The Factory House

This blog post was updated on October 26, 2018.

The Factory House is a new Victorian era themed restaurant in London’s financial district. Its aim is to be a “refuge for the modern-day industrialist.” A bit kitsch to be sure, but with the restaurant being situated in the shadow of insurance pioneer Lloyds and adjacent to Leadenhall Market, such a Victoriana vibe makes historical sense. Beyond the atmosphere, The Factory House is a comfortable restaurant with a fully stocked bar (snazzy house cocktails too!), a solid menu and great wine list. For steak lovers, there’s a Josper grill behind the scenes ensuring an evenly grilled chunk of juicy meat.

The odds are pretty good that if you’re coming to London for work that you’ll be heading to the financial district. This square mile area known as “the City of London” is chock a block with restaurants, many of them of high calibre (and high prices!). Still, it can be hit or miss around there if you don’t know what to look for. The Factory House is more than a safe best.

As for visiting this area simply for the sake of sightseeing, a stroll around this part of town is not a bad idea at all. And for tourists interested in the City’s financial history, visiting the sites of the Bank of England, the Royal Exchange and the original Edward Lloyd’s coffee house, The Factory House provides a cosy, on-topic pit stop. Of course, with attractions such as St Paul’s Cathedral at hand, history buffs of any ilk along with architecture enthusiasts should have a wonderful time exploring the city. And obviously, you don’t need a PhD in any sort of history simply to enjoy a decent meal in a nice setting.

I paid The Factory House a recent Friday night visit and was happy to have done so. During my visit, dressed crab salad with green herb mayonnaise and “Bloody Mary” vinaigrette started my meal off in delectable style. I was just as pleased with my main course of guinea fowl with black pudding, Scotch eggs, artichoke puree and medlar plum gravy. A side of honey roasted carrots was tasty too. Brouilly Les Thibaults 2010, Beaujolais was a smart match for my main.

My dinner partner tried white onion and wild mushroom soup with Shorrocks toast and really liked it, and she had no complaints about the line-caught sea bass with cockles, crisp potatoes and sea perslane (£19.50). For dessert, damson parfait and sticky toffee pudding with clotted cream were as yummy as they should have been.

Expect the average multi course meal with drinks to cost about £50 (about $75) per person or just under. For one course with a glass of something to drink, you can probably get by paying less than £20, and still feel satisfied with your meal. Check out The Factory House’s website for info about lunch specials. Considering price point and menu, I thought The Factory House is about as good as anywhere else in the area and a lot better than most options within earshot.

The Factory House is located at 10 Lime Street, EC3M 7AA. Find out more at thefactoryhouse.co.uk.

 

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Photo: Chris Osburn