REVIEW: Paramount
For months after The Shard opened in 2013, all anyone ever asked was have you been up it yet? Don’t get me wrong, it’s a stupendous vista, but it seems every Londoner has forgotten that there are a host of other high buildings in London.
One of these is the Centre Point building at the bottom of Tottenham Court Road. Like The Shard, it sports magnificent views and, like The Shard, you can eat up it too. Admittedly the outside of the building does not share The Shard’s architectural finesse (it is more office block than glass needle), and the décor looks a little on the tired end of the scale, but it still a place for a rollicking night out.
Visiting early on a Friday evening, there was a queue for the lift to get up to the 32nd floor, where the Paramount restaurant resides. Inside, there were crowds of city chaps with loosened ties, couples on boozy dates and the odd tourist looking rather star struck by it all. There is certainly a whiff of celebration about the place, which makes for an excellent atmosphere.
The menu here is modern British with a fancy flair to justify the higher-than-average prices. My starter of West Coast crab with apple, cantaloupe and scorched cucumber was fresh and light, while my dining partner’s pumpkin and chickpea lasagne was creative and swimming in clouds of foam (always a sign of culinary showmanship).
The mains range between £20 and £30, and cover all the usual meaty bases (beef, poultry, lamb, pork) with a token vegetarian risotto thrown in. We both opted for the beef, and although artfully arranged, it sadly looked more impressive than it tasted. Our enthusiasm running high on account of the view and the cocktails, however, we managed to guzzle our dishes nonetheless.
Pudding was far more satisfying. The cheeseboard comprised three generous servings of the hard stuff, along with homemade chutney and artisan crackers (good old Carrs wouldn’t cut the mustard here). A dessert menu is only as ever as earnest as its chocolate offering, and Paramount’s did not disappoint. The warm Valrhona chocolate fondant was a molten mixture of rich sauce and light sponge.
Despite the fact that we had been slurping cocktails throughout dinner, we felt it absolutely necessary to sample another from their extensive list. This is where Paramount really comes into its own: armed with our exemplary Pina Coladas, we climbed up to the next floor where there is a 360-degree viewing platform across the city. When you’re 33 floors up, it’s easy to forget the stressful hustle and bustle and see London for what it is: a truly majestic city.
Cocktails plus a renewed enthusiasm for our nation’s capital? That’s worth the cost of dinner, for sure (and yes, you can see The Shard).
www.paramount.uk.net
One of these is the Centre Point building at the bottom of Tottenham Court Road. Like The Shard, it sports magnificent views and, like The Shard, you can eat up it too. Admittedly the outside of the building does not share The Shard’s architectural finesse (it is more office block than glass needle), and the décor looks a little on the tired end of the scale, but it still a place for a rollicking night out.
Visiting early on a Friday evening, there was a queue for the lift to get up to the 32nd floor, where the Paramount restaurant resides. Inside, there were crowds of city chaps with loosened ties, couples on boozy dates and the odd tourist looking rather star struck by it all. There is certainly a whiff of celebration about the place, which makes for an excellent atmosphere.
The menu here is modern British with a fancy flair to justify the higher-than-average prices. My starter of West Coast crab with apple, cantaloupe and scorched cucumber was fresh and light, while my dining partner’s pumpkin and chickpea lasagne was creative and swimming in clouds of foam (always a sign of culinary showmanship).
The mains range between £20 and £30, and cover all the usual meaty bases (beef, poultry, lamb, pork) with a token vegetarian risotto thrown in. We both opted for the beef, and although artfully arranged, it sadly looked more impressive than it tasted. Our enthusiasm running high on account of the view and the cocktails, however, we managed to guzzle our dishes nonetheless.
Pudding was far more satisfying. The cheeseboard comprised three generous servings of the hard stuff, along with homemade chutney and artisan crackers (good old Carrs wouldn’t cut the mustard here). A dessert menu is only as ever as earnest as its chocolate offering, and Paramount’s did not disappoint. The warm Valrhona chocolate fondant was a molten mixture of rich sauce and light sponge.
Despite the fact that we had been slurping cocktails throughout dinner, we felt it absolutely necessary to sample another from their extensive list. This is where Paramount really comes into its own: armed with our exemplary Pina Coladas, we climbed up to the next floor where there is a 360-degree viewing platform across the city. When you’re 33 floors up, it’s easy to forget the stressful hustle and bustle and see London for what it is: a truly majestic city.
Cocktails plus a renewed enthusiasm for our nation’s capital? That’s worth the cost of dinner, for sure (and yes, you can see The Shard).
www.paramount.uk.net