There’s an accepted, perhaps even an expected inverse correlation between dining and altitude; typically, the higher the meal and the better the view, the worse the grub. (Just think of plane food). This is why Aqua Shard, perched atop the thirty-first floor of the UK’s tallest building, The Shard, is a revelation – because in addition to the exhilarating views, the food there is really very good.
Aqua Shard is a stunning, sophisticated and contemporary British restaurant and bar from Aqua Restaurant group. The breathtaking panoramic views of the capital aside, Executive Chef Anthony Garlando’s menu is a compelling enough reason alone to visit.They’re not giving it away – starters around £20, main courses £30-65, desserts £12-24 – but all things considered (and the view is a big consideration), the prices are pretty fair.
You get a sense of what's to come when the spring greens velouté starteris served: the vividly bright green soup is poured from a little white jug over the Colston Bassett stilton parfait and savoury granola. The creaminess of the cheese, combined with the crunchy pumpkin seeds, gives a delicious depth of flavour and texture to the dish.
Mains are all very tempting indeed. I opted for the roasted cornfed chicken, which was served with sprouting broccoli, some loamy black garlic, cauliflower puree, and morel mushrooms. The meat was excellent – tender and succulent, and perfectly accompanied by the creamy cauliflower puree and earthy mushroom and black garlic. My husband chose the pumpkin and sage ravioli – each giant piece of ravioli artistically topped with a little Toblerone-style peak of goats cheese cream and the dish dotted with pieces of roasted squash. Presentation is a big deal here: Garlando and his team create a skyline on the plate that’s almost a match for the one outside.
For those that want to impress their dates with flourishes, there’s the wild sea bass with potato gnocchi, samphire and caviar cream or the goat cheese and red onion roll with celeriac fondant, pea purée and saffron artichokes.
For pudding, we decided that, bearing in mind our location, the only way was up, so we plumped for the Apple Tart (which is to share, but my husband said he could have managed it with my assistance) and a sublime scoop of the creamiest hazelnut ice cream that I’ve tasted outside Italy. The tart was a real hit, though – it was made with Pink Lady apples, which are naturally very sweet, and drenched in Calvados and smothered in unctuous caramel sauce. It tasted a bit like a refined toffee apple.
After the feast, wewalked around the full circumference of the restaurant to the bathrooms, soaking up the views of the horizon, beginning to glitter and twinkle with headlights, as the evening darkened. We wandered round in wonderment: even when you’re stony sober, the view of the whole of London, spread out majestically below, is spacey and intoxicating.
At night, Aqua Shard turns into an electrifying atmospheric venue with views of the twinkling London skyline, where guests can sip on the new British Icons Cocktail Menu and indulge in delicious bar snack, with resident DJs on decks every Friday and Saturday, from 8:30pm – 12:30am. The cocktail list is divided into four categories: Music, Art, Fashion and Film, celebrating some of the UK’s very own legends, from the Pink Floyd inspired The East Side Of The Moon, with Rum, Hennessy VS, Ferne witt Branca, Cointreau, mixed with mango, passion berry, cardamom, coriander, mint and Pommery Brut, to the Miniskirt, a tribute to the legendary Mary Quant and her revolutionary creation, with Ciroc Red Berries, St. Germain, Luxardo Maraschino, lime and butterfly pea tea: a perfectly balanced blend of sweet, fruity notes and refreshing floral undertones.
Aqua Shard is a truly staggering place to sit and eat and drink, however you look at it. As a place to bring a date, or a visitor to London, celebrate a special occasion, or just to get your bearings in your home town and finally piece together where everything is, I can’t recommend it highly enough.
Aqua Shard
A three-course sunset menu is available Sunday to Thursday from 6pm – 6.30pm from £60 per person, and includes a Bellini, with a choice of starters, mains, and dessert including the famous The Shard, a shrunken replica of the emblematic building, with guava, raspberry, and passion fruit.
Level 31, The Shard, 31 St Thomas St, London SE1 9RY
