Dining at the very top of the Heron Tower, in the renowned Duck & Waffle restaurant has been at the top of my London bucket list for as long as I’ve been blogging. David and I have previously visited for drinks and captured the amazing night-time skyline in all its glory, however spending the entire evening admiring the view was still something I really wanted to experience. So when an invitation to do just this popped into my inbox last week – in aid of the launch of new lifestyle fashion brand ‘Lighthouse’, I think you can only imagine what my immediate answer was.
An off-shoot of ‘parent’ brand Target Dry (who I’ve worked with previously here), Lighthouse Clothing is all about ‘simple island living’, with stylish coats and jackets made for everyday adventures. Everything is of very high quality (including a reassuring two year guarantee) and waterproof, which is more than I can say about the majority of my coats.
They’ve launched with quite a small collection, however they also offer mens and children’s outdoor wear, so it’s fab for the whole family. I personally love the Sunbeam Yellow Beachcomber Jacket, however with a couple of weekend trips planned in the great outdoors over the next few (probably rainy) months, I opted for the Isla Waterproof Coat, which was parcelled up neatly for me upon arrival at the dinner.
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Talking of the dinner, I’m sure you’ll want to hear a little more about this, especially as I was so excited.
Located on the 40th floor, nearly 250metres above London ground level, Duck & Waffle offers an incredible fine dining experience in the sky. Getting the lift is an experience in itself, as it takes quite awhile to reach you (understandably) and so when it eventually arrives and you step inside, there is a steady stream of gasps and noises of amazement as the skyscrapers whizz past you.
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The Lighthouse dinner was hosted in the private dining area, which although I may be biased, had the best view of the skyline with the Gherkin situated just below you. It’s very surreal to be up that high – topped off by the incredible table spread that had been laid on for us which I think you’ll agree, looked pretty amazing. Lots of credit to Sophie at Label PR (and the rest of the team) for putting this on – complete with gorgeous little name tags and personalised menus.
We started off with a glass of champagne, while admiring the view (and taking the obligatory champagne/out-of-focus-view blogger picture) before taking our seats at our designated spaces. I was slightly worried that the ‘fine dining’ element would limit what dairy-free/egg-free me could have, however they very helpfully tailored everything to my requirements and I didn’t miss out on flavour either.
A mix of steak tartare and vegetable salads filled the table for the starters, although I know there was quite a buzz about the impending main course and the restaurant’s signature dish the ‘Duck & Waffle’. I wasn’t able to try this particular dish out for myself, but it certainly didn’t let us down in terms of photo opportunities – and apparently, flavour. Although initially a rather odd sounding combination, the savoury waffle was complimented by the duck leg and maple syrup mustard accompaniment – making for a rather unique, but apparently incredible option.
I chose the pan-fried sea bass, which was full of flavour and very delicate in texture. I wasn’t massively impressed by the vegetables and emulsion it came with – however this was more than made up for by the fantastic company and of course, amazing view.
Have you had a look at the new Lighthouse collection yet? Do you have a favourite outdoor-proof coat that serves both practicalities and style?
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