We’ll never get sick of sky-high restaurants – especially if they keep looking like Decimo…
What’s the best thing to transfer from Bristol to London? Well, up until this week I would have said myself (#stayhumble), but that’s all been scrambled with the arrival of Michelin-star chef Peter Sanchez-Iglesias in the capital (damn you, Peter!). He’s taken charge of the rooftop restaurant at Kings’ Cross hotel The Standard, known as Decimo – and frankly, it looks stunning.
We’ll get to the food and the decor in a moment, but the first thing you need to know about is the Instagram shot that’ll be clogging up your feed before long. Decimo overlooks the striking clock tower of the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel – which is actually hiding one of London’s most amazing Airbnbs – which instantly catapults it towards the top of the “must pose here” list.
I expect more than a few restaurants are enviously coveting Decimo’s floor-to-ceiling windows and sweeping views, but they’ve gone and paired it with upmarket hacienda-style decor. The sunken indoor firepit wouldn’t look out of place in a Bond villain’s lair, whilst there’s a DJ booth for those who prefer dancing to laser-beaming British spies to death.
Anyway, onto the food! Decimo is a place where Sanchez-Iglesias’ Spanish heritage meets his deep love of Mexican food, and if the critical views are anything to go by, the results are spectacular. Appetisers come in the form of croquetas, tacos, and quesadillas, whilst the early hype surrounds the Decimo Tortilla, which has been an extremely bougie makeover courtesy of a heaped serving of caviar.
Grilled meats and fishes make up the rest of the menu; the suckling pig shoulder looks pretty unmissable, but you certainly can’t go wrong with the quail & mole glaze. For dessert, Decimo offer four dishes, which can be nabbed at two for £11, three for £16, or four for £20. Don’t worry about the stigma of ordering all four, for the quartet are small but tasty concoctions, such as chocolate tartlet or set cream and roasted fig.
Plus, with two bars, Decimo has the drinks covered rather nicely; there’s a range of signature cocktails and more familiar classics, whilst those with a bigger budget can work their way through the restaurant’s huge mescal list. Honestly, it follows the rooftop restaurant playbook perfectly: reel ’em in with the view, and then seduce ’em with the food. Decimo, we’re ready for you!
Location: 10th Floor, The Standard Hotel, 10 Argyle Street, Kings Cross,WC1H 8EG. Nearest station is Kings Cross St Pancras. See it on Google Maps.
Opening hours: 6pm-midnight (Tue and Wed), 6pm-3am (Thu to Sat).
Price: tacos from £5, meat and fish from £14, and that tortilla begins at £40.
More information: from their website.
Featured image: @thestandardlondon