Inside London’s Batman-Themed Underground Dining Destination, The Iceberg Lounge At Park Row

5 months ago

This immersive dining experience lives up to the hype

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Inside London's Batman-Themed Underground Dining Destination, The Iceberg Lounge At Park Row

Looking for your next big night out? If the streets of the UK capital don’t appeal, you can take things underground to the criminal corners of Gotham City. Charlie Colville books a table at the TikTok-famous Iceberg Lounge at Park Row, where villainy meets fine dining for a terribly tasty evening in London.

Review: The Iceberg Lounge At Park Row

If you’re a fan of superheroes (and supervillains), chances are you’ve seen The Iceberg Lounge make its way onto your social media feed. The restaurant is part of London dining destination Park Row, an immersive DC-inspired eatery that invites guests into Gotham City’s wickedly good culinary scene. The space has had a home in the UK capital since 2021, but has embarked on a new chapter this winter with the arrival of The Iceberg Lounge.

@philc84 #parkrowlondon a #batman #dccomics inspired bar/restaurant in #london #londonlife #thejoker #dcuniverse #catwoman ♬ original sound – Phil

Much like its fictional twin, The Iceberg Lounge has been brought to London by its infamous proprietor, Oswald Cobblepot (aka, The Penguin), shaking up the menu with modern Japanese dishes and cocktails. Described as ‘a celebration of The Penguin’s love for the very best of seafood’, the restaurant’s new menu was spearheaded by Executive Chef Raymond Steplin, formerly of Knightsbridge sushi eatery Dinings SW3.

But why the sudden change? ‘Much like every great story deserves a second chapter, and every iconic film merits a thrilling sequel, we believe Park Row’s culinary journey should be no different,’ said James Bulmer, Chief Creative Officer of Wonderland Restaurants. ‘Our new restaurant represents a fresh chapter in the saga of gastronomic excellence, promising an experience that transcends expectations. We can’t wait to welcome guests to the Iceberg Lounge so they can enjoy this culinary masterpiece and embark on this exciting new adventure with us.’

And embark on the adventure we did. Alerted by the glare of the Batman signal (see: a mobile calendar notification), we made our way to the entrance to Gotham with high expectations to fight crime (see: heaped plates of food). The entrance to Park Row is deceptively unassuming, with a single set of doors leading to an old-school study. But this isn’t any old study: it belongs to Batman himself, Bruce Wayne. Note to superfans: keep your eyes peeled for the knickknacks and artworks on the walls and shelves. Once checked in by the host, you’re free to enter the Batcave via a secret door in the bookshelves, where you can then descend into the depths of Gotham itself.

Instead of the Batcave, however, expect to find yourself in the middle of Gotham’s nightlife. Set against a Grade II Art Deco listed interior, The Iceberg Lounge takes centre stage with a swanky, jazz club-themed restaurant – complete with plush blue velvet booths, an oyster bar and icy penguin sculpture. Another bar (this time of the alcoholic variety) lines the left wall, creating an alcove packed with reproductions of the some of the world’s most famous stolen art pieces, each stamped with an iconic Gotham villain’s mark.

But while the setting itself verges on the theatrical, all becomes serious when it comes to food and drink. The menus take the immersive theme quite literally, with introductions written by DC characters – but it’s the cocktail menu that you’ll want to swing by first if you want a quick taste of Gotham’s criminal underbelly. Standouts from the bar include Gotham 1939, a sweet and strong blend of apricot wine, star anise and Hennessy, Jōkā, a Japanese-inspired concoction of purple taro, passion fruit essence, peach and sesame vodka, and the icy 23 Degrees Fahrenheit, a slushy mix of Ojo de Dio Mezcal, Patron silver tequila, grapefruit sherbet and Two Keys pink grapefruit soda. For a real show, though, you’ll want The Blue Boy: a cocktail of gooseberry, toasted coconut and Bombay Sapphire poured from a replica of Thomas Gainsborough’s famous painting.

The Blue Boy

Now for the food. Diners are encouraged to share a selection of small and large plates, and can choose dishes from amongst a variety of categories. There’s a loose structure to the menu, meaning you can choose to begin with Youkoso (‘welcome’ in Japanese) starters, or dive straight into the main dishes. We picked out a mix of dishes from the menu, kicking things off with a bowl of truffle edamame to share – this was an unexpected flavour combination, but one that elevates the usual sprinkling of salt with undertones of umami – before trying a selection of small plates.

We tried our hand at avocado crispy rice, a delicious plate of bite-sized crisped up rice discs topped with soft avocado and spicy wasabi aioli, juicy yellowtail tataki drizzled with truffle soy and salsa, a pillow-soft bao bun stuffed with crispy karaage chicken and Asian slaw, and perfectly grilled beef skewers awash with a teriyaki glaze (that melted in your mouth with every bite). All were, as expected, utterly delicious.

Those who have their eye on the oyster bar can get their fill of seafood too. There’s a selection of fresh oysters to choose from (all served with shallot vinegar, ponzu, truffle soy vinaigrette, yuzu tiger milk ans frozen paloma), as well as sashimi and caviar.

If you have room to spare, it’s certainly worth having a quick look at the large plates, which span from miso black cod and Alaskan king crab to wagyu steak and robata grilled chicken.

Fans of Batman should look out for the dishes marked with black umbrellas; these are Gotham City-inspired menu items that add a little more drama to the evening, and are accompanied by commentary from The Penguin himself. One of our highlights of the evening was the ‘Why So Serious!’ Gyoza Roulette, which takes its cues from the Joker’s evil schemes. ‘I loathe The Joker’s chaotic madness, yet I’m inexplicably drawn to his unpredictable nature, like this roulette of flavour,’ comments The Penguin. ‘A blend of repulsion and envy defines my conflicted feelings towards him.’ Diners are presented with a round of mixed gyozas, and must try them one by one to find the hidden horror (aka, a super-spicy gyoza).

The dessert menu is where you’ll find most of the themed dishes, with three out of seven items stamped with the black umbrella. We dug our spoons into Knock Knock Puddin’, a Harley Quinn-inspired plate of matcha mousse surrounded by mango ginger custard and fruity compotes, and ‘Fruit Of The Earth’ Cheesecake, an aromatic Poison Ivy-themed dish with sake lees, strawberries, cucumber, tarragon and lemon balm. Both are deliciously tangy, and will leave you craving another taste of Gotham’s dark side.

The Final Word

The beauty of this dining concept is its ability to be fun for both megafans and Batman newbies, with an endless stream of tasty dishes – plus plenty of DC references – to keep the atmosphere afloat throughout the night.