There are all manner of restaurants opening up in London we're pretty excited about, but there's something special about the ones coming in the Shard. Maybe it's because eating there will be a way of enjoying the view without having to come over all tourist-like on the viewing platform. Although we expect there'll be a fair share of people, faces stuck to the window, saying "I can see my house from here" while their Martini grows warm.
That's a long pre-amble to the news we have about two of the restaurants that David Yeo will be opening up at the Shard. When we were asked to put together a feature for British Airways High Life Magazine - see the full feature on board their planes this month - Yeo gave us some inside info on the places he'll be opening up on the 31st and 33rd floors.
The first will be the first European branch of Hutong - Yeo's Hong-Kong based restaurant which is known for serving up fiery Northern Chinese food. Hutong's signature dishes include Red Lantern crispy soft shell crab with Sichuan dried peppers, 'Kung Po' wok fried prawns with cashew nuts and chilli and chilli spiced bamboo clams steeped in Chinese rose wine and chilli sauce.They'll also have a duck oven specifically for their Peking duck and will have a lunchtime dim sum menu.
The restaurant will take up the 33rd floor and seat 130 but its signature feature will be the three storey high atrium bar which will have stunning views across London. It'll also link to the second restaurant...
Coming soon after Hutong will be Aqua Shard - a modern British restaurant and a first for the Aqua restaurant group. The menu is by Yeo and Executive Chef Anthony Garlando (who worked eight years with Pierre Gagnaire). The 220 cover restaurant will be open all day, serving breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner.
Hutong and Aqua Shard will be on the 31st and 33rd floors of the Shard in June/July.
