Yes, the dining room here's pretty easy on the eye
So what do we need to know about 14 Hills?
On the face of it, 14 Hills on paper reads like just another large new restaurant from the D&D Group who brought us The German Gymnasium and Fiume most recently. But there are a few details that elevate this new City opening into something really worthy of your attention.
To begin with, there's the space - it's quite, quite beautiful. With views over the City across to the Shard and Tower Bridge it's spectacular at night, and must be just as good for a business lunch or weekend brunch.. The interiors more than live up to the views - probably because they brought in top restaurant designer Robert Angell who also did high rise Hutong in the Shard and the revamped Blue Bar at The Berkeley. There are full grown trees, huge pot plants everywhere and every inch of the ceiling is dripping with foliage - but it's not OTT, it's just lovely.
Then there's the chef - Thomas Piat arrives at this City kitchen fresh from his last role as Executive Chef at JOÍA par Hélène Darroze in Paris. So, all the signs are good...
Where exactly is it?
Good question. You'll find it 14 floors up in the new development 120 Fenchurch Street (no prizes for guessing where that is). The nearest tubes are probably Aldwych or Bank.
Where's a good place to meet friends for a drink first?
Down at ground level and just along Fenchurch Street you could meet in the Victoria pub, the East India Arms for a pint or Willy's Wine Bar for a glass of wine. But given how beautiful the bar is at 14 Hills, why not just come straight here instead? The bar here is a destination in itself. Cocktails range in price from £11.50 to £14 and our Mediterranean Martini made with olive oil washed Belvedere vodka was just the ticket (£12).
With superb views over the city and a DJ at night, the bar here is a real scene.
Presumably, the best place to sit is by the window?
If you can get a table to gaze out over the London skyline then there's no doubt, it's the best place to sit. Tables for larger groups are set further back into the room, but really everyone's going to have a pretty good view.
What's on the menu?
They describe the food as "modern British cooking with a touch of French flair". Here's what we had:
63 degree rare breed egg with mushroom ragout and a lot of shaved black winter truffle (£14)
Crab with grapefruit, chilli, radish and coriander (£16) - there's actually loads of crab hidden under all of that.
Turbot roasted on the bone with squid ink risotto and a beurre blanc (£34) - our dining companion voted this the best seafood dish she'd ever had since a stellar meal at Scott's. High praise indeed.
Chicken Kiev with red cabbage coleslaw (£22) - a signature dish of the restaurant. And we liked the presentation, serving the chicken so that the garlic butter pooled in the centre of each cylinder.
What's on the menu for vegetarians?
There are two or three dishes in each section of the menu for veggies and, judging from Instagram, this is the dish to go for.
Room for dessert?
Definitely room for a small one. That said, we ended up sharing this dessert and would 100% have eaten one each...
Chilled rice pudding served with clementine jam and candied macadamias which was, frankly, brilliant. Sure - cold rice mightn't be everyone's bag - but we loved it.
What about wine?
Head here at the beginning of the week for Fine Wine Mondays where top wines are given hefty discounts. Otherwise, the wine list by sommelier Elise Meriguard (ex- two Michelin-starred Gidleigh Park) spotlights female winemakers and family-owned wineries.
You can get a 175ml glass for as little as £7.50 but the price does jump up quite steeply after that - this is the City, after all. Want to try something a little different? How about a biodynamic Biancolella from Ischia (£68)?
Overall thoughts
With a spate of high rise openings in London, it would be easy for restaurateurs to make the view do most of the hard work for them. But here at 14 Hills, the kitchen is turning out food that'll make you forget gawping at London and take snaps of your plate instead.
Hot Dinners dined as guests of 14 Hills. Prices correct at time of publication.
More about 14 Hills
Where is it? 120 Fenchurch St, London EC3M 5BA
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Twitter @14hillslondon
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