One Canada Square has been open just 5 weeks, yet with perfect staffing and exquisite food I could easily believe this polished establishment has been wowing diners for years.
On arrival, we were sat in the wood-panelled dining room surrounded by bankers & lovers and handed an iPad to select wines and cocktails from. As much as I loved swishing my way through the list, our delightful waitress Sarah expertly and passionately took us on a journey through the menu and I put all my trust in her!
We started the evening with delicate rhubarb liqueur cocktails, the London Spritz with Prosecco & Soda was so refreshing and the Rhubarb and Rose Bramble with Beefeater gin was sweetly decorated with roses.
This was served alongside warm homemade bread and citrus butter. We moved on to the Raw section of the menu selecting both the Yellowfin tartare and the Scallop carpaccio. I’m glad Sarah encouraged us to try both as they really are at opposite ends of the taste spectrum. The carpaccio was very delicate and presented with a rainbow of carefully selected edible flowers, charred cucumber & celery while the tartare packed a punch with spiced avocado and a black pepper dressing. If our waist lines allowed it we would have also ordered the Wild bass ceviche with mango, lime and chilli salt which came highly recommended.
Moving on to starters, the Lobster bisque came served with a small piece of butter poached lobster with the bisque then being flamboyantly poured over for me. Jerusalem artichoke soup with chestnut tortellini was truly decadent with the chestnut holding its own amongst strong flavours.
Both of us ordered the specials for our main course as they were so beautifully sold to us. The pie of the day was slow cooked ham and pea with a light puff pastry topping and shamefully creamy mash. The photos don’t do it justice but believe me when I say it was comfort food at its best. The monkfish came with a meaty tomato based chorizo sauce on a bed of potatoes and we shared a side of roast squash with a sprinkling of goat’s curd and sage.
After a while to digest we caved in to the dessert menu, again, expertly paired with wine we maybe wouldn’t have chosen ourselves yet couldn’t have faulted and always pleasantly surprised.
Espresso and vanilla baked Alaska was gooey and naughty and sticky toffee pudding with cornflake sorbet was superb. The last was created after the chef left his cornflakes to go soggy chasing his little girl around, they tell it better then me.
Espresso martinis are made with rum here rather than the usual vodka – we most definitely approve!
My only regret was that there was no room for the cheese “trolley”. I spied a waiter serving up mont d’or!!!!
Birthday, anniversary, celebrating that it’s Friday? This is a special place, so find an excuse to go now.
THIS RESTAURANT HAS NOW CLOSED PERMANENTLY.
