What is it about being by the waterside? Even in the middle of cities, rivers just seem to draw people towards them. As testament to this, you need go no further than London’s South Bank, a place that over recent years has shaken off its earlier dour character to become a hotspot with markets, restaurants, stalls and street performers – not to mention, of course, its theatre, music and art spaces. And, oh yes, a little thing called the London Eye.
Photo @nationaltheatre
The area along the riverside embankment has a buzzy, yet laidback vibe, especially at the weekends when you have all the second-hand book stalls under Waterloo Bridge that have been there for decades, alongside pop-up restaurants and food stalls, as well as the South Bank Food Market tucked in to the side of the Royal Festival Hall.
One of those pop-ups has now become a permanent restaurant located under the Royal Festival Hall. La Gamba (created by the Applebee Brothers of Applebee’s Fish fame in Borough Market) is inspired by the food of Galicia in the northwest of Spain. So you can expect plenty of fish (garlic king prawns, deep fried baby squid), alongside spicy chorizo (this sneaks into several dishes), and Spanish staples such as patatas bravas, albondigas (meatballs) and tortilla. In fact, they have a tortilla special each day.
When I went along for Sunday brunch, it was the mushroom version and quite delicious. You can choose from the main menu or go for the brunch that comes with a jug of sangria with a base of either red or white wine or, for extra fizz, cava. Galician food is definitely on the hearty side and even the Padron peppers seem gigantic here. 
Top tapas include Huevos Rotos con Chorizo (fried potatoes with chorizo and a fried egg) and – this was quite delicious – roasted aubergine with a romesco sauce, topped with goats’ cheese and hazelnuts.
They even have desserts (completely beyond me at this stage – as I said, definitely hearty fare) including Burnt Basque Cheesecake and, of course, Churros con Chocolate (if you’re really, really not concerned about calories). It’s all a very pleasant way to while away a couple of hours on a sunny weekend.
The South Bank has quite a few destination dining spots these days. There’s Skylon inside the Festival Hall itself with a glam-retro vibe and fantastic river views. The only Trinidadian restaurant in central London is here, Limin’ (Trinidadian slang for relaxing) and comes complete with a sandy beach bar area. The Archduke is just under the railway arches of Waterloo Station and serves excellent steaks alongside live jazz every night. The Oxo Tower offers the finest dining and, just a little further down the embankment, the Swan at the Globe has modern British cuisine with river views to die for. Summer on the South Bank. Sorted.
For more details of La Gamba’s summer menu, and for reservations, please visit www.lagambalondon.com.
Header photo: @tranvfood (courtesy of La Gamba)
