Darwin Brasserie at Sky Garden (London, UNITED KINGDOM) ★★★★☆

London is probably the easiest place in the world to find a restaurant with an amazing view. Helix at The Gherkin, Duck & Waffle, Galvin at Windows and OXO Tower Restaurant just to name a few household names often associated with having the best view in the city. But I have some place else in mind for today's lunch venue. My friends all know that I am seriously into architecture and there was no way I would pass up the opportunity to see The "Walkie-Talkie" (or the official name, 20 Fenchurch) up close and personal.

After a brief visit to the Tower of London and Tower Bridge, little nugget led us back to the Walkie Talkie, which we walked by not long ago.

I could understand how it became the talk of the town when it first opened. The skyscraper was really in stark contrast to the historical buildings underneath it.



Following a pretty thorough security check, we finally got to the elevator and went straight to the Sky Garden on the 35th floor. When the door swung open, we were immediately greeted with this view of the city. That's nothing short of spectacular. More like jaw-dropping.



The amazing part in the design of the Sky Garden is the fact that we can catch the city view from almost every angle (thanks to the glass walls and windows).



Even when we're heading up the stairway to the restaurant level, we're treated with an extraordinary view of River Thames and the neighboring area.



The view from one level up, a breathtaking view of the observation deck and the river through the ceiling-to-floor glass wall.



The unrivalled, panoramic view of the city. I can sit here all day looking at this view.



Out of the two restaurants here on the 36th floor, we went with Darwin Brasserie, their casual all-day brasserie. Why you ask? Because of the better view.



According to what I've read from different sources, including an article in The Guardian, "the more you pay, the worse the view". This played a part in me picking the more casual Darwin Brasserie over its fine-dining sister Fenchurch Restaurant. 



Not surprisingly, this place got a little busier around lunch hour.



Of course, we made sure that we got ourselves a table with an unobstructed city view. Now, back to their casual British fare.

Cheltenham Beetroot (£10.75) - I'm a big fan of beetroot so this lone starter we got was a no-brainer. But to my surprise, the purple endives took center stage over the small beetroot cubes. This was served with cashew hummous and spiced Brazil nuts. Not a bad start.

Caesar Salad (£14.50) - A classic Caesar with pancetta, baby gem, anchovies, egg, croutons and shaved parmesan. Everyone wanted some veggies after a run of fish and chips and judging from the smile on everyone's face, we were all satisfied with the results.

Ox cheek Bourguignon (£22.50) - The tender and juicy ox cheek served with bacon lardon, button onions, chestnut mushroom and buttered mash worked perfectly well with the red wine reduction. My favorite dish of the afternoon without question.

Sea trout (£26.50) - Something simple for little nugget. The pan-fried sea trout was accompanied by all kinds of winter vegetables including roasted pumpkin, artichoke and kale.

It was finished off beautifully with a homemade pesto sauce. A very hearty dish.







Food Rating: 5.5/10

Price: £££
Address: Level 36 Sky Garden, 20 Philpot Lane, London, United Kingdom
Closest Tube Station: Monument
Tel: +44 33 3772-0020
Website: www.skygarden.london/darwin
Opening Hours: 7:30am - 10:00am, 11:00am - 4:30pm, 5:00pm - 10:00pm (Mon - Fri), 8:00am - 10:00am, 11:30am - 4:30pm, 5:00pm - 10:30pm (Sat - Sun)