The Ivy Tower Bridge - London Bridge, London

Pardon the pun, but The Ivy is not a restaurant to rest on its laurels, and the enterprising brand has opened yet another new spot, this time opting for the riverfront. Spectacularly located, The Ivy Tower Bridge offers both the greenery of Potters Fields Park and stunning views of the eponymous bridge, which ascends magisterially to the north. The restaurant is a touch more casual than the Covent Garden original but no less professional. On a busy early evening, we were very impressed with the offering. 

It's almost a bit difficult to choose where to sit. There's an intimate al fresco terrace which is well-suited for dates, but the second floor offers even better views of the Thames, the City, the Tower, and especially the bridge through its floor-to-ceiling windows. Martin Brudnizki's design is remarkably in keeping with the original, channelling 1930s Art Deco grandeur with mosaic tile flooring, a stunning wraparound bar with polished brass gantry, and lots of plants and vines that bring the green indoors. 

Executive chef Sean Burbidge has carried over many of the classics from the original. Along with a glass of champagne, we are very pleased with our starters. A classic prawn cocktail arrives laden with plump pink shellfish as well as baby gem, avocado, cherry tomatoes and a Marie Rose Sauce. The delicious flavours matched the immaculate presentation. Tempura prawns on the other hand featured more of an east Asian interpretation, served with papaya, cucumber, edamame and a matcha tea sauce.

For our mains we sipped a Chateau du Caillau Malbec whilst bolting down sumptuous, meaty dishes. The Ivy Tower Bridge shepherd's pie deployed slow braised lamb shoulder with beef amongst Wookey Hole Cheddar potato mash to dizzying effect. Slow roasted lamb shoulder with a mustard and herb crust along with creamed potato, garlic, spring vegetables and rosemary sauce was similarly scintillating. We finished the evening with perhaps the most famous dessert to come out of The Ivy's kitchens. The Chocolate Bombe, packed with milk foam, vanilla ice cream and honeycomb in its centre, was poured over with a hot caramel sauce that made it implode. 

The Ivy Tower Bridge doesn't exactly reinvent the wheel, but for something that's consistently and considerably good, it's almost unrivalled.