The night begins in the lift up to the 10th floor, with beautiful, dramatic views across the city. Entering into the restaurant itself is already an event - the space manages to be both vast and intimate, with dark, plush tables spread around a multi-levelled room. The floor-to-ceiling windows make the restaurant feel infinite; a glitzy, shadowy world of its own up in the clouds above London.
The service is incredibly charming — our waiter makes us feel special and very well-attended, offering personal recommendations that show off an expert knowledge of the menu. We begin with two excellent cocktails - a classic margarita (£16.50) for me, and a horchata punch (£17.50) for my companion Lola. A margarita is a surefire hit for me, but this was particularly delicious, especially after our waiter made sure to check exactly how I wanted it served.
By specifying that some dishes are meant to be one “each” on the menu, Decimo helps their diners to ascertain exactly how much they will receive as well as how much food they want. We began with the croquetas de jamón (£5.50 each), which were simultaneously creamy and light. It’s right to order one each — it’s not something you’re likely to want to share — but the portion is generous. Next to arrive was the courgette (£16), which was deliciously salty and substantial. Seared to perfection, this made for a tasty larger plate to compliment our littler dishes para picar.
The tuna and guindilla tostadas (£10 each) followed: tender, finely chopped tuna heaped onto a crunchy tostada to be savoured across a few careful bites. This was the standout for me: the quality and quantity of fish made this feel like truly fine dining, and the spice was confident but not overpowering. Decimo knows how to portion their dishes in the absolute sweet spot of creating satiation and satisfaction as well as a strong desire to order another round - which we eventually did.
Speaking of another round, by this point we were moving onto our second cocktails. I enjoyed the Decimo 75 (£16.50) whilst my companion had a pineapple tepache (£16.50), with both of us opting for something fittingly fruity and acidic to pair with the aguachile de carabineros (£37). This dish of thin slices of scarlet prawn marinated in lime juice and spices was a gorgeous twist of pink and orange prisms which tasted as tropical and fresh as it looked. In contrast with this was the pork belly tacos (£10.50 each) which, whilst maybe not as remarkable as some of the other dishes, were undeniably tasty and tender.
When we suggested this order to our waiter, and asked whether he thought it was the right amount of food, he reassuringly told us to see how we did and then consider whether we wanted more. It was at this point that we opted for another delicious croqueta each, and I enjoyed a second tuna tostada whilst my companion tried the scallops (£18 each). Our repeat orders did not disappoint on a second round, and the scallop - beautifully presented in a pale pink shell which we considered asking to take home - was an excellent addition.
Giddy on a delicious meal and with a little bit of room for something sweet, we moved onto desserts, accompanied by our third and final cocktails: a tomato margarita (£17.50) for me and the decimo licor de café (£12.50) for Lola. Whilst it was perhaps an unusual choice for a dessert cocktail, and I would probably keep it simple another time, I definitely enjoyed the novelty of my tomato margarita. For dessert, we split the tres leches (£9.50) and the chocolate mousse (£9.50). This was the best tres leches I’ve ever had - light, sweet, sticky and moreish. The mousse, too, was a brilliant way to end the meal on a chocolatey high.
Decimo is a class act through and through. Every detail is considered, and this precision pays off in a dining experience not only delicious but attentive, personal and memorable. With a sense of occasion and a lot of soul, Decimo was a wonderful night out.
