Bustronome London (Restaurant)

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If you catch the #BustronomeLondon bus and don't look around to enjoy stunning views like this, you're doing it wrong… ?? #TowerBridge ? .? .? .? #londoner #londonbus #naturalhistorymuseum #picadillycircus #londoneye #bigben #saintpaulcathedral #towerbridge #toweroflondon #londonlife #bustronome #bustronomelondon #quirkylondon #quirky #visitlondon #londoneats #londonfooddiaries

A post shared by Bustronome London (@bustronomelondon) on Mar 26, 2019 at 10:44am PDT

Top 10 things to know about Bustronome:

1) Have you ever imagined a day when you'd be fine-dining on a luxury double-decker bus as the familiar streets and landmarks of London cruise by? Us neither. Welcome to Bustronome, an unusual, quirky London restaurant experience you won't forget for a long time.

2) Hop aboard on the busy Embankment Road, head upstairs and let your eyes wander. The fully transformed, spruced-up dining space is complete with pebble oak coloured flooring, huge 360° panoramic windows, a glass ceiling, and smooth, eclectic music playing in the background. This is no ordinary double-decker.

3) Seat yourself down at your table and look upon the six-course gastronomic tour ahead; creative English dishes with a French twist made from seasonal ingredients. And, because the ingredients are seasonal, the menu changes according to the time of year.

4) So, how does the food taste with no kitchen onboard? For starters, the duo of fish was fresh and delicately accompanied with lightly pickled vegetables. The cheesecake of goats cheese with rosemary, and the sun-blushed tomatoes, were outstanding; creamy, smooth, and perfectly joined by onion compote and yellow pepper dressing. However, without a fully functioning kitchen onboard, the flaky pan-fried cod with mussels and ballotine of chicken with stuffed lamb mouse and tarragon could be, well, hotter. While beautifully presented, it cannot live up to the same quality as a dish straight from the kitchen.

5) Like any fine-dining establishment, service can make or break, and I am happy to report that the waiters here are absolute superstars. Dressed smartly in a waistcoat, they introduced themselves personally, and layed napkins across your lap. I have to admire the skills needed to serve while maintaining their balance as the bus gently swayed.

6) By day, you'll find yourself looking through the panoramic windows and glass ceiling to admire St Paul's Cathedral, Tower Bridge and the Tower of London. By night, the twinkling lights of London's West End, along with that smooth jazzy music, creates an intimate space. Perfect for a date perhaps?

7) I know what you're thinking - doesn't everything just spill everywhere? You'd be right if it weren't for the steady pace at which the bus is cruising at, and the clear plastic trays and grippy dinner mat that holds your dinner where it should be. Two hours of touring and zero spillages. Quite a feat.

8) Feel the sense of surrealism as your bus cruises along the streets you know so well as you tuck into your dessert of blackberry and strawberry compote. When you're drawing curious looks from passers-by snapping quick pictures, you know you're experiencing quirky London.

9) Of course, no tour is complete without a guide and at Bustronome you have your own personal, knowledgeable tour leader in the form of an Audiopen, a nifty little device that will talk to you about London's magnificent history, streets, and landmarks as the bus meanders.

10) You’ve got to hand it to Bustronome for bringing a quirky dining experience to the roads(!) of London. The food can never live up to the same standard as a normal restaurant. Nevertheless, fine-dining on a bus? That's one memorable experience worth writing home about.
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