Wind back time twenty years and the idea of visiting Canary Wharf at the weekend was fairly ridiculous. Much like the City of London, it was like a scene from a post-apocalyptic film. Silent, empty and closed for business.
Nowadays there are some 300 shops and restaurants, a cinema, a free art gallery and the fabulous Museum of London Warehouse, making it a wonderful and multifaceted day out. Gone are the suits from weekdays, replaced by stylish day-trippers.
The shopping features a vast array of popular fashion and cosmetics brands, which is mostly indoors, protected from our unpredictable climate. But there comes a point that deserves a well-earned stop. If that’s too early for aperitivi then it’s clearly time for tea!
Located on the 38th floor of the Novotel, Bokan is best known as a restaurant and cocktail bar with one of the finest sunsets on the peninsula. And very wisely, they have turned their talents to weekend teas, including a bottomless bubbles option if you’re ready to go off early.
Served between 12-4 pm, executive chef Robert Manea has curated a smorgasbord of afternoon delicacies to entertain you.
We began with the most delicious of mini-burgers with a ginger glaze and smoked mayo, crispy bacon and melted cheese. Juicy, perfect, and small enough not to prick one’s conscience.
Pushing on, there are proper finger sandwiches with their crusts cut off made with reassuringly cloying white bread. The cold roast beef in horseradish mayo was perfection, so tender and balanced. There was also smoked salmon with cream cheese and one with a homemade sandwich relish, both very good.
Having politely taken Earl Grey we eventually weakened, opting for the fizz. It’s a Botega Millesimato Brut 2022. Crisp, light, fruity and at £25 for unlimited, boots were filled…
The theme of miniatures continues with an individual banana cake loaf, moist with a crisp sugary top.
We loved the scones served with jam and clotted cream, the order of which is beyond dispute – if you were supposed to apply the cream first it would be called ‘butter’ …
To finish off there’s a miniature lemon meringue pie in the thinnest, crispest pastry case, and a pair of macarons which were crunchy yet stuck reassuringly to the teeth.
This afternoon tea is extremely good. Full of novelties, and although the individual items were small we left knowing that supper later on would be out of the question.
Now back to the venue: the Novotel is located at the southwestern corner of the South Dock, with an unhindered and glorious westerly view of London. The ever-changing weather the day we visited made it a captivating sight, watching curtains of rain and pools of bright sunshine march towards us.
As a location for a sundowner, I can imagine it being hard to beat. It’s spectacular. The interiors manage to be light yet intimate, and in spite of the floor-to-ceiling glazing, the acoustics are great.
If you haven’t yet explored the new, grown-up Canary Wharf it is a great day out, and Bokan is an ideal place to finish off.
Related: A slice of Bologna comes to Clapham
