Reviews The Drift

I confess – I’ve been a very bad blogger. I’ve had a month-long lapse of interest in writing up reviews, and instead have been gallivanting around The Middle East and Spain, getting fabulously brown and a little less round. Not eating out as much and as lavishly will do that, and I’ve come to realize how much damage that 3-course-meal-plus-bread-plus-petit-fours-plus-drinks habit can do. Anyway, I’m back in London and out of free-wheeling holiday mode and duty has come a-knocking, and I’m not sure I can stave off writing about my experience at John Doe, as bad as it is.

We went for a joint mother’s day/ our parents 40th wedding anniversary celebrations to The Drift in the Heron Tower. The entrance is tucked down a little side street next to the building rather than at the front. When you go up the stairs make sure you stop to admire the stunning aquarium with exotic fish that stretches the length of the lobby. Apparently the aquarium is so huge it needs a scuba diver in full regalia to go in to clean it!

We went for brunch and because it was Mother’s day, Mum got a welcome glass of Prosecco with a little pansy pinned to it, which I thought was such a cute touch. I love thoughtful gestures like this, it really makes me warm to a restaurant.

J and my Dad both went for The London Brunch, which is a monster behemoth featuring (deep breath!) 4oz Scottish rump steak, 6oz bacon chop, Londoner sausage, bone marrow, smoky baked beans, field mushrooms, grilled plum tomatoes, two fried eggs, hash browns & fried bread. Sadly on the day we were there, they didn’t have any bone marrow but they gave us extra sausages and hash browns to make up for it. The meat is sourced from Allens of Mayfair and you can tell the produce is really good quality, I tried a bit of the bacon chop and it was tender and juicy. The only little downside was we got the Chemex for two for coffee; there was such a small amount of lukewarm water you couldn’t really get two cups of coffee out of it. We just asked for more hot water and our lovely server Kristine (for whom nothing was too much trouble) ran to get us some.

Mum and I opted for the lighter option of unlimited toast with preserves, and the Portobello Road flatbread : a fab combo of juicy Portobello mushrooms, parma ham, velvety brie, sweet red onion and peppery rocket on soft, fluffy flatbread with a drizzle of truffle oil which added an earthy dimension. Again really good quality bread, but unfortunately a running theme was that everything was a bit on the cold side. I’m not really sure how this could be addressed, maybe cloches on top of things like The London Brunch, but I think it would steam the toast and make it go soggy.

As a final sweet touch, Mum and Dad were brought a chocolate brownie with Happy 40th Anniversary piped around it and two glasses of champagne. We would definitely go back to The Drift, it is a very cool space and a real testimony to the power of great service.

The Drift is the latest opening by Drake & Morgan, owners of The Folly, The Anthologist, The Parlour, and their first venture – The Refinery which is right under our work’s building.

We were meant to visit on Tuesday night, but due to the moronic rioters, we decided to postpone. Didn't fancy getting caught up in all that nonsense. So we ended up going the next day as all seemed to be quiet. We wandered over from the Southbank over London Bridge, past Leadenhall market (we must take a proper look in there) and up Bishopsgate.

When I saw the height of Heron Tower above The Drift I did freak out a bit, I’m not very fond of tall buildings. The bar was on two floors, with the restaurant on the top, which didn’t help my phobia one bit. There was the distinctive excitable echoey buzz of people chatting in the bar, common in all Drake & Morgan establishments, making it a bit tricky to hear each other. We soon got used to it though, the secret being TALK LOUDER (not rocket science!). After staring at the extensive menu for ages, we settled back to people watch. Most were City boys and girls, minus the champagne, well times are hard! Ironically a lot of the music was early 90s pop – as if to remind the bankers of good times past! There was a sprinkling of ‘jeans’ but mostly ‘suits and striped shirts’.

I noticed chairs from The Folly and the potted herbs from The Refinery. I think Drake & Morgan must be fans of Spuntino,judging by the lights – exposed oversize hanging lightbulbs plus the enamel bowl that our salad arrived in. It has a more industrial feel than The Folly and co, but still the same distinctive mix ‘n’ match decor.

Anyway, on with the food. I can’t remember the last time I studied a menu for so long, too much choice. The only criticism was that all the specials were fish dishes – maybe deliberately trying to edge towards a seafood theme? I fancied a bit of drama so ordered the Prawn lollipops with citrus-soy dipping sauce to start, they were all I hoped they would be, crunchy coating and huge juicy prawns, plenty of dipping sauce also. Ade had the Dolcelatte & parma ham bruschetta, the ham was tender and the cheese creamy and sweet, a much milder taste than gorgonzola. Of to a flying start apart from the salad which was a tad too salty.

The cocktail menu is fantastic and imaginative, we wanted to try them all. I had a Skinny Lemon Sherbet – Sipsmith gin shaken twice with lemon juice, peach and agave nectar producing a thick rich foam just 89 kcal! Ade a Breakfast In Bloom – Bloom gin, Seville orange marmalade & pink grapefruit with vanilla sugar. Next for me was a Skinny Golden Beet Martini from the section entitled Veg & Herb Patch – fresh golden beetroot, house infused vanilla sugar blended with Smirnoff black vodka and a black pepper finish – 109 kcal, my favourite, so different and love the Veg & Herb Patch idea. Ade had a spectacular Skinny Porn Star (I think it was the name that did it) – Ketel One vodka with fresh passion fruit, passion fruit purée and vanilla sugar served with a prosecco chaser.

I went old-school (another 90s throwback) with my main, Coq au vin with mushrooms, root vegetables & buttered mash. It was hearty, comforting, and hit the spot. When Ade tried it he said the sauce reminded him of liver and bacon, it definitely was more bacony than winey, but lovely, and plenty of it. The portion sizes are spot on. The best coq au vin I ever had has to be the one cooked by @TheLittleChef, perfect, wonder if he does delivery… Ade had the Mascarpone & wild mushroom-stuffed chicken breast wrapped in crispy pancetta with herbed potatoes. We shared a Heirloom tomato & orange salad in the Spuntino-style bowl, the oranges and tomatoes were a fab combination, we loved this salad, might try and recreate it at home.

I struggled to find room for dessert so the Pudding shots, a selection of 3 (not so) mini portions, was a perfect solution. 1) A chocolate brownie so moist that it oozed into the glass, 2) A lemon peel crème brûlée, my favourite

and 3) A Knickerbocker glory, complete with retro sprinkles. Ade ate most of that!

From my seat I could see the guy operating the dishwasher, which is unusually open and not hidden out the back. It reminded me of my Saturday job as a teenager at Army & Navy (now House of Fraser, showing my age) coffee shop in Guildford – 8 hours in a tiny room loading a dishwasher and cleaning tables, my move into the kitchen was a welcome relief, although the most exciting thing I got to cook was a toasted sandwich.

To sum up, The Drift offers fabulous service (our dashing waiter James was so polite, helpful and knowledgeable), a huge variety of food and amazing cocktails. It’s a tad too loud – nowhere to hide from the wall of noise, but maybe that’s just our old age, so not somewhere to go for a quiet drink.

Check out their online menu, some items have pictures and wine and cocktail matches, nice touch. They also offer mixology classes, would love to do that, we’re getting into our homemade cocktails on a Saturday night.

We booked an office social event here for about 15 people, and got seated in a nice private table in a little Cove. The menu suited all dietary restrictions and they’re used to serving the lunch crowd so service was quick. There is a lift to the second floor, and stairway access. I wouldn’t recommend bringing kids here, not because the restaurant wouldn’t serve them, rather, it’s the city office worker vibes, so kids would probably feel out of place.

We went for the bottomless brunch. Staff worked hard to keep the drinks flowing and in general nobody had to wait for their refill. Food was good and reasonable portions. Interesting to note that the majority of tables were filled with groups of women having a good time.

Fantastic food and great service. Special praise for the salt cod brandade (thanks to Parves and Martino!). Gorgeous combination of flavours. Definite recommend, will be back!

My staff Christmas lunch took place here. Food was great. Staff very helpful, and discreet, the atmosphere was quieter than usual. Location is perfect in the heart of the city

This is a really nice restaurant for BRUNCH!!! Pay a fixed amount and have some drinks as well as some music. There is also food available. Grab a bite and have a DRINK! Atmosphere was great the service was wonderful! Loved the food too

Nice vibes and nibbles/brunch items on the menu.

Great staff and drinks. Perfect for the party vibes.

Service: 8/10 Food: 5.5/10 Hygiene: 7.5/10 Price: 6/10 Aesthetics: 6.5/10 “Vibes”: 7/10 Wait time: 6.5/10 Overall, not a bad experience. I just wish the food tasted slightly better!