It's all go by the river this year. Just a day after we announced the details for the latest riverside Gastropub at Cannon St, than we hear about another riverside restaurant, this time an existing spot which is being given a new look.
The Marriott at County Hall certainly has the location right - but, let's face it, hasn't exactly been somewhere you'd make a detour to for dinner. Now they're giving the restaurant a new menu and team, just in time for all the activity on the Thames for the Queen's Jubilee and Olympics.
Gillray's Steakhouse & Bar, named after an 18th century caricaturist of note (no, we'd never heard of him) will apparently be "the most English of English dining destinations".
They're certainly sourcing their meat well - everything will be 35-day dry aged Hereford Cattle from the Duke of Devonshire’s Bolton Abbey Estate in Yorkshire. There will be nine cuts of steak in total, but it's already clear which dish will be the star of the show - a 1000g ‘Bulls Head’ steak, butterfly cut, double rib steak served with the bone in. That's got to be one of the biggest steaks in London, meat-lovers.
If you're not up for eating a goodly portion of your body weight in meat, you can opt for dishes such as Brixham Diver Clams & Mussel Broth, Foreman’s London Cured Smoked Salmon and hand chopped Steak Tartare.
The decor looks standard, old-school boardroom/restaurant; we particularly like the look of the counter dining (see pic) where if you get it right you'll have cracking views over the river.
The restaurant will also have a large bar overlooking the Thames with a cocktail list ordered by historical era, 10 English beers and two Scottish beers, a large English gin list and no fewer than five English vodkas.The bar snacks menu sounds good with plenty of native snacks on offer including Pigs in Blankets, English Crumpet & Soft Boiled Egg and Venison Sausage Rolls with HP Sauce.
