- Restaurant review: Atelier Coupette – Soho, London - 11 November, 2023
- How to make your Christmas cheese more sustainable with Paxton & Whitfield - 5 November, 2023
- Restaurant review: Chino Latino, London - 28 August, 2023
Madison is the rooftop terrace at One New Change, with London’s best views overlooking St. Paul’s Cathedral – it’s most well known selling point. We have previously visited to enjoy cocktails, and along with the Champagne offering, these are Madison’s staple offering. On this latest visit we tried out the Sunday brunch menu, accompanied by live music.
Madison
Knowing there can sometimes be a queue for the lift, we arrived a few minutes early to find we could head straight up to the 6th floor, rooftop bar. The staff at Madison offered us a table outside (noting that all were reserved) to enjoy a drink in the sunshine before moving indoors for food. This was an unexpected level of service as part of a brunch, admiring the view with the other beautifully quaffed customers, some from the LGBT community. This outdoor terrace is as much about photos of St. Paul’s as it is selfies.
Sunday Brunch menu
Our Bloody Mary with an £11.50 price tag (courtesy of the Ketel One Vodka) and Passionfruit Margarita (£10) arrived reasonably promptly, were well presented and former packed a real kick.
About 20 minutes into our allotted 2 hours, we were invited to move into the main restaurant space in Madison to order food. Indoors, whilst the interior is chic and modern, we were disappointed to find that the Madison’s unique selling point (views across the city) was not maximised. There are a couple of sofas by the windows, but all tables are further back meaning the ‘view’ is primarily of other diners – a complete contrast to the outside space.
The Madison menu provides the traditional ‘Sunday brunch’ offerings, roasts, and, perhaps for those diners who want to make up for the lack of view, showy starters and flatbread options. We opted for the Eggs royale (£13) and Potato bread bap with smoked salmon (£12), with another round of Bloody Mary and Mimosa – of course. The general trend with high-end and high-up venues is the ability to get away with diabolical food. On this occasion, the Sunday Brunch menu was the exception to break the rule. Perfectly cooked eggs, generous portions of smoked salmon, and an inviting potato cake made for a throughly enjoyable brunch. Nothing was too greasy, or over-cooked.
We were offered dessert, but did not have room, so opted for a peppermint tea instead.
Live Music
The live music started somewhere between 1:30pm and 2pm, and was a jazz band, but we barely heard or saw them. The problem was that the band was outside, facing the lifts, meaning diners inside had a limited rear-facing view of the band, and could hear almost nothing. We suspect that diners outside would have had a much more appreciable experience, but the smaller outdoor space means the band is enjoyed by a much smaller audience.
Overall thoughts
Booking and arriving on time are absolutely essential. Dress to impress for Sunday Brunch, as you never know who will be dining there. Cocktails and Champagne with a view are what Madison does well, and if you don’t stray too far from traditional brunch food you will not be disappointed. If you want to see the live music, we suggest specifically reserving a table outside.
Madison is located at Rooftop Terrace, One New Change, London, EC4M 9AF.
For more information and to book, visit madisonlondon.net or call 0203 693 5160.
