Best restaurants by the Thames

There's nothing like sunshine on the water to put us all in that holiday mood. But if you're still sweltering in the city instead of sunning yourself on the Riviera then take heart, London's waterways are brimming with restaurants where you can either get a bird's-eye view of the River Thames or sit out on quaysides or marinas listening to the water lapping against the yachts. You can even dine on a floating cruise ship and get a river tour to boot. Here's our guide to the capital's hottest waterfront restaurants...

EL FARO
This Spanish Docklands restaurant has been building up quite a reputation among clued-up foodies and sunseekers alike. Two floors of balcony and terrace wrap around the building and offer plenty of sun-soaked space in which to enjoy great views over Crossharbour Dock — not to mention some creative Spanish cuisine. Fillet steak with black truffle and manchego cheese butter (£16.95) and sea urchins sautéed with eggs (£12.50) show off the chef 's ambition. There are also classic tapas dishes like homemade chorizo (£5.50) and garlicky king prawns (£8.95), and for that real seaside feel, book 24 hours ahead for a platter of lobster, razor clams and oysters washed down with chilled cava.
3 Turnberry Quay, Pepper Street, E14 (020 7987 5511)

THE BINGHAM
Here's an incentive to tackle an energetic bike ride to Richmond if ever there was one: lunch at The Bingham, just a hop off the towpath along the river. The restaurant at this Georgian boutique hotel has a gorgeous new look with lustrous shades of gold and pearl, and it features handsome French windows that open to reveal magical Thames views. It also has a new chef, Shay Copper, whose inventive menus includes dishes such as glazed pork belly with monkfish cheeks and passionfruit mustard. When the sun's out try for a balcony table.
61-63 Petersham Road, Richmond upon Thames (020 8940 0902)

BINCHO
If you prefer to eat indoors but still want to savour panoramic river views, then Bincho on the second floor of the Oxo Tower is your best bet. This Kill Bill-esque Japanese grill special-ising in yakitori and kushiyaki (skewers of grilled chicken, meat, vegetables and seafood) offers a row of 20 or so in-demand tables with dazzling views across the river towards St Paul's in the east and the London Telecom Tower to the west. If it's raining, the restaurant will offer you 10 per cent off your bill with a Bincho rainy day card, but when it's sunny you can even get your yakitori to go and enjoy it as part of a riverbank picnic.
Second Floor, Oxo Tower Wharf, Bargehouse Street, SE1 (020 7803 0858)

LE PONT DE LA TOUR
Le Pont de la Tour is one of the iconic riverside restaurants. Tony Blair once dined there with Bill Clinton and on Monday night, when London Lite visited, our very own Mayor Boris Johnson was in attendance. It's largely frequented by movers and shakers from the City with large bonuses to spend, but don't let that put you off. With its new crustacea bar, Le Pont is still the finest choice for upscale alfresco dining and ace Tower Bridge views over some freshly shucked West Mersea oysters. For extra romance, choose some sharing dishes, such as a luxurious seafood platter at £37.50 for two, chateaubriand steak with pommes paille (straw potatoes), and a selection of mini desserts.
Butlers Wharf Building, 36D Shad Thames, SE1 (020 7403 8403)

PING PONG
The latest branch of the ever-expanding dim sum chain has snagged a plum site on St Katharine Docks, just a dumpling's throw from the Tower of London. In an area that, until recently, hasn't been well served for restaurants, Ping Pong shines out like a beacon of Eastern promise. It offers ample alfresco space by the water, with 20 tables outside and an extension for another 30 on the way. Dim sum may not be not a natural choice for the Howard's Way-style marina setting, but the menu's well geared up for summer eating with light salads of scallop and pumpkin seed, long bean and chilli or prawn vermicelli (from £2.99 to £3.99).
Quayside, Tower Bridge House, St Katharine Docks, E1 (020 7680 7850)

FENG SHANG PRINCESS
This unique, totally kitsch floating Chinese restaurant should be in every Londoner's address book. Coming across the red and gold-painted barge in leafy, shaded Cumberland Basin in Regent's Park is like stumbling into an exotic land or a theme park — disorientating but welcome nonetheless. Inside it's decked out in yellow, black and gold, with windows along one side overlooking the canal. The menu is largely Cantonese but with some Japanese and Thai influences such as black cod in miso (£25) and pat phong basil chicken (£9.50)
Cumberland Basin, Prince Albert Road, Regent's Park, NW1 (020 7485 8137)

BATEAUX LONDON
You'll need your sea legs for Bateaux London's restaurant cruises. Starting at Embankment, the glass-roofed Symphony or the Naticia will ferry you to Greenwich past some of London's most iconic sights, while you tuck into three courses of modern British grub. Lunchtime cruises (£25) are brilliant for visitors as there's a river commentary, while the evening experience (from £71.50) has a special occasion vibe thanks to a live band — London doesn't get much more romantic. Although any fellas thinking of popping the question should do so after dinner — if the answer's "no" over aperitifs, it will be a long awkward silence until you reach dry land.
Embankment Pier, Victoria Embankment, WC2 (020 7695 1800, bateauxlondon.com)