Much like most of London, the City feels very quiet at the moment – the usual crowds of suits has thinned right down and most of the retailers in the area are still shut. City Social, Jason Atherton’s Michelin-starred restaurant on the 24th floor of Tower 42, is one of the restaurants that has made a comeback, and with a new head chef in Dan Birk and a new menu too. The views over London from the floor-to-ceiling windows are still the same: incredible.
The menu is modern British although it is peppered with Asian influences, so you get a dish like hamachi ceviche with langoustine tartar, avocado and kalamansi alongside roast Orkney scallops with nutty pearl barley and caramelised cauliflower. Almost polar opposites but equally as tasty and both beautifully plated.
We followed with two dishes that were basically autumn rendered in food form; Anyhoe estate venison with turnips, cep puree and a juniper-infused sauce, and braised short rib with possibly the prettiest looking Roscoff onion and heritage carrot we’ve seen, with an olive oil mash so silky you could wear it.
Then the puddings – dark chocolate pave with pistachio and milk ice cream and raspberry parfait with white chocolate meringue, again two completely contrasting dishes – arrived, somehow looking even prettier than what came before.
City Social is formal and the prices are punchy but it’s also Michelin-starred and in the City, it’s got unbeatable views, the cooking is exceptional and the service is fantastic. We say lean into the whole experience and get recs from Executive Head Sommelier Laure Patry (also because the wine list is enormous), who poured us some great matched wines. Take your bubble out for treat and whack it on the credit card.
Tower 42, 25 Old Broad Street, London, EC2N 1HQ
citysociallondon.com