B A R B I C A N L I F E


exceedingly slow service and disinterested waiting staff, but I can’t say that this was the case at Aqua. Service was acceptably prompt and attentive and one wouldn’t want to be too rushed anyway as one looked for familiar landmarks from an unfamiliar height in the light of the setting sun. The menu is an interesting one –


not over-long and, given the spectacular views and decor, the prices are not ridiculous for good quality London food. It’s probably best to look at


the website –


www.aquashard.co.uk for full details of what is available on the menu, and at what cost. The food might be described as upmarket British with a twist – the restaurant itself describes the cooking as featuring “carefully-selected fine British produce and combining the staple ingredients of British cooking with innovative techniques.” We began with two superb starters. My dining companion had what might have sounded slightly unappetising – Green pea custard, seared foie gras, jersey royal salad and horn of plenty sauce (a trumpet mushroom based sauce). It was exceptional. I chose Confit Loch Duart salmon with Dorset crab, avocado, pepper puree, courgette and Oscietra caviar. An extremely pleasant and tasy way to begin the meal. For the main courses we chose Rhug


Estate salt marsh lamb saddle with aubergine, red pepper, goats cheese, fondant potato, young garlic and lamb jus and Roasted wood pigeon, blackcurrant, tenderstem broccoli, caramelized golden pear, cognac and pepper jus. The main dishes were good without being exceptional and portions were quite small. Those eating there should take in that although from the menu descriptions there appear to be plenty of vegetable accompaniments coming with the courses, they do not amount to very much in volume and you might be advised to share one or two sides. Desserts: There is a limited dessert


menu and these do come in for a lot of praise from critics. We had Aqua’s take on a Pavlova/Eton mess (called David’s Mess) served in a tall glass – excellent, and what Aqua describes a ‘Britain’s finest artisanal cheese selection’. Yes the cheeses were good,


featuring Stinking Bishop, Ragstone, Cashel Blue and Westcombe Cheddar, but tiny portions given the £12.50 price tag, served with melba toast and a really good chestnut honey. We washed these all down with wine


by the glass – a good selection available. We chose a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, a Spanish Rioja and an Argentinian Malbec – all very good. I suppose reading the above one


might come up with the impression that the food volumes were a little small given the price, but perhaps all the better for that. Too many restaurants serve mega portions leaving you bloated at the end of the meal if, like me, you were brought up in a period of austerity where one was expected to eat everything on the plate. The portions may have been small, but they were tasty and I can’t say we still felt hungry at the end of the meal. Pricewise it would probably be


tough to get away with much less than £75 a head for a 3 course meal with wine, but that is not out of the ordinary these days and probably nowhere else has quite the wow factor of the Shard’s restaurants. Aquashard certainly does make great use of some of London’s most spectacular views in the overall decor – supplemented by mirrors to make the whole restaurant and bar area extremely bright and enticing. Back to price – for those who feel


that perhaps £75 a head is too much to pay – even for such a spectacular location, there is a lunchtime special menu available at £28 for three courses or £24 for two. It would be a great lunchtime venue. And from September 10th – assuming all went to plan – Aqua Shard will also have been open for breakfast and is planning a pretty spectacular breakfast menu. We’ve been given a sight of a preliminary menu - and are impressed. Prices are highish – full English at £14.50 to


which you’ll probably need to add freshly squeezed juice at £4.50 and coffee £3-3.50, tea £4 or a wide selection of special teas at around £4.95, but no more so than at any of London’s four or five star hotels – and that makes their proposed Express breakfast at £8.95 for freshly squeezed juice, pastries and tea or coffee a steal! More than worth it for the views alone on a bright sunny morning! And what a place to impress for a business breakfast! Other interesting dishes include lobster Benedict (£18), Aqua Shard kedgeree (£11), smoked salmon and scrambled eggs (£12.50) and a whole host of other options. Prices weren’t necessarily final, but that gives you an idea. One has to definitely recommend


Aqua Shard as encompassing a remarkable eating experience – although perhaps dominated by the spectacular views from the Shard –


Roast pigeon main course


Aqua makes good use of mirrors to keep the whole space exceptionally light and airy


even if situated only halfway up London’s tallest building. Aqua Shard is run by David Yeo’s


renowned Hong Kong Aqua restaurant group with restaurants in Hong Kong, Beijing and in London where it already has the very highly regarded Aqua Nueva, Aqua Kyoto and Aqua Spirit in addition to its two new Shard restaurants. Aqua Shard is located at Level 31, The


Shard, 31 St Thomas Street, London, SE1 9RY. Telephone: 020 7478 0540 for reservations. It is open 7 days for lunch and dinner – with the bar open through the day from noon to 1 am – and by the time this magazine is printed it will also be open for breakfast. What a view to start the day!


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