Sushisamba, Heron Tower , 110
Bishopsgate, London EC2N 4AY
She said: I needed a place for
a super special occasion so opted for this recent addition to the 'impress'
category of London dining and impress it did. SushiSamba is situated on the 38th floor
of a city skyscraper with a dedicated lift that blasts you up as you stare out
through the glass at the magnificent London skyline. You
then enter a space of blonde wood and colourful lights and ceiling
ornamentation which is a small bar space that winds into a vast open dining
space with windows all around and a warmth and excitement set off by the
furnishings inside. I had asked for a good table and was assured we had the
best as we were seated overlooking breathtaking scenery beyond an outdoor
terrace which, if it wasn't freezing outside, would be THE prime location to be
(roll on summer). Service was friendly and we were brought
complimentary fizz to celebrate our special occasion which was a lovely gesture
and set the standard for the rest of the meal which exceeded expectations. The
menu is mostly a mix of tapas style dishes, offering South American and
Japanese cuisine. Let's be clear, the prices here are special occasion or
expense account prices (or for people with offshore accounts) but the quality
of food, service and setting make it damn well worth it. We ordered three tapas
style dishes and something from the 'large' dishes section (though in hindsight
substituting this for more tapas would be better). The food was exquisite. The
yellowtail taquitos were full of flavour as was the salmon ceviche. The corn
tamales was okay as was the main dish of moqueca which was a sort of paella, I
think I liked them more than he. The deserts were unique - I went for a chilli
cholocate dish which looked beautiful and tasted heavenly but I felt the
chilli! The tea could have been a bit more generous though I loved my
espresso-like martini. For a Saturday lunch the fact that the
place was full when the 'city of london ' is closed is a testament to just how good it is. At about £60+ per
head no one seemed to be wincing and I see this place growing in success. What
I loved is how unpretentious it was. It could easily have gone that route but
staff were friendly, diners were dressed smart casual and we were able to take
our time over three hours without feeling we were being hurried (so tired of
restaurants saying 'we need the table back in 90 minutes'); folks, take a leaf
out of this place which I hope to return to without needing a special occasion
as an excuse...
He said: We all know it: eating out is
as much about the place as it is about the food. Well, Captain Hook could count
on one hand the number of restaurants in London with the wow
factor of Sushisamba. It starts with getting there: step into the outdoors
glass lift, strap a blindfold on anyone with vertigo, and push the ‘38’ button.
Wow. None of London ’s other high-rise restaurants (Paramount ,
Rhodes24, etc) can deliver that right now. The narrow hallway connecting the
lift to the restaurant reels you in a bit, to set up another `Wow’ moment as
you walk into the vast, glazed dining room, all its office-tower edges softened
by a canopy consisting of a huge Yves Tanguy-style fishing net supported by
bamboo poles. I can only describe the effect as `under-the-sea/meets
above-the-clouds/meets Blade Runner’. By this point expectations are sky-high,
but the food rises to the challenge. The
idea here is South American Japanese. It’s one of those combinations that
sounds crazy at first, but then makes perfect sense. Can you name anywhere else
in town that does that? Me neither. Yes, London is in the middle of ceviche
fever, and yes Nobu spent some time in Peru; but nowhere else in London will
you get your yellowtail ceviche served in crispy taquitos, overlooking the
Gherkin, St Paul’s and everything else. I would happily have those for starter,
main and desert. OK, OK, I might have another one of those killer cocktails for
desert. I probably don’t need to tell you that this kind of unique doesn’t come
cheap, though for me it was free. She’d booked the place for a special
occasion, and definitely hit a home run with Sushisamba.