OXO Tower Restaurant, Bar, and Brasserie are three different venues located on the eighth floor of an iconic London landmark. The first thing you’ll notice when you arrive are the views. Feast your eyes upon a panorama that takes in some of the city’s most famous sights, including St Paul’s Cathedral and the winding River Thames.
At the OXO Tower Restaurant, Head chef Jeremy Bloor creates beautiful plates that put a unique spin on the best British seasonal produce. Think blackberry and wood pigeon gyozas, scallops with a blood orange gel, and spiced pumpkin cheesecake. Bloor gives fine dining a thoroughly modern upgrade and the vibe is exclusive and wonderfully elegant. Opt for the seven-course tasting menu, or perhaps the afternoon tea on weekends, with treats such as a black pig ham and gruyère toastie.
Meanwhile, OXO Tower Brasserie has a more casual and relaxed atmosphere—perfect for a Sunday morning brunch, laidback lunch with friends, or a pre-theatre meal (the National Theatre and Shakespeare’s Globe are both nearby).
As well as the 250-foot outdoor terrace, the brasserie features an open kitchen where you can see the chefs hard at work crafting contemporary dishes that champion local and seasonal produce. The menu is straightforward but high-impact, overflowing with flavour and incorporating interesting new twists on crowd-pleasing classics, as well as meat dishes cooked over the Josper grill.
The selection changes regularly so even if you’ve already visited once, there’s nothing to stop you going again. There’s also live music for you to enjoy, from lunchtime jazz to samba and swing.
Finally, if you’re just coming for drinks, the OXO Tower Bar will shake you up a cocktail to remember with innovative concoctions such as the ‘Original Sin’, which features vodka, crème de Pêche, apple juice, and nettle cordial.
All in all, the OXO Tower Restaurant, Bar, and Brasserie is the perfect place to take someone on a first date. Nothing will wow a potential lover like this. Plus, there’s plenty of opportunity for people-watching and commenting if the conversation starts to run dry.
It’s also the ultimate venue for a celebration—because nothing says special quite like this view of the London skyline.
As well as being one of the hottest names in high-rise dining, OXO Tower is also a leading voice in the fight for greater sustainability within the restaurant industry. A founding member of the Sustainable Restaurant Association, the venue is determined to do all it can to reduce its impact on the environment and introduce new sustainability initiatives.
Produce is mostly British and often local to London, including cheese from Neal’s Yard Dairy and hand-dived scallops and crab from Dorset, as well as foraged flowers that appear in desserts masterminded by Head Pastry Chef Penny Wabbit. You’ll also find many plant-based options on the menu, encouraging diners to choose veg over meat.
OXO Tower also tries to reuse and recycle as much as it can, whether that’s turning empty bottles into lamps and clocks or donating wooden crates to be used in community garden projects. They’ve also partnered with the Too Good To Go app, which connects unsold food to shoppers. The team attends regular Thames beach clean-ups and is trained in water efficiency.
Pretty impressive stuff and no surprise that the restaurant won The Sustainability Award at the UK’s National Restaurant Awards in 2019. It’s hard to think of many restaurants where you can enjoy food of this quality, views of this calibre, and the reassurance that you’re minimising your environmental impact at the same time.
Vegetarian option on the menu: Yes Price range: $$$ - $$$$ Address: Barge House St, South Bank, London. Phone number: +4420 7803 3888 Website: www.harveynichols.com
