Madison - The City, London

St Paul's is as synonymous with British identity as Shakespeare, Marmite and the Royals. Once the tallest building in the world, it still holds fearsome gravitas. Magnetising half of London with its immensity and grandeur, it brought in One New Change (a 'stealth architecture' edifice designed by modernist French architect Jean Nouvel) as a neighbour earlier in the decade. Nestled along the top of the shopping centre is Madison, a member of the D&D coterie and want of the most aesthetically interesting spaces in the City.

Guests are whisked up six stories to a mind-bogglingly broad terrace with peerless views of the cathedral's dome. Along this you'll find rows of potted plants and topiaries, glass pergolas, and space-heaters during the winter to create a comfy smoking area. During the summer, it's common for a large screen to be erected for roof-top cinema clubs or screenings of Wimbledon. The interior builds on its strength with sloping floor-to-ceiling glass windows that offer breath-taking views of the London Eye, Tate Modern and the Thames. Black leather sofas beneath the windows offer ideal little snugs to curl up and take in the City on a date. 

On a Thursday evening the venue was humming with an afterwork crowd - something that you can look forward to most evenings after 5pm. There were both big groups of men and women blowing off steam and enjoying themselves both inside the restaurant and out on the terrace. We decided to join the party and ordered a couple of espresso martinis. Small bites arrived soon after, including Nocellara del Belice and Gaeta olives; comté and truffle arancini; spinach fritters with aioli; and spicy buttermilk fried chicken with jalapenos and a coriander yoghurt. 

For our mains we sampled the roast fillet of stone bass drizzled with a yuzu jicama sauce and complemented with parsnip puree and sea vegetables.  There were some more sanguinary options on the menu, and we decided to try one: a 35 day aged Aberdeen Angus fillet steak served on the bone with bone marrow mash, shallot and red wine sauce. The beef was juicy and just a little bit red, with a bit more character than you often get from a fillet. 

We finished off the meal with a sticky toffee and raisin pudding served with roasted pecan nuts and custard, which was our favourite dish of the evening, served piping hot with a glissade of fresh cream poured over. 
 

Share this venue