For a city that's full of some of the best museums and tourist attractions, it can be surprisingly hard to find good places to eat near London's tourist traps. So, it's always good to hear about ones opening near a big London landmark.
In this case it's The Perkin Reveller, a new restaurant - although in this instance it's billed as a "modern day dining hall" - right next to the Tower of London. Using its proximity to the Tower, there are touches of the middle-ages with the odd nod to Chaucer (from whom the restaurant takes its name - a character in The Cook's Tale). The restaurant itself will comprise mainly of long banquet style tables in the dining hall, with more seats at the bar and seating for a further 80 on the terrace. As the days get cooler, the terraces will still be a draw as the tables are arranged around fire pits and rugs will be provided if you're feeling the chill. Plus there are wooden chests by each table with games to keep everyone entertained.
The restaurant embraces the current trend of British seasonal produce with Cotswold white chickens from The Woodland Trust, Colchester oysters and butter selected from small British creameries on the menu.
It'll be an all-day restaurant with a breakfast of traditional English muffins and pastries, smoothies, pancakes plus plenty of the usuals including an Omelette Arnold Bennett, a full English, smoked kippers and more. Elevenses will serve up of savoury toast or devilled kidneys.
Lunch and dinner will see dishes that include smoked eel fishcake or chicken and pork terrine for starters, oysters, scallops, mussels, potted shrimps and more in the seafood section and main courses that include Cotswold white chicken "forest style" or slow cooked lamb with fennel artichoke and basil. There's also meat and fish from the grill while the dinner menu adds two sharing plates - lamb three ways and rib of beef with bone marrow and Bearnaise sauce. Finally you can finish everything off with an Eton mess, a custard & rhubarb tart or a bakewell tart.
There will also be afternoon tea with a mixture of savoury (smoked fish, scotch eggs, charcuterie pickles) and sweet (warm doughnuts, pastries and homemade cookies).
The bar will take a similarly seasonal approach, serving up lemonade and ginger beer in summer, mulled cider and spiced mead in winter alongside a gin-based cocktail list. Lunch and dinner menus will also feature different cocktails as aperitifs - like a Georgia Mint Julep for lunch or an Alchemist Gin Fizz for dinner. Beer can also be ordered in the Perkin Reveller's bespoke stoneware jugs while wines start at around the £17 mark on a very interesting list.
It certainly sounds unique and has a varied and interesting menu that reads very well. All the furniture has also been made bespoke for the restaurant and judging by their facebook page, a huge amount of work has gone into the design of the restaurant. We'll be keeping an eye on it to see if it becomes a place to go for even if you're not planning a visit to The Tower.
The Perkin Reveller opens on September 10 at The Wharf at The Tower of London, EC3N 4AB
