Those of you that have read this blog for a while or that know me well, will know that three of my favourite things in life are rooftop views, sunsets and bottomless brunches. So, when my sister and I were planning where to go to celebrate both our birthdays and I saw that London’s highest restaurant had started serving bottomless brunch 8am-4.30pm every day, safe to say it was a no-brainer.
The iconic restaurant, Duck & Waffle, is on the 40th floor of 110 Bishopsgate (Heron Tower), set in the heart of the city and serving up the best views of London that it is possible to get unless you can fly/are in a helicopter. Aside from showstopping views, the restaurant serves what it calls a ‘playful’ take on British cuisine with European influences, with a menu that is designed for sharing and sampling (right up my street).
If being the highest restaurant in London wasn’t enough to set Duck & Waffle apart, it is also open 24/7 – no really it is open every hour of every day! Feeling particularly boujee after a night out? Duck & Waffle. Can’t sleep and fancy French Toast while you watch the sunrise? Duck & Waffle. Arrived in London first thing in the middle of the night and want to start your trip off with a showstopping meal? Duck & Waffle. So, you get the idea… The first time visited Duck & Waffle was actually after a night out celebrating the end of my first year exams at university. We went for a celebratory brunch to watch the sunrise (in the summer so very very early), it was absolute magic and I couldn’t recommend it enough!
With It That Shall Not Be Named still wreaking havoc, this has temporarily changed. But, in October to attract customers and get around what was then a 10pm curfew (I write this from Lockdown 3…cry), Duck & Waffle launched their bottomless brunch menu! One of the very few positive things resulting from THAT C word…
So, enough waffling and let’s get down to it! There is a private entrance for Duck & Waffle and Sushi Samba (in the same building), where you are met by a doorman and start feeling pretty fancy. You then have the choice of two scenic lifts that shoot you 5mps into the sky to your high altitude destination. The view over London as you get higher and higher is very cool (although maybe not if you’re scared of heights). We got out at Sushi Samba on the 39th floor and walked up the beautiful curved staircase under hanging plants and light fixtures, with breathtaking views over London with the Gherkin just below you (yes below) just on your left.
When we got to our table we were fairly near the window which was great but the window we were near was totally misted up so you couldn’t see a thing – less great. Buuuuttt there are floor to ceiling windows almost the entire way around so you could still see a lot of the view – from Wembley to the Docklands and everything in-between! We timed our visit to be there for sunset (one of my passions in life), the sun actually set behind us so we didn’t see much of it but it was lovely to be able to see the view both in daylight and at night.
The view is obviously the focus of the restaurant but the interiors are similarly very aesthetic, designed by award-winning architect firm CetraRuddy. Stainless steel and frosted glass juxtaposing rustic materials such as weathered wood and ceramic tiling give the restaurant an overall feel that is intimate yet chic, in beautiful surroundings but not stuffy or intimidating. Plus, it was decorated with beautiful Christmas trees, so as you can imagine I was in total festive rooftop heaven!
So as I mentioned we were here for the bottomless brunch, which consisted of an hour and a half of bottomless Bloody Marys, Bellinis, Mimosas, Kir Royales for £25 when you ordered brunch. We made sure to sample at least one of each of the cocktails on offer, I loved that there was a selection of drinks as opposed to the usual bottomless Prosecco.
All the cocktails were delicious but the Kir Royales were my favourite. I also particularly enjoyed the Bloody Mary which wasn’t overly spicy but definitely had a kick.
Correct me if I’m wrong…(I’m not), but the only way to accurately judge a bottomless brunch is by how many drinks you had. We had 6 in an hour and a half which is acceptable but not brilliant, especially considering we had to call the waiter over each time and did spend quite a bit of time waiting with no drinks. Having said this, the waiters were incredibly friendly and it was very busy! This is a great venue for a sophisticated bottomless brunch, and great value considering the cocktails on the menu are all £14, but I would not recommend it if you’re looking to get day drunk at a boozy brunch.
With that said, onto the food! I went for the eponymous Duck & Waffle (how could you not), I was slightly apprehensive about this flavour combination, but I thought – trust the chefs! I’m really glad I did though because it was absolutely delicious! The dish is made up of crispy duck leg confit on a Belgian waffle topped with a crisp fried duck egg and mustard maple syrup. It’s a well-tuned dish whereby each element is crucial and enhances the dish. Perfectly cooked duck with crispy skin and tender meat, fluffy Belgian waffle, fried duck egg with a gooey yolk, and sticky sweet maple syrup with a mustard kick drizzled over it all – heaven! I love a sweet and salty flavour combination and this was everything I wanted it to be and more – a must-order dish (if the name of the restaurant hadn’t already told you this).
I also ordered the Torrejas with caramelised maple apples and cinnamon ice cream – yum! Torrejas is essentially Latin American french toast, and this was served with deliciously sweet caramelised apples, covered in a sticky caramelised sauce, and creamy cinnamon ice cream. This was a more traditional flavour combo that I knew I would love and it surpassed my expectations, I would definitely order it again!
The Duck & Waffle can also be found as part of the all-day menu if you visit the restaurant for dinner, and the Torrejas are on the dessert menu as well.
Definitely put Duck & Waffle at the top of your must-visit list for when London restaurants are up and running again (soon, please make it soon!) it is a perfect location from anything from wowing a first date, to celebrating a birthday or catching up with friends over brunch (make it bottomless, we all deserve it after 2020!)
N.B. For a more casual and affordable option, Duck & Waffle Local opened a few years ago just off Picadilly Circus. It doesn’t have the views and it isn’t open 24/7, but has great food with duck as its core ingredient.
