Butler’s Wharf is one of the most atmospheric places in London and a great place to go for a stroll, before enjoying a meal in one of the riverside restaurants.
The name of Butler’s Wharf comes from the largest riverside warehouse in the area, and this part of London is also known as Shad Thames. No one knows exactly where that name comes from but it is thought to derive from St John at James, after a church that stood nearby.
One of our favourite riverside restaurants here is Le Pont de la Tour. We say restaurant, but it’s actually a bar/restaurant/wine merchant/bakery/deli/coffee kiosk all rolled into one.
There’s a particularly attractive terrace, with no passing cars, just the gentle lapping of the River Thames. It has been redecorated to give a fresh but cosy new look. Le Pont de la Tour is part of the D&D London stable of restaurants and the design is definitely very slick.
The views over the river are fantastic and the dark green leather seats give a clubby vibe.
It’s adjacent to the main restaurant and perfect for a relaxed Sunday lunch, date night or catch up with friends. Many of the restaurant’s diners also enjoy a cocktail in the bar before their dinner.
Start your meal off in style with a refreshing glass of NV Chandon Brut Mendoza from Argentina. The fresh bread from Le Pont de la Tour’s bakery kept us going whilst we chose from the bar menu.
Kick off with a small plate to s crispy salt cod beignets with saffron aioli, which complement the beignets perfectly.
You may be tempted by a second small plate, seared yellow fin tuna with puy lentils and sweet peppers. The tuna is very tender and we liked the combination of peppers and lentils to give the dish texture.
Those who know me won’t be surprised that I opted for the chocolate pot, which was beautifully presented and used the finest dark chocolate, so the end result was really special.
After our meal, we were shown around the rest of the Pont de la Tour, including the wine merchant where I can certainly imagine myself sitting at the table and enjoying one of their 1000 types of wine 😉
I also like the design of the grocery store, where all the produce is too attractive to be hidden away in cupboards! There’s also an attractive private dining room, perfect for events or celebrations.
All in all, we were really impressed with the new look Le Pont de la Tour and would definitely return for one of their live music nights, from Thursday to Saturday. After lunch, we had a walk around Butler’s Wharf, admiring the Design Museum’s outdoor exhibition for 50 years of British road signs.
They certainly had some wacky signs on display!
Hundreds of years ago, this area was the focus of the spice, tea and coffee trade in the UK. Ships regularly unloaded their wares from the nearby docks, and there are still many remnants of this vibrant heritage.
The warehouses themselves are an impressive sight – they’ve long since been converted into residential space but they’ve still kept their interconnecting bridges.
Nowadays the area has some really interesting contemporary sculptures complementing the industrial ambiance.
Have you ever been to this area of London, and do you call it Butler’s Wharf or Shad Thames?
Le Pont de la Tour, 36D Shad Thames, London SE1 2YE
I have been on that area before, I like the streets and view from that side too. Yet again another great restaurant-love the interior- and delicious food!
www.elabellaworld.com
Thanks Ela, hope you’ve had a wonderful weekend
The food looks wonderful! I strolled around Butler’s Wharf once years ago but would love to revisit it on my next trip to London:)
I hope that you get the opportunity soon Tanja
I might have been in this area once but it was a long time ago. The desserts look fantastic, I will have the image of the Paris Brest in my head for the rest of the day!
www.LUXESSED.com
I’m not such a praline fan but I have to say that it was very tasty
Such a lovely area and a great restaurant. I love the look of the Paris Brest cake!
Lots of love,
Angie
SilverSpoon London
It was great reading your review too Angie, sounds like you also had a fantastic time
Oh this looks like a great place to visit! I’ve only been to Butlers Wharf once and it was a fleeting visit so I now feel the need to go back and take in that view over a nice lunch!
Laura xx | Loved By Laura
You really should, Laura – it’s a great place to spend an afternoon
This place is just a piece of heaven
The food are tempting.
The Bandwagon Chic | Instagram | Bloglovin | Snapchat: bandwagonchic
The food is so tempting, Zarrah – highly recommend it
Talk about prime London views from Le Pont de la Tour! You sure know how to find some delicious spots :- . Those crispy salt cod beignets look tempting to start things off. We’ll definitely head to Butlers Wharf when we visit London next :-).
You’ll love it, the beignets are delicious and the views are great
That bar is just beautiful. I love the seats.
District of Chic
The seats are very stylish, and the whole place has a very relaxing feel to it
super cool! LOVE LOVE
natalieoffduty.com
Natalie Off Duty
Glad that you like it Natalie
Looks like an amazing time and meal! I can’t wait to visit London some day!
xo, jill
www.BornFancy.com
I hope that you get the chance soon Jillian!
Love
Such a lovely place and refined food presentation!
Kisses, Paola.
Expressyourself
My Facebook
Yes the presentation was fantastic, it certainly added to our enjoyment
I love D&D restaurants, this one looks fab! What a great location as well!
C x | Lux Life
They are very seasoned restaurateurs, you know you’re in safe hands
Looks like a lovely place! I remember walking down Shad Thames and seeing this place there. Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to try it out but next time! The desserts look amazing 🙂
http://www.mintnotion.com
It’s great that you got time to visit Shad Thames, Eden and worth returning for this place next time you’re over here
Ooo! Never mind just sitting in the wine merchants, can I move in!? That looks an amazing place, I would love to have a private party in there! Hope you guys are well, I’ll be back in February (16th – 18th I think), so hopefully see you then! 🙂 x Jersey Girl x www.jerseygirl.co
It did look like a fun place for a private party, especially the wine room 😉 Let me know when you have your Feb dates
I would like to visit this part of London and eat the tasty food while enjoying the marvelous view. Have a great week!
Danielle
www.spring2spring.com
You too Danielle! Hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving
I’ve been overeating too as I’ve been in Monaco and now in France – hope you had an amazing Thanksgiving Kia
The Designer Museum is moving to Kensington some time in 2016, I must find out what will be in its place. The store does look like it’s out of a film!
Wow, how exciting! I’m sure you let us know on your blog, Suze?! 😉
Totally!!
Thank you for your reply!
xoxo Ira
Oh my gosh the beef & the tuna look incredible! will definitely be checking out this place when I pass the area 😀
Serene | I Am Serene L
Loved both the tuna and beef, just perfect for lunch!
I love when restaurants have grocery ans wine merchants on site. The food looks wonderful especially the tuna and desserts Lucy x
The grocery and wine merchants is really handy for anyone who lives or is staying in the area as it’s open quite late
Beautiful photographs! Looks like a lovely place to visit!
I’m very glad you like them, it is a great place to visit
The place, the food and the view are great indeed!
http://beautyfollower.blogspot.gr/
Yes it was definitely a winning combination!
What a lovely place to eat. I have never been to Butlers Wharf, what an interesting looking place