Bustronome – a luxury glass-topped tour bus complete with fine dining, wine and beautiful views…
London is a city filled with surprises around every nook and cranny. It is a destination buzzing with the aplomb of a city that never sleeps and a city that no matter how many times you visit there is always more to see, more to do and more to take in. Wandering around by foot can after a while get pretty tiring, and require many fights with Google maps and gambling with traditional British weather before really getting anywhere. And not only is it tiring, but it’s hungry work too and trying to fit in the time to see all the sights from Big Ben to the Tower Bridge and everything in between as well as deciding on where to eat can be a nightmare. But what if we told you there was a solution that can marry the two? Where you can indulge in delicious fine-dining while being whisked around the city on a glass-topped double decker bus? Enter Bustronome…
Bustronome is an innovative concept that recently crossed the pond from Paris to London, following its amazing success over there. It is a bus tour a far cry from your average experience, where you sit upon stylish seats, a glass of cold champagne in hand and can recline in comfort while watching London’s most famous landmarks pass by. We recently headed to try out the concept ourselves – and were suitably impressed from start to finish.
We boarded the Bustronome bus on a wet and windy Thursday evening – suitably relieved to be able to shun our coats once stepping in the warm shelter – and were shown upstairs to our seats by a smiling waiter who disappeared and instantly reappeared with two ice cold glasses of fizz. We were impressed already. The bus boarding spot is by the Embankment pier and is easy to find. The table itself had a unique transparent hold in the middle with slots for your wine and water glasses (answering my initial thoughts of how they stop glasses of Sauvignon Blanc flying around the place as we turn corners.) We had a menu in front of each of us detailing that night’s courses, as well as an interactive map. You had an electronic remote device that you could point to any destination on the map and it would reveal information and facts about it – a tour where you get to choose what to learn about. This not only avoids a bored looking soul sat at the front of the bus with a microphone but also means you can enjoy your meal and learn about destinations at a leisurely pace. If you don’t wish to learn anything and just take in the sights while you eat your dinner, that is totally fine too.
The atmosphere on the Bustronome bus just as we set off was electric, everyone excitedly anticipating what was the come. The smell of fresh cooking filled the air as we headed off towards Tower Bridge and our first course was brought out. Dinner began with burrata and baby cabbages, garnished with nasturtium flower – it was delicious. Next up was Haddock tartar with smoked potato, then bass fillet with cream of celery and grilled leeks with the Bustronome Irish stew finishing the mains. Considering this was cooked in a small kitchen on a moving bus, this food was absolutely incredible, and it was easy to forget it wasn’t all produced in a large gourmet kitchen. Each course was crafted with so much precision and care, it almost looked too good to eat. The stew was made with tender lamb that melted in the mouth, the fish cooked to perfection, and the accompanying sides the ideal complement. The course before dessert was a delicious portion of Cornish yard cheese with quince paste and lamb’s lettuce – accompanied as with each other course by a perfectly selected wine that offset each flavour. To finish was a classic French dessert of Mango and Passionfruit Entremet – a delicious fluffy, creamy cake style pudding.
As the night wore on the sky cleared and we could make out glittering stars in the sky through the glass-ceilinged roof. The lights of the city twinkled beyond the windows and it was one of those magical experiences that you never wanted to end. Music continued to play in the background as we made our way back to Embankment where we were to disembark two and a half hours after we had left.
Bustronome is one of those truly special experiences that you will never forget. It takes sightseeing to whole new heights and enables you to see the sights of London from a luxurious and stylish setting, fine food in front of you and fine wine in hand. Every part of the experience was perfect, from the interactive map to the staff. And one thing’s for sure – we are never going to quite appreciate regular buses in the same way again.
Book your trip on bustronome and find out more information here
