TING, London Review

TĪNG is a fine dining restaurant located in the Shangri-La Hotel in The Shard in London. The view you’re treated to over London while dining at TĪNG sets this restaurant apart from its more grounded competitors. If you’re lucky, as we were, you will have the chance to dine with views over Tower Bridge and the meandering River Thames. Views aside, the dining experience alone is something to shout about.

The service is highly attentive, the chefs are highly-skilled and accomplished, and each dish has been curated with taste at the top of the agenda. The menu isn’t overly fussy, but fussy wasn’t desired and there was more than enough wonder to this dining experience to keep it firmly in our memory.

We started our evening with an aperitif, two glasses of Duval-Leroy Fleur de Champagne Premier Cru. An appetising, fresh champagne, perfect to whet the palate for the evening ahead.

“You can’t fail to have a memorable evening, we certainly did.”

To begin I ordered the Dorset Crab, with sourdough, watercress, and a bomano oil sorbet. The crab was fresh and delicious, and the sorbet added an interesting and most enjoyable flavour to the dish. My partner started with the Duck Foie Gras, with English strawberry, and Granny Smith apple and a red onion sorbet. Another superb first course, the presentation is mouthwatering and the flavours are well executed.

Moving on to our main course, we decided to order the Bison Rib-eye and Short Beef Rib for two. The Bison was expertly prepared, it was juicy and full of flavour. This was served with peas, dauphinoise, and roasted jus. The Bison was wonderfully presented and served table-side, allowing us to see the dish being skillfully crafted. We added sides of sauteed baby spinach and creamy mashed potato, two sides most welcome which completed our feast wonderfully, each mouthful was a joy to taste.

To complete our evening, I ordered the Coconut Rice Pudding, served with mango textures, passion fruit, and a mango sorbet. Coconut and mango make for the perfect marriage in taste and this dessert is a wonderful example for these flavours. My partner ordered the Exotic Tapioca, an exotic fruit compote, with rice cracker and guava gel. Another delicious dessert and the rice cracker and guava gel provided an interesting taste to complete our culinary experience.

Our choice of wine for the evening was a bottle of 2009, Chateau Haut Segottes, Saint-Emilion, France. A full-bodied red with dark fruits, a strong hint of oak, and the perfect accompaniment for our chosen dishes.

The views are spectacular at TĪNG, and combined with the excellent range of dishes on their menu you can’t fail to have a memorable evening, we certainly did.