Found at the foot of one of London’s most iconic skyscrapers, the One Canada Square restaurant puts Canary Wharf on the gastro map with its classic feeds, sleek design and excellent service. We headed into the heart of the financial district to test the venue’s After Dark waters, where Saturday evening diners can unwind with two courses and bottomless drinks for just £45.
The Venue
Decadent and polished throughout, One Canada Square offers all of the opulence of this distinguished building while retaining its own sense of contemporary charm. We passed through an informal bar area and into an open and uncluttered restaurant area, where dark wooden panels mix with emerald green marble touches to offer a classy and refined feel. There's a mezzanine floor upstairs which allows a seamless transition from dinner and drinks to a couple of post-food cocktails.
Dark woods, emerald greens and rich leathers combine to make One Canada Square one plush eatery.
Atmosphere & Clientele
Arriving into a very quiet Canary Wharf at 8pm on a Saturday evening, we initially had our reservations about whether One Canada Square could draw a crowd away from the trendier parts of town at the weekends. There was really nothing to worry about. Neatly turned out groups of young professionals warmed up for dinner with a couple of cocktails at the bar, a party of around 25 were in to celebrate a birthday and the mezzanine was also partially booked out for a private function for the evening. There's a gentle hum to the restaurant but it's by no means rowdy; a trend continued by the DJ, who plays uplifiting house that'll have your toes tapping without ever becoming intrusive. Service is excellent too, with the roaming team at One Canada Square on cue to keep those bottomless drinks flowing throughout.
Head upstairs after dinner where the intimacy of the mezzanine awaits.
Food & Drink
The After Dark menu kicks in from 6pm on Saturday; offering two courses from head chef Jamie Dobbin’s menu on the side of unlimited wine, beer or prosecco for a very reasonable £45 per head. Starting out with Burrata, tempura artichoke, wild trevisse, rocket pesto, vincotto and hazelnuts and Dorset farmhouse ham, truffled lardo, celeriac remoulade, dishes are wonderfully presented yet simple and unfussy; allowing the quality of the top-notch ingredients to do all the talking.
Fronting a menu including king scallop and shrimp burgers and Cornish squid and crab linguini, seafood enthusiasts are incredibly well catered for at One Canada Square. The chargrilled bavette steak comes cooked to perfection and a personal highlight was the rose veal schnitzel; a decadent main course served with a melt-in-the-mouth duck egg for company.
There’s plenty to satiate that sweet tooth too, the white chocolate and pistachio cake won all the plaudits on our table but special mention must also go to the banana and chia seed cake with chestnuts and pear sorbet; a refreshing and slightly lighter sweet that might be better suited to those planning to stay for cocktails in the mezzanine afterwards.
Simple, unfussy but packing a delicious punch, After Dark sessions offer fantastic value for money.
Summary
Tempting revelers away from London’s traditional nightlife hotspots and into the heart of the financial district on a Saturday night was never going to be an easy feat. One Canada Square does so with flying colours; offering dinner, drinks and a touch of debauchery without the bulky price tag.
