The Lunch Bunch

A hot lunch is one of life’s great pleasures, reminiscent of days in the college dining hall or playing hooky from work.

And perhaps thanks to Park Slope’s heavy work-from-home population, it’s one of the best neighborhoods for a lunch out.

Restaurant lunches have many virtues: cheaper prices, smaller waits, and the intangible sense of luxury bestowed by spending an hour in the middle of the day sitting in a restaurant. Below, four Slope spots where lunch is the way to go.

Al Di La

By night, Al Di La boasts waits out the door for Emiliano Coppa and Anna Klinger’s simple, rich take on Italian fare. At lunch, however, you don’t have to wait to scarf down more casual versions of dinner classics  — for less money.

At dinner, rabbit is braised with black olives and perched atop a pile of creamy polenta for a cool $24. At lunch, it comes fried with green olive relish and runs you a mere $15. There are also less derivative items, including a short rib sandwich topped with tomato, onion, and horseradish salsa verde.

Brooklyn Fish Camp

At Brooklyn Fish Camp, the lunch and dinner menus are near identical, with one major difference: lunch is cheaper. At dinner, a Greek bronzini filet with farotto, pine nuts, and currants will run you $19, but at lunch, you can get it for $15. Lobster and shiitake potstickers are $9 at lunch  — compared to $12 at dinner. Linger for a while and indulge in some wine  — with these lower food prices, why not?

Flatbush Farm

Flatbush Farm’s lunch is something of a middle ground between the formality of dinner and the ultra-casual bar menu. Go for the rabbit confit sandwich, which comes with ultra-perfect French fries and a curry aioli. At $12, it’s also a veritable bargain. Or, if you’re in a brunchier mode, try the omelette, rich with ricotta salata and herbs, and served with crusty country bread.

Stone Park Cafe

Stone Park Cafe offers the rarest of all breeds: the fancy lunch special. Sure, you could head to a local Thai spot and get a lunch box, but why not upgrade?

At Stone Park, $19 gets you three courses. Start with the marinated beet salad, where the richness of the goat cheese is cut by the tart Fuji apples. Move on to the grilled pork chop (which would run you $24 at dinner time in and of itself) and finish with the panna cotta.

Three courses for $19? Like we said, lunch is the way to go.