Restaurants

The second floor of the Oxo Tower has been a notoriously difficult place to pacify, and several restaurants have come and gone. Tamesa has lasted longer than many, and has done so by making the most of the space, opening up even more views of the river and encouraging walk-up custom from the South Bank. Food isnt the prime draw. Brasserie standards dominate beer-battered cod and chips, daube of Angus beef, roast sea bass, spinach and ricotta cannelloni and your meal is more likely to be expensive than it is memorable. Lamb rump was over-peppered, while steamed mussels were under-sauced. Breast of Barbary duck with red onion tatin was better, and the cold chocolate fondant with orange sauce was at least a nice way to end an otherwise unimpressive meal. The long, thin space (with the majority of tables crammed up against the riverside windows) has the clean, uncluttered feel of a canteen from Star Trek: in other words a rather dated, but not unpleasant, notion of the future. Tamesa also doubles as a cocktail bar.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2008