“Magical”; “phenomenal”; “gorgeous”: readers can’t help but eulogise about Le Pont de La Tour and its photogenic location right by Tower Bridge. The restaurant has gone through a few different guises since opening back in 1991, but this latest incarnation is its most accessible.
Inside, leather banquettes and moody lighting create a “luxe” club-like feel, while dinner on the riverside terrace – with the sunset silhouetting Tower Bridge – makes you feel like the lead in a Richard Curtis romcom.
The restaurant still holds up as a “special occasion” venue noted for its “top-notch French cooking” – think seared foie gras on brioche with peach and pomegranate or roasted wild mushrooms with cep ketchup and consommé ahead of poached native lobster, tournedos Rossini or saddle of Yorkshire venison with baby beetroots, goat’s cheese, watercress and crispy kale. There are meat feasts for sharing, while dessert could be tarte Tatin or chocolate fondant with blood orange and a crème fraîche ‘cigar’.
While the carte is quite pricey, a seat on the coveted terrace needn’t cost a fortune – especially if you go for the astoundingly good-value set menu (including a glass of Moët & Chandon NV Brut): sweet, slightly saline ham-hock terrine with truffle mayonnaise, and a meaty slab of sea trout with broad beans both impressed on our visit, as did the “super-friendly” and “efficient” staff.
Our only complaint is that we’d like to see more accessibly priced wines on the lengthy global list, but that aside, Le Pont remains “a real treat” – a destination that can’t be beaten for its gorgeous riverside setting.