When the mercury rises, so does half of London – enjoying the experiences offered by the capital’s very best rooftop terraces. One of Luxe Bible’s favourites is The Rooftop at The Trafalgar St. James Hotel, and lucky for us when we visited, a new summer menu had just launched.
The Rooftop’s seventh floor bar and restaurant boasts stunning views out across the London skyline – The London Eye and Trafalgar Square make for a very cool backdrop to the delights on the new seasonal menu.
Head chef at The Rooftop Mattia Pavoni has put together a gorgeous European inspired collection of small plates which go down very nicely with the bar’s thirst-quenching range of delicious cocktails.
From crudos to carpaccio, fresh focaccia, seasonal salads and sashimi (and plenty for the vegan diner too), we’d say 4 or 5 small dishes is just the perfect amount for a rooftop cool off with friends for lunch or dinner.
We visited on a Saturday afternoon and the chilled vibes were just perfect. We started with a signature cocktail – the Apricot Blossom (£16) which was a beautifully balanced blend of Bulleit Bourbon, a hint of apricot jam, lemon, aquafaba (which sort of mimics the texture of egg whites) and aromatic bitters to compliment the sweetness of the jam. We also tried the ever popular Gin Fizz – a cooling mix of classic Tanqueray No 10, Fair Kumquat and orange shrub topped up with Franklin & Sons soda water. The Rooftop also has a list of 5 mouth-watering house spritzs which are a definite must-try when the temperatures soar!
While there are larger dishes available in the sharers and mains section (rib of beef burger, artisan cheeses and the Rooftop chicken Caesar salad), we were more than happy with a selection of small plates which are £14 each, or 3 for £36. One of the best dishes I’ve tried in a long time and absolutely perfect on a hot and sticky afternoon was the watermelon sashimi which was such a convincing sashimi that my brain couldn’t quite compute what I was tasting versus how the dish was presented! In fact, with no raw fish or meat involved whatsoever, this clever arrangement only contained lime caviar, cucumber, spring onion, radish and a sprinkling of crumbled vegan feta over the top.
The Glazed Tindle ‘chicken’ skewers, again, felt like a bit of a magic trick. Strictly vegan, the chunks of ‘chicken’ had the exact texture and flavour, served with fresh Isle of Wight cherry tomatoes and a tasty basil sauce.
Burrata was light and creamy and served with asparagus grilled to perfection., along with a summer truffle sauce, which still had that unmistakable earthy taste, but subtly so.
Crispy prawns finished off our selection nicely – big and juicy with a kick of lime and vegan ‘nduja, a hint of chilli and green onions.
With a good range of sides on the menu, we loved the sweet potato fries and the grilled tenderstem broccoli – always good to get in your greens!
Dessert wasn’t needed in the slightest, but ‘when in Rome’, we ordered a luscious chunky slice of coffee-laced tiramisiu with pistachio praline (£12).
The Rooftop’s new summer menu is light, bright and full of fresh, vibrant ingredients. Treat your tastebuds during the current heatwave by booking your table here.
