View To a Thrill: Fine Thameside dining at the Blueprint Café
Daniel Allen
You can't eat a view. Drink it in, perhaps, but not consume it whole. Which is a shame, because the view from London's Blueprint Café, perched above The Design Museum next to the River Thames, is worthy of three Michelin stars alone. On a summer day, with fluffy cumulus scudding overhead, this is the English capital at its best - the seamless fusion of the ancient and avant garde.
Boasting an extended London panorama from Tower Bridge, the Tower of London and 30 St Mary Axe (previously the Swiss Re Building and called "the Gherkin" by Londoners) in the west to the soaring skyscrapers of Canary Wharf in the east, the Blueprint's airy, glass-walled confines offer one of contemporary London's finest riverside dining experiences.
As you’d expect of a restaurant sitting atop a museum devoted to design, aesthetics are a priority here - every detail is attended to, from the stylish seating to the well designed cutlery and place settings. There are even miniature binoculars on each table for magnified views of the skyline. During the summer of 2012 the café’s terrace provided winers and diners with the perfect vantage point from which to view the Olympic rings adorning Tower Bridge, and various other Olympic celebrations that took place on the Thames.
Fortunately the Blueprint Café’s food is every bit the equal of the view. New head chef Mark Jarvis brings a brand of refined, witty cuisine using wholesome, calendar-friendly ingredients. Parsley-crusted razor clams, jellied pork terrine or chilled nettle soup lead on to a mighty chicken and rabbit pie, steak with pickled walnuts and horseradish, and turbot with crab and tarragon broth. Desserts also court the seasons, from strawberry shortcake to lemon posset with rhubarb. The wine list features a host of independent producers, including a growing organic contingent.
Jarvis's dishes are renowned for their light, clean flavours – a style of food that is both refined and balanced. The time he spent working for Raymond Blanc and Agnar Sverrisson at other leading London restaurants has influenced this approach. "The way I was trained at Le Manoir was amazing," says Jarvis. "You learn how to run a kitchen, about produce, everything.
"I feel very honoured to have been selected to run the kitchen at the Blueprint Café," he continues. "It's a beautiful restaurant in a fabulous location and has guests that know the value of seasonal ingredients served simply and well. In this Olympic year we're looking forward to welcoming guests from all over the world and giving them a taste of the finest British cuisine presented in a fresh, new way."
With its stunning views, friendly staff and fantastic cuisine, the Blueprint Café is an eternally sunny place, even on the greyest of London days. But let’s hope there aren’t too many of those over this Olympic summer.
Access
Blueprint Café
Design Museum, London SE1 2YD
Tel: +44 (0)20 7378 7031
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Shad Thames & St. Saviour's Dock
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