Duck & Waffle
Caffe Musetti Coffee
Duck and Waffle – Crispy Confit with Belgian Waffle, Fried Duck Egg
Spicy Ox Cheek Donut – Apricot Jam, Smoked Paprika, Sugar
Wild Cornish Pollock Meatballs – Lobster Cream, Parmesan
Torrejas – Maple Caramel Apples, Cinnamon Ice Cream
Located forty floors high in Heron Tower with panoramic views of downtown London available 24/7 a Sunday morning visit to Duck & Waffle seemed like a can’t miss proposition, an 8am reservation secured in order to dine windowside during the breakfast-to-brunch transition. Still a trendy choice nearly two years since opening its doors and accessed from the street via rapid transit elevator made of pure glass it was to a largely empty dining room that I entered the brightly lit space and with only a single server available for the first half hour my meal began with a leisurely pace – a pot of good coffee nicely complimenting the restaurant’s signature plate, though a sign of things to come arose in black pudding ‘already sold out.’ Happy to take in the scene as the room began to fill it was with great anticipation that I perused the menu of pending brunch and soon after the clock struck nine my server returned only to again disappoint with news that the restaurant’s supplier had neglected to deliver any foie gras – the brulee I’d desired nowhere to be found, though a complimentary dish of my choosing was offered in its place. Admittedly a bit annoyed after a second day of breakfast bait-and-switch it was at this point that I decided to place my faith in the staff and deferring to the kitchen as to what was best it was actually a duo that arrived, the first a crispy donut performing a tightrope act of savory and sweet while the sourced Rostang’s quenelles de brochet in a sizzling Staub pot. Clearly a talented kitchen despite their shortcomings in supply it was finally in dessert that I indulged and admitting my predilections for custard laden toast I cannot recommend the Torrejas enough as each bruleed bite gave way to a creamy crumb while stewed apples and ice cream merged into a sticky aromatic sauce.
RECOMMENDED: Torrejas, Oxtail Donut, Pollock Meatballs.
AVOID: Having your heart set on anything specific as it appears even the printed menu is merely representative.
TIP: Even on weekends parking in the vicinity of Heron Tower is at a premium and with most spots limited to an hour or two at most even a ‘short’ meal at Duck & Waffle may press your luck as diners are prone to linger and reservations tend to back up.
http://duckandwaffle.com/
