Aqua Shard in Southwark

We wanted to try an afternoon tea in London and glad we chose this one! Fun theme, with so much detail, delicious savoury and desserts, great service and a wonderful view! I would definitely recommend!

All my expectations were surpassed. The views of the city are breathtaking, service was superb and food simply extraordinary. Whenever I como back to London I will definitely have lunch or dinner here.

To make a long story short: you pay (very dearly) for the superb view, the cuisine really leaves something to be desired for this price level. To make a long story short: we receive an email which specifies a dress code (not respected) and that we must arrive 10 minutes in advance to end up waiting outside in the cold. Once seated, you are far from the windows while tables are free nearby (during the entire meal). The bottle of filtered water is billed like mineral water, the ball of bread also, the service is disjointed (we are immediately asked twice if we have allergies, then we wait 30 minutes for our order to be taken ), the rations are ridiculous for the price and without any flavor. The “Smokin’ Brothers Egg Royale” muphin was so toasted that it looked like a rusk. The “Seaweed-Crusted Stone Bass” dish was just awful, no starch and the fish didn’t look fresh! And the desserts are horrible (no one finished, not even the children). The children's menu was better than the adults' (but you might as well not make a starter, because a few pieces of vegetables is just ridiculous!) In France we have the tradition of asking if everything went well at the end of the meal. meal. At the shard it is payment directly without asking the question otherwise I could have expressed my dissatisfaction. So for a tea why not to eat, go your way!

Everything was perfect from the service to the food, a special thanks to Eryn for taking care of us and make the celebration for my girlfriend birthday special .

Peter Pan tea was lovely!! Our 6 and 4 year old sat through and really enjoyed it. Eryn was fantastic!

Eryn was delightful and made my first tea experience in London wonderful! Beautiful views and adorable Peter Pan theme.

The brunch experience started off nicely, with welcoming staff at reception and we were escorted to our table that had a nice view. We ordered the 3-course brunch and added bread, sparkling water and two cups of coffee, as no drinks are included. £7.50 for 740ml of an unknown brand of sparkling water is daylight robbery. We ordered Egg Royale and Egg Benedict and I now see why they don’t call it “Eggs” - it’s only one small eggy on a tiny slice of bread. The main was okay. For desserts, we went for the Chocolate Dome (why did you ruin it by putting cherry in that?) and the Aqua Shard Trifle (which wasn’t particularly good). The table was very plain, no napkins or decorative items, not even a tablecloth, so they place the forks and knives right on top of the wooden tabletop. Not sure who thought going light is a good idea. And now the bill - £180 including the “discretionary service charge 15%” amounting to £24. And it is at that point when the waiter has the audacity to ask if we’d like to add a tip. What an absolute joke. You are way better off going somewhere else to spend £180 for food. The view is definitely not worth the premium and the food is a borderline pass. Thank me later 😉

We had a wonderful dining experience on 4/11/24 - a lunch to celebrate my 60th. We were served by Michael who was very professional, courteous and friendly. The food was excellent!

The afternoon tea was something special and very much worth the visit

For our first time at The Aqua-Shard, we had a fantastic experience, the view was amazing, the food divine and the service great. Was easily accessible from the tube. All staff were very friendly. Would definitely recommend and we will be back again.

I went for the Peter Pan tea. The view was (of course) incredible, the staff were very attentive and kind, and most of the food was delicious.

Beautiful venue. Attentive staff. I have a nut allergy and it was not a problem at all. Would highly recommend

Great venue. Great service. Experience felt a little rushed. Could have been more time in between courses.

It seems to me that the prices are high.

Stunning Views, shared with great company. Service is fantastic, and the drinks are fab!

Amazing atmosphere, Amazing food and awesome and enjoyable service from all the staff.

Extremely overpriced, food was okay at best. Mediocre service.

After a delay on the jubilee line we arrived stressed but instantly were reassured our reservation was ok & to relax. This was a surprise with my son for my birthday. Everything was perfect and I was made to feel very special. Lovely memory

I enjoyed the Peter Pan afternoon tea and it completely exceeded my expectations. The atmosphere, and view was spectacular, in addition to a food selection that was a culinary delight. From the moment we arrived, the service was wonderful and I would highly recommend anyone to spend an afternoon at the Aqua Shard!

A lovely venue to have a special lunch in. The view is obviously outstanding and the food and service very good. Justo was our waiter and was good fun, friendly and very attentive. Recommended.

An amazing experience for the lunch time window table experience for two and was worth £330 including gratuity

Our experience during the afternoon tea was great! The quality of the food was good but not exceptional. Cocktails were nice well presented and the service by Virginia made it our experience great due her commitment to provide a unique experience.

Best place ever to be in London, the restaurant is on 31 floor, and had great view of London city. Their cappuccino is 10/10 must try.

Wonderful venue, amazing views, great service. Delicious starter selection on the Skyline set menu, but the rest of the food offering for vegetarian and pescatarian diets should be improved. Pricey - you do pay for the views and the location.

The food was far too rich. Chicken sandwiches were not tasty. Service, was good until the end. Even when our waitress smashed a glass by us, we tried to make her at ease. But she got rather rude. Disappointed.

Outstanding experience at Aquashard celebrating graduation. Everything was perfect from the moment entering the Shard, service inside excellent by all and in particular by Alexandr. Very helpful with knowledge of food and drinks menu. All round a great memory from a first time visit. Will definitely come back.

Eryn was absolutely amazing and her service was fantastic!! We came from America and this is my favorite place yet! I will come back just because of Eryn’s service! Kudos for hiring such good people

Absolutely recommend, service and food was amazing! I couldn’t fault it, definitely will be returning

Eryn was fantastic and such a joy to talk with.

It was just amazing. I wanted to try new things and some things I knew I did not like because I want to challenge myself and discover new flavours and everything was just so good! The dishes were perfectly cooked and so tasty, I will go back there for sure !

We had cocktails at the bar which was really nice and the staff very friendly however we were going to stay for good but it was way too dark around the tables - you need more light so customers can see what they are eating, a real shame!

I booked for my husband 50th birthday, and joining the booking process I identified I had food sensory issues and the team contacted me in advance to discuss with me and assured they would provide food I could eat. On the day the team identified my elderly mother needed support and went out of their way to look after her without making her feel incapable. The food was perfect (I particularly enjoyed the sausage roll) and the presentation truly magical. The team attended to us throughout in a friendly, engaging way, offering to take our photographs, checking in that I could eat the food and just stopping by for a chat about scones ;) I highly recommend visiting the aqua shard and having their afternoon tea. The weather outside was cold on our visit, but inside the temperature was perfect, not to hot or cold and the views were stunning.

Amazing place, astonishing view of landscape but service and food do not worth of the price!!! 600 pounds for bread with butter and dry burrata…not really!!…better fish and chips at the street food market!! Make sense go for drinks only

The most sublime experience. Absolute perfection!!

Went with grandchild for my husbands birthday there were 7 of us and everyone said the tea was the best they have ever had. Lovely friendly staff nothing too much trouble for them

Very good service, Very tasty food, Great atmosphere. High prices but worth it..

We visited Aqua Shard to celebrate our 40th Wedding anniversary, it did not disappoint. The food was fantastic, the staff were excellent and they were the only ones to mark the celebration with a small plate with chocolates on. Other restaurants that we visited that weekend who asked if it was a special occasion on their booking forms didn't bother with even the slightest gesture. So a big thumbs up to the Aqua Shard Thank you.

The Aqua Shard is an amazing venue with stunning views over London particularly when the light is fading and the city becomes illuminated for the evening. Our service was quite disjointed with several people attending to us. We had requested special dietary requirements when booking and this was not communicated to the staff attending to our needs, some did not seem to grasp the severity of allergies and their impact. We had to request fresh plates and cutlery for the cakes as these were not provided and there were no spoons for the items that needed them. Our sandwiches were quite dry, as if they had been exposed to the air for some time, but the sausage roll was delicious. The "galleon" of cakes was stunning to look at and came with "magic" but was delivered when we were still eating the sandwiches so we didn't get the chance to appreciate the magic when it happened. It was also set so closely to us we were worried about knocking it over as we were eating and again did not get a full view of the magic... and the flavour of the cakes was quite bland.

Awesome place with awesome views!!

Our arrival was handled very professionally until we were taken to a table where a young couple were sat. They were then asked to move, it was awkward and somehow unfair. Our table was lovely but they got seated at the back on a table for two and it shouldn’t have happened. Our day was saved by the fabulous Simon who managed to change the ‘dairy free’ option……which converts to vegan into some perfect sandwich choices. This needs amending on the options. Dairy free is NOT vegan. Lovely food, great atmosphere but all a cramped for 4 at the table once the food arrived. Thank you Simon you are amazing.

Justo was an excellent waiter and very accomodating.

Excellent visit for a special occasion, yes it's expensive, but well worth it. Service excellent, food was lovely and the located stunning. Well worth it.

Justo was very helpful during our dinner! Our anniversary dinner was amazing! Thanks for having us!

We had a great time, the dishes are very refined, and the view is magnificent. Justo served us in a very warm and friendly manner, we loved the welcome, the service, the meal and the place

We have just had a lovely Peter Pan Afternoon tea at Aquashard. The food and atmosphere was super,, the views spectacular but a big shout out to Eryn who served us. She was fun, friendly and couldn’t do more for us and made visit very special. Thank you Eryn!

We booked the Peter Pan Afternoon. Food was great and the ambience and presentation is of course very nice. However, we would have expected a tea menu from which you could choose between different types. However, we were particularly upset about the service fee (tip). This is 15% and is automatically added to the invoice. We paid £21, so €27. This is outrageous and should be taken into account beforehand.

Fantastic atmosphere and incredible service Eryn was brilliant!

Location and food delicious. Only complaint was we were served one side dish which was stone cold. This wasn't noticed by the server. However, when mentioned was promptly replaced. Otherwise a delightful evening

Justo was excellent and made our visit so enjoyable. Thank you

Justo was really helpful and kind , he was really helpful and always ready to give us what we need. I could also see that on the whole floor he seemed to be the most hardworking. The food was not what we expected but the experience was good. I would recommend the dessert. Thank you

We had requested for a ‘good’ table to celebrate a special event. I think we were sat at the worst table in the restaurant - in the entrance, next to the stairs and reception area with a noisy small child on the next table. Not the atmosphere we had imagined.

Mr. Justo was amazing for us, made us feel comfortable as soon as we stepped in. His service was extraordinary. Very good experience from this place

Very good service from Justo! he checked regularly and made sure you were doing well 👍

Justo service was very verily good ..very respectful and calm

Justo was lovely and very friendly, the food was great

Nice atmosphere but aervice was lacking somewhat yes they explained but in my view were not engaging enough or attentive such a shame as it was ok maybe another think about what food goes on the leter pan afternoon tea as it was all bit bitsy and maybe pots of coffee not cups not worth the £70 plus per head

Lovely sweet treats, the entire experience do the Peter Pan afternoon tea was wonderful. I would have liked a larger selection of sandwiches; usually there are 3-4 options and one of each. The drinks were also limited. Other than that though, it was a WOW experience overall!

The sourdough bread was to die for. We had to order it again. Everyone was attentive.

The atmosphere were beautiful the staff was friendly but sorry the food was night-mere the steak was like a piece of hard wood very dry no test and I have chosen £60 pound for each brunch but the bill was £181 why I didn't know I really couldn't enjoy my visit to Aqua shard yesterday I'm sorry

Wonderful experience in aqua. Surprise birthday dinner for my daughters 10th - the staff were amazing and food was delicious- sge was blown away and we all had an incredible time

Wonderful ambience. Attention to detail was evident with the Peter Pan theme. Savouries, sandwiches and cakes were divine. Every member of staff were reinstated and attentive.

Everything was great. Thank you very much!

We had a wonderful experience at the Peter Pan tea. Such a well thought out and enjoyable tea. We were so pleased with the service and unbeatable atmosphere and views. Loved the Aqua Shard!!

It was an incredible evening, a suggestive and exciting location! Super recommended

We had the Peter Pan afternoon tea here in November. Whilst the food, setting and service as amazing it was let down on the production of the bill. Firstly there were two donations of £2 added on to GOSH without it informing us, whilst we were ok with leaving this on, we feel we should’ve been asked if we’d like to leave a donation instead of being pushed to. Secondly a discretionary tip of 15% had been included, given we’d had afternoon tea at £70 a person and a bottle of champagne this came to a total of £41! Pushing our £270+ bill to well over £300! Now I’m quite happy to tip for excellent service but don’t believe it should be based on beverage value (eg you get the same level of service for a £125 champagne as for a £40 bottle of wine). When we went to settle I asked for the tip to be based on food value alone and told the manager/senior member off staff how much I wished to pay (including tip which is of course discretionary) he came back with an bill which included a 10% service charge instead. To confirm the service charge is also calculated on your charity donation (again think this is wrong), we settled the invoice as didn’t want to create a scene but I think this is totally unfair. It’s not like we’d paid an low value for our lunch we paid over £270 and as a tip is discretionary I believe it should be for the customer to dictate not the venue. Certainly wouldn’t not recommend based on this but maybe one for customers to be aware of.

Lovely cocktails and ambiance. The view is the icing on the cake.

Justo was a fantastic waiter and we had a great experience!

Rude and impatient reception. AVOID

Good food, loud music and a bit noisy, a bit difficult when the waiter was not so good in language. The view and location still make it a real experience!

Good food. A bit loud background music. Good service by the waiter👌🏼

Very good food in amazing location. Slightly cheeky 15% service charge

Very warm welcome, magnificent place, breathtaking view. On the other hand, the menu offered is not up to par with the place. Not elaborate enough cuisine Ambient music a little too loud

served by patricia amazing girl very good at her job excellent all round 5*

IT WAS THE BEST EXPERIENCE IN THIS RESTAURANT, wonderful cuisine, a beautiful view, and we were served by JUSTO who was without a doubt one of the best servers I've ever seen, super attentive and helped us a lot. I highly recommend it.

Justo was very nice and had a great experience!

Wonderful setting and the team are excellent. Really helpful and excellent service throughout

The views are truly stunning, service was excellent, as well as the wine/cocktails. The food however, was not it. We chose to go with the tasting menus and it is not up to industry standards for the price. Entrees and desserts are a shared plate for two. The mains barely had any sides (smaller portions are to be expected considering, but this goes beyond that) and did not taste great. We were very disappointed. We should have done as widely advised online and gone for a pricey but good cocktail to enjoy the views, and skip the food.

Great venue to celebrate our anniversary... dinner with a view!

Delicious food in an out of the ordinary atmosphere. The view on the city is incredible. Staff is kind, welcoming and talented. Very good service from Ricciardo, thank you! Will definitely come back!

Eryn was amazing looked after our every need such an incredible afternoon tea experience.

I took my family for the first time for afternoon tea and they loved it! amazing staff & atmosphere. Virginia was great and ensured that we had a great experience. We will be back for sure.

Lovely place, great view, excellent food!

Michael the waiter was the brightest part of the evening. He attention and advice first class. Food was ok. Starter excellent but the main, whilst presented well lacked the quality of taste you would expect from the occasion of venue. The security queue was longer than Heathrow.

Our server Eryn was amazing! So attentive and kind, made the birthday experience extra special

My husband and I went to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary and from the moment we arrived we were received with great warmth and kindness. The waiters are all very professional, with a friendly smile. Excellent food, very delicious, exquisite desserts. We were satisfied and very happy. Thank you Aqua shard and thank you to the excellent work team. I give them 200% for excellence.

Such a disappointing experience, as my partner booked this restaurant for my 30th. For the price of the menu, we were expecting the best dishes we'd ever eaten.. but no, incredibly mediocre food, which was also almost cold when served. What was shocking was the 15% service charge, unsure what service we were paying for as that was also mediocre. The views were lovely, but that primarily what you're paying for. If you're ACTUALLY looking for a premium restaurant to eat at, please visit Bob Bob Ricard, Zedels, or Rules in London.

Justo our waiter was excellent :)

Justo is a nice gentleman with good service

We reserved a table with a view and Justo is very nice and accommodating. He even managed to give us a birthday treat

Great views good cocktails but £9.00 for a small bowel of peanuts is absolutely ridiculous. Should be a Brucie bonus when being shafted already on cocktail prices. Guys get a grip of reality we are locals not tourists. Disappointed in such ridiculous exploration.

Brilliant hospitality, was personally served by Andrés who went above and beyond making it a special birthday night. Fantastic night!

With the price in mind, I must say our evening here was, regrettably, a disappointment. Things started on a promising note: we arrived early and were seated near the bar with a rainy view over the Thames. However, we soon found ourselves stranded in our seats, trying to catch the eye of a staff member to order drinks. When our pre-dinner cocktails finally arrived, the Rowing Royale looked every bit the part, yet the Vodka Martini — served in a small ‘wine’ glass with a single lonely olive — left much to be desired. At this point, the service kicked into overdrive. We were promptly shown to our table overlooking the London Bridge railway tracks, and within minutes, our wine order was taken and arrived at impressive speed. The friendly waitress took our order for starters and mains, and almost immediately, the starters appeared: Goat's cheese curd and crispy lobster. The goat's cheese was excellent, but the lobster was only lukewarm and barely crispy, within minutes of finishing our plates were whisked away. Within ten minutes later, our mains arrived. I opted for the beef fillet, and my wife chose the duck breast. I tried to catch the attention of the staff for a glass of red wine to pair with my fillet, but alas, no one appeared. The duck was decent, though the fat wasn’t rendered down or crispy. The fillet, small (perhaps 7oz at best), was also only warm. As no staff appeared for the next ten minutes, sending the dishes back seemed moot. When the waitress finally appeared I mentioned my dissatisfaction, and I was told the manager would be informed. Approximately ten minutes later, the waitress cleared our plates, and we realised we’d only been seated for around 35 minutes — feeling both rushed and let down. We decided to skip any further orders and asked for the bill. The manager then appeared with two glasses of sparkling wine as an apology, though it felt somewhat routine, lacking genuine care for the issue. Overall, given the cost, we found the service, food, and apology fell below the mark. I can’t recommend this place, even with the Thames view.

We booked a window table with Lunch Experience Menu to celebrate my husband’s 70th birthday…….and the whole thing, from start to finish, was PERFECTION! We were EXTREMELY well looked after by our waiter, Fabs….so attentive, knowledgeable and witty….he completed the wonderful experience.

Aqua Shard is a good experience but it could have been better. Firstly, they allow window seats to only group of 2-people! So if you have more than 2+ in your group you will not get it. These was never mentioned to be before. We turned up earlier than our booking slot but they accommodated us as it was not that much crowded in Sunday lunch time. The servers were not consistent. The first server wanted us to sit in a particular table, we pointed out there is a table nearer to window but were told we can't sit there as it is too small for us. OK. But few minutes later I spoke with another server who said no problem and sat us in our desired table. So clearly they have no policy and servers have mind of their own. The view is good but is no New York. It is only 31st floor. But at the same time, Shard is the best experience as much as you can get in London. The kids menu is a joke. Our child was served few cucumbers and carrots in starter. The main course & dessert in kids menu were lot better in comparison. There were not many varieties in weekend brunch menu. The starter, main course and dessert were all good. The portions were bit tight but that was kind of understood in these locations. Chicken in main course were delicious. The dessert was also great. They served tap water for free. They add a service charge. OK, I get it, but when presented with card machine, they also expect you to tip! Yes, you can ignore it and pay the bill price only. You can keep your jackets in cloakroom. There is a novelty map of London covering an entire wall just before you enter the restaurant. You can walk around and take pictures from different angles (as long as you are not disturbing other guests). Video is also permitted. They usually have separate areas for lunch/brunch & afternoon tea.

Justo- had a great experience. Thanks

Food was average Service was exceptional Noise level was a big distraction. View great. Bathroom dark and signage in shadows. Felt like a night club.

A lovely pre-birthday lunch with a lovely cousin. Beautiful views; absolutely amazing food with wine flight and very attentive service throughout. Thank you so much - I could not have asked for more.

Had a great time with Justo taking care of our table

Such a fun experience! The food was amazing! Thanks to our server Eryn!

I had a lovely time at the Aqua! Justo was attentive and made it a very pleasant and personal service for us! It’s great to have someone with a lovely personality and can explain our orders well. I would definitely come again! Thank you Justo!