A view to dine for
SOUTHERN GEMS
Now we’ve told you to go to Ting, we can’t ignore the other brilliant restaurants inside The Shard. Hutong is also an Asian-inspired affair, while Oblix and Aqua Shard are focused on modern British cuisine – all massively capitalise on the panoramic views.
Book in at Skylon brasserie in the Royal Festival Hall before a concert for one of the best views on the South Bank. It makes the most of its position with its floor-to-ceiling windows.
For a view that’s teeming with life, overlook the bustle of Borough Market at Roast. Sitting above the foodie hotspot, it serves local British produce in a grand setting accompanied by a grand piano.
And if you want something a bit more rough and ready, head to Frank’s Cafe in Peckham. Situated on the 10th story of a car park, it’s where all the cool kids who can’t afford to likve in Dalston anymore hare hanging out. It opens soon for the summer season and the views are spectacular.
RIVERSIDE
It’s often said that Londoners don’t make enough of the river, so what better way to celebrate it than to dine alongside it?
Jump aboard the RS Hispanola, a boat-based restaurant that’s permanently docked at Victoria Embankment, and enjoy a bite to eat accompanied by a pianist on the sun terrace. Some of the best views of Tower Bridge can be found at one of the many fine eateries that have cropped up recently around Shad Thames such as Le Pont de la Tour, Butler’s Wharf Chop House (decorated like an English boathouse with country gardens) and the Blueprint Café on top of the Design Museum.
Riverside eating doesn’t always have to be about seafood either; water views and dim sum go hand-in-hand at Dim T which sits opposite the HMS Belfast at London Bridge, while the Serpentine Bar & Kitchen in Hyde Park combines picturesque views with wood-fired oven pizzas and gourmet fish finger butties.
CITY OF LONDON
The square mile is not famed for an abundance of chic restaurants, but it is a place to get down to business. Quartier in Moorgate, on the first floor of the members-only Moorgate Club, is just the place to organise a power lunch against the City’s imposing skyline.
By now, most people have discovered Sushisamba (floors 38 and 39) and Duck & Waffle (floor 40) in The Heron Tower (probably due to their late-night drinking policies) but the latter serves gourmet all-day breakfasts worth trying like ox cheek eggs benedict.
Madison’s on top of One New Change has one of Europe’s largest open air roof terraces and it serves food directly opposite St Paul’s Cathedral.
For a quirkier find, head below the Milennium Bridge in Blackfriars to Northbank which serves Cornish specialities with spectacular views over to the Thames. Nearby, High Timber offers South African food and your pick of their 40,000 bottle wine cellar.
WEST END
Don’t let the view distract you from the food at Michelin-starred Galvin at Windows in Mayfair. This restaurant sits on the 28th floor of the Hilton hotel with Hyde Park and Buckingham Palace in its sights.
Paramount also sits atop the Centre Point tower in Bloomsbury and it even provides a champagne bar viewing gallery to admire the view from.
If you enjoy people-watching, the Amphitheatre restaurant on the top floor of the Royal Opera House will keep you entertained as it overlooks the Covent garden piazza.
While height pretty much guarantees a good view, there’s more to it than that as Inn at the Park proves. Set in the middle of St James’ Park, the natural setting makes it feel as though you’ve escaped the city as you look out over ponds and local wildlife.
Similarly, enjoy at view from the 7th floor at Babylon which is surrounded by the lush greenery of the Kensington roof gardens.