I’ve been counting down to Saturday’s brunch at the fabulous Duck and Waffle since Monday morning, so it’s been a long week. By the time Saturday morning arrived I was nearly beside myself with excitement. This was Mr M’s first visit and also my first time as a group of two, so I was especially excited at the thought that we might get a window table.
We arrived at Heron Tower and were told to head to the 40th floor. It sounds a long way up (it is a long way up), but you get there pretty quickly and there’s just enough time to see Bishopsgate falling away from your feet and all the people and vehicles miniaturising before your eyes.
Once you’re at the top, there’s a short corridor to get to the bar, through which you get to the reception desk for the restaurant. The restaurant features an open kitchen and floor to ceiling windows offering spectacular views across London (you can look both The Gherkin and NatWest Tower in the eye from up there). The atmosphere is very buzzy, but not loud, so you can still enjoy a conversation with your dining companion without having to scream.
Once we were sitting down (at aforementioned window table – hurrah!), my big decision was what to have to drink, mainly because I already knew what I’d be eating and had been waffling(!) on about it since we left home. We went for a spicy ox cheek doughnut to share, followed by the chef’s signature duck and waffle. The lady serving us confirmed that that wouldn’t be too much for the two of us, as I was keen to keep some room for pudding.
The drinks arrived first – a re-oaked whisky cocktail for me and a Whitstable Bay blonde lager for Mr M. The re-oaked whisky is a long drink combining Scotch whisky, grapefruit juice, stripped oak and birch bark and ginger ale. It was very refreshing, just sweet enough and the ginger went with the whisky really nicely, so it didn’t taste too strong. Mr M’s lager was also very good.
Next came the doughnut, bigger than I imagined, covered in paprika sugar and accompanied by a spicy apricot jam, with a generous portion of ox cheek inside. It was absolutely gorgeous – the sugar added a bit of a crunch, the doughnut was nicely proportioned with the meat, and the meat itself was tender, moist and full of spicy flavour. The jam was a massive hit with both myself and Mr M, and it all worked so well together it almost made me wish we’d ordered one each.
After we’d demolished the doughnut our duck and waffle was served. As the name suggests, this dish is a crispy duck leg, served on a waffle and topped off with a fried duck egg. A pot of mustard maple syrup is served on the side. For maximum enjoyment, I recommend separating the egg, duck leg and waffle on the plate, and then pouring half of the syrup over the waffle and duck leg before you start. Pour the rest of the syrup on the duck flesh once you’ve cut into it, and eat a bit of waffle, duck and egg with every mouthful (dip each forkful in the egg yolk for good measure).
This was a fabulous dish, and the combination of meat with the sweetness of the syrup was stunning. There was just the right amount of waffle and the egg was cooked beautifully. Although Mr M is not a fan of meat on the bone he also really enjoyed his duck and waffle and commented on how easily the meat came off the bone.
For dessert, I had the chocolate fondant with peanut butter ganache and praline crunch and Mr M had more waffle – this time with cherry, yoghurt sorbet and white chocolate crumble. I fancied a sweet wine with my pudding and the waiter recommended La Fage Maury 2014, so we ordered one each.
The sommelier brought it over to us and explained a little about where it was from and the production process, which has some similarities to port. The wine itself was almost completely opaque and had a warm, fruity flavour. It was less sweet than some dessert wines I’ve had, but it was a perfect match for my pudding, and I’ve already looked it up so I can buy a bottle to enjoy at home.
As I am a huge lover of both peanut butter and chocolate, the fondant ticked all of the boxes for me. The fondant was warm and gooey in the middle and the peanut butter ganache really hit the spot. Mr M’s waffles were also delicious and beautifully presented.
Before we left, we decided to have a drink in the bar. Mr M had a brandy and I had an old fashioned with Four Roses Single Barrel bourbon, as recommended by the lady serving us. It was a great drink, with a really nice orange flavour offsetting the alcohol.
The total bill came to £165 including service charge at 12.5% (and our drinks in the bar afterwards), all of which is shared between the staff.
Overall, we had a fantastic afternoon out, with beautiful, imaginative food, great drinks and amazing views (we were lucky with the weather too). We were served by Smita, Onir and Jakub during lunch and by Oriona in the bar – each one of them was knowledgeable, friendly and delivered outstanding service. This is a fantastic place, with a really good atmosphere and a talented team, that I can’t recommend highly enough.
Albatine x
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