The Drift

Look. It’s good. I don’t care what anyone says. Pornstar martinis are a must. Superfoods salad, chicken on a basket… you cant complain. Music is always going. If you can get a seat in the «in between» level between one and two for a large group or just a couple of people I’d say your in for a good night.

This is an airy and spacious restaurant and bar, just down the street from Liverpool St station. We came on a very quiet Sunday for lunch. The food is fine although not necessarily anything to write home about. I had the fish pie which was hot and tasty, perfect given how cold it was outside.
On your way in/​out, walk by the lobby of the building and check out the massive fish tank!

Very lively place, the music is too loud and you have to shout to be heard, but once you got used to it, it was ok. We reserved an area for our drinks party, and was given one by the bar on the ground floor, which was jammed packed on the Friday night before Christmas. We ordered the meat platter which was fresh, hot and tasty to share. The dining area is like on a platform upstairs as from here you can look down to the bar area, and if you have vertigo can be quite scary, as it is very high up! This makes the bar like one big open plan bar.
Reasonable prices for a City bar, but it did take a long time to be served. You could die of thirst waiting for our bar tab to arrive, so I had to go and hunt for our server.

I headed for the drift for some drinks after work and it is exactly what you would expect for a bar in the area. Not my cup of tea but not offensive.
The bar is a bit of an odd shape which can mean finding somewhere to get a bit of space can be an issue when it gets busy. It started to quieten down around half 7 and became much more enjoyable.
Cocktails looked decent but weren’t cheap but the beer selection was very good. The food area upstairs was full so that may be a good sign however I didn’t see anything coming out of the kitchen.
Not the worst bar in the area but far from the best

I came here Friday after work for a colleagues leaving drinks. We the back corner of the bar area reserved. I really liked the vibe here. The bartenders were fast given the amount of people they had to serve. The prices weren’t bad at all considering it’s London. People were attractive. Overall I think this is a pretty good spot. We didn’t eat here (though I could have used some food) but I did walk upstairs to use the bathroom and saw all of the seating. It looked like it would have been a good meal. I would recommend definitely for some drinks!

We stopped here on a hot, hungover day for a cocktail in the shade (and because 2 of our party we’re wearing trainers which meant they were refused entry to Sushi Samba!). When we arrived we were told we couldn’t sit in the ground floor area, but could sit outside or upstairs. We opted for outside and ordered some cocktails. They took a LONG time to arrive! I can understand that they take a bit of time to make, but we’d ordered just 3 and the place was pretty quiet. They did arrive in beautiful glassware, were tasty, and looked the part, so the 3 start rating is mainly for the service than the drinks (and obviously no comment on the food as we didn’t have any).

Decent spot for lunch.
I had Lamb shank. It was really nice. Cooked well. Came with sweet potato mash but no veg which I found unusual.
The steaks looked awesome. Through one friend asked for medium rare and got well done (a waiter error more than kitchen error we think)
Recommend it for a working lunch. Or just a good lunch.

Nice bar at the bottom of Heron Tower but you need a BIG credit card if you intend to stay for more than one drink!

They get 1 star for stocking Sierra Nevada, but the service here is truly terrible.
We were left waiting time and time again to order drinks and they don’t even wipe down the tables between courses!
The aesthetic of this place is ok, but all in all it doesn’t work as a cohesive restaurant dining experience.
1) There’s too much food on the menu — they do everything from mediterranean mezzo through chateaubriand through thai green curry. Jack of all, master of none.
2) Too many beers on tap — they have an obscenely large selection of lagers — stella, stella black, becks vier, etc. It’s a bit Wetherspoons in that sense.
3) Too much noise — waiters and waitresses bustling past you dropping knives and clanging plates. There’s a real lack of professionalism from the staff.
Disappointing, especially as I’d been taken here by a client and wasn’t paying — that usually ups my score from the very outset!

Walked by this place after drinks in the City, and it was just so buzzing and popular that we had to pop in for a drink. It was entirely packed on the ground floor, so we went upstairs to get a better shot at the bar. The wait was long, but it was only because everyone around us was ordering fancy cocktails… the strawberry and lavender mojito looked amazing and was served in a jar, and for 8 pounds I think that’s quite a bargain! (You definitely wouldn’t get it for that price at Sushi Samba upstairs). Love the atmosphere and would definitely drop by again.

It is at the bottom of Heron Tower and definitely doesn’t have the glam of the two restaurants at the top of the tower — Sushi Samba and Duck and Waffle. It wasn’t easy to find either, because it is to the side of the building. It belongs to the same chain that operates Folly, the Anthologist etc. It has the same look and feel to it — high ceilings, benches and floral design. I went there for Sunday brunch and it was completely empty at 11am. Their breakfast menu is decent with the usual suspect of egg on toast, full English breakfast, egg Benedict etc. Wanting something different, I chose steak and egg. The portion was quite generous with two pieces of flank steak. However, the steak was thinly cut, so the meat was over cooked. The services were quite slow. Judging from the brunch experience, I don’t think dinner will be much better.

Possibly the worst steak I’ve ever had. Service wasn’t bad, just non existent. Not going back in a hurry.

Pas mal, parce que le cadre de ce bar situé au pied de la Heron Tower est vraiment top. Grande mezzanine, beaux luminaires, mozaïque murale originale dans son style vieillot, grandes tables hautes en métal pour le bar et tables de dîner en bois massifs, etc.
Pas mal, parce que les cocktaisl sont franchement bons et pas si chers que ça.
Par contre la musique est beaucoup trop forte et aucunement variée et la nourriture est quelconque (voire mauvaise pour le pad thai).
Je confirme que ça doit être un endroit sympa pour boire un coup après le boulot, mais pour y passer la soirée bof bof.

Nice place to grab a drink after work. Less great for a night out. Wasn’t a fan of the hip hop night

The Drift’s great if you work in the area and need to meet someone for lunch or a drink after the office. Although If you’ve not come straight from work, you might feel out of place as everyone else has.
The truffle fries are really moreish but there’s just too much on the food menu and I can never be bothered to read it all. Stick to the cocktails & fries!
Try and grab a table near the giant aquarium in Heron Tower lobby for an unusual view.

Good ambiance for a weekday lunchtime. Interesting setup inside: a mixture of long benches for sharing a la wagamama’s alongside private tables. It’s also located in the trendy hotspot Heron Tower, also home to Sushi Samba and Duck & Waffle.
The food was okay. The menu was extensive but nothing really jumped out. The choices actually reminded me of All Bar One. But a refreshing change from the other options in the square mile.

By far, the best brunch on my vacation. Service was charming and accommodating (thanks, Antony). Bloody Mary was sharp and enlightening. And while the breakfast club sandwich was intimidating in scope, it was well worth the effort. Just a perfect and somewhat hidden gem.

Had brunch here on a Saturday morning. It was incredible. Great breakfast drinks, super food, and excellent service. My wife and I are gluten-​free and they were great about making sure we could eat safely. I may eat breakfast here again every day until I leave London!

Went here last night with my partner for Valentine’s, and it was excellent we arrived just as last orders for food were being taken, and we were seated immediately, chose quickly, and our food was on the table in 15 minutes, despite it being busy. It was one of the best cuts of Rib-​Eye steak I’ve ever had. The staff were friendly and curteous, and a very minor dispute over the bill was settled instantly, with a round of coffees offered as a good will gesture.
Good music, great décor, friendly staff, and excellent food. Very reasonably priced too, with two steak mains and drinks rining in at about £35.00 Will be back. Thanks!

Delicious light fare from local and organic sources, matched with a quality wine selection and tasteful modern/​casual décor.

Very hip and buzzy bar/​restaurant. Enter The Drift and be greeted with a well stocked bar, impressive menu and very very good looking staff. Some of them must have been snatched from magazines and catwalks across the land. Downstairs, drinkers spill out on to the pavement which is just off the main road so there is plenty of space. Wonder upstairs to gawp at the open plan kitchen and to have some food (again served to you by beautiful people)
Drinks — Speciality beers, ciders, wine etc. the usual
Food — Something for everyone. From nachos through to steak. Really good chips too. BUT beware when ordering the burger. They only cook it one way (overdone) which is a shame.
Recommended if you’re near Liverpool Street and want somewhere new to go. I recommend booking a table if you want to eat as it gets busy.