"The Gherkin" (Swiss Re Tower)

Having visited the wonderful church of St Helen’s
nearby, I went for a business meeting at the Gherkin.
At the end of which we enjoyed cocktails on the top
floor. The experience was like swimming in the clouds.
What a conjunction of buildings made 3 centuries apart!
Yet their very difference seems to set up a curiously charged
atmosphere on the ground.
I think access is only via invite

The glass domed apex of this iconic building has ultimate wow factor at The Gherkin Restaurant. Standing at 180m and enjoying breathtaking 360 degree views, the top two floors are occupied by a bar and restaurant, both of which are accessible only to those who work in the building or pay the £1,000 annual membership fee.

The luxurious level 38 private dining rooms are available to hire between Monday and Friday but demand is extremely high. As a result 30 St Mary Axe are strict and šelective, with would-be hirers undergoing a careful application process.

The decor is modern and slick but subtle enough not to detract from the spectacular setting. The á la carte menu is sophisticated and stylish and is accompanied by an expansive wine list.

We are pleased to announce that Innerplace members can now hire any of the two private dining rooms (they seat between 8 and 16 guests) without having to undergo the usual application process.

for reservations for The Gherkin Restaurant visit www.velvet-pr.com  

Velvet PR for all London's most exclusive guestlist providers.

When this building first came up there was much critiscm that somehow it was too modern or ruined the skyline. But now the gherkin is as part of London as the tower of London and has earned its place as a landmark.

I love , love , love this building . It has to be the best modern building in the city – its quirky and interesting without being bizzare . I always look for it on the skyline when I’m in London .

My experience at the Gherkin was breathtaking! I went there with three friends for cocktails at the bar situated on the top floor and we were completely blown away by the magnificent 360 degree view. It was still day light when we got there and we were able to see the entire city and London’s iconic buildings very clearly. As the sun started to set, we were treated to an even more magical view and the atmosphere in the bar started to change, from casual chic to sophisticated and trendy. The bar was elegant and had a very airy feel, and the service was impeccable. There was a great selection of cocktails and drinks on the menu but my only criticism is that I wish there was a better selection of nibbles/bar food. I think you have to be a member of the bar/restaurant to make a booking but I had the privilege of gaining access to this amazing venue as a member of the Executive Perks programme. Overall, a spectacular and impressive experience and I would definitely recommend it!!

London is going to be sorry it made an alien egg into a major part of its skyline when the giant parasitic facehugger explodes from within!

For me that is the only thing cool about this building, that it reminds me of a couple of good films (and a couple of not so good ones).

I don’t hate modern architecture. I am quite looking forward to the shard of glass and who can’t help but admire the New York skyline, but to me this building is rather ugly and I can’t believe that it seems to be much loved (just see comments below) by tourists, but also by the locals. I guess I am in a confused minority!

Great experience - thank you!

Fantastic service to match the fantastic views!
Luckily I had visited the Gherkin years ago to see the views as on this trip, low-hanging snow clouds obscured all but the faintest outline of St Pauls!
When dining at the Searcys 40/30 restaurant in the dome of the building, you do need to provide photo id and pass through an airport scanner to gain access. Once you travel up to the 39th floor you are greeted by a hostess and can go upstairs to the champagne bar that takes over the circular top floor. Once your table is ready you will be led back down one flight of stairs to the semi-circular restaurant that takes over half of the building looking west. Obviously the views take precedence, so the furniture and table settings are plain and ultra modern. Glossy black floors and crisp white tablecloths set the tone in this membership-only club and restaurant.
We had champagne to start while waiting on our fellow diners, then some amuse bouche of foamed parsnip in a carrot crispy shell and fois gras maccaroons. Then followed a great 3 course meal of salmon, braised venison and a wonderful mille feuille dessert.
Service was perfect and totally reflects the 5-star nature of the club. Although it technically says you have to be a member to book, I think they may relax this at times so ring up and try to book in advance. There is a private dining room and you don't have to be a member to book this or private hire for large events. Definitely one of the most striking venues in London with food and service to match.

One of the few nice-looking modern buildings in London and very nice-looking it is indeed. Designed by the same architect that created the inspired Beijing Airport as well as many other fantastic architectural marvels. Not too far from Brick Lane so you can stop by and have a look on your way for a curry :p

Be careful if you want to make photos of the Gherkin because of section 44 of the Terrorism Act.
See:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/dec/11/snapshot-special...

So I'm lucky enough to have a hubby who has worked here from day one - wanna shoot me!?

Granted the views from within are incredible (we're looking over the best city in the word - so what's not to like?) .... but if you don't have a contact on the inside, don't fret.

You're still able to enjoy the architecture from the piazza that surrounds the Gherkin. Walk all the way around the building and notice that when you're standing near to the sides and you look up the top of the building has disappeared! Move back across the street, and you can see the tippy bit again(housing those with contacts). Magic Schmagick.

Drinks upstairs are great on a Friday afternoon and the food is provided by Searcy's but service and ingredients seem to be a little above their usual standard fare. Still not the cheapest of nights out, but one you'll remember.

I also had the great privilege of having dinner at the top of the Gherkin tower. What an amazing building and great view!
Just to get in was an experience in itself…it was like going onto a plane…airport security and scanners!

We went to the top floor and had pre dinner drinks and we were all blown away with the views. A 360 degree view of London and as it was summer it was still daylight and we could see for miles!
Dinner is in a separate room and this was just as good - the catering ( Searcys ) was excellent and the service first class.
I have heard that it is now easier to get into the Gherkin as corporate companies can now hire it ( still quite expensive! ) but they are not as “selective” as they were

I would love to have the chance to go back to this building. Like others, I was lucky enough to go and visit the bar on the top floor courtesy of a friend who had just started working in the building. I fell in love with this place as soon as it went up and thought I would never get to be inside it let alone at the very top! I fell in love with it all over again as soon as I arrived on the top floor and stepped into the bar. The whole experience for me was magical. The wine was expensive but I didn’t expect anything different for such a fantastic venue and view. In fact I would happily live on that top floor, I felt so relaxed and comfortable probably because it wasn’t overcrowded or noisy and the chairs helped! I hear the restaurant is good too although I didn’t go down to it. The service was outstanding too and the music as atmospheric as the building. It definitely deserves the award of “Cool Venue” which it received in 2008. If you’re lucky enough to get an invite, don’t turn it down.

I got to visit the wine bar on top floor, the views were amazing, didn’t have any drinks or nibbles though, way too pricey for my liking. That said its a statement building and a great landmark.

I have some friends who work in the tower so got in to the restaurant. To be honest, the experience is better from the outside. Inside its OK very fancy but average food (from my experience) prefer tower 42 as a venue.

One of the newer additions to the London skyline. I think the architecture of this bulding is impressive, and well worth a closer look if you are visiting the capital.

my son is fascinated by this, reading the other reviews I had no idea you could go inside it, he will be so disappointed. We walked to it - it was a Sunday so very quiet and had a quick look around the courtyard, lots of information on the Roman ruins it was built on which we didn’t know. An amazing building, an attraction in its own right.

The Gherkin! What a great name for a building! I love this iconic and beautiful landmark building, it’s another one that seems to illustrate what’s good about this city. For a start it seemed to go up almost overnight, and now there are few places in east london from which you can’t see the thing!

For another thing it’s a stunning piece of modern architecture built by norman foster, also responsible for the wobbly bridge before it was renamed the not very good bridge.

And any building called the Ghekin is fine with me! What started off as a derogatory term has become a term of endearment, this is a popular building with londoners i think.

Apparantly you can go up inside it, although i never have personally. I think i might like to in the near future though, bet it’s a great view.

This is one amazing. It is both elegant and amazing. There at 2 lifts in this building. One that takes you up to the 36th floor, then another one which takes you from the 36th onwards. Although it is great to see, it may only keep younger children amused for a short period of time. Might only be worth a visit if you are really interested in the architecture.