14 September 2015
Copenhagen Day 2: Exploring the City Centre
On Saturday morning, I woke up relatively early and headed for The Lakes, a series of three artificial rectangular lakes (divided into five basins) that curve around the north-west of the city centre, which I had identified as the best running spot near my hotel. The sun wasn't shining, exactly, but the weather was mild and quite pleasant.
13 September 2015
Copenhagen Day 1: Hej, København!
After short trips to Stockholm and Helsinki, Copenhagen was next on my Scandinavian travel to-do list. As I feared that the city would be prohibitively expensive, I decided to limit this first excursion into Denmark to a three-night stay, and managed to use some air miles to limit the costs. I arrived early evening on Friday and was amazed that I could reach the city centre under 30 minutes after landing. All airport transfers should be this convenient.
09 September 2015
Brunch at London Grind
I've long been a fan of Silicon Roundabout's top coffee-and-cocktail destination, Shoreditch Grind, so I was pleased when they opened up three new locations: first Soho and Holborn, and most recently, London Grind, which is perched on the southern end of London Bridge. I've been for coffee a few times but hadn't eaten there, despite the enviable brunch photos that keep materialising in my Instagram feed.
On Sunday, it was time for a long-overdue brunch visit. I had actually planned to go for breakfast, but by the time I got there it was almost noon. The café was absolutely heaving and although there wasn't a queue, the only free seat was at the counter. I like sitting at the bar when I'm dining alone and it was fun to watch the chefs, bartenders and baristas at work.
I was able to choose between the breakfast and the brunch menus, but there is a fair amount of overlap between the two. So many of the menu items sounded delicious that I might almost have been grateful for less choice. I would never normally have a fruit salad for breakfast, for example, but when it includes iced fruit from Borough Market, lime granita and hazelnuts, that's a whole different dish. I had also heard good things about the one-pan eggs, with spinach, tomatoes, beans and (the clincher for me) pistachios.
It took about 20 minutes before someone came to take my order — I wasn't in a rush and it was super-busy, so I didn't really mind — and I changed my mind several times during this period. Perhaps I should have been less predictable, but in the end I went for the...smashed avocado on toast with chilli and poached eggs (£7.50).
On Sunday, it was time for a long-overdue brunch visit. I had actually planned to go for breakfast, but by the time I got there it was almost noon. The café was absolutely heaving and although there wasn't a queue, the only free seat was at the counter. I like sitting at the bar when I'm dining alone and it was fun to watch the chefs, bartenders and baristas at work.
I was able to choose between the breakfast and the brunch menus, but there is a fair amount of overlap between the two. So many of the menu items sounded delicious that I might almost have been grateful for less choice. I would never normally have a fruit salad for breakfast, for example, but when it includes iced fruit from Borough Market, lime granita and hazelnuts, that's a whole different dish. I had also heard good things about the one-pan eggs, with spinach, tomatoes, beans and (the clincher for me) pistachios.
It took about 20 minutes before someone came to take my order — I wasn't in a rush and it was super-busy, so I didn't really mind — and I changed my mind several times during this period. Perhaps I should have been less predictable, but in the end I went for the...smashed avocado on toast with chilli and poached eggs (£7.50).
Yes, I know; I am a creature of habit! The chilli could have been a little hotter but the eggs and the avo toast were all delicious and I didn't regret my choice, even if I now need to return to sample some of the other dishes.
I have waxed lyrical about the quality of the Grind cafés' coffee many times before, but my piccolo (£2.50) was excellent as ever: the house blend mixed coffees from Costa Rica, Mexico and Guatemala, and was creamy and chocolatey, and the latte art ranks among London's finest.
London Grind is open until late most days, so if you have missed brunch, you can try one of the dishes from the all-day menu or sample one of their cocktails, including several coffee-based cocktails. They also have a great gin collection, which includes two gins from Jensen's. The London Grind café is lovely and light with high ceilings, windows that look out onto London Bridge and good use of white brick and red neon.
London Grind. 2 London Bridge, London, SE1 9RA (Tube: London Bridge). Website.
I have waxed lyrical about the quality of the Grind cafés' coffee many times before, but my piccolo (£2.50) was excellent as ever: the house blend mixed coffees from Costa Rica, Mexico and Guatemala, and was creamy and chocolatey, and the latte art ranks among London's finest.
London Grind is open until late most days, so if you have missed brunch, you can try one of the dishes from the all-day menu or sample one of their cocktails, including several coffee-based cocktails. They also have a great gin collection, which includes two gins from Jensen's. The London Grind café is lovely and light with high ceilings, windows that look out onto London Bridge and good use of white brick and red neon.
London Grind. 2 London Bridge, London, SE1 9RA (Tube: London Bridge). Website.
07 September 2015
Cocktails at 155 Bar & Kitchen, Clerkenwell (CLOSED)
I often spot cool new food and drink spots in Clerkenwell and Farringdon from the top-deck of the bus on my daily commute, and I had noticed that the Clerkenwell Collection, a concept store with a bar and restaurant, had closed and then relaunched as Clerkenwell London and 155 Bar & Kitchen (CLOSED).
It's fair to say, then, that I was pleased as (rum) punch to be invited, along with a number of other London bloggers, to a cocktail masterclass at 155, organised by the lovely ladies of About Time Magazine, to sample some of the delightful libations from the autumn menu.
It's fair to say, then, that I was pleased as (rum) punch to be invited, along with a number of other London bloggers, to a cocktail masterclass at 155, organised by the lovely ladies of About Time Magazine, to sample some of the delightful libations from the autumn menu.
Our welcome drink was possibly my favourite: the Lavender Refresher, which paired gin with cranberry, lemon and lavender syrup, and came served in a gorgeous copper mug. It was as refreshing as its name promised, and the lavender elevated the drink from the usual gin plus citrus combinations.
Before the masterclass started, we took a sneak peak at the rest of Clerkenwell London. Downstairs, there is a wine tasting room with an enviable wine collection, a romantic piano bar and a sexy private dining room. The design throughout the building is really spot on with oversized pendant lights, wooden furniture and accents of black and copper.
The concept store also occupies both the ground floor and the basement and encompasses fashion and accessories, a signature fragrance collection and gorgeous, Scandinavian-inspired homewares. One of the rooms, in particular, had so many things I wanted to buy for my flat, and everything is very well curated and displayed.
Window shopping done, it was time to learn how to make a few cocktails, with some expert advice from 155's cocktail guru. The first was a Buffalo Berry, with Buffalo Trace, lemon juice, strawberries, apricot jam and basil leaves. Strawberry can be a bit cloying in a cocktail, but paired with the bourbon and the basil, the taste was just right, and I would definitely order it again. If you want to make your own, you will need: 50 ml Buffalo Trace, 15 ml lemon juice, 1.5 fresh strawberries, 1 spoon apricot jam and 6 basil leaves.
Next up was the Catch the Cherry, a drink I might not have picked out of a cocktail list, even though I like all of the ingredients. It ended up being one of my favourites of the night, however. I do love a good margarita but it's nice to do more unusual things with tequila too, such as combining it with cherry liqueur, Drambuie, apple juice, rosemary and lime.
Before the masterclass started, we took a sneak peak at the rest of Clerkenwell London. Downstairs, there is a wine tasting room with an enviable wine collection, a romantic piano bar and a sexy private dining room. The design throughout the building is really spot on with oversized pendant lights, wooden furniture and accents of black and copper.
The concept store also occupies both the ground floor and the basement and encompasses fashion and accessories, a signature fragrance collection and gorgeous, Scandinavian-inspired homewares. One of the rooms, in particular, had so many things I wanted to buy for my flat, and everything is very well curated and displayed.
Window shopping done, it was time to learn how to make a few cocktails, with some expert advice from 155's cocktail guru. The first was a Buffalo Berry, with Buffalo Trace, lemon juice, strawberries, apricot jam and basil leaves. Strawberry can be a bit cloying in a cocktail, but paired with the bourbon and the basil, the taste was just right, and I would definitely order it again. If you want to make your own, you will need: 50 ml Buffalo Trace, 15 ml lemon juice, 1.5 fresh strawberries, 1 spoon apricot jam and 6 basil leaves.
Next up was the Catch the Cherry, a drink I might not have picked out of a cocktail list, even though I like all of the ingredients. It ended up being one of my favourites of the night, however. I do love a good margarita but it's nice to do more unusual things with tequila too, such as combining it with cherry liqueur, Drambuie, apple juice, rosemary and lime.
As you can see, 155 really like to include fresh fruit and herbs in their cocktails, and I approve! To make this drink, combine 25 ml tequila, 15 ml Cherry Heering, 15 ml Drambuie, 35 ml apple juice, a spoonful of rosemary tincture and 10 ml fresh lime juice; plus a couple of cherries and a sprig of rosemary to garnish. Gorgeous copper barware is optional although recommended.
Then it was time for the martini and although martinis aren't normally my thing (I'm trying to get into them), this one had the best cocktail garnish I've had since the Caesar with a bacon straw in Saskatoon.
Then it was time for the martini and although martinis aren't normally my thing (I'm trying to get into them), this one had the best cocktail garnish I've had since the Caesar with a bacon straw in Saskatoon.
The Black Cow martini is made with Black Cow's milk vodka (yes, milk vodka; you can find out more on their website) and white Regal Rouge vermouth — stirred, not shaken — and served with a cracker bearing a glorious hunk of Black Cow cheese. The martini was very well mixed, with smooth, crisp flavours, but it's probably still going to be a while before martinis become a favourite of mine.
After the cheese course, it is, of course, pudding time! The last cocktail of the night was inspired by the humble Bakewell tart: delicious Pinkster's raspberry-infused gin, which I've tried before, mixed with raspberry liqueur, amaretto and apple juice with almond cream — and a maraschino cherry — floated on top.
After the cheese course, it is, of course, pudding time! The last cocktail of the night was inspired by the humble Bakewell tart: delicious Pinkster's raspberry-infused gin, which I've tried before, mixed with raspberry liqueur, amaretto and apple juice with almond cream — and a maraschino cherry — floated on top.
It was really sweet but not at all sickly, and it really did taste just like a boozy Bakewell tart. I don't think I could drink a lot of them, but one was a delicious way to end a fun night in a lovely venue that will take you from breakfast (I spied some pourover coffee kit on the bar), through afternoon shopping and then on to dinner and late-night cocktails.
155 Bar & Kitchen @ Clerkenwell London. 155 Farringdon Road, London, EC1R 3AD (Tube: Farringdon). CLOSED
Disclaimer: I was a guest of 155 Bar & Kitchen for their cocktail masterclass. All opinions are my own.
155 Bar & Kitchen @ Clerkenwell London. 155 Farringdon Road, London, EC1R 3AD (Tube: Farringdon). CLOSED
Disclaimer: I was a guest of 155 Bar & Kitchen for their cocktail masterclass. All opinions are my own.
04 September 2015
Behind the Scenes at Pact Coffee
I first tried coffee from Pact, a London-based coffee discovery and delivery company, a couple of years ago. The concept is simple: choose from a small selection of coffee varieties, which are sourced from around the globe and roasted in small batches in the London roastery and which can be delivered to your home or office as often as you like and, if you wish, ground to your specification.
If you're a coffee geek or coffee geek in training, you will enjoy the tasting notes card that comes in every package. Most bags cost £6.95 for 250g, making them much more expensive (though much higher quality) than your average supermarket coffee, although a similar price or cheaper than many specialist coffee beans that are easy to source in London. You can usually find a code online or on Twitter to get your first bag for £1.
I liked Pact's coffee a lot but wasn't convinced their service was for me. I live within a few minutes walk of Monmouth's coffee roastery and I like be able to pick out my own beans. However, Pact also offers convenience: they make it very easy to enjoy good coffee. I still buy Monmouth beans for use at home, but I get a Pact delivery to my office every few weeks, with the coffee ready ground for use in my Aeropress, so that I don't need to keep grinding beans at home and taking the coffee in small batches into work.
A few weeks ago, Pact got in touch to see whether I'd be interested in coming to visit their office and roastery, and of course I was! Besides, they are based in Bermondsey, so I didn't have far to go. The Pact HQ is located in the Biscuit Factory, near the bouldering centre I go to sometimes. The office looks like a great place to work and, as you would expect, the kitchen contains every conceivable brewing method. If only my company's facilities department could learn from this! I met Ed, Pact's head of PR, over a coffee and then we went to explore the roastery.
The roaster was hard at work with the latest batch. Pact tend to have seven or eight coffee varieties on the go at any one time, and the beans are stored in colourful containers while they await shipping. The production line, although small, is very efficient.
I liked Pact's coffee a lot but wasn't convinced their service was for me. I live within a few minutes walk of Monmouth's coffee roastery and I like be able to pick out my own beans. However, Pact also offers convenience: they make it very easy to enjoy good coffee. I still buy Monmouth beans for use at home, but I get a Pact delivery to my office every few weeks, with the coffee ready ground for use in my Aeropress, so that I don't need to keep grinding beans at home and taking the coffee in small batches into work.
A few weeks ago, Pact got in touch to see whether I'd be interested in coming to visit their office and roastery, and of course I was! Besides, they are based in Bermondsey, so I didn't have far to go. The Pact HQ is located in the Biscuit Factory, near the bouldering centre I go to sometimes. The office looks like a great place to work and, as you would expect, the kitchen contains every conceivable brewing method. If only my company's facilities department could learn from this! I met Ed, Pact's head of PR, over a coffee and then we went to explore the roastery.
The roaster was hard at work with the latest batch. Pact tend to have seven or eight coffee varieties on the go at any one time, and the beans are stored in colourful containers while they await shipping. The production line, although small, is very efficient.
Once the beans are roasted, they are ground, if required, and packaged ready for mailing or delivery by bike courier. I asked whether their next move might be to open up any cafés, but they are focusing on the enjoyment of coffee at home for now, and they seem to be doing remarkably well. The company has grown a lot since I first subscribed.
One of the current coffees is from Bibi Plantation in India. As I had never tried coffee from India before, Ed gave me a bag of beans to take home and try. I finally cracked open the package last week and tried out the coffee. I tend to prefer smoother, more chocolatey Central and South American coffees, although in the summer, I often go for the fruitier African coffees.
I was unsure where India coffee would sit on this spectrum. Bibi was extremely full-bodied, with a slightly bitter dark chocolate aftertaste. I liked it a lot but I think I would wait until the autumn or winter before ordering it again, when such a complex, robust coffee can help to cut through a cold, dark morning.
Find Pact Coffee online here.
Disclaimer: Pact invited me to visit their roastery and gave me a bag of Bibi beans to try. All opinions are my own.
One of the current coffees is from Bibi Plantation in India. As I had never tried coffee from India before, Ed gave me a bag of beans to take home and try. I finally cracked open the package last week and tried out the coffee. I tend to prefer smoother, more chocolatey Central and South American coffees, although in the summer, I often go for the fruitier African coffees.
I was unsure where India coffee would sit on this spectrum. Bibi was extremely full-bodied, with a slightly bitter dark chocolate aftertaste. I liked it a lot but I think I would wait until the autumn or winter before ordering it again, when such a complex, robust coffee can help to cut through a cold, dark morning.
Find Pact Coffee online here.
Disclaimer: Pact invited me to visit their roastery and gave me a bag of Bibi beans to try. All opinions are my own.
03 September 2015
August Favourites
So long, summer, and aloha, autumn; that's what the cool and rainy London weather this week seems to be suggesting, at any rate. Here are a few of my favourite things from August, all of which can be enjoyed indoors!
1. Mulholland Dr.
I first saw this David Lynch masterpiece in a student dorm room well over a decade ago. We spent hours trying to 'solve' the mysteries the film poses using the handy list of ten clues that the studio insisted Lynch included with the DVD. Since then, I've probably seen the film about ten times, but never on the big screen, so I was really excited by the chance to watch it at a late-night screening on Saturday night in the lounge screen at the Hackney Picturehouse. The low-level, almost fully reclined seating was very comfortable, although perhaps not entirely suitable for a late-night 2h30 film that blurs boundaries between dreams, reality and nightmares.
If you haven't seen Mulholland Dr. yet, you should definitely seek it out and I would suggest trying not to read anything about the film in advance (don't worry; you can read up in advance of your second, third and fourth viewing). My brother recommended this review/interpretation of the film and it is a good read, although it is pretty epic and written in shouty caps.
2. Hawksmoor cocktails.
I've enjoyed a number of wonderful, meat-centric meals at the various Hawksmoor restaurants over the years. The food is great, but the cocktails are also superb and we went for a few after-dinner drinks at the Air Street location after dinner in Soho recently. The menu is organised by suggested position in the meal, from anti-fogmatics and pre-prandials to disco drinks.
1. Mulholland Dr.
I first saw this David Lynch masterpiece in a student dorm room well over a decade ago. We spent hours trying to 'solve' the mysteries the film poses using the handy list of ten clues that the studio insisted Lynch included with the DVD. Since then, I've probably seen the film about ten times, but never on the big screen, so I was really excited by the chance to watch it at a late-night screening on Saturday night in the lounge screen at the Hackney Picturehouse. The low-level, almost fully reclined seating was very comfortable, although perhaps not entirely suitable for a late-night 2h30 film that blurs boundaries between dreams, reality and nightmares.
If you haven't seen Mulholland Dr. yet, you should definitely seek it out and I would suggest trying not to read anything about the film in advance (don't worry; you can read up in advance of your second, third and fourth viewing). My brother recommended this review/interpretation of the film and it is a good read, although it is pretty epic and written in shouty caps.
2. Hawksmoor cocktails.
I've enjoyed a number of wonderful, meat-centric meals at the various Hawksmoor restaurants over the years. The food is great, but the cocktails are also superb and we went for a few after-dinner drinks at the Air Street location after dinner in Soho recently. The menu is organised by suggested position in the meal, from anti-fogmatics and pre-prandials to disco drinks.
The drinks all sound so interesting and exquisitely well thought out that it can take a good ten minutes to read the menu and make your choice. Subversively, I went for a pair of anti-fogmatics: the Farewell to Arms (I can't resist a good literary cocktail), pictured below, with rum, maraschino, sugar and citric acid, and the Marmalade cocktail (gin, campari, lemon and marmalade). Both were expertly mixed, but I think my brother won the cocktail lottery, with his Full-Fat Old Fashioned (butter-infused bourbon with sugar). Decadent and delicious.
3. Hannibal
I started watching Bryan Fuller's now probably doomed TV interpretation of Thomas Harris's books about the pre-Silence of the Lambs Hannibal Lecter after watching the first couple of episodes at a friend's house last summer. Will (Hugh Dancy), a young criminal profiler, must work with psychiatrist Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen) to try to solve a series of violent murders. Although the audience knows Hannibal's secret, Will and his FBI colleagues (including Caroline Dhavernas and Laurence Fishburne) have no idea who Hannibal is.
The show combines dramatic cases-of-the-week with the much more subtle development of the relationship between Will and Hannibal. At its heart, Hannibal is a bromance and a sensual one at that. The culinary artistry and the music are wonderful, but it's Mikkelsen's performance that really stands out. I thought that the second season dragged a little, but the third (and probably final) season is very well done. NB, probably not one to watch over dinner.
4. Heartbeat installation in Covent Garden Market
If you're in the West End of London between now and 27 September, it's worth making a detour to the Covent Garden Market building, where 100,000 white balloons currently fill the space, pulsating with light. The balloons are part of an installation called Heartbeat by Charles Pétillon, and they glow and fade before your eyes in a mesmerising rhythm. This time-lapse video probably gives you a better idea of what it looks like.
5. Trainwreck
As summer faded and some of the more interesting films began to replace silly blockbusters at the cinema, I got back into the habit of going to the movies more often. I didn't think Trainwreck sounded like my kind of film at first; I'm not a big Judd Apatow fan and it sounded a little like Jason Reitman's Young Adult, which underwhelmed me. Swayed by the profusion of positive reviews — and a £4.99 screening at the Peckhamplex — I caved, and ended up enjoying it a lot.
Trainwreck is wickedly funny, sharp and self-knowing. One of the reviews I read described it as the Manhattan for Gen-Y, which isn't a bad comparison. Amy Schumer as the brash, often thoughtless, commitment-phobic men's magazine writer, and Bill Hader, as the sweet, but somewhat reserved and geeky sports surgeon she has to interview, make a great on-screen pair. Great cinema, it ain't, but it is very entertaining.
3. Hannibal
I started watching Bryan Fuller's now probably doomed TV interpretation of Thomas Harris's books about the pre-Silence of the Lambs Hannibal Lecter after watching the first couple of episodes at a friend's house last summer. Will (Hugh Dancy), a young criminal profiler, must work with psychiatrist Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen) to try to solve a series of violent murders. Although the audience knows Hannibal's secret, Will and his FBI colleagues (including Caroline Dhavernas and Laurence Fishburne) have no idea who Hannibal is.
The show combines dramatic cases-of-the-week with the much more subtle development of the relationship between Will and Hannibal. At its heart, Hannibal is a bromance and a sensual one at that. The culinary artistry and the music are wonderful, but it's Mikkelsen's performance that really stands out. I thought that the second season dragged a little, but the third (and probably final) season is very well done. NB, probably not one to watch over dinner.
4. Heartbeat installation in Covent Garden Market
If you're in the West End of London between now and 27 September, it's worth making a detour to the Covent Garden Market building, where 100,000 white balloons currently fill the space, pulsating with light. The balloons are part of an installation called Heartbeat by Charles Pétillon, and they glow and fade before your eyes in a mesmerising rhythm. This time-lapse video probably gives you a better idea of what it looks like.
5. Trainwreck
As summer faded and some of the more interesting films began to replace silly blockbusters at the cinema, I got back into the habit of going to the movies more often. I didn't think Trainwreck sounded like my kind of film at first; I'm not a big Judd Apatow fan and it sounded a little like Jason Reitman's Young Adult, which underwhelmed me. Swayed by the profusion of positive reviews — and a £4.99 screening at the Peckhamplex — I caved, and ended up enjoying it a lot.
Trainwreck is wickedly funny, sharp and self-knowing. One of the reviews I read described it as the Manhattan for Gen-Y, which isn't a bad comparison. Amy Schumer as the brash, often thoughtless, commitment-phobic men's magazine writer, and Bill Hader, as the sweet, but somewhat reserved and geeky sports surgeon she has to interview, make a great on-screen pair. Great cinema, it ain't, but it is very entertaining.
01 September 2015
Lovely Weather for Duck & Waffle
Leaving my house at 7.45 am and darting through the pouring rain to my nearest bus stop isn't normally how I spend my bank holiday Mondays. However, yesterday was special because I had a breakfast reservation at Duck & Waffle, and neither the weather nor the early start could put me off. Duck & Waffle, a 24/7 restaurant on the 40th floor of the Heron Tower in the City, opened up over three years ago, but I've never been organised enough to nab one of the popular dinner or weekend brunch slots. A few weeks ago, I decided it was time to rectify this oversight.
The rain hadn't abated during my short bus ride and even the two-minute walk from Liverpool Street station was pretty unpleasant. Soon, though, my friend and I were perched high in the sky enjoying a spectacular view over London. The restaurant's lift whisked us up to the 40th floor so quickly that our ears popped.
We were shown to our table by the friendly staff and I was delighted to find that we were seated by the window looking directly down on the Gherkin and over south-east London. I mentioned when booking that it was my first visit and requested a window seat; I'm sure they get a lot of these requests, but it can't hurt to ask, especially if you do so nicely. At first, it was rainy and very cloudy and the view wasn't that great.
But by the time our coffees arrived, it was already starting to clear up. I ordered a cortado (£3.50) and although it was a little over-priced, I was pleasantly surprised by how good a coffee it was. They use Caffè Musetti coffee, and the cortado was rich and smooth with good latte art. It looked even better with a side of Gherkin, of course.
On weekdays, there is only a reduced breakfast menu available rather than the full weekend brunch selection, but I wasn't in danger of having too few choices. Regular readers will know that my default brunch-ordering response is to pick the dish that has eggs, avocado or bacon — ideally, all three — and my friend did indeed order the Colombian eggs (scrambled eggs and avo on toast) with a side of bacon (£15), I went rogue. After all, I couldn't not order waffles on my first visit to Duck & Waffle.
The next dilemma was whether to go sweet or sweet and savoury. I liked the sound of the bananas brulée, which includes both Nutella and peanut crunch, but I am not that fond of bananas. Besides, the eponymous duck and waffle (£15) was calling my name. The titular dish consists of a waffle piled high with duck confit and a fried duck egg and served with mustard maple syrup. Boy, was that the right call!
The rain hadn't abated during my short bus ride and even the two-minute walk from Liverpool Street station was pretty unpleasant. Soon, though, my friend and I were perched high in the sky enjoying a spectacular view over London. The restaurant's lift whisked us up to the 40th floor so quickly that our ears popped.
We were shown to our table by the friendly staff and I was delighted to find that we were seated by the window looking directly down on the Gherkin and over south-east London. I mentioned when booking that it was my first visit and requested a window seat; I'm sure they get a lot of these requests, but it can't hurt to ask, especially if you do so nicely. At first, it was rainy and very cloudy and the view wasn't that great.
But by the time our coffees arrived, it was already starting to clear up. I ordered a cortado (£3.50) and although it was a little over-priced, I was pleasantly surprised by how good a coffee it was. They use Caffè Musetti coffee, and the cortado was rich and smooth with good latte art. It looked even better with a side of Gherkin, of course.
On weekdays, there is only a reduced breakfast menu available rather than the full weekend brunch selection, but I wasn't in danger of having too few choices. Regular readers will know that my default brunch-ordering response is to pick the dish that has eggs, avocado or bacon — ideally, all three — and my friend did indeed order the Colombian eggs (scrambled eggs and avo on toast) with a side of bacon (£15), I went rogue. After all, I couldn't not order waffles on my first visit to Duck & Waffle.
The next dilemma was whether to go sweet or sweet and savoury. I liked the sound of the bananas brulée, which includes both Nutella and peanut crunch, but I am not that fond of bananas. Besides, the eponymous duck and waffle (£15) was calling my name. The titular dish consists of a waffle piled high with duck confit and a fried duck egg and served with mustard maple syrup. Boy, was that the right call!
The salty-sweet flavour combinations worked together beautifully and although you can't really tell from my photo, there was a lot of juicy, perfectly cooked meat on the duck leg. Had it been closer to brunch o'clock, I might have wanted either some bread or a pudding, but it was just the right amount of food for breakfast.
The staff were friendly and professional and didn't rush us at all as we lingered over our drinks, making the most of the amazing view. I was particularly pleased that I could look out over my own neighbourhood, Bermondsey, although my building was too low for me to make it out from that distance. We could also look over to Canary Wharf — the tops of the skyscrapers were lost in the clouds — and to the Olympic Park.
Finally, it was time to ride the lift back down to the ground floor; actually, we got to do it twice after an umbrella mix-up. Sadly, the rain had returned with a vengeance, but we had had too good a breakfast to care much.
I will definitely be returning to Duck & Waffle, ideally to try the evening or weekend brunch menus, and I highly recommend it as a special venue with great food. You can usually book from about two months in advance and you should definitely book if you have your eye on one of the more popular slots. Try to book with them directly, too, as the D&W website has a lot more availability than OpenTable.
Duck & Waffle. 110 Bishopsgate, London, EC2N 4AY (Tube: Liverpool Street). Website.
The staff were friendly and professional and didn't rush us at all as we lingered over our drinks, making the most of the amazing view. I was particularly pleased that I could look out over my own neighbourhood, Bermondsey, although my building was too low for me to make it out from that distance. We could also look over to Canary Wharf — the tops of the skyscrapers were lost in the clouds — and to the Olympic Park.
Finally, it was time to ride the lift back down to the ground floor; actually, we got to do it twice after an umbrella mix-up. Sadly, the rain had returned with a vengeance, but we had had too good a breakfast to care much.
I will definitely be returning to Duck & Waffle, ideally to try the evening or weekend brunch menus, and I highly recommend it as a special venue with great food. You can usually book from about two months in advance and you should definitely book if you have your eye on one of the more popular slots. Try to book with them directly, too, as the D&W website has a lot more availability than OpenTable.
Duck & Waffle. 110 Bishopsgate, London, EC2N 4AY (Tube: Liverpool Street). Website.