Duck & Waffle

I'd been hearing a lot about Duck & Waffle for a long time, so I eventually decided to try it out with a couple of friends on a weeknight.  The first thing to note is that the restaurant is at the top of the Heron Tower - I.e. on the 40th floor.  This was all very exciting (ok I know that tall buildings aren't a big deal in Asia and many other places across the globe, but skyscrapers are a relatively new thing in London so the idea of travelling up 40 floors for a meal was pretty cool!)  Upon arrival, however, we discovered that the main lift was out of order.  We were ushered to a back lift, and then had to climb a couple of flights of stairs to actually get to the restaurant.  This wasn't exactly ideal, especially as we were carrying heavy law books (having just had classes at college), but at this point we thought - no big deal, it's not their fault that the lift isn't working.  

Unfortunately, the problems didn't end there.  We were then told that our table wasn't yet ready, and were invited to have a seat at the bar while we waited.  As anyone who has been to Duck & Waffle after 5pm will tell you, the bar is heaving, so rather unsurprisingly we were not able to find somewhere to sit.  There were also a lot of people scrambling to order drinks at this time, and we figured that trying to push and shove to the front of the bar was probably going to be futile.  We therefore wandered around for a good 20 minutes before we were taken to our table (although we did use some of this time to peek into the restaurant).  By this stage, nonetheless, we were hungry, tired and rather grumpy.  

The restaurant area

Right, at this point you've probably had enough of my moaning about the service and would like to hear about the food, so let's get down to business.  We decided to share as this would allow us to try more dishes.  

One item we ordered was the coal charred aubergine.  I liked the slightly smoky flavour and the use of cumin, yoghurt and naan (rather exotic), but I have to say that overall it was a little too sour in my opinion.

We also had the poached lobster and the roasted octopus with chorizo.  These were lovely, and  I especially enjoyed the latter dish as I'm a big fan of the 'surf and turf' idea!

From L-R: Naan, Octopus, Lobster and Aubergine

And of course, we had to try the Duck & Waffle.  The confit of duck leg was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, the waffle was crisp, the duck egg fried to perfection, and the mustard maple syrup added a delicate hint of sweetness to the dish.  I am therefore pleased to report that their signature dish is definitely worth ordering!

Duck & Waffle

Finally, I must say a few words about the view.  It was indeed spectacular, especially as it was a clear spring day.  We were also fortunate enough to watch day turn to night during dinner, which was really quite special.

Late afternoon sun

Sunset

Night (sorry about the reflection of the kitchen - my photography skills clearly leave much to be desired!)

As is clear from this post, I wasn't a fan of the service at Duck & Waffle (in fact, the poor service continued at the table since it took ages for someone to come and take our order).  That said, I must admit that it is probably worth going for the views and to try their signature dish.  It should also be noted that they are open 24 hours a day, so if you are jet lagged or simply feel peckish and/or reckless at 3am, Duck & Waffle is the place for you.

Duck & Waffle - 020 364 073 10 - www.duckandwaffle.com

Heron Tower, 110 Bishopsgate, London EC2N 4AY