New Years Eve Restaurant in London

[offspring86]

Morning all,

I'm planning on going into London for New Year with SWMBO. We've always done local pubs/clubs/friends houses for New Year but fancied a change this time. The plan is to eat at somewhere nice and then afterwards, watch the fireworks before heading home for the night (I'm working the next day so no hotel, unfortunately).

Can anyone recommend a semi decent restaurant not too far from the Thames? We're not fussy in terms of cuisine and I'd be looking to spend say, £100 on the meal.

[offspring86]

Bump! Does nobody have any suggestions?

[Melman Giraffe]

offspring86 said:

Bump! Does nobody have any suggestions?

The *** Tower

Right by the Thames

[Mobsta]

If you fancy a floating pub restaurant on the river, my chum bob just opened the Thalidomide Arms. You could eat and get legless there for 100 notes.

[Gwagon111]

It's very dependant on your budget, and what you like. London is a big old place with more eateries than you can ever hope to be able to shake a stick at. I'll throw a curve ball here and suggest a restaurant / bar near Blackwall DLR. It's called 'the gun'. The food is very nice, and the service is top notch. It's not too pricey either. The ales they serve are quite nice too (I recommend a pint of the jugged hare) . It's outside heated terrace is right on the riverside, opposite the O2.

[Doogs]

Gwagon111 said:

I'll throw a curve ball here and suggest a restaurant / bar near Blackwall DLR. It's called 'the gun'. The food is very nice, and the service is top notch.

and awesome Scotch eggs

[Gwagon111]

Doogs said:

and awesome Scotch eggs

Yep, I've just been down that way and had one. Very nice too

[Davey S2]

Not very helpful but why on earth would you want to bother?

NYE is the worst night of the year. Everywhere will be packed, it will cost a fortune and it will be a nightmare to get home.

Don't bother and spend the cash on some nice steaks and a few top bottles of red and Champers at home instead.

[jontysafe]

Davey S2 said:

Not very helpful but why on earth would you want to bother?

NYE is the worst night of the year. Everywhere will be packed, it will cost a fortune and it will be a nightmare to get home.

Don't bother and spend the cash on some nice steaks and a few top bottles of red and Champers at home instead.

This, it`s by far the worst night of the whole year to go out to eat.

[obob]

Davey S2 said:

Not very helpful but why on earth would you want to bother?

NYE is the worst night of the year. Everywhere will be packed, it will cost a fortune and it will be a nightmare to get home.

Don't bother and spend the cash on some nice steaks and a few top bottles of red and Champers at home instead.

Because he wants to go out and watch the fireworks.

[offspring86]

Cheers guys. I've forwarded suggestions onto the other half (along with a few others friend's have recommended). Will see what she thinks!

Edited by offspring86 on Tuesday 6th November 20:36

[V8mate]

lepetitoeuf said:

jontysafe said:

This, it`s by far the worst night of the whole year to go out to eat.

No it's not.

Valentines is far worse.

Yep. And Mothers Day.

[offspring86]

So I sent the suggestions over to my other half. Sh looked at them, and then decided to book a completely different restaurant! It seems we're eating here: http://thehawksmoor.com/airstreet

I've heard great things about their other restaurants so am looking forward to a good steak! I think the walk down to the river afterwards will do me some good!

[Gwagon111]

offspring86 said:

So I sent the suggestions over to my other half. Sh looked at them, and then decided to book a completely different restaurant! It seems we're eating here: http://thehawksmoor.com/airstreet

I've heard great things about their other restaurants so am looking forward to a good steak! I think the walk down to the river afterwards will do me some good!

It's very nice, it will however be monumentally crowded on NYE. I reckon you'll think you're on a conveyor belt . Enjoy your night .

[V8mate]

And good luck with getting within half a mile of the river, post-meal, on NYE. The hordes start gathering in the morning.

[NIIKME]

Gwagon111 said:

It's very nice, it will however be monumentally crowded on NYE. I reckon you'll think you're on a conveyor belt . Enjoy your night .

+1. Been there done that and I thought it was quite a sterile experience when compared to a Gaucho. I admire your enthusiasm for a night in town but I don't think you can beat posh grub at home on Nye and then save your money for a less busy night out!

[offspring86]

Well the meal was fantastic. Our table was booked for 7.30 so the restaurant was only about half full when we arrived. Obviously, by the time we left every table was in use. The girlfriend started with the shrimps on toast and I selected the chicory, pear, walnut and Colston Bassett salad. For main she had the dover sole and I had the rib-eye (rare with sides of boiled new potatoes, creamed spinach and roasted field mushrooms and a bottle of Chateau Cruzeau 'Hawksmoor Claret' 2006 (they were out of the Hartenberg Cabernet Sauvignon). For dessert I went for the Hawksmoor Jaffa Cake and my other half polished off a lemon tart. I finished with a glass of rum (Angostura 1824). All in, £170. One of the best steaks I've ever had (certainly the best here in England) and somewhere I would love to visit again in a couple of years when there is a suitable ocassion.

After the food we walked down to the river and managed to get a pretty good spot by the entrance to Downing Street, granted we couldn't see the lower fireworks - from what we could tell the spots right at the edge of the river were taken by about 7pm - but we still saw the majority of the display along with the fireworks on the Eye.

All in all, a great night which I'm glad I can finally cross off my list, next year I think we'll be having a quiet night in to ourselves (hopefully we'll be home owners by then!). I'm really feeling it today as it took 3 hours to get back to St Albans along with a 20 minute taxi ride home and I was up at 6.30 to go to work. I'll sleep well tonight!

I hope everyone else enjoyed the celebrations, whatever you were doing!

[Mobsta]

offspring86 said:

Well the meal was fantastic. Our table was booked for 7.30 so the restaurant was only about half full when we arrived. Obviously, by the time we left every table was in use. The girlfriend started with the shrimps on toast and I selected the chicory, pear, walnut and Colston Bassett salad. For main she had the dover sole and I had the rib-eye (rare with sides of boiled new potatoes, creamed spinach and roasted field mushrooms and a bottle of Chateau Cruzeau 'Hawksmoor Claret' 2006 (they were out of the Hartenberg Cabernet Sauvignon). For dessert I went for the Hawksmoor Jaffa Cake and my other half polished off a lemon tart. I finished with a glass of rum (Angostura 1824). All in, £170. One of the best steaks I've ever had (certainly the best here in England) and somewhere I would love to visit again in a couple of years when there is a suitable ocassion.

After the food we walked down to the river and managed to get a pretty good spot by the entrance to Downing Street, granted we couldn't see the lower fireworks - from what we could tell the spots right at the edge of the river were taken by about 7pm - but we still saw the majority of the display along with the fireworks on the Eye.

All in all, a great night which I'm glad I can finally cross off my list, next year I think we'll be having a quiet night in to ourselves (hopefully we'll be home owners by then!). I'm really feeling it today as it took 3 hours to get back to St Albans along with a 20 minute taxi ride home and I was up at 6.30 to go to work. I'll sleep well tonight!

I hope everyone else enjoyed the celebrations, whatever you were doing!

Tell me more about this Rum. How did you choose it? And, pardon my enquisité emorme, but how much was it?

I should also apologise for my original post, which wasn't very helpful.

[offspring86]

Mobsta said:

ell me more about this Rum. How did you choose it? And, pardon my enquisité emorme, but how much was it?

I should also apologise for my original post, which wasn't very helpful.

Your first post was more helpful than some of the other suggestions!

I chose the 1824 as I've had the 1919 before which I really liked. It had a lovely warmth which quickly subsided leaving a wonderful sugar taste. I may have to look into acquiring a bottle!

The rum seletion and prices are as follows:

Appleton Estate 12 year old 8.50
Jamaica

Pussers Navy Rum 7.00
British Virgin Islands

Smith & Cross 7.50
Jamica

Plantation Barbados 2000 8.00
Barbados

Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva 9.00
Venezuela

Plantation Guatemala 9.00
Guyana

Havana Club Barrel Proof 9.50
Cuba

Angostura 1824 11.50
Trinidad

El Dorado 15 Year Old 11.00
Guyana

Ron Zacapa 23 Year Old 18.00
Guatemala

El Dorado 25 Year Old 50.00
Guyana

I already have bottles of the Diplomatico and Ron Zacapa 23. It's amazing how much money the restaurants make on their spirits. I picked up the Diplomatico for £37 (UK) and the Ron Zacapa for £20 (Bahamas).