Having just returned back from London after spending 3 days dining, shopping and enjoying Hamilton at the Victoria Palace (a real must-see) – check ticket prices and availability for Hamilton out here, I’ve come up with my guide to 3 restaurants you’ll want to dine at when in London.
Aqua Shard
One of the most prestigious buildings on the south side of the river, The Shard is home to not only a hotel, residential properties, office space, it is also home to several restaurants including Aqua Shard. On the 31st floor, it serves up innovative British cuisine.
The restaurant itself offers panoramic views of the London city skyline. The restaurant, in my opinion, was exceptionally dark, which detracted the enjoyable atmosphere somewhat.
The menu, concise, I opted for the Heritage Beetroot Salad (£17) to start followed by the Fillet of Herefordshire Beef (£42). Attention was paid to creating a fusion of flavour in the Beetroot Salad, and the beef was exquisite however for similar pricing, I much preferred our visit to the OXO Tower the year previously.
The meal was enjoyable, however, I’ve eaten far superior food in a less pretentious environment and although I’m glad I’ve been to see what the fuss was about, it’s not somewhere I’d return to.
Book a table at Aqua here.
Hai Cenato
A Jason Atherton restaurant to compliment the Michelin starred chef’s restaurants located globally in New York, Qatar, Shanghai, Dubai and Switzerland. Hai Cenato is located in the NOVA complex within walking distance of the Victoria Palace Theatre and nearby underground station.
An NYC inspired Italian pizzeria with a luxe twist. Offering a menu which spans small plates, pasta & risotto, grills and sourdough pizzas. Upstairs, cocktail bar The Drunken Oyster serves classic Italian cocktails with a twist and sparkling ‘taptails’.
Hai Cenato’s sourdough base pizzas range from the classics to bold, inventive creations. Boasting 2 pizza ovens that have been handmade by third-generation Neopolitan craftsmen to bring an authentic homemade NYC-Italian taste to London.
Reasonably priced, great quality, delicious food is the vibe of Hai Cenato. I opted for the Halibut Crudo, orange, lime, dill and celery (£10.50) to start followed by the chef’s pizza of the month, Calzone – Datterini tomato, nduja, gorgonzola, chilli, garlic butter (£15.50) for mains. The starter was incredible. Really flavoursome and fresh, whilst my Calzone was cooked to perfection and stacked full of gooey cheese.
Hai Cenato has some great offers on both dining and drinks that are not to be missed. This was a thoroughly enjoyable meal and somewhere I’d certainly return to.
Book a table at Hai Cenato here.
The Granary Square Brasserie
Located a stone’s throw from Kings Cross and St Pancreas Stations, The Granary Square Brasserie is an Ivy owned brand, offering a mix of British and International dining in a luxurious and contemporary setting. With a very 20s feel bar area, the brasserie is brought up to modern speed with a live DJ over the weekend.
Sharing Salt-Crusted Sourdough (£4.50) and Zucchini Fritti (£4.95) to begin we enjoyed cocktails and absorbed the brunch vibes in this hectic yet pleasant location. For my main course, I opted for the traditional Fish & Chips (£15.95).
My fish and chips were fairly pleasant, nothing too difficult to prepare, they were served with mashed peas and tartare sauce. Being from the North East coast, I am biased that we do have the best fish and chips in the country, however, my lunch was nice, standard, but nice.
The atmosphere was really relaxing and the food was good, the Brasserie is somewhere great to go before heading for a train as it is situated in an ideal location. I’d certainly return, however, I’d choose the German Gymnasium over dining here given the chance.
Book a table at The Granary Square Brasserie here.
