RS Hispaniola (Bar, Restaurant)

Top 10 things to know about RS Hispaniola:

1) “Boat food” is generally considered to be only a small step up from airplane food, summoning images of cramped kitchen quarters, identikit cruise ship buffets and seasickness. But the RS Hispaniola, one of London’s best floating restaurants, permanently moored by the Hungerford Bridge at Embankment, does an excellent job of dispelling these unfair preconceptions, offering excellent cuisine and hospitality.

2) Open for lunch and dinner, Hispaniola offers a wide range of options for the peckish river-dweller, from a reasonably-priced set menu to à la carte selections and light bites.

3) The Upper Deck boasts impressive views of the South Bank and the London Eye over the river, especially from its outdoors section. Down below, the vast Main Deck can be deployed for large functions and events; while the smaller Officer’s Mess is ideal for catered conferences and meetings.

4) We heeded our host’s suggestion and opted for the ham hock terrine and smoked mackerel mousse for starters - an enjoyable assault on the tastebuds that set up the main course perfectly.

5) Next up, fishcakes in saffron sauce and rib eye steak offered a taste of haute cuisine (“boat cuisine”?) not normally associated with the high seas. We’ve come a long way since Sir Walter Raleigh navigated his way round the globe, picking weevils out of seabiscuits, and thankfully so.

6) For dessert, a gluten-free chocolate torte with raspberry sauce, and delicious stem ginger cheesecake. Finishing our third course was a struggle, to be honest, but we saw it through out of sheer professionalism and journalistic integrity.

7) Our meal was accompanied by fine wines handpicked by our host, and a nifty Old Fashioned courtesy of the well-stocked bar, situated at the far end of the Upper Deck. By the end of the evening the slight roll of the waves underfoot was indistinguishable from the more familiar, alcohol-induced kind.

8) The Hispaniola’s staff were helpful and courteous throughout, and the chef even made a brief cameo from the galleys, to see how we were enjoying our meals. They obviously run a tight ship, quite literally, with everything accounted for right down to the ebbing of the tides.

9) The ship teases with intriguing events such as monthly Murder Mystery nights and the sporadic appearance of an Elvis impersonator in the venue’s Pinkton Parlour. Its waterfront location also makes it a popular destination for revellers on New Year’s Eve, with a sit-down meal accompanied by live performances and all the usual festivities and fireworks overhead.

10) The RS Hispaniola is a great venue for anyone looking for thrills and nautical spills by the banks of the river Thames - get on board today, with or without your sea legs....read more