14 Hills

D&D London have never been ones to do something on a small scale and 14 Hills is no different. Up on the 14th floor (hence the name) of 120 Fenchurch Street, 14 Hills isn’t short on wow factor. The interior looks like an indoor forest while the views are just as impressive as the extravagant interior. This is a spot for sitting back, indulging and not worrying too much about the bill at the end.

Accessed by a lift at street level, which sits under a roof projected with flora to give you an immediate taste of what’s to come, the huge restaurant has a feeling of real class to it, with dim lighting revealing a vast array of greenery hanging from above and large trees dotted around the dining room. The highly attentive staff are charming and knowledgeable and really add to the overall experience.

The modern European menu is laced with touches of decadence – a dish simply entitled ‘truffle’ features a slow-cooked runny egg served on top of an earthy mushroom ragout and comes topped with generous shavings of black truffle. King scallops, meanwhile, are served on top of blobs of raisin purée which provides an interesting sweetness to an otherwise umami-rich dish.

The highlight of our main courses was the incredibly poshed-up version of a chicken Kiev, which oozed garlicky goodness out of a perfectly cooked cylinder of meat.

Puddings included a simple mango tart which consisted of piles of fresh mango crafted onto the crispy base and featured the added fun of dollops of mango-infused chocolate mousse surrounding it. An incredibly rich chocolate fondant came topped with a perfect boule of smooth pistachio ice cream.

The impressive sommelier was on hand the whole way through the meal to suggest wine pairings for each course, and we were particularly pleased to see Royal Tokaji Late Harvest on the thoroughly researched list of dessert wines.

With most main courses clocking in around the £30 mark, 14 Hills definitely isn’t a cheap eat. But if your budget does stretch this far, you’ll struggle not to be impressed.

Named for its lofty location 14 floors above street level, this new high-rise restaurant promises spectacular views of the London skyline, as well as a modern British menu designed by former executive chef of Bar Boulud, Thomas Piat.

Located in the heart of the City, this latest venture from D&D (the unstoppable restaurant group behind Blueprint Cafe, 100 Wardour Street, Coq d’Argent and Le Pont de la Tour, to name but a few) takes its interiors inspiration from the public roof garden crowning the new office building, along with English terraces, roof gardens and courtyards more generally.

This translates to a lush central canopy of evergreen plants and seasonal climbers, plus mature trees, shrubs and several large pergolas dotted around the place in what appears to be a determined bid to rival the top-spot garden upstairs.

Award-winning interior designers Robert Angell Design International needn’t fret too much though, since 14 Hills comes with a distinct advantage over the roof garden: its kitchen. Piat’s all-day menu includes a range of modern British dishes cooked with French flair, from business breakfasts right through to leisurely dinners spent enjoying the views of some of the capital’s most eye-catching landmarks (though City workers in a rush on weekdays will be glad of the fast-serve deli counter).

Those looking for beautiful vistas on weekends are catered for too, thanks to Saturday brunch and Sunday roast menus, the contents of which have yet to be shared.

14 Hills isn’t just a dining destination though, thanks to the bar which puts cocktails at the fore. The extensive selection will include classics, signature serves and modern interpretations of old favourites, many of which will be crafted from in-house ingredients, while wine enthusiasts can choose from a list of interesting wines curated by the on-hand sommeliers.