3 London Restaurants With A Bloody Good View

For all its pomp and majesty, London is a city only recently besieged by a surge in the appearance of modern, towering architecture. Compared to its American metropolitan counterparts, viewing gallery-level restaurants — ripe with impress-your-date potential — are far fewer in number. Yet, structures such as the recently opened Shard now deliver stunning vantage points and four-plus star restaurants from which to take in the city's grey-tinged grandeur. 

Sometimes more striking than the panoramic scenery, however, are the culinary offerings of big name chefs whose ambitions strive to match the height of the floor atop which their kitchens are perched. We booked meals at three of the most elevated eateries London has to offer, more attuned to the quality of their dishes than the loftiness of their settings. Read on for our appraisal of these high-end, high-up, press-making venues. 

Hutong at The Shard

The Shard boasts the honor of being Europe's tallest building, topping off at a colossal 87th storey. That no less than six restaurants have opened at various heights within is unsurprising, their pop-the-question potential and opportunity to lure in high-rolling food lovers currently working booking systems to exhaustion.

Hutong is situated on the pyramidal edifice's 33rd floor, serving Chinese cuisine gone chic — a slick taste of Shanghai manifested in setting and the complex character of its menu.

During the day, indulge in a smattering of elaborate yet not over-the-top dumpling dishes, from familiar favorites like minced pork with hot and sour sauce to the refined pork and fennel seed varietal. Roasted Peking Duck — presented with traditional, graceful ceremony — is an imperative order. Dripping with the ideal amount of grease, its caramelized, crispy skin and delicate portions of meat were a standout whose price — £58 (or $93 U.S.) for a whole bird — matched its precious handling.

Dining at Hutong during lunch hour provides, if you're lucky, sunlit vistas stretching past St. Paul's and the River Thames. Even the restrooms are outfitted with floor-to-ceiling windows, leading our dining companion to cheekily Instagram the stall-side sight with the caption: "Loo with a view." Thankfully, there is much more to be excited about at Hutong, whose luxe interpretation of "Lu School" cookery is not just competent, but impactful.

Level 33 The Shard, 31 St. Thomas Street, London SE1 9RY, +44 (0)20 3011 1257, hutong.co.uk

Duck and Waffle

In a city where Last Call typically hovers around 11 p.m., Duck and Waffle has earned its droves of repeat customers for providing 'round-the-clock servings of upmarket comfort food. American expats and travellers will immediately appreciate its namesake homage to a soul food favorite, here executed with a confit duck leg, mustard maple syrup, and topped with the fried egg of the bird in question.

Expect gaggles of women in sky high stilettos teetering past its bar during early, early morning, while at brunch, diners trek to the Heron Tower's 40th floor for hair-of-the-dog Bloody Marys, Ox Cheek Benedict and a "Full Elvis" (PB&J waffles dressed with chantilly cream), among a full selection of other gluttonous menu items.

The food at Duck and Waffle sounds more exceptional than in reality, yet its spectacular outlook points and post-cocktail bender convenience make it a go-to for partygoers whose refined palates are unsatisfactorily sated by the local Chicken Cottage.

40th Floor, Heron Tower, 110 Bishopsgate, London EC2N 4AY, +44 (0)2036407310

City Social

Jason Atherton's "Social" restaurant empire — comprised of several acclaimed outposts spanning London's Soho to Shanghai — recently expanded to The City, providing financiers with a dining room whose polished art deco ambiance was designed for swapping braggart tales. Executive Chef Paul Walsh earned his clout working alongside English culinary titans such as Marcus Wareing and Gordon Ramsay, so the kitchen's focus on a style that can only be described as "Elevated British" is unsurprising, and fitting given the clientele.

Heavy on presentation, dishes are only faintly local (beef is sourced from the Lake District, sea bass from Cornwall) yet speak proudly of UK cooking traditions — with a trendy, mildly Euro aspect. Walsh's "wow-factor" take on a tomato and burrata salad includes a sprinkling of frozen basil upon serving; whole Dover Sole is accompanied by a requisite sabayon with a citrusy punch; strawberry and vanilla "cheesecake" arrives as a collection of whipped mounds surrounded by dabs of lime curd and sorbet. These are corporate-friendly plates: solid in quality and attractively composed, but certainly not novel. But with such swinging surrounds and a view to match, City Social is guaranteed a steady stream of diners willing to invest in its just-accomplished-enough menu. 

24th Floor, 25 Old Broad Street, London EC2N 1HQ, +44 (0)20 7877 7703, citysociallondon.com