Oblix — Restaurant in London

So I’ll preface this with the fact that I was a tourist and this was my first afternoon tea, so I’m not sure if my experience was due to not understanding the mannerisms or culture, but it was not what I expected after reading the previous reviews from here. My friend and I were running late to our afternoon tea reservation and called in to notify them, the person who answered the phone was very kind and helped move our timing. Our afternoon tea experience was then below expectations. We were seated right as we arrived and the restaurant wasn’t packed, so we were able to have a great view of the skyline. The server was extremely kind, explaining how afternoon tea works (unlimited teas and different types for 90 minutes with some finger sandwiches and desserts), and took our first round of orders. Tea came out nicely as well as my cocktail and sandwiches and desserts followed. The beginning was great, we had a nice view, good drinks and nice ambiance. The issue came when our server would hardly come back to our table to check up on us. I finished my tea, cocktail, and tap water and sat for over 10 minutes waiting to order again. Even when we did put in our second round of drinks, we never got our tap waters refilled. Teas came out maybe 10 minutes later, my tea was correct, but my companion ordered black tea and they brought out peppermint. Also not a huge issue, simple mistake that could just be fixed by steeping and bringing out the correct tea. This tea didn’t come out for 15-20 minutes, and by then we had gotten tired of waiting for drinks, got up ourselves and took the tap water bucket to refill our own cups. We then had to grab the attention of another employee regarding the tea, which then was brought out within a reasonable timing. Another note to add, when she got her second tea, we noticed they changed her cup and filter so the flavor of the previous tea wouldn’t mix in. This did not happen for mine. At this point, we were basically out of time and we wanted to leave because although the view was nice, we didn’t want to overstay the timing. It was frustrating that we were basically sitting and staring into London for most of this experience. So basically, experience was not worth the price we paid for it, didn’t feel like I got a chance to try all the teas I wanted to.

Some positive things to note if you do choose to go, sandwiches were good, small but flavorful and complimented the tea pairings. Desserts were okay, we didn’t enjoy them as much. Teas that we were able to have were delicious, and the cocktail with lychee and hibiscus was amazing. We weren’t able to sit at a table next to the windows, but the view could still be seen clearly from our seats. I took pictures in the beginning, but it was aesthetic, just wished the service was better...

Dining at Oblix West at The Shard with my wife was a memorable experience from start to finish. A big thank you to Ozan, our waiter for the evening, who went above and beyond to ensure everything was tailored to our dietary requirements. His attention to detail and warm service made the evening even more enjoyable.

We began with a selection of starters that set the tone for the night. The spicy tuna tartare with avocado and citrus was perfectly balanced, fresh, and full of flavour. The Carlingford Lough rock oysters, served with a shallot vinaigrette and Oblix’s own tabasco, were smooth and sharp in equal measure.

The burrata with olives, granola, and datterini tomatoes was creamy, light, and refreshing. Another highlight was the crispy buttermilk halal chicken with honey, lime, and chilli glaze. It had the right mix of sweetness, heat, and crunch, making it hard not to go for seconds.

For mains, we tried the cedar-smoked black cod with jalapeno and lime, which was beautifully cooked, tender, and infused with smoky depth.

The dry-aged rib-eye was equally impressive, cooked just right and packed with flavour. A big thank you to the chefs for arranging halal meat, which meant I could enjoy the rib-eye with complete peace of mind. It’s not always easy to find fine dining restaurants in London that make the effort to accommodate halal requests, and this thoughtful touch really stood out.

We ended with the dessert platter, which gave us a bit of everything to share. It was indulgent, varied, and the perfect way to round off the evening. Alongside the food, we enjoyed some boujee mocktails that were refreshing, beautifully presented, and matched the experience.

Dining here is often associated with the breathtaking views of London from The Shard, but I have to say the food itself is the real star. Each dish was cooked and presented with care, and the flavours matched the stunning setting. The atmosphere felt relaxed yet elegant, ideal for a date night.

Overall, Oblix West delivered on every level: food, service, and setting. Ozan’s service was exceptional, and his care for our needs made the evening even more special. The chefs also deserve thanks for creating a menu that was both accommodating and delicious. People may come for the views, but the food is truly heavenly.

I would highly recommend Oblix West to anyone looking for a dining experience that combines world-class food with...

It was my son’s birthday celebration. We had previously been to the ritz and corinthia and decided to try oblix this time. Unfortunately it was not a pleasant experience.

I explicitly called Oblix to say it was my son’s birthday celebration and I was told they would do the birthday candle for my son.

The servers were not informed and I had to ask the server to bring it. He decided to bring it before clearing the table and when I asked if he could clear the table so I could then take the picture with the candle, he went away to serve other people. Then he came back now and again to clear one item at a time. It was frustrating as we were waiting for him to clear it. In the end decided to move all the cups and pots to my side of the table so I could take the picture of my son with just the candle desert on its own.

Cutlery was being held from the fork and knife side when placing on the table and felt unhygienic.

When the tea was changed the server just put the new pots of tea on the table without changing the cups. We asked if the cups could be changed and she asked us to hand her the cups so she could put it on her plate rather than to get them by herself. Then she didn’t change the tea strainers which had residue leaves from the previous teas. Had to ask someone else to come and change them so we could pour our different flavoured tea into our cups. It’s a simple task- change tea? Make sure to check if it’s same or different flavour to previous. If different then change cups and strainers.

We had asked for an afternoon tea without the chicken, everything else on the non- veg tea was fine. We were handed a vegetarian menu on arrival! Had to explain that it’s not what we requested.

Definitely not worth the money or the view. If we had a good experience, the view would’ve complimented it but it was utter chaos and having to ask for things again and again, serving staff not properly trained or brought in last minute? Who knows. Certainly if I’m paying good money for my afternoon tea, I do expect a good service.

The food was subpar. Nothing special. Deserts were difficult to eat as peculiar taste.

If you’ve been to high end afternoon teas then please don’t go to oblix thinking it will be the same. It’s very different.

Would...