OXO Tower Restaurant

The food was creative but not ground-​breaking. The cocktails (and mocktails) were solid though a bit floral. What really set the OXO restaurant apart was location (gorgeous river views), quality of service, and a 100% wheelchair friendly building. This will become a regular stop along my South Bank tour for London visitors.

Great food, incredible view!
What a great place to go on a date I took my girlfriend here on our 2^nd anniversary and it was perfect.

One of the best things about living in London is the food — you can almost any kind of cuisine you fancy, and there are so many quirky, interesting places to discover. Despite dining out a fair bit, I feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface of what London has to offer.
Of course, it was absolutely typical that when my Japanese family came to town last week, that I was in a massive panic. Despite the countless number of restaurants in London, I was rushing around like a headless chicken trying to find somewhere that was absolutely perfect.
For the perfect meal, I required:
1. A table for six at 7.30 on a Friday night (I began the frantic search on Wednesday afternoon)
2. Delicious food
3. A fantastic view of my favourite city looking its finest
I found all three at the OXO Tower Restaurant. The OXO Tower has been an iconic London landmark since the ‘30s, but fell into disrepair until the Coin Street Community Builders, a social enterprise, gave it a new lease of life in the ‘90s, when the restaurant first opened.
One of the first things to mention is the fact that the view is insanely good. St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Thames in the summer is definitely a winning combination, which kept my extremely snap-​happy family thrilled.
The sommelier chose the wine for us — a lovely white (although I can’t for the life of me remember what it was)! Needless to say all his choices were excellent (and mostly dry, the way I like it).
For my starter, in honor of having my Japanese relatives around, I went for the marinated tuna with soy, mirin, sake and cucumber gel.
It was beautifully presented, with subtle flavours, although I wasn’t a massive fan of the cucumber gel (I’m not a fan of gels). My uncle went for the chilled melon and ginger soup, which was served with Innes sheep’s curd, San Daniele ham, and a black olive parmesan grissini. I thought the choice was rather a brave one — probably not one I would have made. He really enjoyed it though, and liked the combination of flavours — the melon and ham in particular.
My biggest regret of the evening was not ordering the starter my boyfriend had — the cured sea trout with baby cucumbers, purple potato blinis, samphire and eggs was really, really divine. The smokiness of the trout went so well with the freshness of the cucumbers and samphire, while the eggs gave it a stronger depth of flavour — it’s on my list for next time.
I opted for the veal sirloin for my main course, which was served with a courgette flower stuffed with ratatouille, baby artichokes and green tapenade. The veal was ever so slightly overdone for my taste, but the courgette and ratatouille was a triumph — something I want to recreate at home at some point!
For some reason, everyone else went for the sea bass as their main, which was served with garlic gnocchi, enoki mushrooms, ice lettuce, almond, and sorrel.
They were onto something though, as they seem to really excel at the seafood dishes at the OXO Tower Restaurant. The sea bass was cooked really well, and the rest of the dish tied things together beautifully — the nuttiness of the mushrooms contrasted nicely with the rest of the dish.
The meal was slightly let down by the rather odd assortment of desserts. Although presented nicely, my dessert of sour cherry cream served with almond tuile and macarons seemed to be thrown together randomly, and didn’t do anything for me. I would’ve been happy with a larger macaron, and without the odd sour cherry cream altogether.
My boyfriend got the raspberry and pistachio pannacotta, which was also presented a bit strangely — in my opinion, the best desserts are always the simplest, and I felt that they may have overcomplicated things by making it more arty rather unnecessarily.
Overall, it was a lovely evening, and I couldn’t have picked a better place for a stunning meal in London. It’s worth even just going to the bar for a drink alone, and my guests really enjoyed it, saying it was the best meal that they had in London. The simple, subtle and uncomplicated flavours were a really big hit, and really suited their palate.
The experience was slightly let down by the desserts, but other than that it was a fantastic meal and I’d definitely be going again!

A great spot for lunch or dinner. The food is great but the real attraction is the view. The restaurant and brasserie both offer a fantastic view of the London skyline. I booked a table a few weeks in advance for a special occasion and requested a table around the edge of the restaurant (view) and was told there was no guarantee, upon arrival I had the best seat in the house. All in all a very accommodating restaurant with tasty food.

Visited with high expectations… Extreme let down, particularly by the service. The food is unique and flavorful, nice views depending on your table… But the staff was cold and our waiter did not visit is once after taking our order. A tremendous disappointment as we were celebrating a special occasion but did not feel welcomed or valued by the staff. I would have rated them a 1 star, but bumped it up to 2 because of the food.

First came here many years ago before the area was so developed. Then it felt like this secret luxury restaurant but hey, was somewhat younger then!
Little has changed here from what I recall. Lots of tables crammed in so, wouldn’t pick here for a quiet romantic meal.
Doesn’t really have a dress code. Some people were dressed up looking like they were celebrating something whilst others looked like they had dropped in after shopping.
That being said, the restaurant staff were very friendly. We were greeted with a summer cocktail and managed to get a table by the window. We had a set meal menu so not a lot of selection but what we had was very nice. The fish was well cooked well and portion size didn’t leave me still hungry.
The house wine was fine so don’t feel you have to splash out on the more expensive bottles.
Bar is at the end of the restaurant so noise levels continue in this area. It does close, what seems to be early. On asking if we could have a drink, the answer was ‘no’!! she did go on and explain why.
There is a great view and you can get out into the balcony for the obligatory selfie!

Accidentally stumbled upon a pop up at the oxo yesterday — garden gate. Themed and with great views over London.
There’s games — connect 4, Jenga — all life size and deckchairs to relax.
Cocktail wise this place excels. Such a wide choice. I went for the pink lemonade complete with a touch of vodka to liven it up. It was nice and not too sweet. Priced at 6.50. Very reasonable for central London.
Food wise the menu lacked excitement. It could definitely use work. Was slightly tempted by a black bean burger, but decided to just stick to cocktails.
Great concept, will definitely visit again, but probably just for the cocktails and games.

Did not eat here but went twice for cocktails! Wonderful roof top view and exquisite sunset experience. If you are in town ask Peter to mix a rose and lychee martini with tabasco sauce… you will be glad you did. Thank you Peter for accommodating my request!

I had a friend visiting London from the US, so wanted to have a good dinner with a view. I was quite excited with all the reviews of the food and reviews. So I think the views are good (not great), booking was easy and the table allocated was outdoors without any fuss and the service staff are wonderful and attentive. All of us agreed that the starters were AMAZING! My favorite was the bresaola, don’t think I have had anything to match it thus far.
Now here are the negatives:
— My friend was a whiskey fan and he ordered from the list we were given. The waiter returned after 15 minutes to tell us that they had just ran out of the one he wanted. He ordered a second, and guess what, after 15 minutes, we found out they had ‘just’ run out of that as well. Third time it worked, and it got us off to a bad start. No fault of the waiter, just a bad experience.
— While everyone raved about the starters, everyone was unanimously unhappy with main and the dessert. The flavor combinations were just jarring at times, and you had to have a drink to wash the taste off. On the Middle Eastern Mezze, the falafel was simply lacking any seasoning (salt) and the spices were just not coming through. The mint yogurt was lacking flavor as well, as I would not have guessed it had mint had I not read the menu.
— I had the raspberry and yogurt panacotta and the raspberry tartness was just so overpowering that the panacotta and the dessert-​ly creaminess was completely lost. Thank god I had water nearby.
Overall, I WILL return for an evening and just have the starter and some drinks and leave. Not risking it with the mains and dessert, not for the prices listed.

Absolutely love the Oxo Tower restaurant!
It’s quite easy to book a table (can do it a few days in advance normally) but I certainly would advise booking.
You get 2 hour slots for the table but they normally are a little flexible with this.
If the weather is nice they have an amazing balcony where you can sit out and eat.
The views of the river and St. Paul’s are breathtaking!
They have a great selection of drinks and food. The food menu does change relatively often. I’d recommend a chocolate pudding; they’re always delicious!
The staff are really attentive. Only slight negative was sometimes they apologise for their presence, which was a bit unnecessary. Otherwise they’re fab!
It’s quite pricey but for a special occasion I would thoroughly recommend.
Don’t mix the restaurant up with the brasserie; they are two different places!

Very good restaurant, but the view is even better. Just had a 2 course meal and was completely stuffed with a smile on my face. Started with the salmon poached egg and spinach soup. Incredible creation never had seen this before. And the taste beautiful. Main course the dry aged pork ribeye. Nice fatty and tender and came with potato mash and black pudding. Really good taste. We ordered extra fries, but these were not needed.
The service is passing by many times. To much I would say. The french greetings they had were chic, but I rather hear english.
Overall good night out.

wow. WOW. just wow. Amazing food, service, view, desserts were meh, but who cares, the rest of it was great.
We started the meal with the scottish langoustines, avocado purée, coconut and vanilla. By gawd it rocked my world. We’re still talking about it to this day.
Don’t remmwber what our mains were because it was totally over shadowed by the starter. Oops!
Helluva meal!

I am not even sure where to begin with this review. You may think you are going to the restaurant just for the view of the North City, but you could not be more wrong. This place is a top notch fine dining experience. We had the set menu and the options were plentiful. The beef fillet was incredible with the ravioli. The wine list is amazing and let’s not forget about the dessert. One word people: CHOCOLATE! This place is a must if you enjoy elevated city views with exceptional food!

Only went for the chocolate plate which was amazing! We had one to share and I had the nicest cocktail recommended by the waiter
We were made to feel a bit rubbish as we weren’t eating an entire meal and were told we were only allowed in the bar area
Definitely recommend chocolate plate for chocolate lovers though

Had a lovely dinner here to celebrate our anniversary. Views are amazing even on a winter’s evening when all we could see were the lights.
The food was great, and the elderflower and elderberry meringue with lemon curd ice cream was the stand out dish.
The only things that could be improved was the service — waiting staff were incredibly quick to the point that it all felt a little rushed. Waiter also told me that the chef wouldn’t be ‘too happy’ that I wanted the duck slightly more well done than they usually serve, but when we’re the ones picking up the bill I don’t think that should be a problem.

Great views and perfect location for a sunny day. The food was as good as you’d expect, but I don’t necessarily think ‘oh yes, Oxo Tower!’ when trying to find a nice restaurant in London.

We went here to celebrate my grandmother’s 80^th birthday with a dinner for 9. With glass windows surrounding the restaurant, there really isn’t a bad place to sit as all spots provide you with a vast view of the city.
All of the staff was truly wonderful, making my grandmother and guests feel very comfortable and at home.
The food was delicious! If trying the bread, I highly suggest the rosemary with a pat of butter. The rosemary isn’t overpowering and butter has just the right amount of salt.
I had their pork belly which was a nice portion, well cooked and beautifully plated. I also had the sea bass which was fresh and put upon a bed of crispy kale, octopus and chorizo. For dessert I ordered the sorbet of which the elderberry was my favorite (a flavor not readily utilized in NY food).
The only things to comment upon other than there markable food and staff is that it can get particularly warm, and I believe my seat was near the heat source.
Also, while it’s completely understandable, larger parties are limited to a particular menu. This limitation may keep you from experiencing other things on the menu you may have wanted to try. If you do go with a large party, those things can be added without issue.
If you have something or someone special to celebrate, I highly suggest the Oxo tower when in London. It’s great for large groups, but also serves well for romantic dinners and business meals.

The Oxo Restaurant is a superb place to dine for so many reasons. First, the location is quite central (Southbank, near Waterloo and the Tate Modern). And, as such, the views are spectacular — overlooking St Paul’s. The food is sublime. My friend and I dined there tonight and did a bookatable deal for 3 courses and a cocktail for £30, which is a phenomenal deal, especially at this venue. At first I was worried that the food wouldn’t be up to par, but have no fear — it was delicious. The quality and presentation of each course was impressive. I really loved each dish, particularly the wild boar ragu with potato gnocchi — amazing! The service was excellent and the views were spectacular. I would return in a heartbeat.

How to make you feel like you were on a 3 weeks vacation? Just go somewhere for the weekend. This time I went to London, and it was quite worth it !
On Sunday lunch, my friend and I decided to go to OXO. We asked to sit at the restaurant, not the brasserie. Because the weather was quite warm and sunny at times, we dared to sit outside… And were the only ones: D
One star for the spot: Amazing location. The terrace is overlooking the river Thames and from there you can only hear the sound of the waves. It’s so relaxing we actually forgot about the time…
One star for the service: Beautiful service overall. I did not have to read the menu, the waiter took the time to explain it all beautifully. It was a if he was telling a story. The waiting time was reasonable.
One star for the food: Everything was fantastic. As you can see from the pictures I uploaded, the presentation is sophisticated but simple. From starter to dessert, from champagne (as apéritif) to the wine, the entire meal was a dream.
One star for the drinks: The sommelier was very helpful in finding us the perfect compromise. He advised us on a Pouilly Fuisse, white wine. Simply perfect, I highly recommend it.
One star for the experience: The location, service, food, and drinks were top of the range. I could not have wished for a better place to have lunch on Sunday in London. The price reflects the level of service but still reasonable.
A five star rating for OXO Tower Restaurant. If you have the chance, treat yourself for a one of a kind lunch :)

This is getting three stars for the view. First of all, my fiancé had booked our reservation online at the brasserie for 7:45. When we got there, there was a sign saying it’s been closed for a private event and that our reservation was for 9:45. Obviously something got messed up during the reservation process. So they sent us across the way to the other restaurant and we waited until they were able to accommodate us (about 9:20). The service was unbelievably SLOW. And forget about asking for some almonds to munch on they’ll forget. We constantly had to flag down a waitress for drinks it seemed like we were being very neglected. When we were finally seated, it took over an hour for our appetizers to come out and almost another hour for our meals to come out which the steak was cooked to medium when my fiancé asked for rare. We were there for over three hours. Not by choice.
I got the duck which was very tender and delicious. The rum baba with coconut sorbet was AWESOME.
If this place were a dessert place is given it 5 stars, but it’s not.
Overall it’s a nice modern fancy restaurant with mediocre food, unbelievably slow service and a great view.

Nicht umsonst kriegt man spontan im OXO keinen Tisch für den Abend. typisch London: Wenn ein Restaurant mal wieder angesagt ist, muss vorausgebucht werden. Wir hatten Glück, und sind mit sehr gutem Essen (was man bei der Positionierung und Preis auch erwarten kann) belohnt worden der tolle Blick, die perfekte Lage ist dabei noch the icing on top. wer es sich gutgehen lassen möchte und dabei das typisch upper-​middleclass London beäugen will: There you go

Das Restaurant im Oxo Tower ist eines der besseren Restaurants in
London. Gelegen im 8. Stock im Gebäude einer
alten Supperwürfel-​Fabrik hat man von hier aus eine atemberaubende
Aussicht über London und die Themse. Die Karte ist relativ klein
gehalten aber für jeden Geschmack was dabei. Aber dafür muss man auch
etwas tiefer in die Tasche greifen. Eine Alternative dazu ist die
Brasserie, die genau die gleich spektakuläre Aussicht bietet, aber um
einiges günstiger ist. Besuch Mai 2009

Un restaurant incontournable dans la capitale anglaise. Le lieu est vraiment agréable & la vue sur la ville est envoutante (surtout après quelques verres de vin). Service correct. Petite déception pour la cuisine qui est sans surprise, malgré la fraicheur des ingrédients. Options végétariennes sur demande.

FEIN! War jetzt insgesamt drei Mal dort und jedes Mal sehr zufrieden. Es bietet sich an dort bei gutem Wetter vorbeizuschauen (was jetzt nicht heißen soll, das man die Location im Winter meiden sollte), da es sich bei schönem Wetter hervorragend auf der Außenterrasse sitzen lässt. Service 1A, Cocktails 1A, Ambiente 1A, Essen 1A. Fazit: 1AAAA!!!

Great !!! is the food, the view, the service. We had a very nice evening. Not so good (thats why 4 stars) is: It is too loud to be very comfortable. Also a little bit uncomfortable is the fact that you have the table only for exactly 2 hours. It is enough time for a full meal but when you begin before 6pm and you want to listen to the live music, which started around 8pm it is quite uncomfortable. As long as the Brassere is so busy it is understandable from the business perpective.

Gute Cocktails, mit der besten Aussicht in London, ein Wermutstropfen sind die Preise. da die Aussicht einfach unbezahlbar ist

Un excellent souvenir de ce restaurant où nous avons été accueillis merveilleusement bien. C’est vrai que la vue est superbe et la balade le long de la Tames pour y arriver aussi. Le repas était bon et copieux à mon gout sans pouvoir vous donner d’ordre de prix. c’est pas moi qui ai payé !!
Je pense que la réputation de ce restaurant n’est plus à faire alors, vous pouvez y aller sans hésitation !! Enjoy

Das Restaurant hat eine tolle Aussicht über London, allerdings muss man unbedingt einen Tisch reservieren (möglichst Nahe am Fenster). Die Preise sind rel. hoch und das Essen eher durchschnittlich. Sofern man wegen der Aussicht kommt, sollte man sich daher eher auf die Bar konzentrieren.

Eine Bar/​Restaurant-​Location in London

Oxo Towers Restaurant in London — wurde uns empfohlen als «real posh — place to be»… Also die Aussicht ist wirklich spektakulär, wir wurden sehr freundlich behandelt, französischer Akzent inclusive. Die Auswahl der Karte ist nicht riesengroß, aber völlig ok, für jeden Geschmack was dabei — und straft allen despektierlichen Gerüchten über die englische Küche Lügen (wir hatten Jakobsmuscheln, Foie Gras, Fisch + Fleisch alles ganz lecker). Es wurde leckeres Brot gereicht, aufmerksam aber nicht aufdringlich nachgeschenkt. Auch wenn wir nur einen frühen slot reservieren konnten und der Tisch später wieder besetzt wurde, hatte ich nie das Gefühl, gehetzt zu werden oder schnell abgefüttert. Portionen sind ok, Preis-​Leistungs-​Verhältnis finde ich angemessen.
So posh wie angekündigt, fand ich es nun aber gar nicht, wenig Männer mit Krawatten, dafür die Mädels mit bekannt kurzen Röcken und Sandalen.

Den Ausblick dürfen alle genießen — public view — und den sollte man sich auch nicht entgehen lassen!
Wer am Southbank entlang läuft,
geht ins Oxo Tower Gebäude rein und nimmt den Aufzug (klar ausgeschildert mit großen LIFT Schildern) zum 8. Stock. In die Bar kann man auch einfach rein– und zum Balkon durchlaufen, um einen wunderschönen Blick auf das gegenüberliegende Themseufer zu genießen. Das ist für umme.
Wer dem Wind entkommen, aber weiterhin die Aussicht genießen möchte, bleibt auf einen Drink. Bier kostet um die 4,50, Cocktails (alkoholische) 9 Pfund. Dafür kriegt man aber auch einen ordentlichen Cocktail. Will heißen geschmacklich gut und auch die Menge stimmt ;-) Ob es die besten Cocktails von London sind, kann ich nicht beurteilen, da fehlt mir (noch) die Erfahrung. Vom Hocker gehauen haben sie mich nicht — daher auch keine 5 Sterne, aber ein sehr gut auf jeden Fall.
Die Einrichtung ist modern und hell, Stühle teils Metall teils Leder und sehr bequem.
Dresscode eher schick, bis hin zum Cocktailkleid am Samstagabend.
Ein großes Dankeschön an die Bedienungen — sehr nett und aufmerksam! Service Charge 12,5% werden übrigens automatisch zur Rechnung zuaddiert. Da aber der Service auch rundherum gestimmt hat, ist das ok.
Warum dann doch keine 5 Punkte?
Am Samstagabend fing gegen 20 Uhr eine Band an zu spielen, und zwar übelste Hawaii-​Klänge. Dieser musikalischen Fehlgriff hat uns das ganze doch etwas verleidet.

Ein Amerikaner fragte mich neulich wo man denn in London
die besten Cocktails bekaemme. Zugegen, ich war voellig ueberfragt. London ist eigentlich keine Stadt der Cocktailbars. Irgandwie sind die Leute ganz zufrieden ein paar Pints nach der Arbeit im local pub in sich hineinzugiessen. Ein Freund informierte mich, der in seiner freinen Zeit nichts anderes tut als den besten Martini der Welt zufinden, das die beste Cocktailbar Londons sich im neunten Stock des Oxotowers befindet.
Also gingen wir hin. Wirklich impressive. Der Blick ist sicher einer der attractivsten Blicke ueber die Stadt und St. Pauls Cathedral. Riesige Fensterfronten und ein richtiger Loft in der alten Fabrik der OXO Bruehwuerfel. Oxo ist das englische Maggi. Ach ja und die Cocktails? Really good. Es gibt alles von ausgefallenen Champagnercocktails bis zum Bloodymary. And guess what die Baar keeper sind alle french.

magnifique vue sur tout londres