Le Pont de la Tour re-opens its doors on Monday 28th September. The renowned French restaurant which has, through the years, hosted entertainers and politicians – including the Blairs and the Clintons – has a new head chef, Frederick Forster, at the helm, and an entirely new look from Russell Sage Studios.
Celebrate with wines at 1991 prices
Le Pont de la Tour has always been known for its outstanding wine list, and the new incarnation is no exception. To celebrate its launch, for a month, a number of exceptional bottles will be sold at their 1991 prices, the year the restaurant originally opened. A 1982 Château Lynch-Bages, 5ème Cru Classé at £180 is sure to delight wine lovers, as will a 1983 Château Palmer, 3ème Cru Classéon the list for half its typical price today.
New head chef and menu
Former Roux scholarship winner Frederick Forster (ex The Boundary, Le Gavroche, The Ritz London, Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons) has created new menus for the restaurant and bar, drawing inspiration from classic French cuisine with unexpected but thoughtful twists. Restaurant dishes include Roasted Orkney scallops with violet artichokes; Golden beetroots, pears, turnips, cobnuts and wild wood sorrel as well as Poached turbot, leeks, cauliflower and crab sauce. In the bar, the selection of hors d’oeuvres and sharing plates includes Niçoise Pan-Bagnat inspired burger served with Provençal vegetables and warm goat’s cheese. The bar will also play host to an exciting programme of live music, from Thursday to Saturday each week.
Interiors
The new interiors are darker, sleeker and more vivid. Inspired by the French cruise liner SS Normandie, the décor features a nautical element throughout. Erté wallpaper and an opulent gold patterned ceiling evoke roaring twenties glamour. Deep red and green colourings in the restaurant and bar, respectively, are balanced by softer and more modern grey banquette seating. The revamped terrace is now split into two distinct areas: a lounge bar terrace and an outdoor dining space for the restaurant. A refreshed wine cellar and a food store with a new look complete the changes.
History
Le Pont de la Tour opened in 1991 as part of the Butler’s Wharf Gastrodrome. The launch drew crowds of Londoners to the previously unsung but spectacular riverside location beside Tower Bridge and Le Pont de la Tour quickly became one of the capital’s most sought after restaurants. Butler’s Wharf itself was built between 1871-73 as a shipping wharf and warehouse complex, and the Grade II listed development retains many features and much of the charm of the original building.
Le Pont de la Tour, Butlers Wharf Buildings, 36 Shad Thames, London SE1 2YE
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