Looking onto the Bistrot terrace. Yes, that view's not bad...
What can you tell us about le Pont de la Tour Bistrot?
Le Pont de la Tour is something of a London institution. It's been around since 1991 - originally a Conran restaurant, it was taken over by D&D in 2006. Right now it's split into two parts, the main restaurant and this new Bistrot.
The Bistrot is a bit of a makeover, taking over the space that used to be the bar (if you're looking at Le Pont from the river, that's the right side of the building). There's been a makeover both inside and out and it has a brand new menu by their chef Tony Fleming that's billed as "regional French fare at accessible prices".
Put much more simply, it's a simplified menu when compared to the main restaurant at much more affordable prices. And you'll still get that amazing riverside view if you're eating out on the terrace.
Where actually is the restaurant?
The name should give you an idea of where it is as it directly translates as "Tower Bridge". Head to Shad Thames on the south side of the bridge. It's not directly near any station, but it's a very pleasant walk down by the river from London Bridge station (albeit a bit tourist-heavy).
The inside of the Bistrot - all very clubby with some nice seats up at the bar too.
Where should we sit?
If it's a good day, then there's no question that you should aim to get a seat on the terrace. The Bistrot section of the terrace is smaller than that of the main restaurant, but you still get that amazing view of Tower Bridge. The terrace, both for the main restaurant and the Bistrot, is definitely one of the best places for riverside dining in London.
Inside the restaurant, we think you'll want to opt for one of the tables by the window so you still get a decent view.
So onto the food - what can we expect?
There's a similar vibe to the main restaurant, but with a menu that's like a casual French bistro. So it's a smaller menu and there are special plats du jour and overall you'll notice a more wallet-friendly price point, although it's not quite in "budget" territory. For example, mains on the Bistrot menu hover around the £20 mark, while they're between £25 and £40 in the main restaurant.
Essentially, if you want to try the Le Pont experience - this is a very good entry point - and if you're going to be eating on the terrace, there's really not much difference in the whole vibe.
Here's what we had on our visit:
Warm Comté gougeres (£6) - get these to snack on immediately, ideally with a glass of Cremant
Warm blini, London cure smoked salmon, fromage blanc (£12) - actually a pretty large starter (maybe more than this photo shows).
Dressed Cornish crab (£16) - there's a fair bit of seafood on the menu, and this was a standout dressed crab.
Slow-cooked Saddleback pork belly, boudin noir, white asparagus, pommes puree (£20) - a glorious pork belly and we don't think you'd need sides with this, so it's a pretty good price point for the location.
Duck confit, peas à la française, honey, Madeira (£22) - a genuinely delicious fall-off-bone duck dish
Crème caramel, raisins sec (£6) - the perfect size if you've gone big on starters and desserts
Petit pot de chocolat, langue de chat (£7) - a fairly light chocolate dish and a good choice for two to share. The honeycomb's a good touch too.
Anything else to highlight?
We mentioned the Plats du Jour, earlier - daily changing specials include dishes like Slow cooked lamb shoulder, Indian spiced aubergine relish, minted sheep’s curd (£26, on Thursday) or Goujonettes of sole, tartare pommes frites (£17, Friday). Sides are in the £6-£7 mark, but you won't necessarily need them with some dishes (the fries were excellent though).
If you're splashing out, there is a plateau de fruits de mer for two at £85 (and you can add a half-poached lobster on top of that for and extra £30).
How is it for vegetarians?
There are a few dishes available, like the Wild mushroom omelette, fines herbs, petit salad (£15) or the Cep ragout pappardelle, borlotti beans, hazelnuts and marjoram (£14/£22). There are no vegan dishes on the menu that we saw.
Yes, you will want to treat yourself to a glass of sparkling. This Cremant de Limoux is a pretty reasonable £10.
What about drink?
There's a small cocktail list of classic cocktails around the £15 mark each. For instance, there's a Sidecar (Hennesy VS, Cointreau, lemon juice, £13) and a Kir Royale (Taittinger Brut, crème de cassis, £15.50) which is a similar price point to the main restaurant. Wine-wise, however, there's a more friendly entry point of £26 a bottle (Cuvée Jean Paul Blanc/Rouge, 2021) which is pretty good for any London restaurant these days.
Anything else?
At the time of writing, both terraces also have a special "Summer of seafood and rose" menu in collaboration with Mirabeau. Wines there start at £55 for a Mirabeau Azure Provence Rosé and there are some special Mirabeau cocktails for £12-13. The special menu also features a lot of caviar, which is not on the main Bistrot menu.
Overall thoughts?
If you haven't had a chance to try this long-running riverside restaurant, we think the Bistrot does make it well worth considering a trip. It's actually pretty good value for this part of town, the food is great and if you're on the terrace you'll have one of the best Thames-side views in London. Well worth a look and a particularly good call if you've got visitors to London with you.
More about Le Pont de la Tour Bistrot
Where is it? 36D Shad Thames, London SE1 2YE
How to book: Book online
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Instagram @lepontdelatourldn.
Hot Dinners ate as guests of Le Pont de la Tour. Prices are correct at the time of writing.
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