Lyle’s: An understated restaurant with much to offer

Along with star ratings restaurant reviews might usefully indicate whether the place in question is better for lunch or dinner. In my judgement, Lyle’s comes with a big L for lunch. Dinner is four courses at a set price with no choice. What’s mine is thine; where’s the fun there? But at lunch, there are 15 choices to dice with and divvy up and because James Lowe is a gifted, responsive, companionable chef tightly plugged into seasonality and a believer in the St. John diktat that nature should write your menu — he was head chef at St John Bread & Wine — dishes will feature ingredients like dulse and nettles, herbs like sweet cicely and lovage, breeds like Speckled Face mutton and tingling treats like cédrat lemon sherbet & preserved lemon meringue. Daytime also suits the high-ceilinged strictly functional dining room better. Take note of The Guest Series whereby compelling chefs from other countries are invited to cook, admittedly in the evenings. Everyone benefits.