Sky-high dining and stunning views are the hallmark of SUSHISAMBA City.
The best meals can put you on top of the world, and that’s exactly the case at SUSHISAMBA in the City of London. Nestled on the 38th & 39th floors of the Heron Tower, the City offshoot of the global restaurant chain commands incredible views of the city (not least the neighbouring Gherkin). Mind you, the “culinary culmination” of Japanese, Brazilian, and Peruvian food doesn’t hurt the appeal either – and with their spectacular outdoor terrace set to reopen on April 12, maybe it’s high time you paid a visit? [Featured image: @sushisamba]
This place is the sister restaurant of SUSHISAMBA Covent Garden, and honestly it’s hard to say which is more impressive. Shoot up the Heron Tower in a glass-walled lift, and you’ll soon find yourself at SUSHISAMBA City. The restaurant makes the absolute most of its surroundings, with floor-to-ceiling glass walls maximising the 360 degree views. Design touches such as a canopy of bamboo and artfully draped lightbulbs just add to the jaw-dropping effect, especially as the sun sets and the surrounding buildings throw flashes of light across the restaurant.
A pair of terraces (the two dining spaces which will open from April 12, incidentally) allow you to dine in the open air, and both have their merits. The East Terrace allows you to get surprisingly up-close to The Gherkin, with the Walkie Talkie, Shard, and Scalpel all visible from the terrace. Meanwhile, out on the West Terrace, you’ll find the iconic orange tree that tends to feature in most Instagram snaps of the space, and is said to cement the “earth to sky” motif of SUSHISAMBA City.
That’s before we even get to the food, the point at which the food cultures of Peru, Japan, and Brazil meet. We’ve heard great things about the shrimp tempura with snap pea julienne and spicy mayo, considered the speciality of head chef Claudio Cardoso. Or if seafood isn’t your thing, try the pork belly anticuchos, glazed with a butterscotch miso, or the plantain moqueca with okra and truffle fried rice. Samba rolls and plenty of nigiri and sashimi round out the menu, and though the prices can be a touch steep, the fresh and zingy flavours are undeniably great.
You’d be a fool to visit here without dipping into the cocktail menu, filled with fun riffs on the classics. The Samba Sour takes the pisco sour and adds Japanese citrus and Maraschino liqueur, whilst the Kaffirinha uses kaffir lime leaves to deliver their take on the traditional Brazilian caipirinha. For our money, though, you’ve got to try the Café Millonario, where coffee-washed dark rum is shaken with spiced maple and dark chocolate liqueur and a shot of espresso. Yes please!
