Lasdun, on the South Bank in London and named after the architect Denys Lasdun, is a hugely welcome addition to this particular tourist patch, even before a pan had been picked up or a menu written. That’s because it’s a new restaurant by the people behind the much-loved Marksman, a Hackney gastropub that’s been offering thoughtful, hearty cooking and fine ingredients since 2015, and has become shorthand for “dependably good”.
Not much on the South Bank has the benefit of this kind of reputation. Yes, the strip between Waterloo Bridge and Tower Bridge is replete with restaurants, and there is food everywhere, yet there’s not a jot you really want to eat. The area is a sea of Las Iguanas, Strada, Côte, Giraffe and about 25 other chains all seemingly with the sole purpose of being convenient places to meet, and serving airport food with such a dearth of love and attention that it is barely eating at all – rather simply something to consume while sitting down.
