Searcys At The Gherkin in Wandsworth

A really lovely afternoon tea, plentiful and delicious with a relaxing atmosphere, great views and excellent customer service from all the staff. 5/5 Thoroughly recommend!

We chose Searcy's at the Gherkin private dining to celebrate our civil partnership. We were a group of 21 friends. The private dining is very much geared to corporate rather than private events and this is reflected in the pricing. All prices are quoted without VAT so this must be factored in. The menu is extremely limited unless you want to spend a small fortune; each guest can be offered a no choice menu for £75 per head or for an extra £17 (!!) a choice of three dishes - all of this plus VAT of course. The brochure suggests that dietary requirements can be catered for, but again this is extremely limited and can only be catered for within the concept of a one choice menu. Something that did not become apparent to us until the week before our event. I always prefer emails for making important arrangements as it leaves no doubt about what has been discussed. Sadly, there was one phone (not instigated by me) with our contact at the Searcy's where I asked very specific questions about detailing for the event. The contact later denied that I had been told certain things, saying that the way the menu worked had been explained to me (it had but not correctly). This left rather a sour taste with us. Also, we had asked for wine to be placed on the table so that people could help themselves and that we would request more wine when we felt it was needed. The table was not set up this way and on the evening we were told they would prefer not to do this - now I know why, The wine was poured VERY freely all evening with glasses being filled to the brim. The consequence of this was not just a double spend on our budget for wine (we actually didn't mind that much), but that several guests left the worse for wear as they had no idea what they had consumed because their glass was constantly refilled often when they were looking away. My thought about this are that either the wine waiter is very poorly trained or Searcy's have a policy of pouring as much wine as possible to up the spend of the client. So that's the gripes out of the way! The positives were that the food was amazing and the waiter very lovely and polite. Of course, the view is second to none and we chose the venue for the wow factor. My advice would be that if you have very deep pockets and really don't care what you are spending then choose this venue, you won't regret it. If, like us, you had a budget (albeit it a large one) be very careful - this place is more geared to corporate. The event staff don't really give a damn how important your event is to you, you are just another job to them. 5 stars for food 5 stars for the view 5 stars for food service 2 stars for wine service 2 stars for the event manager

We celebrated our wedding at this venue on the 12th of August, 2024, and it was truly magical. From start to finish, the service was first class. The food was not only fresh and incredibly tasty, but also beautifully presented, with generous portions that left everyone satisfied. For the fair price we paid, the quality exceeded all expectations. I want to extend a special thanks to Simone Richardson, the Sales Event Executive and Social Planner. From the moment we expressed interest in the venue, Simone was a beacon of professionalism, friendliness, and reliability. She supported us every step of the way, keeping us informed and always being there when we needed her. Her first-class customer service played a huge role in making our day so special. On the evening of our event, the Restaurant Manager and the entire staff were exceptional. Their attention to detail and dedication to ensuring everything ran smoothly did not go unnoticed. Our guests are still raving about the magical experience we had at The Gherkin. If we had to choose a venue again, we wouldn’t change a thing—we’d do it all over exactly the same way. We are thoroughly impressed with the staff and food at Searcys. Thank you for making our day so magical, and a huge thanks to Simone and the entire team.

I surprised my wife by taking her to Searcys at The Gherkin for Champagne afternoon tea. We arrived a tad early at this epic building before our table booking so reception staff at ground floor level asked us to take a seat for a short time. After waiting for a few minutes the reception team asked us for ID, booked us in & provided security passes, we headed towards the security screening, we scanned our passes to access the lifts. A bit of confusion when accessing the lift as unlike The Shard these lifts do not go straight to the venue & we had to take a further 2 lifts to reach level 34 but this was all part of the excitement. Reached level 34 (welcome deck) where a further life takes you directly to the venue. We reached level 39 (Restaurant) & was greeted by one of the head staff who promptly showed us to our window seat. What a fantastic setting & stunning views! The service was impeccable & afternoon tea was delicious. Our stay was so relaxing, attentive waiting staff & the venue was very comfortable as it was not overcrowded nor was it a venue where you are treated as being on a conveyor belt. We were allowed to take photos without disturbing other diners & invited to walk up to level 40 to take more photos. This is an amazing place & would definitely recommend anyone to experience dining here. We will definitely be coming back sometime soon for a sunset dinner. Thank you to all the staff who treated us with 5 star service.

We booked a private area of the bar for our quarterly team social and had around 30 people in attendance. Prior to the event we were asked about any special dietary requirements or allergies and advised we had one person with a severe peanut allergy. At the event we were asked to identify the employee with the allergy (we were impressed that this was clearly being handled appropriately) but this employee was then taken aside to be told they could not guarantee the food about to be served would be free of nuts. Not only did this mean our employee was potentially placed at risk of being exposed to nut traces, it also meant she was unable to eat anything. We were charged a full price for this person to attend, duly notified them in advance of her allergies and yet it seems they then did nothing other than take the money and serve her no food. We have operated events at many similar venues and whilst they nearly all refuse to promise no trace of nuts exist, they always prepare a “safe” plate of food for this person that is specifically prepared. The above issues coupled with the antagonistic security guard demanding ID from every employee (which we were not told about or able to prepare for) put a real dampener on the event. It’s a premium location but without the premium standards one has a right to expect at this price point.