Being summer it seemed to be a good idea to eat at a couple of London’s high rise restaurants to see the views. My first destination was Gordon Ramsey’s Bread Street Kitchen at 20 Bishopsgate. The view was stunning, being 59 stories high and almost dead centre on a map of London, it’s as if you had a Palantir, you feel you can see everything. However, not having the Eye of Sauron I just walked around the restaurant staring in every direction. It’s worth going there if only for the view.
The following day I went to try Bōkan in Canary Wharf. The restaurant is perched overlooking the Thames on the top floors of the Novotel at Canary Wharf. The main restaurant is on the 37th floor, with a bar and roof terrace on 38 and 39 respectively. From nearly every table there’s a panorama of the city from the southeast. The perspective is telescoped by the bends in the River Thames from this angle. From your vantage point you can see the Shard, then across to Vauxhall and its half vacant investment towers, and there were the mystery blocks to the far distant west, probably Acton or another flyover neighbourhood (sorry residents but IYKYK). It was difficult to stop trying to recognise landmarks and the revealed curiosities. Due to the perspective’s concertina effect it was like playing a compulsive version of ‘I Spy’.
So what about the food? To restaurant reviewers Bōkan is an interesting example of flying under the radar. At The London Economic, we’ve written favourably about it several times since 2017. The Executive Chef Robert Manea is ex -Ledbury and L’Atelier Le Joel Robouchon. He is a chef who clearly knows his way around a kitchen and understands flavour. If the restaurant was in a more central location, one can’t help thinking that it would be spoken about more often, rather than just being an open secret in Canary Wharf.
Other than the view my mission was to try the Saturday ‘Sky-High Brunch’. With a corner table and a glass of decent prosecco I immediately had the feeling that this was going to be worth the tube journey. First there was a basket of warm bread, the butter was at room temperature too – as it should be. A first course prawn salad which looked as pretty as a picture. The prawns were served in a well balanced spicy mayo sauce with a strong chilli kick tempered by cubes of pomelo. This is one of their signature dishes featuring in Bokan’s a la carte and tasting menus too, having tried it was clear why.
Next, a main course of salmon with roasted artichoke, nicely cooked in a lovely sauce nage, flavoursome and salty though but not overly so, with the vegetables in the broth still retaining some bite. This was a very well executed dish, pleasingly savoury, and the only disappointment was I’d eaten all the bread so couldn’t mop up the remaining broth and not being Richard E. Grant I wasn’t going to lick the plate. The prosecco complimented the salmon and the sauce, which was nice surprise. To finish there was a pleasant selection of cheeses which perfectly rounded off the meal.
There’s a bottomless prosecco option with the brunch. Despite prosecco’s reputation, which has suffered in recent years with overproduction and variable quality, when offered one as good as they serve at Bōkan, it’s worth a glass or three. This was as a good a lunch as I have had anywhere in London recently. The restaurant provides good food, with warm service without fuss or pretention at a reasonable price point for the level of the cooking. The Sky High brunch was £49 for three courses (the bottomless prosecco option is £19). The dinner menu starts at £55 for two courses.
For this level of food, and with these views those are seriously decent prices!
Bōkan is a good restaurant with a killer view and charming staff, so if you’re going to be in Canary Wharf and appreciate good food with a view Bōkan would be an excellent choice.
The Information
Bokan, Floor 37-39, 40 Marsh Wall, London E14 9TP – https://bokanlondon.co.uk – hello@Bōkanlondon.co.uk – 020 3530 0550
Opening times:
Breakfast: Monday – Friday – 6:30 AM – 10.30 AM and Saturday & Sunday – 7 AM – 11 AM
Lunch and Dinner – Sunday & Monday – Closed Tuesday – Saturday – 6 PM to 11 PM (last orders 9 PM and 9:30 PM Friday and Saturday)
Saturday Brunch – 12:30 PM to 4:30 PM (Last orders 2:30 PM)
