Having lived in London for over 7 years, I have always felt absolutely spoilt for choice when it comes to dining out in the this great city, where you can indulge in almost any type of cuisine in the world that’s just a tube’s journey away (or +/bus, depending how far in the suburbs you’re based!).
The area has definitely undergone a huge makeover over the last few years, not just the station itself that has had a £1 billion revamp, but the surrounding area is now as bustling as ever, with a vast variety of eateries to appeal to the ever-expanding London crowd.
There also stands one of my favourite buildings, which if you haven’t already guessed it, The Shard – because you know how much I love a meal with a view! Having previously dined at Hutong and aqua shard (and even done yoga at the top of The Shard!), this time we paid a visit to Oblix East, located on the 32nd floor of The Shard, and only a couple of minutes walk from London Bridge station. Upon entering this iconic building, we had to first go through a brief security check, before we were swiftly transported up to the 32nd floor. The corridor that leads into the restaurant is dimly lit, and as we followed the path of lights we were eventually greeted by the glorious space that was beautifully illuminated by the light that shone though the floor-to-ceiling windows. Boasting panoramic views of London, the ambience was relaxed with a touch of sophistication to it. I read beforehand that window tables are on a first come first served basis, and we were thrilled to arrive early enough to be seated at one of these prime spots. Having booked in for an early dinner, we were also lucky enough to catch the beautiful sunset on that (thankfully) odd sunny day after a series of rainy days that followed the demise of our short-lived summer.
We kicked off our evening with some welcome cocktails – I had the dandelion and burdock collins, whilst Tiffany had the compressed mule, both of them refreshing aperitifs to sip on whilst taking in the breathtaking views.
The seafood starters caught our eye, so we ordered one each to share. You can never go wrong with the smoked salmon option, served on a bed of quinoa, chopped cucumber, avocado and rocket – delicious, and a much more substantial portion than most smoked starters that I’ve had. The grilled mackerel had a crispy, smoky skin and juicy, flavourful flesh, accompanied by marinated fennel and a red pepper relish.
It’s not very often that I order burgers, but I was surprisingly tempted by their wagyu burger that day, topped with an aromatic cheese and truffle mayonnaise – the smell of truffle always makes me smile with delight. The seafood linguine was another great option, the pasta had just the right texture, with a good mix of flavours of chilli, garlic, and lemon. Even though I had already demolished my hearty wagyu burger which left me quite full, I couldn’t help myself from tucking into more of that linguine.
Dessert was an easy decision to make. Both of us unanimously agreed to order the apple tarte tatin, as well as the brownie sundae to share. The tarte tatin was probably one of the best ones that I’ve had so far – the apple was perfectly caramelised and had a pleasant soft texture and the pastry base was golden and crisp. Served warm, it went down well with the sour cream ice cream. The brownie sundae was rich and indulgent as it should be – chocolate brownies and vanilla ice cream is always a fail-proof classic combo. And there were also crunchy chocolate wafers bits in it that added a nice contrast of textures.
Live music started to play as the evening went on – they usually perform on Wednesday evenings, so again a lovely coincidence for us to have booked a table on the right evening!
Overall, we enjoyed the food and the ambience, four experience further enhanced by the friendly and efficient service throughout the evening. I will definitely be back again, and maybe check out the west side on another occasion – to my future dates, I hope that you’re taking notes on potential date night locations …
Oblix East is just one of the many fabulous dining options around London Bridge – for more options, click here: https://www.bookatable.co.uk/london-london-bridge-restaurants .
Or if you’re out and about and looking for somewhere local, you can search using the link https://www.bookatable.co.uk/nearby/restaurants-near-me/ . Wherever you choose to dine, I hope that your experience will be just as memorable as the places that I’ve visited.
