Restaurant Story, London Bridge

Location: 199 Tooley St, London SE1 2JX

Website: https://restaurantstory.co.uk/

Restaurant Story is the only Michelin starred restaurant in South East London so we absolutely had to visit a while back to see what all the fuss was about. It is a small restaurant a short walk from Tower Bridge ran by Tom Sellers, who opened this fantastic eatery at the tender age of 26, and what a success it has been. I mean, I am kind of lost for words to describe this place, the food is unbelievably good, but thats what you would expect from a restaurant boasting 2 Michelin stars.

We went for the tasting menu and it was such a treat, everything was absolutely perfect. Even the canapes were out of this world, a beautiful crispy cod skin with aioli as well as these delicate little potato cakes, before you even get to the actual meal the food has you drooling and begging for more. The first course was a tomato salad with caviar; tomato in every way you could imagine including a tomato consommé creating so many textures and flavours, it was a wonder to eat and I don't know how they got so many flavours out of this humble vegetable. One of the courses was a bread roll which was served with a beef dripping candle, yes, a candle made out of beef dripping which melted into the tray below and you could happily dip your brioche style bun into the heavenly beef fat. There was a broad bean and mint dish which bursted with flavour and was served on some sort of air dried pea based pastry. The rack of lamb was melt in your mouth tender with some incredible gravy that hit all the right notes. The desserts were incredible too, from silky sorbets to creamy mouses to handmade chocolates and pastries and everything in between, there were about 4 dessert courses.

They have an excellent wine list (as you would expect) and also make some excellent cocktails including some very tasty non alcoholic ones if that tickles your fancy. There is a wine paring to go with the tasting menu but I went for a bottle of rioja instead as I prefer to have one wine and stick with it.

The service was impeccable, fast, and the staff were very knowledgeable about the menu options. The restaurant itself is beautifully laid out, tastefully curated and has floor to ceiling windows facing out onto the wildflower garden outside.

This place is obviously at the higher end of the pricing spectrum for South East London but it is more than a meal, it is a culinary experience taking you on an incredible journey through flavour and texture. It is a fantastic place to enjoy a meal out for an extra special occasion. In the context of the 2 Michelin stars, I think it is good value for money but we would be bankrupt if we went there too often!