The Ivy is a London restaurant that undoubtedly needs no introduction, and has numerous branches around the city – and, indeed, across the country. I visited the Ivy Tower Bridge in the One Tower Bridge area, perfectly situated at the riverside overlooking Tower Bridge and the Tower of London.
Best View In London
I was pretty lucky as I headed to the Ivy Tower Bridge just before sunset and caught the most amazing views of the Tower Bridge being lit up for the night, but I’m sure it’s pretty amazing from here any time of day, regardless of whether you sit river-facing or not as the interior of The Ivy is beautiful. Think part casual fine dining and part luxurious beach bar and you’ll get the vibe.
The Menu
The Ivy has an overwhelmingly large menu that’s aesthetically beautiful but a bit much for the senses if you’re like me and can never decide what to have – or where to start looking! So I found myself reading through the entire menu about five times and still not knowing … and so ended up doing what I love to do: ordering a range of small plates and trying a bit of everything!
Tapas-Style is the Way of the Future
So we had: Tuna carpaccio (£9.95; yellowfin tuna with ponzu dressing, avocado puree, toasted sesame, and coriander shoots), steak tartare (£9.25, hand-chopped beef striploin with Tabasco dressing, cornichons, shallot, parsley, egg yolk and roasted granary), mozzarella di bufala (£8.95, San Marzanino tomatoes with Nocellara olives, sourdough croutons, pesto, and baby basil), tenderstem broccoli (£3.75, served with lemon oil and sea salt), and truffle and parmesan chips (£4.50).
My absolute favourites were the mozzarella di bufala and tenderstom broccoli, both perfectly prepared and full of flavour, followed by the divine truffle and parmesan chips. Even though I don’t usually eat fries, I have a special place in my belly for truffle fries, and these always do it for me. The tuna carpaccio and steak tartare lacked the finesse I had expected, with the steak tartare a little on the dry side and the tuna drowning in the ponzu, but this could very well just have been a matter of personal taste.
A Quick Note On Dessert
I was STUFFED after all of this, but couldn’t refuse dessert. Why? Because they had a simple portion of frozen berries with vanilla ice cream and topped with white hot chocolate sauce. I wish more restaurants would serve desserts like this because it’s so simple, but so absolutely divine. As long as the white chocolate sauce is good – which the one at The Ivy was – this dessert will always be a winner. Simple sometimes is best.
Visit The Ivy Tower Bridge
I would go back to the Ivy Tower Bridge in a heartbeat though. There’s nothing that beats drinking a glass of bubbly and enjoying good food while being spoilt with one of the best views in town. Get all the need-to-knows below, or visit the Ivy Collection for info on other branches.
The Ivy Tower Bridge
Address: One Tower Bridge, Tower Bridge Road, London SE1 2AA
Opening Times: Sunday – Wednesday (10:00 – 22:00), Thursday – Saturday (10:00 – 23:00)
Website: www.theivytowerbridge.com
Written by Benike Palfi
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Article Date: October 2018
All information correct at time of publication. We do not accept any liability caused by errors, including, but not limited to, changes in price, menu, opening times, address, or other contact details.