Last Updated on June 16, 2026
Life’s a Beach
4.5 out of 5.0 stars
Sir Terence Conran opened Le Pont de la Tour in 1991 as part of the redevelopment of the Butler’s Wharf area on the South Bank. Nestled next to Tower Bridge, the converted Grade II listed Victorian warehouse enjoys some of the finest Thames views and was the flagship restaurant of Conran’s Gastrodome project, a series of restaurants along with the first iteration of the Design Museum that brought a palpable buzz to this part of London.
I played the piano in the bar at Le Pont de la Tour for fifteen years, and the restaurant was the hottest place in town. A heady mix of celebrity, new money and East End gangsters devoured classic French cuisine, including the iconic crustacean-laden Plateau de Fruits de Mers, spending their bonuses and ill-gotten gains on top quality Burgundies and Clarets. Paul McCartney, Mad Frankie Fraser and Graham Norton were all regulars and Paul O’Grady would always give me a wave when out walking his dog.
It was a sentimental return for me to revisit the space I had filled with sound for so many years. Would standards under the new ownership of the Evolv Group have been maintained and would the restaurant have retained its slightly racy spirit? We visited on a blowy lunchtime on the day of a tube strike with the idea of sitting outside on the terrace that stretches the length of the restaurant.
We ended up inside because of the weather. However, as the summer approaches Le Pont not only has the Terrace to offer, but also the return of Pont Plage at the end of May, transplanting the French Riviera to the Thames. Both sides of the terrace are to be covered with sand for ‘a fully immersive 360-degree beachside atmosphere, with iconic Tower Bridge as the eternal backdrop’. It sounds like it will be a lot of fun, and I think Sir Terence would approve. The Pont Plage will feature the St-Germain Spritz Bar serving menus of St-Germain and Hugo Spritzes alongside ‘a seafood menu, inspired by the coastal markets of Marseille and Nice.’
The main restaurant has retained its 30s style interior, and the claret-coloured leather banquettes have gained the gentle patina of age. It’s a bit like being in the dining room of an elegant liner from a bygone era. Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon and James Taylor were playing on the sound system. Did they know I was coming?
To celebrate getting to the restaurant despite the best efforts of the rail unions, we started with the citrus and white blossom notes of a couple glasses of fizz, Laurent Perrier La Cuvée. It’s a perfect aperitif.
A salad of Devon white crab, avocado and pearl couscous was light and beautifully balanced with gentle textural contrasts. Served in a gorgeous silver crab-design dish, a few dobs of Espelette sauce added gentle spicing.
A vegan starter of caramelised aubergine with smoked tomato, a courgette salad and a
wild garlic dressing was more Provençal in intention. This was a perfect spring dish, the sweetness of the aubergine melding with the smokiness of the tomatoes to create a rich and satisfying mouthfeel.
We moved onto a bottle of Sauvignon; our Pouilly-Fumé, Laporte Les Duchesses 2024 was soft, fragrant and smoky with notes of citrus and flint. It was a good match if you are eating fish. A properly-sized portion of steamed stone bass sat on a prettily arranged bed of spring vegetables. The fish was super fresh and cooked juste à point, the flesh tender and succulent with the veg.
Pan-fried Dover sole on the bone came in a classic Grenobloise sauce, brown butter, croutons and capers. The meat of the sole had a good level of springiness to it, plenty of flavour, with the sauce having enough acidity to cut through the butter.
A side dish of buttery green beans had a pleasing snap to them and an unexpected tarragon sweetness, whilst the deliciously creamy Gratin Dauphinoise helped me up my cholesterol levels even further.
I’m a sucker for a bit of restaurant theatre. Le Pont de la Tour’s signature dessert is a Crêpes Suzette, constructed table-side. There’s alcohol, butter, flames and of course pancakes. The citrussy Crêpes Suzette Classique comes with orange zest, Grand Marnier and vanilla ice cream. If you’ve never had one, you really should.
The restaurant is also featuring monthly seasonal crêpes. We tried the Crêpes Suzette D’Avril, a collation of rhubarb, grenadine, hibiscus and vodka, creating a combination of astringency and sweetness in the mouth.
Le Pont de la Tour is a place for proper eating; long boozy lunches, formal dining and classic dishes, and I’ve heard a whisper that the Plateau de Fruits de Mers is returning for the summer. It’s a relief to forget chef’s concepts and sharing plates and bask in the timeless glory of classic French cuisine, something of an endangered species these days. But it’s also a place for having fun, and the Terrace and Pont Plage are the perfect location for summer larks. Don’t forget your swimming costume!
Le Pont de la Tour
36D Shad Thames, London, SE1 2YE
020 7403 8403
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