Ever wondered how brunch in the sky tastes? Well, it's an unbeatable experience that we were lucky to enjoy, and there was no better place to avail oneself than Oblix.
The contemporary fine dining restaurant is one of six restaurants in Renzo Piano's skyscraper. It is said that the Pritzker prize winner once sketched the design of the Shard on a napkin, making it Europe's third tallest building (and the UK's first).
Located on the 32nd floor of the infamous building lies Oblix, the latest brainchild from Rainer Becker and Arjun Waney. The duo are the masterminds behind award-winning restaurants ROKA and Zuma (which recently celebrated their 20th anniversary). Oblix continues their ethos of offering diners stunning views alongside first-class service.
Design
Claudio Silvestrin leads the interior design for Oblix (the mastermind behind the Armani store London, ROKA and the Kanye West Loft). Paying homage to grounding guests (despite being so high in the sky), Silvestrin concentrates on introducing the element of earth within the interiors. Using natural materials such as ebony wood, stone tables and Turkish stone totems, whilst incorporating coppers and bronze walls, evokes a sense of calm in diners.
On entry, the bronze-liquid panelled tunnel guides you to the welcoming main restaurant boasting a large open kitchen, flooded with natural light from the vast floor-to-ceiling windows and relaxing tan leather chairs against mahogany table sets.
The main restaurant seats 200 yet feels private enough to enjoy the experience intimately. There isn't a single table at Oblix that doesn't provide picture-perfect views of the cityscape. A welcome treat even on the rainiest days.
Brunch
The menu comes with three options suitable for all price points. We opted for the brunch menu with a £50 surcharge for bottomless champagne - a steal if you compare the quality of the food on the menu with the service and stellar views.
Editor favourites included the highly flavoured and tender beef carpaccio. The briny and salty capers balance the flavours and complement the punchy parmesan and mustard.
The whole lobster arrives in such grand presentation and is delicately flavoured to perfection with a zesty lemon verbena and tasty garlic butter. It is the star of the show and succulent.
For those looking for a bit of land, the 300g Rib-eye steaks are just as juicy as they are rich and buttery. Accompanied with herbaceous and punchy chimichurri, this quality cut is a perfect choice for carnivores.
Other delights enjoyed were the well-seasoned steak tartare, decorated with leaves on a crunchy bruschetta, and seared scallops presented on a decorative shell.
Why visit?
Oblix is clearly an institution for merging fine dining with atmospheric views, but we give it a 10/10 alone for the priceless views and very affordable yet veritable bottomless brunch menu.
The vibe is very relaxed and unpretentious despite its superior design and interiors. Staff are incredibly knowledgeable about the menu and friendly, making the experience a home-from-home affair.
It’s clear that Rainer Becker still has the Midas touch following on from successes such as ROKA; however, Oblix offers something a little more exciting than most typical city restaurants. Having stayed at The Shard and dined at Shangri-La's TING, expectations for Oblix were high, so we were satisfied that the experience exceeded our expectations.
For more information, visit Oblix
Oblix
Address: The Shard, 31 St Thomas St, London SE1 9RY
Phone: 020 7268 6700
Words by Jheanelle Feanny
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