If you’re looking for a unique dining experience in London, you should definitely consider doing a London dinner river cruise!
Enjoy a lovely three or four course meal from the comfort of a boat, as it cruises up and down the Thames past some of the main landmarks in London.
I recently did a Dinner Showboat Experience with City Cruises, and had an amazing time. If you’re planning your own dinner cruise on the River Thames, but not sure what to expect or which one to book, this is the guide for you!
In this guide I will go over all the logistical information, menu, cruise route, what to expect, prices and more to help you choose your London cruise dinner. So let’s dive straight in!
In this guide:
Key information about a River Thames dinner cruise
Before we dive into our experience, I wanted to go over some logistical information.
Where do you board?
The pier from which your cruise will start ultimately depends from the company you do it with. We did our cruise with City Cruises and start our cruise from Westminster Pier.
This is a pretty good one to start as it’s so central and just next to the London Eye and Big Ben; two of the main landmarks in London. You can you get there early and relax, admire the view, maybe snap some fun Instagram shots.
Price
We did the Dinner Showboat, which is priced at £81 per person. This includes half a bottle of wine per person and a four-course meal. If you want a window table it’s a £10 extra charge.
Timings
Boarding commences at 19:30 and the boat departs from the pier at 19:45. Be on time since the boat won’t wait! The cruise lasts three hours and you will be back at Westminster Pier around 22:45.
Cruise route
We departed from Westminster Pier and cruised east. We went past all the main landmarks in London, such as the London Eye, St Paul’s Cathedral, the Shard and Tower Bridge.
We then cruised past the skyscrapers of Canary Wharf, the O2 Arena and all the way to Greenwich. At Greenwich we turned around and cruised back to central London, seeing all the main sights also on the way back.
Dinner Showboat Menu
We were served an incredible four-course menu. I was a bit wary that the focus of the experience would be on the cruise and the food would suffer because of it, but I was pleasantly surprised. The food was delicious.
We were served the following dishes:
- Smoked salmon mousse with king prawns and a salad for starters
- Tomato, roast pepper and basil soup
- Roasted chicken wrapped in Parma ham, served with Dauphinoise potatoes, thyme and red wine sauce and seasonal vegetables as main
- White, dark and milk chocolate truffle cake with raspberry sauce
If you have allergies or dietary requirements they can alter the menu, you just have to make sure to request it beforehand.
Our experience with City Cruises
We did the Dinner Showboat with City Cruises. As a university student in London I had attended loads of boat parties on the Thames, so I was looking for something a bit different.
I was already familiar with the experience of enjoying the London sights from the river, but the fine dining was a new and very welcome experience.
We loved the food and found it was delivered in a timely and organised fashion. We never had to wait much for our plates, which is very impressive given that you’re on a boat after all!
Throughout most of the dinner there is live music going on. There was a band playing and a singer that would wander around and involve the audience.
Once the dinner was over quite a few people stood up and joined her for a bit of a boogie on the dance floor.
If you’re afraid of having issues with seasickness, you don’t have to worry. The river is always pretty calm, there are never any waves that rock the boat. You can comfortably eat without getting sea sick.
Overall it was a very enjoyable experience. The food was lovely, the skyline of London at night is always incredible, and the showboat element was a fun addition to the evening. I can highly recommend it, it’s a must on any London bucket list!
Especially if you’re visiting London in winter or on a rainy day, it’s still a great activity. The dining area is indoors and it allows you to tour around and see London while being cosy and dry indoors.
How to book your London dining cruise
You can book the same Dinner Showboat we did here. Online you can choose your preferred date, seat and dietary requirements.
Click here to book your London Dinner Showboat!
More London Thames dining experiences
The river dinner cruise we did was the “Dining Showboat” by City Cruises, however both City Cruises and other companies offer a lot of different types of cruise dining experiences in London.
Some examples include Sunday brunch, afternoon tea or jazz cruises. Ultimately what type of cruise dining experience you choose is up to your personal preference.
Personally I would recommend doing a fancy dinner or afternoon tea, for a bit of a special occasion. For something like Sunday brunch you could explore one of the many boozy bottomless brunches in London and have more fun!
As far as timings go I would also recommend doing a dinner experience in summer. That way it will still be light when you set off and you can enjoy the beautiful views from the river.
As you cruise the sun will go down and you can then admire the beauty of the London night skyline. I’ve listed below some River Thames cruise dining experiences that you can check out:
- Jazz Dinner Cruise on the River Thames
- London Afternoon Tea Cruise
- London Sunday Brunch Cruise
- River Thames Lunch Cruise
Final thoughts on doing a River Thames dinner cruise
If you’re looking for a bit of a different dining experience, doing a London dinner river cruise is a great choice.
Even if you’re a Londoner, it gives you the opportunity to see your city from a completely different angle, while enjoying a lovely four-course dinner.
I hope this guide answers all your questions about doing a dinner cruise in London! If you have any questions just let me know in the comments below.
Looking for more London travel advice? Check out these resourecs:
- How to get around London
- London 1-day itinerary
- London 2-day itinerary
- London 5-day itinerary
- Where to stay in London for first time visitors
- 10 best places to stay in London
- The 25 most beautiful places in London
- 33 awesome free things to do in London
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