Gherkin to make Oxo crumble

It is the restaurant that will rival the Oxo Tower as London's best dining view - and already it has been dubbed the "erotic gherkin". Today the Evening Standard reveals the spectacular view from the top of the Swiss Re tower at 30 St Mary Axe. The tower's restaurant will become London's highest dining venue when it opens early in 2004.

The £150 million building is the second tallest in the Square Mile, giving the restaurant a virtually unimpeded view across London's skyline - certain to be a draw for expense-account diners hoping to impress clients.

It is the latest contribution to London by Lord Foster, the award-winning architect behind the Millennium Bridge (famous for its now-cured wobble) and the so-called "glass testicle" of City Hall.

The 590ft tower will be home to 3,000 office workers - and up to 60 diners - and replaces the Baltic Exchange, one of London's most historic buildings, which was badly damaged by an IRA bomb in 1992.

From the bar on the top floor under a glass dome the panoramic view of London will be broken only by Tower 42, the former NatWest tower, which is the tallest building in the City. From the restaurant on the floor below, diners will face west to Canary Wharf.

The only off-putting part for diners will be the tower's "erotic gherkin" nickname, given to it when it was still on the drawing board. The moniker shows no signs of fading, even as the full height of the glass-clad building becomes apparent.

Ken Shuttleworth, director of Foster and Partners, said it would be "a new landmark for London".

The tower has been designed to use no artificial heating or ventilation for six months of the year, making it what Mr Shuttleworth described as "London's first truly sustainable skyscraper".

He added: "It will be a civilised place to work - a series of 'villages' and internal gardens, not featureless open spaces." The Baltic Exchange site has stood vacant since 1992 due to a battle between conservationists and developers over whether to build a bold new design or reconstruct the Edwardian building.

The new design has been praised by architectural critics who have compared its spiral patterns of glazing to an Eighties disco dress.

Swiss Re, the insurance company that is building the tower, is still to finalise who will run its restaurant and what kind of food will be served.