Do look down at Duck & Waffle

With an hour on top of the Shard setting you back £25 and half an hour on the London Eye costing £17, it seems that Londoners have to pay over the odds for a fairly hasty view over the city. 

Step in Duck & Waffle on the 40th floor of the Heron Tower, a lovely (and very affordable) restaurant offering incredible views of the city, 24/7. Rather than paying to peer through someone's shoulders or wander aimlessly around a pod trying to frame a perfect shot, at Duck & Waffle you can spend as long as you like admiring the view from their tranquil dining room with some tasty grub. Perfect.

One of the best things about Duck & Waffle is that it is open around the clock, allowing diners to gaze upon a different kind of London late at night or in the early hours. My friend and I chose to book an early morning breakfast, arriving at Liverpool Street station at half 7 to a dark winter day. Feeling a little worse for wear we soon perked up on discovering that getting up to the restaurant is an exhilarating experience in itself. You travel up a glass lift, soaring 230 metres in just 24 seconds as the city becomes a toy town expanding in front of you. When we arrived there was only one other group dining so we got to sit right next to a window with an incredible view of the The Gherkin. London was just beginning to twinkle and we waited patiently with our cameras poised for the enviable sunrise shot.

The sun rising over London from best seat in the house.

Once we had got over the excitement of the stunning daybreak we turned to the menu. The prices are very reasonable, especially when you consider their size. After eyeing the plates of our fellow diners we realised that one large dish between two would definitely be enough, so bought the signature duck 'n' waffle (£15) and the sourdough toast with a selection of jams (£3.50). It was more than enough food and absolutely delicious. How the chef managed to make the unusual combination of duck, egg, waffles and mustard maple syrup so tasty at that time of the morning is beyond me, but it was one of the best breakfasts I've ever had.

The signature duck 'n' waffle dish

After a couple of cups of tea the bill came in at a satisfying £25- just £12.50 each! We had spent two hours eating delicious food, drinking tea and gossiping with London waking up in front of our eyes- a far more economical and enjoyable way to enjoy the incredible view which the city has to offer.

Splashing out? Add a bit of bubbly to your morning. The Champagne Crusta cocktail is a delicious blend of Cognac, orange and lemon liqueur, lemon juice and sugar syrup topped with champagne (of course) for £14. Just make sure you don't have too much  of a laborious day at work/college/uni afterwards!