Aqua Shard
A cut above.
If you go to the Shard, architect Renzo Piano’s spire-like building in London, and step inside an elevator, there’s nowhere to go but up—way up. It’s the ideal place to throw vertigo out the window because within Western Europe’s largest building is Aqua Shard, opened by restaurateur David Yeo this past July. The 31st-floor restaurant reigns mightily above the River Thames and is already home to some of the hottest-ticket tables in town. Executive chef Anthony Garlando turns out contemporary British cuisine with gastronomic finesse, such as expertly seared foie gras served alongside a roundel of green pea custard (an haute take on that British culinary oddity, mushy peas), or vadouvan-spiced scallops with chicory and orange jam. From the 95-seat bar area to the window tables, all views impress, and the room is at its finest when it dims down at dusk and the city lights up below.