Aqua Shard

The views are wonderful, as you would expect, but I had high hopes for the food and I was left thoroughly disappointed. Yes I went for lunch, on a week day and so the atmosphere was completely corporate and boring — lots of people trying to be ‘important’ and discuss equally ‘important’ things. This was also to be expected I suppose, however the man that seated me with his earpiece was rude and completely unaccommodating, it was like he took an instant disliking to me and couldn’t hide it. My enquiry for a different table was met with complete lack of patience and disdain — not what you expect when you spend over 250 pounds on a quick lunch for 2!
Then there was the food — bland, and of surprisingly poor quality. The beet salad starter was overpowered by vinegar and the cod was on the verge of being raw. Desert (David’s mess) was sugar on sugar and lost the flavour of any fruits that were hidden away despite their gorgeous colours — very disappointing indeed.
The cocktails, however were great — I imagine the bar in the evening is buzzy and fun, and the same at the weekend.

The view is wonderful and the service is stellar but that is about it as the food is average at best.
I ordered the steak and it was 1 cm thick. What a joke considering the cost. Needless to discuss its cooking since at that thickness it is close to impossible to cool it properly.
Appetizers were ok but the highlight was the chocolate mousse which was the best dish as attested by our entire party.
All in all, go for the view and just enjoy the mousse and you might get your money’s worth. Oh and don’t forget to use the facilities as it is quite a unique experience!

Amazing. Must see in London. Expensive drinks but you need to understand where you are.

I visited Aqua Shard for NYE dinner. I think it would be a great 4 star restaurant normally, but it gets docked 2 stars because of the weirdness of NYE the night I went.
First, the Shard is an icon in London, as it is the tallest building. It is also very accessible using the underground transportation. It’s views attract tourists and locals alike, and it is located in a very hustle/​bustle area.
We tried to book reservations in the bar area in September, but it was already filled up and now I know why. We therefore reserved a table for dinner, looking over the London eye side of the tower. Although we paid much more for these prime views of the fireworks, hoards of people ran over from the bar side of the restaurant to block our views of the fireworks. They used our chairs as stepping stools to see over the crowd and our table as theirs to rest their glasses :/​it wasn’t the most pleasant NYE celebration to say the least. Book the bar side of the restaurant for NYE, then run over to ruin the views of the guests dining there. But don’t go for dinner expecting to have a relaxing, comfortable view of the fireworks.
The dinner itself was great. I enjoyed the lobster and steak, as well as the «complimentary» cheese platter after dessert. The service was ok… Nothing special, in fact I think we would have ordered more drinks if they were more observant/​checked on us more.
It was a little weird that they had to check who were like 4 times that night: first, at the entrance of the hotel, second, at the entrance to Aqua shard, third at the bottom of the stairs of Aqua shard, fourth at the table. With so many staff members milling around, you’d think they’d be more organized.
Unfortunately, I don’t think I’ll be back. The company I was with made my night, not necessarily the views, awkwardness or uncomfortableness of watching fireworks smashed up against the window with 100 other people.

Dieser Ausblick, ein Wahnsinn!
Mich hatte ein Geschäftsfreund zum Frühstück eingeladen und er wusste, dass er mich mit dieser Location würde beeindrucken können.
Unten am Empfang Security Check fast wie am Flughafen, Röntgenanlage für Taschen und Jacken, Metalldetektor.
Per Fahrstuhl in nullkommanix Richtung Restaurant, atemberaubender Blick schon gleich bei der Ankunft, bodentiefe Fenster und man muss erstmal wieder eine Ebene runter über eine verglaste Treppe.
Der Ausblick lenkt irgendwie total vom Essen ab, welches wirklich vorzüglich war.
Ich hatte mir das «aqua shard smoked salmon» Frühstück bestellt, das liest sich schon so lecker: «Luxury smoked salmon, scrambled eggs, toasted sourdough, crème fraiche, corn fritters»…
Wer hier frühstücken oder zu Mittag essen möchte, sollte in jedem Fall reservieren…
Wer abends hier die Bar besuchen möchte, kann sich das Reservieren sparen, denn dafür werden gar nicht erst Reservierungen angenommen, wenn voll (das geht sehr schnell, sagte man mir), dann voll und Schluß.
Alles in allem eine absolute Hammerlocation und warum soll ich für die Aussichtsplattform einige Meter weiter oben viel Geld bezahlen, wenn ich auch hier einen absolut fantastischen Ausblick genießen und dabei noch toll speisen kann?

We went here to get some drinks before he went to Hutong for dinner. This place was packed and I can see why, the drinks are innovative and if you can snag one of those tables with the view of the tower bridge I feel you are sorted. We unfortunately didn’t get a table, we were just standing and downing ours. One of my friends had a drink with lavender in it and that drink was unlike anything I have ever had and I was very impressed. The others in the group just stuck to whiskey and beer. The bartenders were friendly. The view was to die for. Just beat in mind the place is packed and the drinks are crazy expensive.

A magnificent view!
The food at brunch was excellent. The menu only shows a three-​course pre-​fixe but you can order just two courses. (However, the minimum is two courses.) My hot and cold soup and swordfish were both excellent. My friend said her duck egg was excellent. I forget what she had for the first course but she liked it. We both agreed that the chocolate mousse with berry sorbet was fantastic.
Although we had been there less than hour, the server started pushing us to leave so the restaurant could turn the table over. However, she found us a table next to the window in the bar area which actually had a much better view than the table at which we had eaten.
It was more than 20 minutes before someone took our drink order in the bar. They certainly seemed understaffed.
In sum: great view, great food, mediocre service.

I had brunch on Sunday. You will need to make your reservations in advance and you can’t cancel less than 24 h before the reservation unless you want to be charged 25£ each (they will ask for a credit card no at the time of reservation)
weekend brunch is 3 courses, there is no a la carte — I was actually a bit upset because I had to leave more than half of my dessert because it was too much food! But the food was very good.
You can’t ask for a window table at the time of reservation but for 2 people they usually find you one when you arrive!

I’ve been here twice. First was afternoon tea for my Mothers 60^th birthday and the second was for an evening meal. Both occasions were brilliant and the views are spectacular.
On my first visit we were lucky enough to be given a corner window table. The service here is great and the staff are really helpful. The cakes and sandwiches are delicious and they have good selection of teas. We spent a nice few hours eating, chatting and drinking tea. As the sun starts to set, you get a whole new view as day to turns to dusk and then to night. Although it’s not cheap, it’s a wonderful place to take someone as a special treat.
My second occasion I was lucky enough to be taken out for diner with a group of associates. We had such a good time. The food was amazing, as was the atmosphere. Once again the staff were friendly, professional and nothing was too much trouble. My starter was the goats cheese salad which was really nice, followed by Lamb. I found the Lamb perfect in every way and I really recommend it. During our dining experience we had the most amazing sunset which illuminated the whole restaurant, this was quite magical.
I really love this place as it’s stylish without being pretentious, has superb views and is like dining in the clouds. The food here is excellent and I had no trouble booking a table. My only slight criticism is the gents bathroom isn’t easy to find, but it’s such a minor thing that it won’t affected my rating.

The view of the city is the best in London. The service is amazing and the food was fantastic .
Highly recommended

«Bad service. Bad food. Bad drinks. Unclean glasses & utensils. All for £203+.»
I never understood why people are willing to pay top dollar to eat bland, average food — like the stuff your mum used to make — at a top notch restaurant, then exalt the whole experience as if they just met Jesus Christ. Incarnate.
What are my qualifications? I’ve eaten at some top places in the U.S. — meaning I’ve spent over £300 for dining for two. Plus I’ve waited previously at fine restaurants (requiring pleated shirts and bowties), banquet halls, diners and more. So I know what is supposed to be done, when, how and why. At all times.
Place looks fantastic. Honestly. Course it’s strictly average for New York City (where I live), but it’s posh so… marks for that.
1. Waiting 15 – 20 mins for any waitstaff to bring menus or even water. Unacceptable in a place so «posh».
2. Wine glasses were COMPLETELY covered in lint and dirty — read, soap, water stains AND fingerprints. They even attempted to pour our wine in them. What a class act!
3. Silverware was so knackered — it looked as if it all was used in World War I & II, Vietnam and Desert Storm. That’s just cheap.
4. Waited 20 mins for our drinks. Unacceptable.
5. When drinks finally arrived, I discovered they left the Bulleit bourbon out of my Royal Julep (Bulleit, Domaine de Canton, Lime juice, sugar, Champagne). Sound good? Not if you’re paying over £16 for a drink they «stiffed» you on — but hey, it makes them more money, right?
6. Poached & Roasted Hen Of the Woods — is actually a vegetable. Unless it’s public knowledge, like on the level of I don’t know… WHO’S YOUR QUEEN, it should be clarified on the menu. Otherwise people might think they’re ordering wildfowl.
7. Slow Poached Veal Fillet. Point to note: if main part of the dish is THAT good, you don’t need to obscure the taste. It’s best left with minimal garnishments, etc. This came out like pâté and tasted like baby food. Nasty.
8. Irish hake glazed in brown chicken sauce. The crabmeat was canned. How do I know — I’m a seafood lover and have eaten enough of both canned and fresh to know the difference. In short, it tasted bad. Returned this dish for the Cumbrian hogget shoulder cooked overnight. That was ok.
9. Every dish — the portions were way too small. Just because you pay more and get smaller portions doesn’t make you any more of a food connoisseur than it makes the dish haute cuisine.
10. For God’s sake, SPEAK ENGLISH PROPERLY! I don’t care if it’s British or American. And FYI, I speak Chinese Mandarin (also read /​write), Italian, French, some Spanish and Russian as well. If I wanted a «foreign experience» I’d specifically go to some place where the native language isn’t English.
11. Table sections aren’t assigned to individual servers. This typically results in far poorer attentiveness from the staff (they tried clearing my girlfriend’s drink — still ½ full — off the table!, intrusive behavior — too many interruptions and as I mentioned — too long of a wait for everything.
12. Wine recommendations. When I asked for a recommendation on some of the red, the staff began explaining what a Merlot is like versus a Cab and so on. What kind of silly prats dine here? And how is it in a «posh» place that no one has a concept of what the wines are like on the list. I had to learn all the dishes and memorize them — including the drinks so I could aid customers and «upsell».
13. The ladies restroom light was out — so, all the women had to pee in complete darkness.
Summary: the owner (s) of this place are clearly trying to screw the customers and line their own pockets with hoards of cash. You saps are giving it to them. I know, I was one. But I won’t be again.
If you think the food was great, service is top, and food menu selection was plentiful (it wasn’t), then you’re a silly tw-​t and I feel sorry for the people that know you.
More importantly, if you’re not — I pray you never go here. Best assiduously avoided at all costs. But if you must impress someone — just order a bottle of wine and enjoy the view. This place isn’t worth any more than that.

Views are wonderful.
Food is great.
Service is excellent.
The food was so good that I forgot to take any pictures and only remembered when we got to dessert.
All of us enjoyed our food. So go for it, I don’t think you’ll find any duds on this menu.

Great view! We had afternoon tea there, it was lovely. However the sandwich was strange, perhaps because it was cut in different shapes rather than the traditional size, emm still feel strange. Sandwich wasn’t tasty. Tea was great! Very expensive though! £58 per person plus a glass of champagne.

Our meal at Aqua shard was «ok». If the food and service was as good as the bathroom (a must see — I’ll leave the details as a surprise) and view I would have given this restaurant a ⁵⁄₅. However, the service seemed to be equivalent to a moderate chain restaurant and the food overpriced and prepared with little effort.
I have had many goat cheese salads in my experience and this starter here was disappointing. It was a pile of lettuce with a few «drops» of goat cheese splattered around the plate. The appearance was a let down, as was the dish. I’ve never felt more strongly that this was a «money generator» dish. It probably cost a tenth of what they charged for it. I’ve made better at home. Enough with the rant about the salad…
The service was lacklustre and I felt as if he staff was just there to take our order and give us our food. Silverware was misplaced for particular dishes, crumbs were left on the table and there was no effort to go «above and beyond» to make our dinner special.
Picky detail — we were served red wine in white wine glasses while the table next to us was given red wine I. Red wine glasses.
Let down– ²⁄₄ of my party ordered the pork belly only to be told afterwards they were «out». The menu was very small to begin with and this should have been pointed out ahead of time or removed from the menu. Even better don’t run out of pork belly.
On a positive note, we were given a table with a great view upon request on line.
MAIN TAKEAWAY
Go to aqua shard bar and order a bottle of the cheapest wine (all are good quality and delicious). Enjoy the view and then go have some food at a better restaurant (or Burrough market right down the street).

NB: I visited Aqua for a corporate breakfast so can’t comment on value for money.
We ate in the private dining room, which of course provided stunning views. The cleverly-​placed mirrors ensure that whichever direction you face, you will have an amazing view.
The vegetarian breakfast included avocado, tomatoes, eggs, toast, hash brown and mushrooms and was delicious. The other options looked enticing, and the full English in particular was enormous! Coffee and pastries were both beautifully presented.
Service was good, but overall Aqua has some work to do if they are striving for perfection. The staff got our table’s order wrong several times, and the toast was so hard it was almost impossible to slice. The pain au chocolat was too much pain and not enough chocolat!
If you get the opportunity to visit Aqua Shard it’s probably worthwhile and certainly more relaxed than some of London’s other skyline bars. Most of the food was delicious, but there is certainly room for improvement.

What can I say about Aqua Shard? We had won a gift certificate to use there and were excited — then we read all the reviews. I’ll cut the story short — generally the service is as bad as you’ve read elsewhere.
So we arrived a couple of minutes to six, as that was when the reservation was for. We had our coats checked and were told to sit and wait. Some time ticked by and others who were newly arriving we’re being taken to their tables. So we got up and asked to be seated again, only to be told to sit back down. Another ten minutes and finally we got seated in the actual restaurant. There was some excuse about the chef cooking a new dish — well that didn’t make any difference to us reading the menu and ordering drinks actually in the restaurant.
We were given a couple of cocktails to compensate for the delay, and we did get a window seat. But the lighting and the table setup were odd. Basically you have a spotlight on the middle of the table — meaning that whatever it is that your eating is in perpetual gloom. Plus you have to sit next to and not opposite the other person. But of course the view is the thing.
Despite it being free, we decided to opt against any of the starters and went straight to mains. I had the lamb saddle, while the missus had the lentil gnocchi. We finally got our mains and technically our first course some fifty minutes after being seated. The gnocchi was hilariously small and could have passed for a started. Mine was a little bigger but although the majority of mine was good — the mouthful I got with the lemon gel unexpectedly was horrible. But at least it eliminated that gel in one mouthful and I enjoyed the rest.
For desert I had the restaurants version of an Eton mess, while the missus had the peanut jelly. Both were good, but again hers was tiny.
Admittedly the service did turn up when we needed them, but it always took a while. No one came to check if everything was ok, and the servers were stern to say the least.
I’m simply glad we didn’t have to pay anything for the experience. I know they must want a michelin star for here, but while the location suits, the service doesn’t come close and the food tries entirely too hard.

Aqua Shard: come hungry. Leave hungry, and poor.
It started out not great, just trying to find where to go in. I knew the entrance was by the hotel so off I trotted. There was basically no sign posting (except for a carved stone sign that was pointing to the wrong direction, and half-​hidden behind a topiary). Eventually though I found the door — to the right of the hotel — and up we went.
The lifts are automated with signs and recordings to not push the buttons — why they don’t just cover them with a panel I don’t know.
So you go up to the 32^nd floor, and then have to walk down stairs to the 31^st. We arrived at 17.58 but were told we couldn’t go to our table yet as the restaurant wasn’t open until 18.00 (our reservation time) and they told us to take a seat and they’d get us a drink (spoiler alert — they never did). As we were sitting, I could see the restaurant — empty, of course — and the bar area. The bar area seemed to have the better views, and it was quite lively.
They started seating people at about 18:05, so we stood up and went back to wait for our table by the hostess stand. And waited, and waited, while the front of house manager greeted and sat other people. We were told to sit again and wait, with some excuse about the chef finalising a dish. What? I didn’t say a word but clearly my face showed my disapproval as we were then told the first round of drinks would be on the house. So we waited some more and finally got our table — at about 18.15. I know 15 minutes isn’t a huge delay, but the way it was handled was crap, and considering the restaurant was empty and the tables were all set. We were offered champagne by the front of house manager (not really the same as the first round of drinks, as we had no choice what to order). I declined, as I don’t drink alcohol and said as much. We were then offered a fruit juice cocktail, which we accepted. I asked for tap water, and the pompous head waiter replied, «Yes madam, London water». I think that sums it up (note — he brought cucumber water. Gag. At that point, I just accepted it and left it).
5 minutes later, a different waiter comes over with 2 champagnes. I said no thank you, I don’t drink — and the waiter got defensive and odd. «It’s free. Why don’t you want it?» I have no reason for not drinking — I just don’t like alcohol and it doesn’t agree with me. But what if I was pregnant, an alcoholic, on medication? It’s not his business. Luckily the front of house manager saw the exchange and called off the waiter but still.
The food choice was naff. There was a steak for 2 people — £120. 1kg. As we’re not cavemen, that was out — and with only 4 fish, 4 meat, and 1 vegetarian option on the mains, we were limited. I had the veggie option (lentil gnocchi) and my husband had the saddle of lamb.
The food took a good 45 minutes to arrive. We did have some nice bread in the interim but come on. No one ever came to take a further drinks order. The view was good, of course, but the place we were sitting by the window didn’t look out onto any landmarks, and the way you sit kind of oddly next to each other but facing different directions isn’t the most social. Perhaps that’s why it was so loud in the restaurant — it was full, and with no carpeting or tablecloths, the noise was enough to give me ringing ears when we left.
When our food finally came, it was a huge let down. Tasty and beautifully plated, yes. But I’ve easily had larger starters than my main. 8 gnocchi, each about a centimetre square — no exaggeration. 2 carrot batons, and what I think was 2 french beans cut into 6 pieces. It came in a veloute (read: soup) but there was no spoon to eat it with. Not that there was really any point in dirtying a spoon for my 3 drops of veloute. Husband’s lamb was nice. It came with a potato fondant that was clearly made from a new potato.
We also had some fried jersey royals with a spicy tomato sauce on top. They were okay, but the jersey flavour that I was so looking forward to was ruined by the frying and the tomato sauce.
Pudding was again tasty but minuscule — the peanut jelly (which wasn’t jelly-​like, luckily) on the mousse was a highlight.
After 2 hours to have 2 courses, we were quite ready to go. I got the bill, which was £80 (including a 12.5% service charge). I put down my £100 voucher and when the waitress came back to take it, she asked if we wanted anything else since there wouldn’t be change. I said that’s fine, we know, we’re done though, thanks. She rolled her eyes at me (why?!) and left.
I can’t see any reason to return!

Accueil rapide et agréable.
Boissons pas données et il faut être patient pour avoir une table au bord des baies vitrées.
Mais le choix et la vue (en particulier le soir) en valent la peine.

Absolutely exceptional. My parents were in town visiting from New Zealand and I thought I’d take them to a place that has that wow factor. Being the new (ish) kid on the block I thought Aqua Shard would be ideal. My goodness how right I was. We were treated like royalty from the moment we arrived.
I had booked a table via the website where I’d also added the notes that I have a gluten and onion intolerance. Shortly after we sat down and was given some time to check the menu one of the waiters came over to check who had the allergy. He then went through the items on the menu that I was interested in informing me of what I could have and what could be modified to meet my requirements. It was so great! One thing I find really hard about dining out is having to explain my intolerances and really feeling like a burden and a pain in the butt, but the waiter at Aqua Shard really made me feel at ease.
When we ordered our drinks the bar tender came over to answer any questions about the wine list we had and I asked for a non alcoholic cocktail. He asked me what kind of flavour I was after. I said fruity and he immediately (this really impressed me) asked if I had any fruit allergies. I said apples and pears. He said perfect then went away and within minutes presented me with a wonderful pineapple, passionfruit and mint cocktail. Amazing.
The food itself was delicious. I can’t fault it. The chicken was beautifully cooked to perfection, the steak was juicy and tender and the halibut was lovely — the sauce complimented it beautifully. The butternut pumpkin and broccoli sides were good too. And those desserts! Mouth watering! The eton mess was not what you’d usually find in an eton mess in that it wasn’t messy… more like tidy! but it was yummy! The dark chocolate tart was delicious — warm and very rich and the vanilla cheesecake had a really nice texture and the sorbet was very tasty. It had more subtle flavours so not overly sweet but just right.
And that view. … just wow. We arrived in plenty of times to get photos of London before the sun set then watched as the sun sunk below London and gave way to night. It was very impressive. The toilets are quite an experience too! Loos with a view.
Yes, it is pricey but if you think about the fact you have to pay £25 to go up to the viewing deck, why not pay to go up for dinner instead. The experience is worth it. I’d certainly go back!

En quelques secondes d’ascenseur, on se retrouve au 31ièm étage du Shard et on peut déjà commencer à apprécier l’expérience !
Tout d’abord, le décor est superbe. Murs entièrement vitrés qui offrent une vue imprenable sur Londres, accueil et service impeccable, ambiance feutré de fin d’après-midi avec juste assez d’éclairage pour s’y retrouver et voir les lumières apparaitre sur la ville.
J’y suis allez pour tester le High Tea, grande institution anglaise dont je suis hyper méga fan. A l’Aqua Shard, il faut bien l’avouer, ça coûte une fortune mais les produits sont là.
Thés de grande qualité et délicieuses pâtisseries: Opéra, tartelettes citron/​meringue, biscuits et crème/​fruit frais, crème au café. Ainsi que des mini sandwich, des scones moelleux, des confitures et de la clotted cream (entre le beurre et la crème fraiche) !
Bref, un super moment passé dans un super endroit.

Que les choses soient claires: les 5 étoiles, c’est pour la vue magnifique sur Londres à 100 mètres d’altitude dont vous profiterez à volonté en sirotant votre drink ! Même si le reste de l’expérience né démérite pas.
L’aventure commence par l’entrée pas très bien indiquée, en contrebas de l’accès principal au gratte-​ciel, sur St Thomas Street. Passez les portes vitrées sans hésiter, quelques secondes de montée seulement pour atteindre le 31ième étage, les portes de l’ascenseur s’ouvrent, tournez vers la droite pour entrer dans l’Aqua (à gauche, ça m’a semblé beaucoup plus select). Depuis l’entrée, on profite déjà de la vue, à la fois sur le bar en bas des escaliers et sur l’extérieur à travers les parois tout en verre du bâtiment. En bas donc, à l’anglaise, allez chercher votre boisson au bar, évidemment super bondé à l’heure de pointe, et partez en maraude dans la salle pour trouver une table libre, si possible avec vue bien sûr. La bonne tactique est celle de la recherché de place de stationnement dans Paris un soir de semaine: votre verre à la main, tournez mais pas trop, n’ayez pas peur de rester au milieu, observez les clients assis et en train de finir leur verre, les plus susceptibles de décoller bientôt. Il faut une bonne dose de chance, un peu de sans-​gêné pour griller vos concurrents, et normalement même un vendredi à 20h vous devriez pouvoir vous asseoir en quelques dizaines de minutes.
Le reste, c’est la récompense, le plaisir de boire et discuter en face d’un panorama grandiose sur la Tamise et la City, avec les lumières de la ville qui s’allument avec le soleil couchant. Les serveuses passent de temps en temps pour proposer un nouveau drink à celles et ceux dont le verre est vide, mais il n’y a aucune pression pour consommer ou laisser la place dans le cas contraire.
Une super idée donc pour prendre de la hauteur à la fin de sa journée londonienne, d’une manière plus authentique, moins chère (enfin ça dépend de ce que vous buvez…) et surtout plus agréable que la plateforme attrape-​touriste au sommet du Shard.
PS: né manquez pas non plus la vue depuis les toilettes !