Top dining establishments at Canary Wharf

[fresh_a]

Are there any good places in and around Canary Wharf? Specifically great pub food, Indians, and Italian.

[sandra]

I know you did not ask for Japanese, but Ubon is great, even better, in my opinion than it's sister Nobu - there also is a Royal China for good Chinese...

[peterpumkino]

There was bt I don't think it's there now. It's a luxurious boat called Lord Of The Glens which plies the Caledonian Canal in the Summer and berthed at Canary Wharf in the Winter as a hotel with a lovely dining room. Great Scottish Salmon.

[fresh_a]

I forgot about Ubon, where is it, and is the menu similar to Nobu?

[Tonyfinch]

I forgot about Ubon, where is it, and is the menu similar to Nobu?

Ubon is in the Four Seasons Hotel at Canary Wharf. In the same hotel is Quadrato, an upscale Italian restaurant which never seems to get reviewed anywhere but is really very good. If you want to splash out it sells the best Italian white wine I´ve ever drunk-La Bernadina , a chardonnay from Ceretto in Piedmont.

There is a branch of the Royal China chain of Chinese restaurants just in front of the hotel which does excellent Dim Sum and is packed with Chinese families at weekend lunchtimes.

[sandra]

Ubon is in the Four Seasons Hotel at Canary Wharf.

Almost... it's across the courtyard and it's the upper floors of Holmes Place, the pool is adjacent - the place is called Westferry Circus, and if you're walking from Canary Wharf tube station, about 10 minutes.

The menu is quite similar but I think there is a bit more flair and certainly better service, better view and better atmosphere...

As an aside, when you go to the loos in Ubon, you have to go down the stairs in a glass stairwell - if it's at night, and the lights in the rooms at Four Seasons are on, sometimes you will get a show... twice I have seen couples in flagrante... If you don't know what it is, you would never think the builidng across from you is a restaurant!!

[Gus]

In general Canary Wharf is terrible for food, I reckon. The main reason is that most people eating there are on expenses, which means a lack of competition in terms of quality for your money.

The other main reason is that the premises must be hugely expensive. You can't easily start a good Indian restaurant in a prime retail spot.

And finally, I think the owners of Canary Wharf impose restrictions on what kinds of businesses can locate there. Ever noticed, for example, that there are no cheap sandwich bars in Canary Wharf, except Bene Bene which apparently faced much flak because it threatened to undercut other sandiwich places. You'll also notice that the Burger King charges motorway service-station prices, not that you'd want to go there.

Anyway, the upshot of all this is poor restaurants.

The only one I really have good words for is the Nicolas. You can choose your wine in the off-license, then eat it in the restaurant with basic French food. Go and choose good wine, and the lack of power in the food will be a pro, not a con.

[Bapi]

I have the dubious pleasure of working in the vicinity, but have to say that I rarely eat out around Canary Wharf.

I would agree that most places are chains- such as Carluccios, Smollenskys, La Tasca, Gaucho Grill etc. I too have heard good reports about Quadrato and Ubon is still on my list of places to go to. Ubon is expensive but not as prohibitive as Nobu apparently. Alternatively - ITSU is a cheap place to get reasonable, if slightly westernised sushi, Chilli's offers burgers, fajitas and such like and I avoid it like the plague.

A new place called 1802 has good word of mouth reviews currently and First Edition has been popular for a number of years. Italian wise , there is Amergio Vespucci- never been , but suspect it caters for the aforementioned, over priced corporate account masses. Scuzzi, my missus has been too and said it was an ok Italian, but nothing more.

Indian - We have ventured to The Tale of India - again very standard curry house but ok. However, avoid The Dockmasters ( Indian ) at all costs. Memsahib on Thames is nearby and supposed to be reasonable

I would suggest that you venture to the The Grapes on Narrow Street( Nr Westferry station on the DLR) and have some decent seafood and a decent choice of beer

( About 10-12 mins walk from CW.)

Bit rushed so apologies, if you want more information then let me know

[Gareth]

Memsahib is pretty good. I'm not sure that its because the cooking is massively better than the best of neighbourhood curry houses, but because it does at least offer a much more interesting menu choice. And a startling view of the Millenium Dome ('would you like a turkey with your curry, sir...?').

It's right on the Isle of Dogs, just over the Blue Bridge. Most of the pubs that side of the Blue Bridge are decked in Union Jacks and populated by people with tatoos on their teeth organising charity dog fights in aid of the BNP. So, I feel doubly good about giving Memsahib my occasional business just to lend support to someone trying to carve out a niche for a relatively upmarket ethnic restaurant in that area !

[Carlovski]

Right about Chilli's - avoid like the plague.

I had to go there once - It was someone's birthday, and for some reason, he wanted to go - so off we all travelled into London (I don't think anyone actually lived anywhere near it) on a special trip to go there!

I am not averse to a bit of travel for a special dish. Unfortunately a whole deep fried onion doesn't really cut it (And that was the highlight!).

[fresh_a]

Chilli's isthe Plague!

[Clerkenwellian]

had lunch at Amerigo Vespucci yesterday. Square Meal recommends it as "a ‘life-saver’ in an area dominated by chains".

Was pretty woeful - overcooked scampi for the starter, overcooked sea bass for the main. Two people with starters and mains plus a glass of wine each came to £74 inc. service. If this is the best Canary Wharf has to offer then I'll stick to pret a manger.

[Bapi]

Oh dear, sorry to hear that, but not wholly suprised.

Try the Grapes on Narrow Street next time. Its about 15 mins walk from AV, but a much better experience all round.:)

[PCL]

What has been generally stated about Canary Wharf and its dining possibilities are very accurate.

One point I'd like to 'dispute' would be the quality of food at The Memsahib... in short, too sweet, and the prices are not indicative of the quality of the dishes:

- the dahls are generally of a non-distinguishable flavor

- the use of sugar in the preparation of vegetable side dishes is a little annoying and even extends to the signature dish of whole lamb shank to a northern indian recipe.

simply put, i think they're trying too hard.

if one works/lives at/near Canary Wharf, it would be worthwhile getting on the 15 bus on Commercial Rd (10 minutes by bus, £7 in a cab) to the Lahore Kebab House on Commercial Rd in Aldgate/Brick Lane area for a truly diabolically good curry experience... it's Northern Indian/Pakistani with lamb chops on the bone cooked over coals and the seekh kebabs are waaaaayyyyy out there.... the actual address is: 2 Umberston Street, London, E1 1PY. If you go, don't forget the lamb/mutton curry, and don't order it from the menu, just ask the waiters. Forget about service and ambience, focus on the food, and sit upstairs if possible to avoid choking on coal smoke.

And I'd like to add my vote to the good words spoken about Royal China. The dim sum is probably one of the best in London, and a'la carte is good too... there is a separate menu of un-dumbed-down dishes but it's only in Chinese characters but they are happy to translate.

Also, the tapas bar, La Tasca in West India Quay is quite good (even if its a chain), if you go without high expectations that it. The predominantly Spanish staff are friendly and efficient, and wines are affordable, although I'm not too pleased about having to pay for bread... and they don't do cod, but given current concerns on overfishing, they've said that they'd rather not serve it than go for substitutes like hake/haddock etc.

As for the pubs, the Grapes on narrow street is always worthwhile, but reservations for the restaurant are a must, otherwise fish and chips in the bar with a pint of shrimp is yummy... the thick cut chips are actually deep fried as opposed to poached in fat like most pubs...

There's also the Trafalgar Tavern in Greenwhich, which is east of the University on the banks of the Thames. The restaurant does passable modern british but stay away from the fancier items, stick to the fried whitebait, pork chop, fish and chips... good selection of ales too and a great balcony for 3 directly opposite the bar although its only for drinking.

[Clerkenwellian]

In the spirit of the season, I feel duty bound to whinge about the terrible meal I had at Curve yesterday. Food was barely above canteen-level cooking. Service was something else: despite the restaurant being empty, plates were whisked away whilst we still had food in our mouths. Whoever wrote this must have been on crack.

The Gun is brilliant, though.

[Andy Lynes]

The Gun is brilliant, though.

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Chef Scott Wade is a god-like genius. Well, he's very good anyway.

[Clerkenwellian]

The Gun is brilliant, though.

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Chef Scott Wade is a god-like genius. Well, he's very good anyway.

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What on earth made him open in Canary Wharf? (not that I'm complaining...)

[Andy Lynes]

Although a bit out of the way, The Gun is in a fantastic riverside location and the building is splendid.

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned Conran's Plateau restaurant. Head chef is Tim Tilley who opened Vong in London and the interior was deemed spectacular enough to be used as a location for the new Batman movie.

[Clerkenwellian]

Although a bit out of the way, The Gun is in a fantastic riverside location and the building is splendid.

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned Conran's Plateau restaurant. Head chef is Tim Tilley who opened Vong in London and the interior was deemed spectacular enough to be used as a location for the new Batman movie.

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I had a disappointing meal in the brasserie just after it opened and haven't been back.

[jennahan]

I've eaten at Plateau and had quite a nice meal (excellent grilled prawns). For Canary Wharf, it is pricy, but it's nice to have as an option.

Another place not mentioned is just down the street from the Grapes called The Narrow Street Dining Room. As i live on Narrow Street, we go there quite frequently. The food is great (simple, well prepared, and interesting) and they have a decent selection of New World Wine. Hey, even my French in-laws really liked the place.