BUILT atop one of Europe’s tallest towers, the Shangri-La Shard, located in the heart of London’s revitalised and reverberating East End, at last brings the renowned Asian hotel chain, Shangri-La, to London.

Opened in 2012, the Shangri-La itself was designed by FM Architettura di Interni, a team best known for their skills in mega yachts and luxury residences, and this repertoire carries itself into the hotel. The team’s abilities with functionalism and space were put to the test with the building’s sloping shape. They opted for a refined palette of champagne, citrine and bronze; the interior is minimal and stylish but it’s the views that really make this hotel. With a 180° panorama of one of the world’s most iconic cities, the rooms offer mesmerizing vistas.

The restaurant also boasts some outstanding views and on clear days guests can see as far as the historic counties of Kent, Surrey and Sussex as well as the closer sights of the meandering River Thames, Tower Bridge, Maritime Greenwich and Canary Wharf. If you can tear your eyes away from the window you might also find something worth looking at on your plate.

Helmed by chef Gareth Bowen, TĪNG restaurant serves traditional elements of British cooking with Asian influences. Bowen grew up in the idyllic New Forest in the South of England and was taught from a young age the value of seasonal local ingredients, his boyhood suppers often consisting of rabbit and wild game hunted by his father. Signature dishes at TĪNG include hand-dived scallops from the coast of the Northwest Highlands, cooked a la plancha and served with carrot, ginger and a light yuzu and grape seed oil dressing, or organic Welsh lamb from Rhug Estate, glazed with mirin, sake and soy sauce and served with root vegetables and Kentish apples.

It takes only a breathtaking 26 seconds to reach the top of the 1,016ft tower, and this hotel stimulates all the senses. A charming team complete this experience, with attentive and exceptional service delivered with the Eastern hospitality for which Shangri-La have long been famous.

Images courtesy of Shangri-La

Published 01/11/2016 at theglassmagazine.com