City, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

“Unpretentious, relaxed and with a wide choice of wines and small plates” – with the latter “nicely judged to complement wines” – plus “enthusiastic and knowledgeable service” win particular praise for the Battersea original of this small group, and also its EC4 spin-off “hidden away and almost under the crypt of St Bride’s Church”. Last year, a further outlet also opened in Islington (no reports yet), and in 2018 a new City branch opened near Liverpool Street. Top Tip: “Monday nights is the time to go as wine is sold at retail price”.

“Unpretentious, relaxed and with a wide choice of wines and small plates” – with the latter “nicely judged to complement wines” – plus “enthusiastic and knowledgeable service” win particular praise for the Battersea original of this small group, and also its EC4 spin-off “hidden away and almost under the crypt of St Bride’s Church”. Last year, a further outlet also opened in Islington (no reports yet), and in 2018 a new City branch opened near Liverpool Street. Top Tip: “Monday nights is the time to go as wine is sold at retail price”.

“The view – ground-level to zenith – is breathtaking”, sitting on the 39th-floor of this London landmark: “go if you need to impress, especially an out-of-towner”. And – though “security to enter is (understandably) Draconian” – all-in-all performance defies the usual rules about rooms-with-a-view: it’s “so uplifting to combine great vistas with very competent standards”. Until recent times, entry was restricted to employees within the building, but the caterers rebranded and relaunched the space (fka ‘Searcys at The Gherkin’) in summer 2018, and it’s now open to all (including the top-floor ‘Iris’ bar).

At the foot of a new aparthotel near Aldgate East tube, this year-old venture comprises a coffee shop and terrace downstairs, and a restaurant and bar upstairs, which – under seasoned chef George Tannock – tries harder than you might expect in this location: “a welcome, local, go-to business lunch place, with an excellent and varied menu and staff who are efficient but welcoming”.

“The lift up is a little scary” (in a good way), but the payoff is the “breathtaking view” from this “trendy-but-tasteful” venue on the 40th floor of the Heron Tower (adjacent to Sushisamba): a natural choice both for a business or romantic occasion. Most – but not all – reporters feel its slightly wacky menu (the restaurant being named for its signature dish) is “well conceived” and – aided by the fact that it’s open 24/7 – the place is particularly popular for its “sophisticated and interesting breakfast dishes”.

“On the 24th-floor of Tower 42, looking across at the Gherkin and Heron Tower, you enjoy some of the most spectacular views of the City” at Jason Atherton’s “sleek, swish and professional” eyrie: a natural favourite for wining and dining in the Square Mile. On most accounts the “fantastic” cuisine is almost as stunning as the panorama, but there is also a school of thought that it’s “average for such excessive prices”.

Perched at the top of the City’s ‘Walkie-Talkie’ tower, this 37th-floor venue has hot competition among London’s recent spate of high-rise restaurant openings – but some fan feel “Iit has the best views of them all”. The food is “very good”, too – “delicious and well executed” – by Dan Fletcher, former head chef at The Square. “Shame it’s so expensive”, though.