When we visited the weather may have been cloudy and overcast but the views from the 28th floor of the Millbank Tower were astounding. We arrived at 12pm and were shown our table for brunch. This I realized was no ordinary brunch! This was Gospel at Altitude 360. As I stared out at the London skyline, picking out recognizable buildings and areas, we were taken by surprise when three gospel singers clad in long red gowns approached our table and started singing. I was silently panicking as I saw them approach, having just watched two tables nearby enjoy a soulful rendition of Happy Birthday. Interestingly though worries of embarrassment soon diminished and I truly felt very welcomed by the soft and joyful tones. But back to the menu, starters consist of a huge bread basket featuring brown sugar cornbread, pumpkin bread, brioche and rosemary and raisin bread and there are a wide range of mains to choose from, including French toast, grilled aubergines and Portobello mushroom with mozzarella, spatcock chicken, all of which are followed by a choice of five pudding. We opted for the layered grilled tuna and avocado with courgette, roasted tomato and onion rings and BBQ chicken with black beans, yellow rice and Napa slaw. After we had placed our order, the BBQ ribs with chilli and rosemary parmentier potatoes were highly recommended to us. I would never normally choose ribs off any menu, partly because a huge slab of meat on a plate makes me feel slightly uneasy but as they had been highly recommended, I had to see what all the fuss was about. The first dishes we ordered arrived first, a mere ten minutes after we had placed the order. It was served with grilled tomatoes and courgette, which was a wise addition. I was impressed with the BBQ Chicken dish as the chicken was tender and sticky and the creamy pot of Napa slaw was a delight. Delicious. A few bites in, the most gigantic plate of ribs arrived at the table. The overflowing bread board had to be moved onto the next table to us to allow space for the monster. Mouthwatering, I took my knife and fork and pulled the most tender meat away from the bone at ease, which was covered in a rich, sticky sauce. As I bit into it I cursed myself for never ordering ribs. Having already devoured one main meal each, we hastily kept going back to the plate full of ribs in the middle of the table until all that remained was a pile of bones. Wow. They were seriously good! Not deterred by the amount of food already consumed we chose two desserts off the bottom of the menu. And for once every single one appealed to me. Was I to go for the New York Cheesecake, or Mississippi mud pie perhaps? Or maybe it was to be the key lime pie. But no, my sweet tooth was begging me to go for the peanut butter brownie, whilst my boyfriend chose the waffle as he thought it would be the lightest option. They arrived and in front of me sat a dense, fudgy, sweet, nutty square of bownie, topped with vanilla ice cream and a smoothing of chocolate sauce. In front of my boyfriend sat a large, round waffle doused in fruit puree, crushed nuts and berries, again with a dollop of ice cream on top. I would have preferred the waffle to have come without the puree or berries, or the menu to have at least mentioned the accompaniments as I would have perhaps ordered something different but I could not fault the chocolate brownie. A layer of thick, dense sweet brownie was topped by light brown layer of peanut butter and crashed peanuts. Definitely one to recreate at home! As we ate, we enjoyed the fantastic tones of the London Community Gospel choir who stood to the side of the room. As the singing was in full swing, diners were seen singing along, swaying in their seats and a couple even went up to participate in one particular song. We left Altitude 360 that afternoon full of comforting food, the soulful tones ringing in our ears and beaming smiles on our faces. read more
