London - Le Pont de la Tour
Winter 2009
Frank's view 
Good food, great view, expensive wine
In the late 1980s, Butler's Wharf became the hottest residential property in London when the abandoned warehouse next to Tower Bridge was converted into luxurious appartments. The ground floor was snapped up by restaurateurs including Terence Conran who opened the The Chop House and the posh Le Pont de la Tour. In his effort to dominate this new cool part of town he also opened the Design Musuem with its Blueprint Cafe, a few yards further along at the end of Shad Thames.
It might all have been very different if Robert McCulloch had bought Tower Bridge instead of London Bridge in 1968. Londoners love to mock that entrepreneur McCulloch thought the bridge he paid £1m for would have a couple of pointy bits and a drawbridge but fortunately Tower Bridge didn't end up in the Arizona Desert and Terence Conran managed to secure the best restaurant view in London.
Le Pont de la Tour certainly has drawn the big names of the last 20 years. I recall one evening in the early nineties when Rupert Murdoch squidged onto the end of a tiny table to join a couple of his News International Executives for dinner. The restaurant also played host to Tony Blair's famous dinner with Bill Clinton shortly after his election victory in 1997.
The food is not overly expensive, and good. The three course set lunch is £31.50 and dinner is £42.50, unless of course you go for the Kaspia Royal Baccari caviar 30g,which has a supplement charge of £45. Alternatively sit outside and select the lunchtime bar menu at £15 for two courses. The wine, however, is not a bargain. Le Pont de la Tour claims to have one of the best wine cellars in London but you will pay to experience it. Piper Heidseick, the entry level champagne, is £52 and you really do have to pay over £30 to taste anything worthwhile on the wine list. As you might expect prices go way into the £1000+ camp, especially in the Bordeaux section.
If you are visiting London Le Pont de la Tour is a great restaurant to book, especially in the summer when you can sit outside and gaze at the bridge. It's not in the most convenient location so you will need the services of a cab to get there and return to your home or hotel. Flagging down a taxi on the street is not an option I'd recommend so it's best to have the restaurant order one for you. It's also best to book well in advance and ask for a table by the window as once you're inside, you could be anywhere.
Le Pont de la Tour
26d Shad Thames
London SE1
020 7403 8403
http://www.lepontdelatour.co.uk/
It might all have been very different if Robert McCulloch had bought Tower Bridge instead of London Bridge in 1968. Londoners love to mock that entrepreneur McCulloch thought the bridge he paid £1m for would have a couple of pointy bits and a drawbridge but fortunately Tower Bridge didn't end up in the Arizona Desert and Terence Conran managed to secure the best restaurant view in London.
Le Pont de la Tour certainly has drawn the big names of the last 20 years. I recall one evening in the early nineties when Rupert Murdoch squidged onto the end of a tiny table to join a couple of his News International Executives for dinner. The restaurant also played host to Tony Blair's famous dinner with Bill Clinton shortly after his election victory in 1997.
The food is not overly expensive, and good. The three course set lunch is £31.50 and dinner is £42.50, unless of course you go for the Kaspia Royal Baccari caviar 30g,which has a supplement charge of £45. Alternatively sit outside and select the lunchtime bar menu at £15 for two courses. The wine, however, is not a bargain. Le Pont de la Tour claims to have one of the best wine cellars in London but you will pay to experience it. Piper Heidseick, the entry level champagne, is £52 and you really do have to pay over £30 to taste anything worthwhile on the wine list. As you might expect prices go way into the £1000+ camp, especially in the Bordeaux section.
If you are visiting London Le Pont de la Tour is a great restaurant to book, especially in the summer when you can sit outside and gaze at the bridge. It's not in the most convenient location so you will need the services of a cab to get there and return to your home or hotel. Flagging down a taxi on the street is not an option I'd recommend so it's best to have the restaurant order one for you. It's also best to book well in advance and ask for a table by the window as once you're inside, you could be anywhere.
Le Pont de la Tour
26d Shad Thames
London SE1
020 7403 8403
http://www.lepontdelatour.co.uk/
Be Frank: agree or disagree? What do you think?
