Aqua Shard: A Power Breakfast in London on High
Aqua Shard is as New York as London gets. Piercing the London cityscape as the loftiest building in western Europe, The Shard dominates the skyline, with Aqua Shard the destination restaurant that should be elevated to the top of your list, offering British cuisine with a hint of NYC and the panoramic view that everyone’s talking about. The turbo-charged views are worth it once we arrive after the ear-popping lift journey up 31 floors, with a 360-degree vista of the London cityscape littered with a glorious spread of iconic landmarks greeting us from the floor-to-ceiling windows as we step into the space. While beautifully decked out in plush purple and Liberty-print-encased booths, Aqua still has an air of understated swagger, and the glamorous, sweeping room is slick and impressive. Less about the swanky setting, and let’s talk about the food. Soaring flavours and an edge of luxury run through the menu, but Aqua knows its roots, staying local with produce sourced from around London and Borough Market. There are no real pretensions here, just any breakfast dish you could want for. Bar a few more exclusive items, you don’t need to break the bank breakfasting here, with a decent variety of dishes for under £12 or thereabouts. A small selection of cocktails on the menu also allows for a top-end tipple alongside the power breakfast at Aqua, and without the viewing tower charge, a visit to Aqua is a bonus.
Morning Glory Cup
Planet Earl
Sure, it was only 10am, but what better way to celebrate the view than with a breakfast cocktail? I can honestly say that the Morning Glory Cup was one of the nicest cocktails we’d ever tried. Made with almond milk, egg white and mandarin bitters, and muddled with some fresh raspberries and Chambord, one of these was just not enough. Topped with the quirky crunch of Kellogg’s cornflakes, this is a breakfast cocktail that is an absolute must when you visit Aqua Shard, and enough to make you want to take a trip back to the Atrium bar to experience some other brilliantly eccentric combos. From the mocktail list, the Planet Earl was a healthy but super-delicious whizzed-up blend of blackberries, raspberries, honey and Greek-style yoghurt. If you were more adventurous, you could go for the banana pick me-up with peanut butter, nutella and pancake with fresh banana.
Lobster Benedict
An exceptional twist on the classic eggs Benedict, and my favourite thing on the menu, the lobster Benedict revealed perfectly poached white globes and came topped with expertly blended hollandaise with a tangy undertone. The Colchester Blue lobster was sweet and delicate, and the decadent twist of this addition really worked as a luxurious interpretation of the classic breakfast old-timer.
Full english breakfast
I could only admire the spectacular technicolour Shard breakfast from afar, as I had more than enough to tackle. Two Old House Farm bright yellow-yolk fried eggs were accompanied by three different shades of pig on a plate, scrubbing up well as a wholesome but hefty full English breakfast. This comprised of a generous serving of thick-cut bacon and Cumberland sausage, not forgetting the shredded pork that ran through the chunky cannellini baked beans. Hash brown fritters were clearly made in-house for freshness, while grilled tomato and a green blast of spinach added a healthy edge to the plate.
Bread served with Aqua Shard preserves and jams
Fresh breads from the bakery include sourdough or seeded, which you can choose to have toasted, while tanned Danish pastries line the other tables, brought out warm and toasty on chunky wooden boards. Some jams and preserves that were made in-house came alongside our toast, the best of which being the apple and Earl Grey jelly with a punchy lime flavour. Other options you could try on the Shard breakfast menu might be the soft boiled eggs with buttered marmite soldiers, or the luxurious hand-sliced Shard smoked salmon with corn fritters. If you’re in the mood for a greasy spoon sandwich, go for a bacon bap with Ginger Pig streaky bacon or a sausage sandwich with barbeque sauce. The humble tealeaf is also not overlooked as a staple breakfast pairing, with artisan teas sourced from The Rare Tea Company or from down the block at Borough Market, and a whole page of the breakfast menu devoted to the virtuous Rosy Lee.
Although not quite the adrenaline-fuelled ride of the hair-raising Willy Wonka elevator at Heron Tower, we decided that Aqua Shard most certainly has the wow factor in the food and in the views, and the cocktails from the bar are a step ahead. Shrouded by darkness or flooded with daylight, the striking glass atrium is the focal centrepiece here, with the Atrium Bar rocking a good mix of modern and retro. Clearly attracting a glamourpuss-pack of London socialites to both the bar and restaurant, Aqua has some super-chic powder rooms that are like something out of Sex and The City, but the best lavatorial view in London can be ogled from the gents, so I’ve been told! If I was writing the breakfast post again, as a newcomer on the breakfast scene, Aqua Shard might also just take the cheeky top spot for best breakfast in London.
Aqua Shard
Level 31 The Shard, 31 St. Thomas Street, London, SE1 9RY
