Every few months a good friend of mine visits London from the west country and we always meet for a catch up over a long lunch and put the world to rights. We set ourselves the challenge of finding somewhere new to try each time and last week enjoyed a fabulous, long rather indulgent lunch overlooking the Thames and Tower Bridge at Le Pont de la Tour in Butler’s Wharf, a charming French riverside restaurant and part of the Evolv Restaurant Group who just last month reopened the iconic Quaglino’s in St James’s following a major restoration.
Easily accessible, it’s a short walk from London Bridge Station along the embankment, which is most pleasant on a sunny day.
We were warmly welcomed on arrival and shown to our table by the window overlooking Tower Bridge, HMS Belfast and the impressive London skyline.
For the last 30 years this dog-friendly Butler’s Wharf Gastrodome has been serving their classic French seasonal cuisine and fine wines, and we got to try the new winter menu which had been launched just the week before.
We perused the menu over a very welcome glass of champagne and some traditional miche bread and butter, commenting on the warm, relaxed and sophisticated ambience, agreeing that a quieter lunchtime visit is much more enjoyable despite the fairly loud large party of guests who thankfully disappeared into one of the private dining rooms.
The wide ranging menu celebrates seasonal dishes and fresh seafood with a good selection of starters from £12, including an Epoisse Burgundy tart served with gingerbread and William pear and Dijonnaise dressing, a Beef tartare with spicy dressing, egg yolk, hazelnuts and crispy raspberries and Rabbit and pork terrine with pistachio, apricots, grape mustard and toasted sourdough. On a chilly day you may prefer a hot bowl of Creamy cauliflower soup with beets and goats’ cheese Parisian gnocchi and croutons, which is also their vegetarian and vegan option.
Although the London oak-smoked salmon with lemon crème fraîche, blinis and caperberry caught our eye, temptation got the better of us and chose the superb Périgord foie gras with chestnut velouté, confit duck beluga lentils and pickled mustard seeds and L’Oeuf Meurette, which is a red wine poached rich egg with Ceps, crispy bacon and glazed baby onion. But if you fancy seafood instead, they offer a selection of fresh oysters, prawns and caviar as well as traditional Escargots De Bourgogne.
You are spoilt for choice when it comes to the main course, which includes fish, meat and vegetarian dishes. So, for example you could choose a Pan-fried Dover sole on the bone with Grenobloise sauce, a Cherry smoked trout served with a Williams pear, parsnip and Douglas fir creamy sauce or a Seared stone bass with Devon crab and prawn risotto, American sauce and Avruga Caviar.
We both however, fancied a meat dish and whilst my friend chose the Coq au Vin served with a red wine braised corn-fed chicken, pommes purée, mushrooms, glazed baby onions, bacon and sandy carrots, I couldn’t resist the Rosemary and garlic slow-cooked lamb shank served with pommes purée, which was wonderfully tender and tasty.
Steak lovers on the other hand might enjoy the 300g grilled Black Angus Sirloin with béarnaise sauce and pommes frites or two of you could share the 850g West Country rib-eye on the bone served with Béarnaise and peppercorn sauces and pommes frites.
Despite the generous portions, we still managed to find room for one of the naughty but nice desserts, heading straight for the classic Crêpe Suzette with orange zest, Grand Marnier and vanilla ice cream which was prepared right in front of us at our table. Tempting and indulgent desserts for chocoholics include the Fondant au Chocolate Noir, which is a warm dark chocolate and salty caramel fondant served with vanilla ice cream or there’s the Tarte Noisettes Chocolat hazelnut tartelette, chocolate and cacao sorbet.
They also offer a selection of Beillevaire French farmhouse cheeses with Williams pear chutney as well as a selection of homemade ice creams and sorbets.
The extensive wine list has, as you would expect, French wines at its heart, showcasing the country’s most expressive wine regions from Burgundy and Bordeaux to the Loire and Rhône valleys. However, they also stock a very good range of wines from England and across Europe as well as Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the United States.
They offer a nice choice of wines by the glass from £10, with bottles starting from £37 and we were recommended an excellent light to medium bodied 2024 Hahn Pinot Noir from California’s Monterey County with silky tannins and juicy red fruit that paired perfectly with our choice of dishes.
On a nice day you can enjoy the seasonal menu and drinks on the restaurant’s cosy Riverside Terrace overlooking Tower Bridge. It can also be hired out for private drinks receptions, celebrations and events.
In addition, Le Pont do la Tour has two private dining rooms inside the restaurant that can accommodate between 20 to 30 guests if you are looking to host an event, be it a private celebration or business event.
If you’re in the neighbourhood you can always just pop in for a coffee and buy some wine as there is a coffee shop and wine store as well as a well-stocked bar.
So, to sum up, if you are looking for some excellent classic French cuisine, a great selection of fine wines and superb hospitality with an efficient yet unobtrusive service from the delightful staff, then I would thoroughly recommend Le Pont de la Tour with its iconic riverside location and views of Tower Bridge, which looks even better lit up at night. All in all, it was an extremely pleasant and civilised way to relax over a three hour lunch on a sunny autumnal afternoon in London.
The Details
Le Pont de la Tour, 36D Shad Thames, London, SE1 2YE, England.
Tel: +44 (0)20 7403 8403
Website: www.epontdelatour.co.uk
Email: lepontres@evolvcollection.com
The closest station is London Bridge mainline and Underground on the Jubilee and Northern lines, about a 10 minute walk from the restaurant, which is open Monday to Saturday from midday to 10:00pm and midday to 9:00pm on Sundays.
Type of Restaurant: French Riverside Restaurant overlooking Tower Bridge
Price Band: Medium to high.
Insider Tip: Book a table on the terrace overlooking the Thames and Tower Bridge in the warmer summer months or a table by the window on a chilly day and watch the world go by. And do leave room for a dessert and choose the Crêpe Suzette. You won’t be disappointed.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10/10
Author Bio:
Simon Burrell is a UK-based travel and motoring journalist and editor, a former member of The British Guild of Travel Writers and professional photographer.
Photographs courtesy of Le Pont de la Tour
Be the first to comment