Skylon

European Restaurant in Waterloo
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7 / 10 from 4 reviews
Address
Southbank Centre
Belvedere Road
Waterloo
London
SE1 8XX
Map
Telephone
020 7654 7800
Cuisine
European
Region
Waterloo
Nearest Station
Waterloo
0.17 miles
Opening Summary
Midday - midnight
Restaurant Facilities

Children Welcome

Credit Cards Accepted

Music Played

Booking Advisable

Skylon Restaurant, on the Southbank and close to Waterloo Station, serves modern European cuisine and offers a spectacular panorama of London's skyline, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Thames from the third floor of the Royal Festival Hall.

All In London Review

The view is as good as ever, the interiors stylish, but is is value for money?

I was a huge fan of the People's Palace. I remember seeing the incredibly young Gary Rhodes there years and years ago...The food then was fabulous and I would happily take smart business folk and my hip hop friends there (not in the same party!) knowing everyone would find it cool....

So with some trepidation, I finally summoned up the courage to try out Skylon with a long standing friend who used to business lunch with me in People's Palace days. We had both read the reviews and were braced for disappointment.

For a weekday lunchtime I was surprised that it was so quiet. Then I was shocked to find that my olive green top (which I thought was SOOOO on trend) matched the carpets and seat covers of the retro 1950s interior. Talk about merging into the background...But I was fascinated by the cane and orchid sculptural things in the centre of the room and the central bar was magnificent.

Making a rapid recovery, I turned my attention to the menus while a waiter kindly poured water into my brown glass (at first I thought there was something in it - like a cordial - coloured glass is a real novelty!). There was a la carte fixed price or lunch fixed price.

I focused on the fixed price lunch menu and selected goats cheese mousse for a starter and then a saffron and vegetable linguine for the main. Well, the names were much posher than that but I didn't have a pen handy...While I waited in happy anticipation I was treated to some scrumptious pesto bread...

No sooner had I put a mouthful of starter in my mouth than I was asked how everything was. I managed to say "Fine" without spitting out any food. My companion seemed happy with his choice too. We ate. We savoured. I am not sure that frothy white cheese flavoured mousse was such a good idea - especially not with the pickled red cabbage that it came with. Oh well, it was a gastonomic first so I waited for my main course.

By this time, a few other waiting staff had passed by (not exactly on their way as we were tucked into a corner) to enquire how everything was. Fine I said with a smile.

My linguine arrived. Now I know I commented on the olive green decor and you will probably think I am colour fixated but my linguine was radioactive pea green. We are talking bright, bright, bright. Almost neon. I thought saffron (from little crocus flowers) was yellow...maybe I had sudden onset colour blindness...Anyway. It tasted ok. Not spectacular. Not amazing. Not even memorable. Just OK. Had they knitted this linguine into the tidy little rectangle it came in?...it reminded me of the grandmas knitting shredded wheat on that TV ad. It was a tad dry and crunchy too. Mind you, I had, by this stage reported that things were "Fine" to a few more solicitous enquiries from waiting staff. At this point my companion - a mild mannered man if ever there was one - politely asked the waiting staff if they would stop asking how we were so that we could actually finish a sentence or mouthful without interruption.

But I said to him, hey, you really know you are in London with such attentive and polite staff. In Paris they would rather have their eye poked out with a sharp stick before asking how you were...and the Italians in Rome would draw up a chair to the table and join the meal while introducing their family...

Anyway. The bill came to around £58. That's two fixed price starters and two main courses, no sides, a bottle of mineral water (I know I am supposed to have tap water now but old habits die hard) and one glass of white wine - plus service. Is that good value? Well, it would have been if the food was fabulon rather than skylon...and it's still cheaper than my other favourite there - the Oxo Tower.

However. The most important thing is that one of the main attractions of this fabulous South Bank eaterie is the view - and they simply couldn't spoil that, even if they tried. So I sat and enjoyed my view of a grey, rainy and rather blustery Thames - exactly as it should be!

Reviewed by KimT
Published on Jul 25, 2008


In The News

Skylon welcomes Executive Head Chef Adam Gray

A new beginning for Skylon as it welcomes Executive Head Chef Adam Gray

Best For

London's best restaurants on the river picture

London's best restaurants on the river

Soak up the view

Named after the futuristic structure that was part of the 1951 Festival of Britain, the Royal Festival Hall’s restaurant comprises a formal dining room with a modern European menu and the more laidback Skylon Grill, which essentially does posh, comfort food. But the main draw here of course is the view from the floor to ceiling windows over the Southbank and the river.

User Reviews

Susie

Aug 20, 2014

Skylon is a very grand venue and has beautiful views of the Thames and the Southbank. The a la meal I had (£42pp for two courses) was inexplicably expensive though, particularly when considering my main was macaroni cheese! I wouldn't go again unless there was a very special, special offer!
Sooz

Sep 10, 2008

The surroundings here are really tastful and because of the scale of the place, it really is quite impressive. The service too was excellent and the waiter was attentive but not overbearing throughout our meal. The food was all delicious although both my girlfriends ordered a dessert which I think was poached peach and both agreed that it wasn't up to the standards of everything else. I'd definitely go again.
TheMog

Jul 14, 2008

4 of us ate here last Thursday. We were given a table near the window which was fantastic when the blinds went up providing a view over the Thames. The food was great as was the wine selection.

Definately recommended if you want high quality meal.

The only negative side is the fact that it's quite noisy and gets very busy.

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