Lunch With A View At The Shard, London

I do love a good view – particularly from up high. Getting a birds-eye perspective of an area or city gives a new appreciation of landscapes which you may or may not be familiar with. This weekend I experienced a new take on my home city of London as I went up The Shard – the UK’s tallest building.

Combining delicious food, drink and company with a good view is definitely my preferred option. So, instead of paying £30 to go up the View from The Shard I organised a girlie lunch at Hutong Chinese restaurant on the 33rd floor of the famous building.

To give a bit of background, The Shard is the tallest building in the UK and western Europe. The 95-story structure stands at 310 metres high and is located next to London Bridge station.

Completed in 2012, it is designed by world-renowned architect Renzo Piano, who was inspired by the church steeples which used to dominate London’s skyline. Also known as the London Bridge Tower, it is referred to as The Shard after it was likened it to a shard of glass – appropriate given it contains 11,000 panes of glass. Inside, it is home to the Shangri La hotel, three restaurants and numerous office spaces.

Although our lunch date at Hutong (on the 33rd floor) meant we were lower than the viewing platform (located on floors 68, 69 and 72), it did have its advantages. For starters, we were able to take our time to absorb the sights. Despite not getting a full 360 degree view, we could still see landmark buildings and structures such as St Paul’s, the London Eye, Tower Bridge and other skyscrapers in the city including The Gherkin and Walkie Talkie. Plus, we had a delicious meal AND view rather than just a view. The restaurant also has a bar where you can have a drink while admiring the sights of London.

As there was eight of us we got a ‘semi-private’ room at the restaurant which was perfect and the food was delicious. One of my favourite dishes was ‘The Red Lantern’ – soft shell crab with dried chilli (seen in the middle of the picture below). We shared a range of starters and mains which were rotated around on a lazy Susan.

The roasted Peking duck was pretty special too.

Even going to the toilet meant you could view London from a new perspective.

We were lucky to get a beautiful sunny day so could see for miles. All in all, a pretty perfect day with friends.

In the past I have been up the John Hancock Tower in Chicago and the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa, in Dubai. The views have been terrific but sometimes the visits are rushed and can get crowded. Seeing my home city from up high in a relaxed environment made the experience extra special.

Visiting The Shard: Need To Know

– If you want to go to the viewing platform, the View From The Shard, it is cheaper to book online where you will get a timed slot.  Advance adult ticket: £25.95 (on the day £30.95), Advance child 4-16yrs: £19.95 (£24.95), Advance family ticket: £74.95 (£79.95), children aged 0-3 go free.
– You are able to have a drink in the bars at one of the three restaurants without booking BUT you do need to adhere by the smart/casual dress code so no trainers or sportswear allowed.
– Book in advance if you want to eat at one of the restaurants.
– Drinks and lunch with a view comes at a price so expect London prices when ordering your food and drinks (the cocktails at Hutong are amazing but cost around £16).

Are you a fan of views as well? Have you visited the shard before? I would love to know your thoughts, just comment below. 

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