Weekly Review: Legare

Tower Bridge gem deserves to be a destination.

Quick hit: Simple. Clean. Whitewashed. Comfortable. Great Italian.

Details: Booking advised. Tower Bridge / Bermondsey. £££.
Restaurant website. More on Instagram and from Michelin.
Find it on Google Maps. 31G Shad Thames, Tower Bridge, SE1 2YR.

There was a time when La Pont de la Tour was one of London’s top restaurants. It was the dawn of New Labour, before most people had heard of Peter Mandelson and long before John Prescott had punched anyone (on camera).

Barely four weeks into office, Prime Minister Tony Blair hosted U.S. President Bill Clinton at the riverside restaurant, along with their wives. Over rabbit, wild salmon, and Bollinger, the two couples contemplated the victory of western Democracy and planned a progressive, globalised future, with an economy powered by liberal principles and investment made possible by the end of the Cold War. It was “the end of history,” as Fukuyama told us, and they were the first “last men.”

28 years later, Fukuyama’s argument, which seemed idiotically naïve at the time now seems merely quaint. Globalisation is dying. “National interest” is new-again geopolitical force. And La Pont de la Tour hasn't ranked among London’s best restaurants since before Gordon Brown saved the global economy from a self-inflicted total collapse.

Indeed, the whole area near the south end of Tower Bridge is a bit bereft. Sure, there’s an Ivy and a Gaucho and a Pizza Express. At a slightly higher standard, there’s a Gunpowder for excellent curry. But nothing truly stands out.

Except for Legare.

In today’s more modest world, where no British PM would be caught drinking Bollinger — it’s Nytimber or bust — we can more easily imagine Kier Starmer hosting a foreign leader at simple, quiet, but brilliant Legare. Although these days, his guest seems far more likely to be the Canadian Prime Minister than the U.S. President.

Legare started quietly in 2019, with Matt Beardmore moving over from Trullo to helm the kitchen. It really hit its stride following COVID lockdowns, and received a Bib Gourman from Michelin in 2021.

The vibe is simple. Clean. Whitewashed. Comfortable. There’s an impossibly small open kitchen and a little counter for a solo drink and nibble.

The wine list is fantastic. A well-tailored selection of Italian wines, mostly from the south and Sicily.

And the food is wonderful.

We started with salt cod fritti. I’m not normally a huge fan of salt cod, but these little fritters managed to balance the fishy experience with creamy richness. Smoked mozzarella with violet artichokes were similarly well balanced. The cheese would have been too much on its own, but the artichokes made the experience just right.

Delicious dishes at Legare near Tower Bridge

For mains, it was pasta. My ox cheek ravioli were first rate. The pasta obviously homemade. And the ox cheek wonderfully cooked for hours before being incorporated into the ravioli.

The highlight was homemade spaghetti with clams. A sauce had been made by essentially melting spicy nduja into white wine. Crispy, shaved asparagus gave the dish a hit of green crunch. It was a triumph.

Spaghetti with clams and sauce made from nduja was the highlight.

Dessert was an unbelievably delicious pistachio cannoli. The casing was crazy thin. The filling was a lovely mix of ricotta, pistachio cream, and a hint of lemon juice. I could have eaten ten. I wish I had.

Delicious pistachio cannoli.

Quality of service matched the quality of food. The manager greeted us, and made of point of noting that we were headed to the theatre. He took personal care to ensure that we would be in our seats on time. And helped choose an outstanding Sicilian white from Etna to enjoy with our meal.

The whole experience was positively outstanding.

And of course Lagare is for professional lunch. It would be the perfect place to take a client or colleague for an important conversation or to impress a foodie with a great place that they probably haven’t encountered.

I’ll be looking for an excuse to get back very soon.

Thanks for reading this week’s review. Have you been to Legare? Would love to hear your impressions.