Where do you go when you fancy cocktails and a nice dinner with a view? Heron Tower is an easy option in London, and Sushi Samba perfect when you can get a table!
Girls dinner with a view
Chopsticks at the ready!
The bar
We started with cocktails at the bar. Unlike those upstairs in Duck and Waffle I thought they were more hit and miss. My Japanese twist on a negroni, using the plum sake umeshu was pleasant, however some of the other cocktails were too sweet. Perhaps the barman on that evening had a sweet tooth?
The bar food area around the sushi kitchen – you can see the orange leafed tree on the outside terrace. Anyone else think of the Faraway Tree when they see that? (Enid Blyton books)
But we were really here for the food!
Dinner
We went for a mixture of small and large plates from across the menu. A gimmick to get to you buy more or playing to those like me who like to try everything? The jury is out on that one, but I enjoyed eating my way through most sections of the menu 🙂
Shrimp tempura and a fairly disappointing roll.
The shrimp tempura (which looks like a salad) was very nice, with a spicy truffle dressing complementing it. The roll however was not great texture or flavour. I think this was the California maki, but I can’t recall, not great when I was that ordered it.
Scallop ceviche
The ceviche came with pickled mandarin and mandarin leche de tigre and shiso. Showcasing the restaurants’ ability to mix up the traditional from both the Japanese and South American sides of the menu.
Wagyu gyoza with kabocha puree and probably some truffle (they use truffle oil liberally in here!)
They are truffly versatile! I like truffle so the liberal use on most dishes went down a treat with me. Some of my friends weren’t so keen. I do believe that truffles should only be used sparingly, where they complement the food in season (i.e. only in Winter!). In this case the gyoza were very tasty, but I don’t think they showcase the Wagyu particularly.
View across the dining room with its lovey high ceiling and numerous lights
The dining room was a lovely space allowing you see out across London 270 degrees (the kitchen was on the last side). But it did feel a little tight when the tables started filling up. We had a booth at the side of the restaurant, which are obviously the best!
Samba salad – beautifully presented, but you need to mix it all together to get the flavour combinations.
Again this is served with a truffle ponzu dressing, but felt super healthy even with that decadence!
Black cod miso from the robata grill.
A classic that we had to try, the fish was perfectly cooked and went well with the corn it was served with. Another South American ingredient showcased with the traditional Japanese.
Vegetable tempura (green beans) with a tahnini garlic dip
These tempura were great, as long as you like a punch of garlic flavour from the sauce. I loved it!
Now for me, this was the star of the show.
Who says the vegetarians don’t get any fun? This mushroom dish was rich, seasonal and succulent. The truffle flavour was present again here, but with the richness of 3 different types of mushroom and the just poached egg to stir in, it was sublime. Definitely my winning dish for a Winter’s dinner!
The poussin from the grill.
With a teriyaki glaze and served with the best Japanese mayonnaise – very tasty!
Trying to be healthy we ordered the aubergine too.
You can’t go wrong with grilled aubergine – one of my favourite vegetables – but this was slightly upstaged by the mushrooms.
By now I didn’t need a dessert, but I wanted to try them out….
Desserts
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With Love from Rio – with that name I had no idea what this dessert would be!
- Turns out that this was valhrhona chocolate ganache (single source from Brazil naturally!), coffee mousse and tonka bean ice cream. The mousse was dehyrdated (it’s the stuff that looks like snow!)
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Ice cream mochi are always good! Would you believe that I only tried these for the first time in Dusseldorf of all places?!
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Alfajores – deconstructed obviously, but a great interpretation, my friend adored it.
Verdict:
So what did the girls think? We liked Sushi Samba, however with a mix of budgets we had to be careful what we ordered. Through sharing a selection of dishes we all left feeling full and satisfied. The meal came to about £45 a head and served with some hot sake for £60 a bottle, this was reasonable for a special night out. I do think that the cocktail menu needs some rethinking – so stick to wine or sake with your meal.
Why not pin me for later?!
Sally says
Wow these dishes look delish and very unique. There is nothing beter than sushi, and fresh sushi at that! I love the lightbulbs too, it really gives it a cool atmosphere.
Katie Hughes says
Thanks Sally, it’s definitely worth going for a special meal, next time I want to try more of the sashimi and sushi.
Candy says
Wow! The images of the food look amazing. And the place itself is stunning. I would go just to have a drink to enjoy the atmosphere. I really love gyoza and never had one that was made with wagyu, so that sounded really tasty (minus the truffle. not a huge fan of it :)).
Katie Hughes says
There was a lot of truffle and other luxe ingredients in the food Crystal – but I’m sure you can ask for it without!
Hallie says
Too bad the first roll you had wasn’t too appealing but the rest of it looked great. The ambiance looks especially appealing. I love a ceiling of lightbulbs! I’d totally try that place out if I was in the area. ^^
Katie Hughes says
Yes it’s a pretty special place Hallie
Megan Indoe says
I have been craving sushi as we speak, so this is teasing me! I would have ordered the tuna maki roll myself, sad to hear it wasn’t so great! We are currently in Ohio where you can’t find the greatest sushi, so perhaps that’s why I’m craving it more! The Samba Salad also sounds interesting to try!
Katie Hughes says
The Samba salad was super tasty. I know what you mean about sushi – once you’ve had it you can’t go back! I love it after eating big rich meals at this time of year – evens things out Megan!
Carmy says
I love their little dangly lights! It really adds to the atmosphere! I love how they plated the mochi, definitely different.
Katie Hughes says
Yes it was very unusual Carmy
Shane says
Sushi is one of my favorite foods and this restaurant looks luxurious! Would love to dine here one day.
Katie Hughes says
It’s worth visiting Shane!
Stephanie says
Wow, all of that food looks amazing! I would love to get that dessert with love from Rio. I love dessert though. The cod and the tempura look delicious too. And I bet the view of London is so beautiful too. It’s such a pretty city.
Tara says
Great review. I’m smitten with the view and totally love the presentation of all the dishes you tried. I would definitely check this place out. Oh, and thanks for the tip about the cocktails.
Paige Wunder says
I’m sorry that the sushi wasn’t all that great, but it does look a little weird! I too am a truffle fan so I would love the oil use! Thanks for sharing an honest review!
Swati & Sam says
I am literally salivating right now. 🙂 The food looks so yummmm!!! and the dessert looks tempting. The ambiance of the place also seems to be nice.
Kelly says
This makes me want to try it even more. I work in London and I constantly hear how good it is. Your pictures are greT I’m definitely going to have to try it this year.
Katie Hughes says
I hope you get there Kelly!