U.K. and Ireland - Nice london restaurant with river view to see the flotilla?

Hello,

I'm organising a BA board do in London on 2nd June 2012 (link in my signature) and some folks have expressed an interest in also doing lunch somewhere on the river on June 3rd in order to see the flotilla.

I have tried several well known restaurants and found them either fully booked, or charging ridiculous money for private dining options for 30-50, minimum spend £15k etc

Any suggestions of a suitable place with a river view we could book lunch for 10-20 people for a reasonable cost, say upto £40 per head would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

PanGalactic

I was told that, whilst the flotilla officially ends at Tower Bridge, all disembarking is at Greenwich.

This means that, whilst the formal procession ends at Tower Bridge, all the boats will continue on through Wapping, Limehouse, Canary Wharf and Deptford to Greenwich. This opens up a lot of possibilities, although the riverside docklands pubs are generally small.

(Do double-check this, though, it was told to me by a Wapping resident. I actually own a riverside flat in Wapping with a balcony, but unfortuately it is let to a Russian art dealer!)

At the "More London" development there is a Strada (Italian) and also a Gaucho (Argentinian Steak House) with views of the river.

At the "More London" development there is a Strada (Italian) and also a Gaucho (Argentinian Steak House) with views of the river.

Good point. Although technically only Strada has river views. You can see the river from Gaucho but you wouldn't see the boats!

The first floor bar at the Tower Hotel would also be good.

There is a restaurant at Cinnabar Wharf in Wapping with excellent views of Tower Bridge, was a Smollensky's but is now something else.

There is a restaurant at Cinnabar Wharf in Wapping with excellent views of Tower Bridge, was a Smollensky's but is now something else.

Smith's (http://www.smithsbrasserie.com/)
(who can't decide if they want an apostrophe or not)

Somerset House? At least you can stroll out onto the terrace to see the boats.

The Gun on the Isle of Dogs is a great gastropub with a huge terrace area.

The OXO Tower is a top tip, but it will no doubt be fully booked and rapaciously priced at this rather late stage:

http://www.harveynichols.com/oxo-tower-london

http://www.harveynichols.com:8080/media//OXO-Main-Page-Bar.jpg

The OXO Tower is a top tip, but it will no doubt be fully booked and rapaciously priced at this rather late stage:

http://www.harveynichols.com/oxo-tower-london

http://www.harveynichols.com:8080/media//OXO-Main-Page-Bar.jpg

Indeed, I tried them and they have been fully booked since last year, £400 a head IIRC :(

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions :), still searching, but honestly, I think we'll probably end up standing on the river bank with the masses, and eating Mcdonalds for lunch, it should be fun in any case :)

The other options further down the river from tower bridge are a nice idea, but I think I and everyone else would rather see the real show than the tail end of it. Also, getting there from Leicester square where we're staying could be a bit of nightmare on the day.

There's a very remote possibility of a friend of mine allowing me to use his boat which is parked in St Katherines dock but not sure if we'll be allowed on the river or not on that day, also his engine is a bit broken at the moment and not sure if it will be fixed in time :rolleyes:

I know from organising the London mega do that they close the river for the Mayor's firework display, so would not be surprised if they closed it for this as well...

Better having a picnic somewhere on the riverbank instead of paying over the odds to eat in some establishment frequented by the toffs.

The atmosphere amongst the commoners will be more enjoyable anyway. ;)

Better having a picnic somewhere on the riverbank instead of paying over the odds to eat in some establishment frequented by the toffs.

The atmosphere amongst the commoners will be more enjoyable anyway. ;)

Yes I'm sure it will be quite an atmosphere! Under ideal circumstances I'd love to bring my BBQ there and make kebab for everyone, but somehow I dont think the health and safety brigade will approve :rolleyes:

High Timber (http://www.hightimber.com/) were advertising for this event when I went past recently. I'm not sure however whether they were looking more for corporate bookings than private.

The restaurant is on the north bank of the Thames opposite the Tate Modern. Not the easiest place to find though.

Another alternative might be: http://www.northbankrestaurant.com/

Or possibly: http://foundersarms.co.uk/

The Gun on the Isle of Dogs is a great gastropub with a huge terrace area.

We live near the Gun - but I am not sure if the boats will go down this way. If they do, then it will be fantastic to watch without having to travel far. I have seen the Queen's boat (spirit of chartwell) has been painted and prepared at the dock of Canary Wharf.

There are also numerous restaurants on the water at Shad Thames, (most run by D&D) including, Le Pont de La Tour, Butlers Wharf Chop House, Cantina Del Ponte, and others, all of which have outdoor terraces. There might be masses of people congregating in front of you though. Also, the Blueprint Cafe in the Design Museum has a nice view of the river (and boats in it) and is well above the crowds.

For an altogether different experience you could give this a go...

http://www.lambtavernleadenhall.com/events.php