Ting At The Shangri-La Hotel At The Shard, London

London never ceases to amaze me with every visit. Never mind New York being the city which "never sleeps"; London is an equally effervescent city which doesn't stand still, even for a moment. My last visit involved a somewhat packed itinerary with places to stay, things to see, and fine dining, however, the one thing all my old London friends agreed upon was I had to visit The Shard, and if possible save one night to diner at Ting in the Shangri-La Hotel.

The eye-catching Shard building is in the London Bridge area, and was designed by Renzo Piano, the legendary Italian architect who was selected by TIME as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in arts and entertainment. He's known for museum commissions, including the Morgan Library in New York, and the NEMO science museum in Amsterdam, as well as designing several famous cruise ships. The Shard, which is Europe's tallest skyscraper, and opened in July 2012 is a recent work.

The Shangri-La, which opened in May 2014, occupies floors 35 to 52 of the property, and towers over the London skyline at 309 metres tall, offering fabulous views, combined with Asian design inspiration. Location wise both hotel and building are close to London Bridge Station, Borough Market, the Tate Modern, and the Tower of London and Tower Bridge, as well as the financial district of the city. This is a hotel where you arrive on the ground floor, have to pass through security and inspection (including your bag being x-rayed) and then one of many lifts sweeps you up 35 levels to the lobby in just 26 seconds. Once you are upstairs, the views are simply jaw-dropping.

The location and decor:

If you decide to make a reservation at Ting, be sure to also make one for the Gong cocktail bar beforehand; it's a must, but ask for a window table. Although it was dark once my companion and I arrived, the sparkling lights of the expanse of London from level 52 were captivating; I could only imagine what it would be like during a summer sunset. You get to Gong by changing lifts in the hotel lobby, and what awaits you is a cozy cocktail bar with a dark, moody decor, and which is lavish in appointment. It has plenty of splashes of Asian inspired red in the plush  red cushions, red flower table centrepieces, red lacquer panels, and ornate bronze cabinets. The venue was designed by the renowned interior designer, Andre Fu, and it takes its name from 'dugong', an ancient Chinese structural element of interlocking wooden brackets used to support historical Chinese temples and palaces. And it's a strong component of the bar's intriguing interior.

As for the cocktails, many of the spirits are sourced from quality London-based distilleries such as Kamm & Sons Ginseng spirit, Dodd's gin, and Sacred gin. The menu has signature tipples such as "The Big Smoke", which mixes Dodd's gin, Grand Mariner, Tio Pepe, Mancino Rosso Amaranto and orange bitters. My companion, however, a discerning former magazine editor, opted for a "Bermondsey Bubbles" only because she was fascinated by the name; it mixed Jensen's dry Bermondsey gin with rose liqueur, creole bitters and champagne and was finished with a sugar shard.

Ting, the restaurant, is next to Gong on the same level, and shares the same amazing views and elaborate decor. It takes its name from from the words "living room", and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The executive chef is Emil Minev, his menu offering a blend of modern European dishes using top quality British sourced ingredients with Asian influences. There's also an impressive wine list created by head sommelier Anne Lomas, designed to perfectly match the menu, and featuring a variety of well and lesser known varieties, with entry-level wines by the glass sitting side-by-side with mid-range bottles and high-end vintages. For our experience the sommelier paired a different wine with each course.

The menu:

At this sort of venue choosing can be difficult with so many exotic foods on offer, and it is definitely not a restaurant experience where you worry about your waistline. To start, my companion ordered a delicious Jerusalem Artichoke soup which came with chestnut and truffle, while I couldn't resist Dorset crab, served with cucumber, mango, tomato and passion fruit. Service was swift and attentive, and although it was hard to drag our eyes away from the views, the food was definitely worth it - fresh and inspiring were our buzz words to decribe it.

The main courses were somewhat harder so we mulled over the menu with a glass of wine. In the end my companion opted for the Rhug Estate Organic Lamb Loin, which is served with sake, soy Erengi mush, apple and shiso, while I fell for the John Dory, served with sweet potato, burned butter, wild mushroom and lime. There weren't a lot of sides to choose from, but we added a creamy mash potato for indulgent comfort, and a serving of mixed leaves and cresses with a classic vinaigrette to make ourselves feel better about the potato. To wrap up the evening, although we both had little room left, we shared a chocolate ganache with candied orange and citrus sorbet - it was the one dessert we both eyed off at the same moment.

Four hours from cocktail to post-dinner coffee slipped by all too quickly. It was a wonderful experience as well as a unique opportunity to catch up with an old friend, talk about the past an the present, and for me especially to tick an essential "must-do" off my London list. Admittedly it isn't an experience for the faint hearted when it comes to your wallet, but from the cocktails and views, to the friendly and slick service and the mouthwatering food, dinner at Tin is not a mere meal out, but a dining experience.