Buttermilk chicken waffles with maple syrup is my new favourite dish. I mean, just look at this picture… see how pretty it is? Trust me when I say, it tasted even better than it looks. I won a fabulous competition on Instagram a few months ago which allowed me to take myself and one guest to Rooftop Radio Bar, situated on the 10th floor of ME London Hotel. With amazing views across the London skyline and the Thames, the experience was a perfect champagne brunch filled with various photogenic dishes.
It was a bitter cold weekend but Josh and I decided to sit on the terrace with various other groups of people. It was a very long terrace which stretches out across the top of the building, giving a panoramic view of London, which was pretty spectacular. We were both wrapped up snug in our parka jackets and had blankets thrown over our laps whilst sitting next to a blaring heater. It was quite the setting if I do say so myself. Rooftop Radio Bar is a great place to sip champagne over brunch and they also have a great (but pricey) signature cocktail menu. Lucky for me, I had won £100 to use on whatever I wanted – both food and drink – so of course I opted for some champagne before browsing through the menu.
I look pretty chilled here, right? Two glasses of Laurent Perrier Brut (£15) later, we had already used up £30 of the prize money but this didn’t stop us from ordering a great selection of dishes to try from the menu. Albeit a small list of brunch options to choose from, they serve a selection of french toast, waffles, crab omelettes, sandwiches, breakfasts and steak. There are also sweet dishes thrown in for good measure. The meals range from £12-18 and can be accompanied by a selection of side dishes.
Deep fried Mac and Cheese Balls
If you know me, you’ll know that I’m a sucker for anything golden brown and deep fried, so naturally I ordered a plate of these little beauties. However considering you are expected to pay £4 for them, I would least expect a few more as you receive only three per serving. Reasonably sized, crunchy on the outside and gooey on the inside, they were a delicious starter. The only downside is, I wanted more (or maybe ten).
Chips, parmesan, jalapenos in gravy
Alongside the mac & cheese, I decided to order some jalapeno chips (£4). Although the food was fancy, we were surprised to find that our sides came out a bit too early before our mains. so we ended up eating them before our other dishes arrived. These chips were pretty spectacular though, big chunky potatoes covered in a sticky gravy really made me excited to see what my main meal would bring.
Considering my meal of buttermilk chicken and waffles would have cost a whopping £14, I was really impressed with the quality of the food. But again, I didn’t feel like there was enough on my plate. The chicken, however, was perfectly tender with a crunchy golden batter. The waffles were freshly made, and accompanied by the oozing maple syrup, you could say I was a very, very happy lady.
Steaks, Chips and Egg
As our meal was free, naturally, Josh decided to order the most expensive thing on the menu. At £19, the NY strip of steak is accompanied by one hen’s egg and triple cooked chips. I’m pleased to say this steak was cooked perfectly at medium rare, and was extremely tender. I feel the food looked incredibly instagrammable that day which is why I’m pretty pleased with how the photos turned out.
The service was pretty great as we were asked multiple times if we were happy and if there was anything that we needed. As the day hit 2pm, tables started to fill up quickly with large groups and families which is always a good sign. Brunch each Saturday and Sunday starts from 11am – 3pm, so it was clear that people were hungry for decent food. Once we let our food slide down, we ordered some extremely delicious puddings.
Apple Crumble and Vanilla Ice Cream
There’s always room for dessert, am I right? This twice baked apple crumble and vanilla ice cream (£7) was oh-so- heavenly. You can tell that the food is made from fresh as the apples were still gooey and bubbling underneath the buttery crumble topping. The ice cream melted on top so quickly, so naturally I had to throw as much of this piping hot dessert into my face before time ran out.
Montgomery Cheddar and Eccles Cake
Josh didn’t fancy a sweet dessert (but he’s happy enough to steal mine!) so opted for some cheese and cakes which were £8 instead. As you would expect, the cheese is as standard and the eccles cakes are made with currants and golden brown flaky pastry with butter. They accompanied the cheese fairly well, but seemed a little to dry for my liking. After sipping on a few coffees before heading off, we thanked staff for their great service and for allowing us to redeem my competition prize with them. I would say that even though the dishes are great and had a relaxing time, it’s the view that truly makes the experience worthwhile.
ME London, 336-337 Strand, London WC2R 1HA
Radio Rooftop also plays host to English Afternoon Tea served Monday to Friday 12:00pm – 5:00pm. I won £100 and all food and drinks were complimentary. Rooftop did not ask me to blog about my experience.