January can be a tough, boring month, socialising goes on hold because everyone is dieting and detoxing. The invites to lunch and brunch dry up because all your friends are abstaining from booze and trying to be good.
If you are trying to be healthy this January, don’t despair, you don’t have to cut back on your lunch dates as Chucs restaurant has collaborated with esteemed Chelsea-based private members health club, KX to create a healthy and delicious detox menu.
Founded by Charles Finch, Chucs has venues in Mayfair, Westbourne Grove, Harrods, The Serpentine Gallery in Hyde Park and Saint-Tropez. I went along to their Mayfair branch to sample the detox lunch. I was looking forward to a meal out minus the guilt and was hoping for something healthy, delicious and a big enough plate to not feel cheated. I’m pleased to say I wasn’t disappointed.

Unlike some of the other restaurants on Dover Street, Chucs isn’t pretentious. It has a welcoming, cosy atmosphere, if a little snug so you might want to try one of the bigger outlets if you are going with a large group. The walls are adorned with photographs from the 1950’s of the Amalfi coast instantly making me long for summer and forget about the wet weather outside. The staff here are warm and friendly and couldn’t do enough for us, even tempting us to go off-piste with a cheeky glass of vino. We resisted and instead opted for an invigorating glass of Clensa, a zesty combination of lemon, grapefruit and orange juice.
Head chef, Alessandro Verdenelli has created plenty of tasty, nutritious options to choose from. The menu is a collection of fresh, vibrant and delicious European cuisine with a healthy influence. There are smaller plates to start with like a fresh quinoa tabbouleh salad or minestrone soup. The mains include seared tuna or poached salmon with chicory velouté and amaranth. I plumped for the seared tuna and niçoise salad served with quail eggs, finely chopped green beans, asparagus and broccoli while my date had the quinoa tabbouleh salad. Both dishes were substantial yet light. My seared tuna was delicious, coated in sesame seeds and cooked to perfection. The portion sizes were a lot bigger than I expected and we shared the tuna as I just couldn’t manage it all. As a result, there was no need to check out the desert menu although I’m not sure that would have been part of the detox lunch option!
So if you are sick of staying in this month and want all the fun without the guilt head over to one of the Chucs restaurants and try the detox lunch. In addition to this Chucs and KXU, KX’s sister brand will be hosting a detox brunch on Saturday 19th January. It kicks off at KXU in Chelsea at 10.30am, from here you and their team of professional coaches run to Chucs Serpentine where you’ll be served one of their freshly squeezed juices followed by a selection of healthy salads. Post brunch an expert from KXU will give a talk on wellbeing, exercise, diet and detox, followed up with a Q&A.
The January detox menu is available alongside the usual Chucs menu. If you don’t fancy going for the full detox you can combine with Chucs signature dishes. The menu is available in all four London locations.

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