off, the price: two courses for £29, and three for £39. There are two choices for each course, and the menu choices will be open to seasonal change. But to give you a sample of our experience, we chose one of each dish on the menu – trust me when I say it was not a chore.
Whilst looking at the menu, we were treated to an amuse-bouche: a perfectly formed bite-sized doughnut. Now, regular readers will know I often get overexcited and forget to remember all the ingredients, but what I do know is that it was filled with two cheeses, one being Comté, and topped with grated pecorino. Needless to say, it was delightful, and I will try to do better with the rest of the menu. Oh, also another lovely touch – we were treated to freshly squeezed apple juice, picked from the farm. A great way to kick off our Cocochine experience.
There were a couple of homemade breads available: a brioche and a sourdough. We chose the sourdough (£4), made from a seven-year-old starter. The bread was sensational; if I had to leave, having only eaten the bread, I would have left a happy man. If you go, I recommend you order the bread – no, actually, I insist.
5 The Starters
The starters arrived: a raviolo of Scottish lobster and a signature Rowler farm garden salad. The raviolo was served with garden greens and, as a nod to Larry’s homeland, a spicy coconut sauce. The pasta was so thin you wondered how they could cook it without splitting, the lobster was cooked perfectly, and that sauce…
Now I’m not going to list the ingredients in the salad as it contained no less than 56 different leaves, vegetables and flowers. Totally insane – how long does it take to plate up? Luckily, they don’t have to keep it warm. The salad was dressed with homemade dressing and nettle pesto. The effort was well worth it as it had a different flavour and texture in every bite. It was like no other salad we had ever had.
6 The Main Courses
The choices for mains were slow-cooked Rowler farm beef pie with red wine jus, or roasted line-caught wild sea trout with a seafood bisque. As you can see from the pictures, the pastry work on the pie was impressive, and the eating of said pie was equally impressive and enjoyable. It was as good as it read on the menu. Not to be outdone, the sea trout was beautifully cooked, and the bisque packed a punch – exactly what you want from a seafood bisque.
I should mention we did add a side of Cocochine chips. What turned up was a bowl of layered potatoes, deep-fried. The waiter informed me there were 27 layers to each chip. I felt slightly embarrassed to eat them so quickly when taking into consideration the amount of work that goes into producing a bowl of Cocochine chips.
7 Desserts
The finale to our banquet was desserts. Another pie was on the menu, this time a Rowler farm apple pie with Tahiti vanilla crème anglaise. The second option was Tahiti vanilla ice cream paired with jaggery caramel. The apple version of the pie was equally impressive, the pastry perfectly cooked – the perfect apple pie with a dreamy crème anglaise. Not to be outdone in this dessert beauty contest, the ice cream was served with a chocolate tuile neatly positioned as if it were at Ladies’ Day at Ascot, along with an exquisite caramel sauce. If you like sauces packed with flavour, you will not be disappointed.
8 Final Thoughts
So how do we sum up The Cocochine set lunch? From what you have read, you can tell we were impressed. Although you are having the set lunch deal, you are getting the full Cocochine experience. From the service to the outstanding cooking on display, lunch was what a fine dining experience should be – something that you know you cannot replicate at home, even if you can find 56 ingredients for your salad!
9 Where to Find The Cocochine
The Cocochine 27 Bruton Place, London W1J 6NQ
The Rex Deli
38 Bruton Place, London W1J 6NX
