La Dame de Pic at Four Seasons Hotel London Tower Bridge

French·
££££
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Silver Award
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SquareMeal Review of La Dame de Pic at Four Seasons Hotel London Tower Bridge

Silver Award

Anne-Sophie Pic remains among the most revered, decorated female chefs in the world, certainly in terms of Michelin stars. It makes sense then that two Michelin-starred La Dame de Pic feels very much like an archetypal Michelin Guide restaurant. Housed behind the grand stone facade of the Four Seasons Hotel at Tower Bridge, La Dame de Pic is a room of hushed reverence. Towering ceilings and mirror-clad pillars give the room an airy, spacious vibe, but it doesn’t completely save the feeling that the room itself feels in need of a refurb.

Staff, though, are well-drilled, knowledgeable and affable, which softens the solemnity of the space. It goes without saying that prices are steep (the entry level tasting menu starts at £145 for dinner) but, thanks to Pic’s pure creativity, most of the dishes are wildly inventive, harnessing unusual collections of flavours with impressive results. She is known for constantly revamping the ingredients, methods and techniques used in her cooking in order to provide her guests with a powerful and unexpected gastronomic experience.

Highlights include her signature Les Berlingots - the filling changes seasonally and in summer we’re treated to the rasping acidity of green tomato, which dances across the richness of Blackmount goat’s cheese in the pasta. There’s a gentle background aroma of mace and tonka, which intrigues.

At its best, Anne-Sophie Pic’s food is just as thought-provoking as it is delicious, but some dishes feel a bit too complex for their own good, struggling to balance an extremely complex equation of flavours. This could be the difference between Pic’s palate and our own, of course. An opening salvo of Scottish crab promises soothing crustacean - a classic starter - but the crab feels elbowed out by sake lees, fresh almond, sweet melon and aniseedy hyssop.

The final note is another Pic signature - the white Tahitian vanilla millefeuille - and though we’re sure it’s more complex than it looks, it's a sign that perhaps La Dame de Pic is at its best when it reigns things in a touch. Wines are expertly paired throughout the night, so this is clearly an excellent restaurant run by an expert team, and minor quibbles are all that separates La Dame de Pic from the very top echelon of London restaurants.

Good to know

Average Price
££££ - Over £80
Cuisines
French
Ambience
Fine dining, Glamorous, Quiet conversation, Traditional, Widely spaced tables
Awards
Two Michelin stars
Food Occasions
Dinner, Lunch
Special Features
Vegetarian options
Perfect for
Special occasions

About

Anne-Sophie Pic, the world’s most decorated French female chef brings her unique take on French cuisine to the Four Seasons Hotel London at Tower Bridge.

In the absence of any formal culinary training, Pic has established herself in the fine dining world through a host of Michelin-starred eponymous restaurants across Europe (starting with her family’s restaurant Maison Pic in Valence, France). Here, in an airy, high-ceilinged room in the former Port of London Authority building, she continues her trademark approach to unusual flavours and techniques in her first London outpost. A chef who is led by intuition and sensitivity, Pic presents menus that reimagine ingredients, utilise unconventional techniques, and reveal gastronomic combinations her guests might not otherwise have considered.

Particularly imaginative flavour combinations on the menu include ikejime (a Japanese technique for euthanising fish) pollock with blackcurrant sage beurre blanc and absinthe pepper, and lamb marinated with fig leaves and sakura sauce. There’s also a touching tribute to her late chef father Jacques Pic, in the form of wild sea bass and caviar ‘the way my father loved it’, reimagined by Anne-Sophie with sake and rose. 

Another unmissable testament to Pic’s culinary approach is her signature Les Berlingots, a pasta dish named after a childhood favourite French sweet, with a filling that varies based on the season, showcasing the versatility of this type of pasta and exposing guests to a range of flavour profiles. Each of the tasting menus at La Dame de Pic comes with options for wine pairings based on ‘emotion’ or ‘initiation’, in keeping with the restaurant’s overall intuitive approach to gastronomy, and the wine list fittingly (though not exclusively) focuses on bottles from the Rhone valley, not far from where Pic grew up in her family’s restaurant.


FAQs

Does La Dame de Pic at Four Seasons Tower Bridge have a Michelin star?

La Dame de Pic at Four Seasons Tower Bridge has two Michelin stars.

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La Dame de Pic at Four Seasons Hotel London Tower Bridge is featured in

Location

Four Seasons Hotel London at Tower Bridge, Tower Hill, London, EC3N 4AJ

020 3297 3799 020 3297 3799

Website

Opening Times

Lunch
Mon 12:00-14:00
Tue 12:00-14:00
Wed 12:00-14:00
Thu 12:00-14:00
Fri 12:00-14:00
Sat 12:00-14:00
Sun Closed
Dinner
Mon 18:00-21:30
Tue 18:00-21:30
Wed 18:00-21:30
Thu 18:00-21:30
Fri 18:00-21:30
Sat 18:00-21:30
Sun Closed

Reviews

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15 Reviews 
Food/Drink
Service
Atmosphere
Value

Nicola T

21 September 2024   - Verified Diner
Food & Drink 5
Service 5
Atmosphere 5
Value 5
Sublime meal at La Dame de Pic

Another sublime meal at La Dame de Pic. Superb food by Head Chef Evan's and his talented team. Fantastic Front of House team, incredibly know about every dish. Always excellent wine recommendations by then sommeliers. Nice buzzy atmosphere. A favourite of mine and I am already planning my return very soon. 

Alex G

13 December 2019  
Food & Drink 5
Service 5
Atmosphere 4.5
Value 4.5
Reach for the stars

That Anne-Sophie Pic’s London outpost has just received its second Michelin star speaks volumes. A visit here is undoubtedly an elevated dining experience which delivered across the board. It would be easy to feel awed – given the grand location (inside the Four Seasons Hotel, which itself is housed in the former London Port Authority building), much-garlanded chef and already mentioned stars – but, the prevailing impression is one of genuine welcome. Here are people passionate about their métier – and they want diners to partake in this delight too. It was indeed a rare sight to see all the guests seemingly enjoying their meals. Located far from Mayfair or Chelsea there is – dare one say it – almost a better class (or certainly less Instagram-hungry) sort of diner at La Dame. Moreover, in contrast to many restaurants based in hotels, which come almost as an after-thought, diners have every reason to conceive of La Dame as a destination in its own right. Do not be put off by the high ceilings and mirrored pillars of the dining room. Rather, focus on the calming view of the River Thames and Tower of London if you can see it, or just simply sit back and enjoy the experience. Two stars have not gone to the venue’s head; you’re not expected to feel reverent for what you are about to eat, just to partake. Sure, dining here does not come cheap, especially if the tasting menu floats your boat, but a set lunch offering of £32 for two courses or £45 for three must count as a relative bargain, especially given the overall quality. To return to the notion of elevation, consider how steak tartare – a staple of many restaurants – is given an absolute make-over at La Dame. The beef is almost not visible beneath layers of beetroot, smoked pike caviar and lovage ice cream. It is both a visual and taste sensation. Our group of three all ventured for the same main of stone bass – another masterpiece at all levels. A certain element of genius is required to consider the pairing of fish with beetroot, grapefruit, pepper and hibiscus. Balance and integration were superb. Our sommelier who paired Rhone wines with both the starter and main brought a similar level of thought and passion to the experience. When considering the whole meal, it was also the small touches (amuse bouche, petit fours) that mattered. Flawless execution throughout. It’s hard not to be wowed.

Colin M

26 July 2019  
Simply outstanding food, beautifully crafted and a work of art.

Jason P

08 July 2019  
Beautiful surroundings, and pleasant service especially from Maria, Martina and Maître d' (sorry forgot his name). Even though the food was beautifully presented, the portion sizes were tiny for the price (£42 pp for 3 courses before wines - the main course of suckling pig was only three pieces of Iberico pork, each measuring 5cm by 1.5cm thickness, with no accompaniments you would expect such as potato dauphinoise. You should not be still hungry after an outlay of over £70pp.) Also, the tiramisu version was too heavy on the cream and raspberry and not enough of the coffee and chocolate. We were expecting a better overall experience, as we have dined in other Michelin starred restaurants around the world. Plus points: Pleasant attentive service, surroundings, design, artwork, fabulous wines, beautifully presented food, fantastic sourdough bread, efficient reservations service, USP. Negatives/ Areas for improvement: Portion sizes & ensure complete plates of food, Value for money, redesign of some of the recipes to be more balanced but keeping the lddpiclondon unique take/ USP on a dish.

Susan P

08 July 2019  
Stunning food and surroundings, unsurpassed by other restaurants in London.

MARTA B

28 June 2019  
Picture perfect evening: To start with a glass of perfectly chilled champagne at the beautifully decorated Four Seasons 10 Trinity Square lobby followed by an exquisite dinner at La Dame de Pic. Starting from the ambiance -the restaurant could easy be placed at a Parisian street- followed by the service and of course the delicious food perfectly paired with wine. The dishes were beautifully presented and it makes you wonder how hard someone needs to work to perfection such a skill, while making sure each dish is full of flavour and on point. We had FEW dietary requirements which were notified to the restaurant in advance, and I had to admire how everything was prepared and served without one additional question. I had a sorbet for dessert, and I could not have enough of the delicious chocolate wafer it was served with. All in all, a wonderful experience.

Chris V

10 July 2018  
Great service, beautiful presentation, fine wine list.

Susanf P

28 June 2018  
Grand surroundings, stunning food, charming service.

Sarah R

14 June 2018  
Food & Drink 5
Service 5
Atmosphere 5
Value 5
Thank you to La Dame de Pic and Square Meal for a truly fantastic evening...
Enter through the front door of this grand hotel and be transported to a world of serene elegance with architecturally arranged roses, puffs of jasmine scent in the air and a lush circular lounge bar adorned with Art Deco chairs arranged around a mirrored surfaced grand piano. I was thrilled to win Square Meal's amateur critic of the year 2017 and my prize was a 6 course tasting menu with wine flight at the Four Season's flagship restaurant. Seated at the bar, we start the evening with champagne and canapes then are guided to our table to continue a feast of lightly fragrant dishes. Each course building in delicious complexity and every plate of food prettier than the last. The wine was matched perfectly and the Sommelier described each glass with honesty and passion. We enjoyed chatting to him about which were our favourites, but I found it difficult to choose! All the staff were incredibly welcoming and nothing was too much trouble, swapping the meat dish for my pescatarian pallet. Thank you to La Dame de Pic, Four Seasons and Square Meal for a truly special treat. My husband and I certainly felt like celebrities for the evening! This restaurant is certainly the place to go if you want to impress a business client or a romantic dinner for two!

Christopher B

27 March 2018  
Best cakes and afternoon tea in UK.
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