It’s always rather cosmopolitan going out for a rooftop dinner in London on a school night! It seems very Sex and The City….And with cocktails and amazing views of the city and a’ DJ actually playing songs I recognised…Tuesdays have just become my new Sundays!!
Heading to the swanky (I am loathe to say trendy, although it has that vibe too) DoubleTree by Hilton in Tower Hill, I did not know quite what to expect…It is slap bang in the middle of the City and not my usual stomping ground. But as soon as I had bypassed the predictable wine bars spilling out suits sipping after work Chardonnays, and American tourists taking selfies with the Beefeaters, side-stepping into the DoubleTrees was a breath of fresh air. You don’t need to linger with the holiday makers in reception, as the rooftop bar has its own access and a lift will whizz you up to the twelfth floor, where you enter an entirely different dimension from the city it overlooks.
Savage Garden bar has adopted an eighties Californian vibe. Plush curtains, banquette seating and an inventive cocktail list, along with the house specials, allow you to feel grand even if you weren’t expecting to!
With upbeat waiting staff to talk you through the pretty self-explanatory menu- which is split into small plates of exotic seafood treats including charred octopus with fennel, tempura oysters and black sesame prawn toast, veggies have options of goats cheese croquettes and plantain chips, my date and I were advised to share…
Easily devourable in small bites, our starters and which were remarkably filling, and we took our time enjoying them as much as the view. Choosing a main was more of a mission as there wasn’t a huge range for vegetarians. But we plumped for char grilled cod, aubergine burger and roasted cauliflower. An exotic fusion in anyone’s eyes! But if you eat meat, the menu got even more flamboyant with charcoal bun beef sliders, pork tomahawk with black pudding fries and coconut beef short ribs.
Mixed down with experimental cocktails such as Wild Poison and Devil’s Advocate and a 360 degree view, made for a giddy night! Overlooking Thames and the Gherkin I am surprised this is not a tourist trap, but the clientele on this particular night seemed to consist of date nights and a groups of friends in the bar which intriguingly seemed to be enjoying a stream of “feasting savagery” plates- small sliders and tasters on platters for sharing.
Whether you are here for the food, music, cocktails or view, this is a hidden delight in the city. And it’s a great place to enjoy London’s urban jungle in it’s own savage garden, and even brave the Wildside Terrace. I’ll be back for Christmas party season!
Cocktails are around £14-£18; dishes vary between £6 and £25 (excluding the sharing options).
Savage Garden Bar London, 7 Pepys St, London EC3N 4AF