The last time I was up at the Sky Garden, it was the same day we had a phone call telling us we had got our flat in St Albans and, wow, doesn’t that feel like a lifetime ago?
I was meeting my family in London (between Sheffield, Cambridgeshire and West London, this was actually the most convenient spot for everyone), and my Dad & Elizabeth very generously offered to treat my sister and I to lunch in one of the restaurants in the Sky Garden. Well, it would have been rude to say no right?
The Sky Garden hasn’t remotely changed since Gary and I visited seven years ago and I was struck by a similar thought again seven years later: ‘garden’ is pushing it a bit. As Elizabeth said, ‘greenery would be more accurate’. But it’s – despite the name – not really about the garden. It’s about the views. And, boy, are they good.
But first: lunch. We dined at Darwin Brasserie with a rather excellent view of St Paul’s and the London Eye. I’ll be honest, for the price you pay, they could do with trying to squeeze less people in there; I can be infringingly close to other members of the public in Pizza Express without the high price tag thank you very much. But that’s my only gripe because the food was delicious, and the company excellent.
Elizabeth and I shared a carafe of wine which turned out to be an excellent move because it was a) really good wine, and b) about the same price as one glass and we both got two glasses out of it. I started with the grilled goat’s cheese with figs, sunflower seeds and pomegranate dressing, inhaled a really good roast beef dinner for main and rounded it all up with a dark chocolate and coffee brownie with coffee cream, which just melted in the mouth. It was all very, very good.
We emerged out to the refreshingly cool air outside the restaurant and proceeded to take in the views from every angle. I just find being that high fascinating; it’s like looking at a live map with all the trains and people appearing as toy models. The best view is probably the one from the outdoor terrace because The Shard is right in front of you but, to be fair, whatever side you’re looking out of, they are great. On a clear day, you can see for miles across London, and I loved playing spot-the-landmark (okay and nosing at people’s roof terraces).
Once we were viewed-out, we got our feet back on the ground and went for a walk along the Thames. The Autumn air was just starting to bite, the sun was already low in the sky and London was being all hey look how cute I am. A chai latte found its way into my hands somehow (so annoying what that happens huh?) and we took to the side streets to take a slow wander towards the stations. We marvelled at the way ridiculously old pubs could be inexplicably squashed in between towering skyscrapers. We saw the Halloween decorations around the Tower of London, the cheese grater building, the gherkin… I mean, we’ve seen all these many times before but I’m not sure they ever really get old you know?
Short and sweet but we were all home at reasonable times with a full cup, and that is the kind of day out I am here for these days.
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