Duck and Waffle

Forty floors above Bishopsgate, in a lift that pops your ears on the way up, Duck & Waffle has spent over a decade trading on one genuinely clever idea: a proper kitchen that never closes, attached to one of the best views in the City. The dining room wraps around glass on two sides, and at night the whole of east London spreads out below in a way that photographs never quite capture.

The dish that gave the restaurant its name remains the reason to go. Crispy skinned duck confit sits on a waffle with a fried duck egg and a jug of mustard maple syrup poured at the table, sweet and savoury in a combination that sounds wrong and tastes right. Beyond that signature plate, the menu ranges from ox cheek doughnuts to barbecue spiced pig’s ears, built for sharing rather than careful courses.

Breakfast and the small hours are when the concept earns its keep. Full English at 3am, shakshuka at dawn after a night out, or a proper dinner at 9pm all work equally well, and the kitchen holds its standards steady across the clock, which is no small achievement this high up.

It is not cheap, and given the location it was never going to be. A main course of duck and waffle runs into the twenties, cocktails upstairs cost what you would expect at this altitude, and the view is doing a fair amount of the pricing. Book ahead for a window table or you will end up looking at the kitchen pass instead of the skyline.

The honest reservation here is that food this reliant on spectacle can coast a little. Reviews over the years have noted portions that feel modest against the bill, and on a quiet weeknight without the view working its magic, the cooking alone would not entirely justify the prices. Go for a special occasion, ideally after dark, and let the setting do some of the heavy lifting.