Aqua Shard

What Aqua Shard does

Aqua Shard is a contemporary British fine dining restaurant located on Level 31 of The Shard in London (31 St Thomas Street, SE1 9RY), operated by Aqua Brit Limited, part of Aqua Restaurant Group. The venue leverages its location in the UK's tallest building — with floor-to-ceiling windows framing Tower Bridge, St Paul's Cathedral, and the Thames — as the central proposition, anchored by Executive Chef Mark Abbott's seasonal British cuisine and an extensive cocktail and bar program.

The restaurant operates a single-site, direct-to-consumer model with reservations managed through the SevenRooms platform on a three-month rolling window, private events handled via Tripleseat, and gift vouchers fulfilled through Giftpro. The product portfolio spans the Aqua Shard Restaurant (lunch, dinner, weekend brunch, Sunday roast), the Aqua Shard Bar (signature British Icons cocktails, non-alcoholic options, Sunset Sessions), the Peter Pan Afternoon Tea (standard £70 and Window to Neverland £95 tiers, with £2 per cover donated to Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity), and a private events business supporting groups of 9–360+ guests (with combined capacity of up to 700 guests when linked to sister restaurant Hutong). Pricing is unit-based across all service lines, with dinner à la carte, set lunches at £39 for two courses, and premium event packages.

The target customer base spans affluent leisure diners (special occasions, romantic occasions), corporate clients (business lunches, client entertainment), and private event hosts (weddings, corporate functions, celebrations). The business is supported by specialty supplier partnerships (notably Aubrey Allen for British meat), Michelin Guide UK 2025 recognition, and a marketing mix anchored to Instagram, Facebook, PR coverage, and email. Approximately 80 employees support operations, with no public revenue disclosure or external investor ownership apparent from the available materials.

Name

Aqua Shard

Legal name

Aqua Brit Limited

Website

https://aquashard.co.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Aqua Shard is a contemporary British fine dining restaurant on Level 31 of The Shard in London, serving affluent leisure diners, corporate clients, and private event guests with lunch, dinner, brunch, afternoon tea, and bar service anchored by panoramic skyline views.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fine Dining Restaurant

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Rooftop Bars & Beach/Pool Bars (THAFAEAJ)

Keywords

• Fine dining
• British cuisine
• Afternoon tea
• Private dining
• Cocktail bar

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Fine Dining Restaurant Service: Revenue from lunch, dinner, brunch, and Sunday roast service. Lunch served Monday-Friday 12pm-2:30pm, dinner Monday-Sunday 5:30pm-10:30pm (Sunday until 9pm), brunch on weekends from 10:30am. Set lunch menu at £39 for 2 courses, dinner a la carte, Sunday roast at £65 for 3 courses, brunch at £60 per person.
2. Afternoon Tea Service: Peter Pan-themed afternoon tea served daily from 11:15am-4:30pm. Standard experience at £70 per person, window seat experience at £95 per person, children's menu at £55. £2 from each sale donated to Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity.
3. Bar Service: Full bar service with cocktails, wines, whiskies, and non-alcoholic options. Cocktails from £18, non-alcoholic from £12. Sunset Sessions featuring £15 signature cocktails available Sunday-Friday 5-8pm. Bar open Monday-Wednesday until midnight, Thursday-Sunday until 1am.
4. Private Events & Hire: Revenue from hosting private dining events, corporate functions, weddings, and exclusive venue hire. Private rooms accommodate up to 30 seated or 60 standing. Full venue hire up to 200 seated or 360 standing. Combined with sister restaurant Hutong up to 280 seated or 700 standing.
5. Gift Vouchers: Sale of gift vouchers for dining experiences through Giftpro platform. Vouchers available for afternoon tea, seasonal tasting menus, and general dining experiences.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Aqua Shard is a contemporary British fine dining restaurant located on Level 31 of The Shard in London. It offers an à la carte restaurant, a Peter Pan-themed afternoon tea service, a cocktail and bar service, and bookable private events and gift vouchers. The venue is positioned as a premium dining and events destination leveraging its iconic location.

Product overview

Aqua Shard is a fine dining restaurant group operating multiple dining concepts in The Shard, London's iconic skyscraper. The portfolio consists of the main Aqua Shard Restaurant (contemporary British cuisine, Level 31), Aqua Shard Bar (cocktails and bar bites), Peter Pan Afternoon Tea (themed tea experience), and Private Events services. Additional menu offerings include Set Lunch, Weekend Brunch, Sunday Roast, and Sunset Menu. The company partners with SevenRooms for reservations, GiftPro for vouchers, and sources premium British ingredients from suppliers like Aubrey Allen. Chef Mark Abbott leads the kitchen, with the restaurant featured in the Michelin Guide UK 2025.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Aqua Shard Restaurant Dining Contemporary British fine dining experience on Level 31 of The Shard in London, offering à la carte menus for individual diners, couples, and special-occasion guests.
• Peter Pan Afternoon Tea Themed afternoon tea service inspired by Peter Pan, served at Aqua Shard for guests seeking a distinctive, family-friendly and celebratory daytime dining experience.
• Aqua Shard Bar Service Cocktail and bar service on Level 31 of The Shard, including the British Icons cocktail menu, available to walk-in guests and diners.
• Private Events and Private Dining Bookable private event and private dining service at Aqua Shard for corporate functions, celebrations, and private parties, leveraging the venue's location and views.
• Aqua Shard Gift Vouchers Digital gift vouchers redeemable at Aqua Shard for dining, afternoon tea, and bar experiences, sold online to individuals and corporate gift buyers.
• Sunday Roast Menu Sunday roast menu offered as a distinct dining experience at Aqua Shard for weekend lunch diners.
• Set Lunch Menu Fixed-price set lunch menu offered at Aqua Shard for daytime diners seeking a structured value option.
• Weekend Brunch Menu Weekend brunch menu offered at Aqua Shard as a distinct daytime dining experience.
• Sunset Menu Sunset menu offered at Aqua Shard as a distinct timed dining experience emphasizing views and atmosphere.
• British Icons Cocktail Menu British-themed cocktail menu offered at Aqua Shard as a distinct bar and beverage experience.

Quantifiable outcome

• Featured in Michelin Guide UK 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Great Ormond Street Hospital CharitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner£2 from each Peter Pan afternoon tea sold is donated to Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity (registered Charity no: 1160024) to help seriously ill children from across the UK treated at Great Ormond Street Hospital. This partnership creates a charitable dimension to the dining experience.
• SevenRoomscoreTechnology or IntegrationReservation and experience booking platform used for all restaurant reservations, afternoon tea bookings, brunch, and special event reservations. The platform manages the three-month rolling reservation window and experience bookings.
• Aubrey AllencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFamily butcher business sourcing the finest meat in the British Isles since 1933. Their philosophy focuses on finding the best with strong focus on animal welfare, supporting farmers, and protecting the environment. Their 'Looking After Our Planet' approach aligns with Aqua Shard's commitment to quality and sustainability for Sunday Roast and other meat dishes.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Oblix: Located on Level 32 of The Shard, Oblix is the most direct competitor to Aqua Shard, offering contemporary British and American cuisine with the same panoramic views. Same building, same target customer, near-identical premium positioning.
• Hutong: Northern Chinese cuisine restaurant on Level 33 of The Shard and a sister restaurant under the Aqua Restaurant Group. Directly comparable in terms of premium pricing, view-driven value proposition, and target clientele.
• Duck & Waffle: 24/7 high-altitude restaurant on the 40th floor of 40 Leadenhall. Directly comparable concept: iconic London views, premium pricing, broad all-day menu including bar service, and emphasis on the view as a primary draw.
• Galvin at Windows: Fine dining restaurant on the 28th floor of the London Hilton on Park Lane with Michelin recognition and panoramic views of Hyde Park. Closely comparable in terms of upscale positioning, views-driven value proposition, and fine dining service.
• City Social: Restaurant and bar on the 24th floor of Tower 42 in the City of London by Jason Atherton. Comparable in terms of view-led positioning, premium City of London location, and similar target customer of corporate clients and affluent diners.
• Fenchurch Restaurant: 20 Fenchurch Street (the 'Walkie Talkie') sky garden restaurants offering high-altitude London dining. Comparable in terms of landmark building location, panoramic views, and premium positioning.
• Coq d'Argent: Rooftop French restaurant in the City of London at 1 Poultry with rooftop terrace and bar. Comparable in terms of rooftop premium dining, corporate clientele, and panoramic London setting.

Broad incumbents

• The Wolseley: Iconic grand European café-restaurant on Piccadilly, comparable as a destination fine-dining venue in central London with strong brand recognition among affluent diners, tourists, and corporate clients, though not view-led.
• Sketch (The Lecture Room & Library): Michelin-starred fine dining at Sketch in Mayfair with a destination-restaurant concept, comparable on premium pricing, theatrical dining experience, and tourist/destination appeal, though not view-based.
• Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester: Three-Michelin-starred fine dining restaurant at The Dorchester hotel. Comparable as a London destination for high-end dining with strong international tourist appeal and premium pricing, though without the iconic-view component.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/aquashardrestaurant
• Instagraminstagram.com/aquashard

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Aqua Shard