This
weekend was a very special one in that it was TBH's birthday. Whilst he is
quite happy to be dragged around to all the restaurants that I want to visit,
there are also a couple of places on his radar that he would like to try. One
being a burger joint and the other a restaurant with one of the best views in
London. And so when it came to choosing where to take him, it was a pretty easy
choice for me. A special place, for a special person on a special day.
Duck & Waffle is situated on the 40th floor of the new Heron Tower, in the City
of London. The 'wow' factor begins from the minute you step into the glass
lifts that are on the outside of the building. It travels at such a speed up to
the 40th floor that your ears pop, but it’s worth it for the view that develops
in front of your eyes!
Once
up on the 40th floor it became a little confusing. You enter into a lobby with
a number of different doors, but no sign of where to go. We eventually decided
to take the lift 2 floors down to the sister restaurant Sushisamba, where they
have an interconnecting staircase that links both restaurants. We were later
told that the intention when they opened was to have everyone arrive on the
38th floor and then take the staircase up to Duck & Waffle, but this was before
they knew just how busy they would be and how impractical this was.
When
we made it to the bar at Duck &
Waffle, we found a seat by a window overlooking the outside terrace and ordered
a couple of drinks. I had a Roasted Cosmopolitan (£12.00) - Grey Goose Citron,
triple sec, cranberry conserve and lime, roasted bone marrow seasoning. I was
intrigued by the bone marrow seasoning, but unfortunately I couldn't really
taste it. The cocktail was still enjoyable though. TBH had a Dark & Stormy
(£12.00) - dark rum, lime, homemade ginger beer – bottled and bagged. The
presentation was fantastic and it tasted great too.
We
were taken through to the main restaurant and seated at possibly the best table
in the house! We had views over Tower Bridge, the Tower of London and the Swiss
Re building (The Gherkin). Absolutely breathtaking! The restaurant was packed
and there was a nice buzz in the air. The open kitchen added to the atmosphere
and I loved watching head chef, Dan Doherty, on the pass. There were lots of
smiles coming from the kitchen and it was good to see.
The
menu is split into four sections and is made for sharing - Starters &
freshly baked breads, Raw, Small plates and Large plates. We decided to have
something from each section.
First
up we had bbq-spiced crispy pig ears (£4.00) and they arrived at the table in a
brown paper bag. Think pork crackling seasoned with a smoky barbecue salt. I
loved the presentation and the portion was really generous. A great start.
Our
waiter also recommended bacon wrapped dates (£7.50) with linguiça sausage and
dandelion salad. The contrast of the salty bacon and the sweet dates was really
more'ish.
We
also had spicy ox cheek doughnut with apricot jam (£8.00) from the 'Starter'
section. The doughnut is dusted with more of the spice that the pigs ears are
seasoned with and a little bit of sugar. This sounds like it shouldn't work,
but the sweetness of the apricot jam and sugar offsets the rich ox check
beautifully.
From
the 'Raw' section we ordered scallop with apple, black truffle, lime (£8.00).
This came served on a salt brick, which is very en-vogue at the moment. Our waiter
told us to rub the piece of scallop on the brick to enhance the flavour. I've
never had anything served in this manner before and over-did it on the rub the
first time round, but learnt from that mistake and the pieces of scallop that
followed were delicious. I loved the sharp green apple and lime flavour with
the delicate scallop.
Next
we had roasted octopus, chorizo, lemon and caper (£11.00) If you're squeamish,
this is probably not the dish for you. TBH was almost immediately put off by
the suckers on the tentacles and he really did not enjoy this dish. I thought
the octopus was cooked very well, it was tender and I like the smokiness of the
chorizo, but I would've liked more lemon and caper. The hints of lemon that I
did get were so good, but there wasn't nearly enough of it.
From
the 'Large plates' section there was really only one thing to have. Duck &
Waffle, crispy leg confit, fried duck egg, mustard maple syrup (£15.00) Again,
this dish challenges what you think should work and what shouldn't. The duck
was crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. The waffle was fluffy and
light. The oozy duck egg adding a richness to the dish. We were advised not to
pour the maple syrup over the whole dish, but I threw caution to the wind and
did just that. It was delicious, the sweetness cutting through the rich egg
yolk and duck.
It
was only at the end of the meal that I realised we ordered absolutely no
vegetables or salad. True carnivores!
After
all of that there was no room for dessert, but TBH was brought a plate out with
some fantastic marshmallows, dark chocolate truffles, macaroons and of course,
a 'Happy Birthday' message. It was a nice touch.
In
all honesty, I wasn't that excited about trying Duck & Waffle. I assumed
that as with most restaurants with a view, the cooking would be an
afterthought. But I am pleased to say that I was proved wrong. It is
interesting and really challenges the norm. The prices are pretty reasonable
too! We paid £143.44 for the food, 2 cocktails, 2 beers and 2 glasses of wine.
Service was also included.
There
are a few dinners with the girls coming up over the next few weeks, so....
Until
we eat again!
Duck & Waffle
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