On a very warm evening after my friend and I strolled across Tower Bridge for our well anticipated reservation at Savage Garden, a roof top terrace on the 12th floor of the DoubleTree by Hilton, Tower of London. I must admit I’ve lived in London for many years and never knew about this place, which is shocking, but let me tell you, after my visit it will definitely be on my go to list, it was fabulous.

As soon as we stepped out of the lift, we knew we were entering into somewhere special. The staff were personable and very welcoming. The décor is decadent with a colour scheme reminiscent of a spectacular sunset.  As it was still early into the evening, we tried to get a seat outside however our hostess explained that his area is not available to book and it’s operated as a first come, first serve basis. We were disappointed, but she did get us a table right next to an opened floor to ceiling window which had a direct view to the Gherkin building, which suited us fine. The panoramic views are probably the best I’ve experienced, there was just so much to see from Tower Bridge, The Shard, 20 Fenchurch Street to the ‘Walkie Talkie’ building.

We started our evening ordering some of their signature cocktails, all synonymous with the Tower of London;  ‘Bloody Roses’ a concoction of Sauvelle, Chambord, lychee liqueur, rose essence, grapefruit & citrus,  along with ‘Lady Grey’ a classy drink containing Grey Goose vanilla, Hendricks Orbium, Cocchi Americano Vermouth, peach bitters, white chocolate, and pineapple. A very impressive set of ingredients in both cocktails and the taste did not let us down.

The new bar summer menu is just as impressive with a list of ingredients that will make you want to try just about everything. As my guest is a vegetarian, I had initial concerns that the menu would be unappealing but there was plenty to choose from, all sounding delicious. We settled on ‘Bang Bang’ cauliflower and Goats Cheese, Pea & Tarragon Croquettes from their ‘Addictive’s Menu. Both dishes were presented beautifully but the ‘Bang Bang’ cauliflower was the star dish, the spice was perfect.
My friend chose the Crispy Masala Squid with tomato and coriander chutney, and me being a meat lover I just had to choose the Beef Sliders, which were Instagram worthy, and tasted just as good as it looked.  Of course, we had to have the Savage Fries, which were tossed in spice and served with garlic aioli. We left nothing on our plates!

We finished off our evening watching the sunset, with cocktails recommended by our waiter ‘The Executioner’, Remy Martin, Peach liqueur, sour bitters, and red wine along with a ‘Fizzy Arabella’ vodka, cacao, passion fruit liqueur, lime & apple cordial, and Cava.
Service throughout the evening really had to be commended, the staff were attentive, and we felt well looked after. We ended up chatting to the manager at the end of the evening who advised us that they will soon be opening another section of the terrace, one that can be experienced even in Winter so watch this space.

An interesting point to add is that the venue has a range of spaces including terraces that can be booked privately with a capacity for up to 380 which is fabulous if you have any special birthdays, weddings or even work events coming up. The two sky-high rooftop terraces have spectacular views, the perfect spot to kick back, enjoy a tipple and soak up the views.

Address: Savage Garden, Floor 12, 7 Pepys St, London, EC3N 4AF
Website: https://www.savagegarden.co.uk

Written by Lorna Byrne
Photos courtesy of Savage Garden