Dessert, wine and main course were great. Didn't like the soup much. Also, the table we got was in one end of the restaurant and there was lot of noise made by the staff while taking things in and our during the dinner.
Tucked on the south side of Tower Bridge this great restaurant is a gastronomic treat with its long and varied menu as well as copious wine list. I would highlight their excellent desserts after a leisurely parcour through their mains in parfticular (at the time) this Early Grey Crème Brulée with rolled Kumquats. I'll revisit and revisit.
The view of tower bridge outside this restaurant is fantastic, the food is good and the indoor is posh too, the only thing that was in shambles while we dined was the service, probably there was some crisis in the kitchen but we had to wait like an hour for desserts to arrive at our table. The server did try to make up for the delay by serving champagne on the house at our table so all good.
When I mentioned to Dad that Le Pont de la Tour was having a serious refurb he told me that it was somewhere that we used to go as a family when I was younger and he was working in London. In fact it seems that my love of the D&D restaurants has been set since childhood as we also loved Quaglino's!
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There’s always something a bit risky about an old classic having a revamp but I was definitely intrigued to check out the new look and menu at Le Pont de la Tour. The restaurant has had a prime spot by the river for years but in the last month it has been fully refurbished with art deco green leather banquettes…Comfy armchairs… And a beautiful dark wood bar. The signature terrace is still there, the perfect place for sipping cocktails in summer with a view of the Tower Bridge. I loved the refurb, everything was just classic and elegant – ideal for a ladies lunch. I was meeting my new friend and fellow blogger, Lauren from The Lifestyle Diaries; Le Pont de la Tour has been one of Lauren’s family favourites for years and she too was very impressed by the makeover. We made our selection from the menu of French influenced dishes which was made up of nibbles, starters, sharers and bigger plates.My starter of seared tuna with puy lentils and sweet peppers was cooked just right, very rare but slightly warm and perfectly seasoned. Lauren also went for a light starter of marinated octopus with potatoes and chicory. I had a little nibble and I really enjoyed the acidic citrus notes that came through on the dish from the light lemon dressing. I love octopus but I have had it cooked badly many times, but the starter at Le Pont de La Tour was cooked absolutely perfectly and everything on the plate worked together in hermony.Le Pont de la Tour is more than just a restaurant, there’s also a bakery providing bread for the restaurant which is sold in their adjacent food store. At the lovely little store you can also buy cured meats, cheeses as well as take away home cooked meals. There’s a wine merchants too, selling rare wines and spirits and offering tutored tastings with the resident wine expert.And speaking of which it was about time for another drink, I was immediately drawn to a strawberry and vanilla champagne cocktail. It was a fab combination of flavours, I was worried it might be overly sweet but slightly acidic champagne balanced out the sweet flavours beautifully. I think I might have a new favourite cocktail. Lauren’s was as tasty as it was pretty! Also a bubbly cocktail containing raspberry and limoncello. I chose monkfish tail as my main course, not something I have often but it was perfectly cooked with a succulent meaty texture and paired beautifully with grilled squid, basil, capers and sweet pepper. It was also well seasoned and a small pinch of lemon was all that was needed to finish it off. Classic, simple cooking is the signature of Chef Frederick Forster, who has worked alongside Michel Roux Jr and Raymond Blanc.I chose steamed spinach on the side. Lauren, who lived in France for a year was happy to see one of her favourites on the menu and had no doubts about ordering beef tartare with triple cooked chips. She loved the juicy chunks of steak which had just the right level of mustard and seasoning running through it. We loved our chosen dishes but we both commented that had I been with Mr S or if Lauren was with her boyfriend Andy, they might struggle with the small portions. Mr S would definitely want double that beef tartare. But they satisfied us and left room for dessert.My meringue and pineapple didn’t blow me away but it was a nice palate cleanser for the end of the meal. However, Lauren absolutely loved her chocolate pot, and definitely won in the dessert stakes! We were having such a lovely time together that we decided to head to another bar and grabbed a few cocktails at the bar at the Mondrian Hotel…funny how a 2pm lunch can turn into cocktails and not getting home til 8pm…
Have you had that experience, where you go to a restaurant with a great view over a beautiful square, a river or the sea – yes, the view is amazing, but then the food arrives and it’s frankly underwhelming? It’s happened to me several times in some of the world’s famous tourist spots. So often it’s the small places in the back streets, unknown to the tourists but frequented by the locals, where you can find the greatest cooking and the best value. However, Le Pont de la Tour, on the banks of the Thames by Tower Bridge disproves that ‘rule’; it’s always been one of my favourite South London restaurants and I went there recently to meet a friend for lunch.
It was November the 5th - Fireworks night, a visit to Le Pont de la Tour next to Tower Bridge seemed like a good location to see some displays, and off course the bridge has some historical significance in the Guy Fox story. Alas the only fireworks were some drunken revellers outside the window putting on an impromptu display using sparklers. There were no fireworks inside on the food front either, the style and quality of the food was actually more reminiscent of their sister restaurant next door (the Chop House ), which aims for a different market sector. When we left, as the Restaurant was closing at about 11:45, (I had been there since 7:20, but more about that later) ...
Le Pont de la Tour is, as its name suggests, a Shad Thames neighbour of Tower Bridge; located directly on the river front, it affords excellent views of the bridge and the City to the west and Canary Wharf to the east. What's more, with a façade that extends to 150 feet along the walkway, it provides extensive outdoor seating capacity and on what felt like the first sunny day of the year, what better way to spend lunch time than to check out Le Pont de la Tour's al fresco option. The restaurant itself is now something of a London landmark in its own right having just celebrated its 20th birthday. It was in the vanguard of the Docklands revival movement in the '90s and during that decade's recession, it was reported that Le Pont de la Tour was where Norman Lamont, then Chancellor, saw a full restaurant prompting his famous 'green shoots of recovery' statement. Not to be outdone, Tony Blair took Bill and Hilary there in 2003 along with a reported 500 Secret Service agents keeping watch.
Le Pont de la Tour is located on Shad Thames and provides superb views of the river and Tower Bridge. It’s something of a super-restaurant, combining a bar & grill, a delicatessen and a slightly more formal dining room. They’ve also recently installed a C
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The Vibe
South side of the river, Tower Bridge is dominated by the commercial enterprises of powerhouses such as the Ernst & Young and PwC offices. It’s a place of corporate hustle and bustle where the word ‘holiday’ is synonymous with retirement. And yet, what’s this? A row of blue and white striped deck chairs lining the bank off the Shad Thames? Colourful bunting, beach towels, buckets and spades, chains of dangling oyster shells?! ‘Is this a mirage?’ you may ask yourself, staring down at your pinstripe suit and leather briefcase. No, this is land ahoy on the horizon of your sea of work – this is Pont Plage.
From June till September, the folks at Le Pont de la Tour have decided that if London can’t make it to the beach, the beach will come to London. The Thames-side terrace, offering stunning views of Tower Bridge, has been transformed into a 1920s beach-inspired retreat. With outdoor heating, pillows and blankets, you can be transported to the Riviera whatever the weather.
The Order
Push the boat out, get into holiday mode and start with a glass of champers and half a doz. Colchester Rock Oysters. Move on to Salt & Pepper Squid with citrus aioli and Deep fried Soft Shell Crab – kick back and relax.
Half a roasted lobster comes with garlic butter, and is beautifully presented – dressed and ready to eat, you won’t have to surrender any dating decorum to enjoy this luxury. If craving something meatier, the steaks are locally sourced from Heron’s Farm in Essex – get the Rib-Eye with Béarnaise sauce and fill out the main with sides of pommes frites (make that two orders) and fine French beans.
For dessert, the Cheese Cake with summer berries and a quenelle of palate cleansing lime sorbet is the perfect way to finish. Enjoy with a golden, sweet Loupiac, Château de Ricaud, served in a crystal glass.
The Game
You’ve been thinking of taking the next step and going away together for a while now, but that pesky high pressure job just won’t let you go. You stare wistfully out of your office window overlooking the Thames, dreaming of sun, sand and Sex on the Beach. Plans have been pushed aside, remade and broken and it’s time to do something about it. As the scorchers start to set in – escape to Pont Plage!
This seaside date tactic is foolproof. After a celebratory glass of champagne order the first of many rounds of cocktails – the signature Pont Plage (Tanqueray Gin, Lillet White Vermouth, grapefruit liqueur and grapefruit bitters) is balanced and refreshing, and the Rosemary Negroni is perfection. As dusk falls over the Thames and Tower Bridge lights up, grab a blanket and go for one last cocktail snuggled up on the deckchairs. Work? What work?
The Faults
I couldn’t possibly.
Sex Factor
5. Hello sailor…
The best french restaurant I have ever enjoyed food in. A person called Kunal worked for 2 yrs and kept telling me how amazing it is. I had something called as evening standard menu. A 3 course menu with amazing service. You may need to book in advance to avoid disappointment. Amazing selection of cheese. The options of tea offered were more than Harrods afternoon tea. Simply beautiful amazing romantic dinner. The next time I would love to enjoy lunch in their terrace.
We went for the five course taster menu with wine flight.
It's worth noting that they have a very atmospheric, fin-de-siècle style bar you can sit at while you wait to be seated.
The food was very elegant and clearly reaching for a mention in the michelin guide, although it probably is not quite there yet.
Nevertheless, the only complaint I have is that during our meal our eyes were constantly drawn to the wait-staff as they brought out sumptuous looking platters of seafood, which were not intended for us. The mountains of crustaceans on other customers' tables had the unintended effect of making us feel a bit dissatisfied with our own dainty fare.
The wines were very tasty and in principle the pairings worked with the food, but they were too disparate from one another, more closely resembling a roller-coaster than a "flight".
All in all a pleasant and atmospheric evening, with great, sweeping vistas of tower bridge and the square mile.
Fantastic sea food restaurant in a fantastic location, overlooking Tower Bridge. This place really comes alive in the summer, where you can sit out on the river. There is a little oyster bar if you are feeling flush also.
Inside it’s nicely adorned and there is usually a piano being played on an evening to give the place a bit of atmos. I normally go for the catch of the day which is always something quite interesting.
Service is generally good, although sometimes when we have been in large groups, it can be a little slow and on occasions individual requests have been missed. It is on the expensive side, but good for a business lunch / dinner
Amo La Food - With Alexander Baines
+4.5
As a frequent visitor of Le Pont de la Tour, It never fails to amaze me. I go out for dinner all over London and I find myself constantly having a craving for Le Pont de la Tour.
They have an extensive wine list and an in-house wine cellar. The walkway alongside the restaurant is usually quiet and the terraced area is extremely romantic with views of Tower Bridge and the City in the distance.
The service is top notch, your wine glass will never be left empty!
I seriously recommend this restaurant.
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The story of how slow service can impact on a good meal:-
When we left, as the Restaurant was closing at about 11:45, (I had been there since 7:20, but more about that later) one of the waiters asked if we had a good evening. One of my companions replied "Yes, the Food was good, The Wine was good", and tactfully omitted any mention of the service which had been pretty abysmal, causing us to still be in the restaurant at 11:45.
I had arrived at 7:20 and waited 10 minutes while "the Greeter" was on the phone dealing with enquiries about the restaurant. The Maitre d' apologised, took my coat and escorted me to the table. I noticed about 15 minutes later he was still carrying my coat as he took other people to their tables. My companions arrived, they too had felt invisible as they waited to be acknowledged, they spotted me and made their own way to the table. We were then quickly served Champagne - a freebie due to problems my companions had on a earlier visit. We were about to enjoy the Champagne, in fact I started drinking it (forgetting to smell it first) bad mistake - it was seriously corked. They replaced it with a better quality Champagne which was good. Our food order was taken, again after a fair gap. The Bread arrived about 15 minutes after that, a good hour after I had!. So you can imagine how hungry we were by the time the food arrived.
We shared a plate of 12 oysters, which we enjoyed. When the rest of the food arrived we found that several of the dishes, especially the Steak Tartar were under seasoned, so we had to ask for salt and pepper.
It was getting late by the time we got to the dessert/cheese course and we needed advice on wine matching, after conversations with several members of staff we finally got the sommelier, who recommended a lovely red dessert wine to go with our cheese. Unfortunately the cheese trolley had shrunk quite a bit by the time it arrived at our table, so we had to make do with a selection of what was left. There were no standout cheeses despite the menu descriptions, which had sounded so promising. However I am being picky now, as on the whole we did enjoy our evening it was just marred by the service.
I am afraid based on this visit that I have to class Le Pont de la Tour as one of these restaurants that relies too much on its location to attract custom. The Bar/Brasserie and the restaurant were both completely packed, which off course impacted on the service, but in general there did seem to be lots of staff and most off the issues we had were at the start off the evening when the restaurant was only half full.
This is a French restaurant in Shad Thames overlooking Tower bridge. I have been to this place for a team dinner and we had reserved a private room. It had a very wide selection of wine but it does not offer much choice for vegetarians. But it is a very good and authentic choice for French food lovers. I enjoyed the views, wine and desserts.
What a location? Who can ask for more. Somehow its far enough from the bridge to keep away the map rendering tourists. And my go do you stumble upon something fine here? First you have the design museum to build up your appetite then you stroll into this place. Very classic and simple dishes. Yet done well and with class.
We booked a table for two for lunch and as the weather was lovely they offered us a table outside on the terrace. Great service from all the staff that we met. We had the set lunch and a bottle of Provence Rose. Food was perfect especially the chocolate fondant. Service was perfect. Toilets really clean and well maintained. We stayed for over three hours and were fortunate to see Tower Bridge being raised. Excellent location
Spectacular view. Food was very good. Staff was very friendly but inexperienced with little management presence. No knowledgeable wine person. Eat outside
Michelin star restaurant on the river at Shad Thames with a view of tower Bridge. There is a main dining area, outside seating and a bar area. We sat in the main dining area for lunch. Service was impeccable. My starter of steak tartrate was beautiful and I had the rabbit for main course which was braised with potatoes and veg and was so tender and delicious. Was originally going to have the fixed price menu which was decently priced at £35 but upon seeing the al a carte got carried away!
I recently stopped by this charming establishment for a cocktail, and I must say it was an exquisite experience. The peaceful atmosphere, combined with the incredible view, made it a truly memorable visit. Daniel, our server, was an absolute legend, ensuring that we had a wonderful time. I love this place and can't wait to return!
Narin S. (Captain Tofu)
+5
Amazing place and Thames river and tower bridge view. All the dishes are really amazing. We are ordered 2 appetizers /2 mains/1 dessert/1 bottle of wine/1 glass of dessert wine/1 liquor around 384 pounds. Staffs are very professional. There is sommelier comes to your table to explain and pouring the wine. I was very impressive. There is many sections like bistro /restaurants. You can book online.
Lovely, romantic restaurant beside river Thames. To enjoy the wonderful view of Tower bridge with your friends. Savoury French food, attentive service , variety of wine selection. It definitely worth for what you pay. You can choose Bistro or fine dining.
This is the second time I’ve been here and each time has been magical. This time we were sitting outside and had an incredible view of the Thames and Tower Bridge. The food was absolutely delicious and served quickly and the waiters were lovely. The entrees, main, sides and deserts were really good and the bread was warm. It’s on the more expensive side so I recommend it for an occasion in a heartbeat.
The view was so nice. Our waiter was lovely and very attentive. Our table didn't have heaters but they did provide blankets. We didn't notice them through till we left lol. The food was really good. Getting seated and getting the bill was a bit difficult but they were busy, so understandable.
Beautiful food served by attentive staff set with gorgeous views across the Thames and of Tower Bridge.
We celebrated my birthday here this past weekend and the whole meal was incredibly. The staff even prepared a little happy birthday plate for dessert. Would highly recommend. The fixed price menu is also incredibly good value for central London.
CONS:
They charge for sparkling water
TIP: I didn’t know who to tip,there were 4 different ppl who helped us. After I paid my bill which included a £25 fee, I left a £20 tip and a man who only bagged my food pocketed it. I didn’t like that but that’s also not a customer issue. Stop sending multiple ppl to a table. Send one. I’m not tipping 5 people.
TO GO : they don’t have take away boxes. They had to put the food in a foil
PROS: beautiful location, food was lovely.
For starters we had the Crabe salad & Cured salmon. Our mains were full lobster & Cod Fillet with mash potato. EVERY DISH WAS AMAZING. AH MAY ZIN.. we dined inside because it was a little chilly BUT inside wasn’t that cute. The decor was old.
Bathroom was extremely clean.
This was a great experience. This is a true authentic French restaurant and I appreciated that.
Quite possibly the best meal i’ve had! We had a fantastic evening, the restaurant is stunning, the views are incredible.
The food and drinks were out of this world and the service, attention to detail just superb! Thoroughly enjoyed every minute. Thank you for making our evening really memorable.
A great experience if you want to enjoy traditional high-end food and service. The only minor criticism is the wine list felt quite expensive relative to the food menu. However, four of us had a lovely afternoon and the crab and apple starter was a particular highlight.
Beautiful food, great service and atmosphere, very polite and helpful staff. Bill was quite steep, but that's to be expected. Portions were also quite small, also to ve expected. As a once in a blue moon treat or occasion, I'd say its perfect if you have the cash to splash.
We were lucky enough to have our 40th anniversary dinner at Le Pont de la Tour. They certainly went out of their way to make it a special night for us. The setting was perfect, dining Al fresco under the Tower Bridge, the food was outstanding, especially the Dover Sole, and roasted halibut. The service was incredible, very attentive, yet not overbearing. The sommelier (also front-end manager?) was such a nice person, giving us some tips on wine, excellent conversation, overall making us feel special on this special night. Thanks Le Pont de la Tour!
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