Butlers Wharf Chop House

A stunning location by the river, classic English food and relaxed surroundings, The Butlers Wharf Chop House is an ideal place for lunch or dinner, especially for those with hearty appetites. London is a city that is gradually learning to use the opportunities offered to it by one of the country's major rivers, and with Tower Bridge, arguably one of the finest of its kind in the world, right on the doorstep, Butlers Wharf Chop House has not been slow to take advantage.

The spacious, airy restaurant is based on the idea of a traditional English boating house or cricket pavilion with oak lined walls and comfortable solid seating. During the summer the doors can be opened onto the riverside terrace providing outside seating and letting the diners inside benefit from the good weather too.

Head Chef Winston Matthews takes pride in making the most of Britain's natural resources and culinary heritage. His food is simple and traditional with an emphasis on flavour, not flourishes. Winston is an ardent supporter of all things British - from showcasing classic and forgotten English dishes on St. George's Day, to his infamous squirrel and rook stews, and an offal menu for some nose to tail eating.

The day starts at 8am with breakfast, ranging from kedgeree, through Loch Fyne smoked salmon and scrambled eggs to the full English, black pudding, Gloucester Old Spot sausages. The location makes it an ideal setting for a breakfast meeting or a leisurely weekend brunch on the terrace.

Lunch and Dinner menus could include potted Morecambe Bay shrimps; tankards of whelks, cockles, mussels, and prawns all served in their shells with mayonnaise to hand. Moving on, steak and kidney pudding, with or without oysters, as you prefer, is a good antidote to a hard morning on the Exchange floor, with champagne to celebrate if it finally went your way. All the way from Castle of Mey comes their superlative Scotch beef, with Yorkshire pudding and roast potato to complete the dish.

From Suffolk a cut of pork loin with watercress mash and Bramley apple sauce, but few dishes seem more English than grilled sea trout with purple sprouting broccoli and English butter sauce. A fisherman's pie has a proper Cheddar crust, with mashed potatoes to fill any places the pie misses.

As well as featuring British cheeses and savouries, Winston's nursery style puddings such as sticky toffee pudding with clotted cream; poached rhubarb tart with red wine jelly and bread and butter pudding, are not to be missed.

The Chop House has a comfortable bar, with a set menu at incredible value that features some of the classic dishes from the restaurant, and a set menu of daily specials. The bar stocks a fine range of traditional English beers including Hook Norton and Black Sheep Ale. The bar also offers a brunch menu for the weekends - what could be more civilised than sitting out on the terrace of a sunny Saturday morning absorbing brunch and the morning paper before moving on in the fullness of time for a little mild activity, defying the famous Churchill dictum.

For more information and to view The Chop House menu in full, do visit their Website.