Darwin Brasserie at Sky Garden

Darwin Brasserie at Sky Garden

1 Sky Garden Walk, London

EC3M 8AF

skygarden.london

Tel: 0333 772 0020

When the opportunity arose for the Gourmet Girls to try the new Honestly Healthy porridge at the Darwin Brasserie at Sky Garden, I was beside myself. Dining at a Sky Garden restaurant has always been on the London bucket list, not only to try the food, but also to experience the breath taking views so many have raved about.


So bright and early on a Wednesday morning, I headed down to Fenchurch Street. Upon arrival, I was happily greeted by staff, who ushered me through a security check and onto a lift to reach the 36th floor. The Sky Garden stands at 525ft above street level with views of the capital as far as the eye can see. I stepped out of the lift in total awe, gaping at the tall glass windows and stairs aligned with trees and shrubbery. It truly felt like being in an oversized glass house, although it was fitted with plush sofas, bars and chairs.

I made my way up to the Darwin Brasserie, admiring the sun slowly creeping over the city as I climbed every step. I can imagine the night views are equally as sensational. The host lead me to my table in the corner of the restaurant, providing more fantastic views over St Pauls, the Thames, Tower Bridge and everything in between. I had a lovely, fresh icy orange juice to start before the Honestly Healthy porridge arrived.


The porridge is only exclusively available at the Darwin Brasserie in January and February, created by top UK vegetarian chef Natasha Corrett for their Honestly Healthy menu. The recipe contains gluten-free oats in sweet rice milk, coconut-infused pear slices, pear cubes and cinnamon topped with flaked almonds. Although presentation was gorgeous in a large warmed stone bowl, I wasn't blown away by the porridge itself. It was full of sweet fruity chunks, but unfortunately, notably lacked flavor. Perhaps my palette wasn't as used to something so nutritious, who knows, but I had to add a little bit of sugar to bring out a better flavour.


Eventually I went to try something else from their regular menu to compare. I opted for a breakfast classic: eggs benedict with hollandaise and York ham. Needless to say, this was much more substantial, and went down an absolute treat. The poached eggs were cooked to runny perfection, complimented by the warm hollandaise.


I finished my breakfast with tea before spending a few minutes at the table observing London. I left the Darwin Brasserie keen to try more menu options, although I wouldn't be rushing back for the porridge (hence why 3 stars is appropriate, as I was invited to try the porridge). I headed down to the observation deck to further appreciate the building rooftops and tiny people below, before heading back down. It's worth noting that 9am was a great time to eat should you like to enjoy a slightly quieter breakfast, as by 11am, there were queues to get up to the Sky Garden.