Windows on the World
As its name suggests, Duck + Waffle isn’t the most glaringly obvious choice for a chronic coeliac, devout vegan and puritanical pescatarian. But then this restaurant puts the extra in front of ordinary. A high speed glass lift swoops customers like a ravenous transparent vulture from street level up 40 storeys in sixteen seconds of ear popping heart stopping stomach churning vertigo inducing awe inspiring spirit lifting butt clenching knicker bocker glory.
The view from our table reminds us of Roland Barthes in Camera Lucida. “The Photograph belongs to that class of laminated objects whose two leaves cannot be separated without destroying both: the windowpane and the landscape.” The great indoors and great outdoors as one. Filling the foreground is the sharp grey homogeneous city, all metallic silver angles and bottle green glass shapes. A morning mist lingers over the blurred strange hinterland beyond, merging with the hazy blue sky toward an uncertain horizon. The tip of the glacial Gherkin is our neighbour. West Coast Cooling.
Under a sea of yellow waves billowing across the ceiling, rough luxe, loud music and smooth service collide. Classic comfort dishes originally styled, it’s the sort of place does all day breakfast. Duck egg en cocotte it is then, a soft delight of wild mushroom strips, truffle and Gruyère with soldiers standing to attention. Essex beets and goats’ curd to follow, nuts giving it crunch. Hash browns and sourdough bread and elderflower cocktails please. Lunch ends on a high, well it would, with cinnamon sorbet.
