Until recently, Songbird has been the in-house restaurant for the Troubadour Theatre in Canary Wharf. This is currently home to the Hunger Games immersive experience, which would sound like an ideal appetiser of a show for a restaurant if you hadn’t actually seen the film. However, it is now possible to enjoy all that Songbird has to offer without the need to buy a ticket.
Entering from the street, you would not immediately realise the theatre connection. Head upstairs and the main room is a large open space with a look that can be summed up as pastoral industrial, exposed pipework offset by artfully positioned plants. There is also a side, semiprivate room and high glass windows give both a light and airy feel and offer views out over the dock towards the river and the O2.
The centrepiece of the main room is a large circular bar, and you could come to Songbird simply for this. It has a creative cocktail list – the Earl Grey martini used the tea to provide a slight sweetness that made it more refreshing that your standard Martini, while retaining the signature bite. Meanwhile the Yorkshire Negroni uses a rhubarb liquor to give a tartness that somehow offsets the usual sourness and made this the first example of a Negroni I’ve actually enjoyed. The signature Songbird was just what was needed on a day where the mercury was pushing 35 degrees, the elderflower sweetness rendering it dangerously drinkable.
However, the food is the main act. Songbird describes its aim as being to offer seasonal dishes inspired by the British Isles. The menu takes British staples like rarebit, pork chops, burgers and cod but elevates them through the use of fine ingredients, a few flourishes and generally excellent execution.
The menu begins with a selection of nibbles, including British classics such as soda bread and devilled eggs. The beef dripping popcorn offered a twist on the standard cinema snack but the most luxuriant was the Crumpets & Caviar, served separately so you can heap caviar onto spongy crumpets to your heart’s content with a lemony mayonnaise to add some extra zest.
Starters proper have a similar range. The giant Red Prawns were exactly as described, fabulously presented on toasted focaccia with a garlic butter that created quite a rich dish. Meanwhile, the braised beef rarebit was almost a deconstructed burger, melt in your mouth beef cheek piled high on a crumpet and covered with a melted cheddar sauce.
The mains offer something for everyone, with roast chicken, pork chops, steak and several vegetarian options including a roasted cauliflower. We enjoyed the Wagyu burger, perfectly cooked meat in a buttery brioche bun and a truffle mayonnaise that was subtle enough not to overpower the rest of the dish. Meanwhile the pan-roasted cod came in a buttery sauce, cooked so the flakes fell apart at the press of a fork and with some salmon roe to add a tang of saltiness. The mac and cheese was a generously sized dish with garlic crumbs sprinkled on top to add some extra crunch.
The dessert menu again covers the classics – cheesecake, sticky toffee pudding and apple crumble are all present and correct, but the showpiece is the Songbird Sundae. This comes in its own birdcage and allows you to access your inner child by piling bowls of ice cream high with chocolate swirls, white chocolate buttons and, for what’s left of your adult self, cherries and a pistachio sauce.
The choice of dishes is not overly ambitious but Songbird makes a virtue of not needlessly messing with dishes that most people will recognise and like. Instead it cooks them very well with quality ingredients, and sends them out looking fabulous, and with the look and atmosphere of the room and the impeccable service, this feels like fine dining without the effort sometimes required of the eater. With most of the mains coming in at under £30 and none of the starters costing more that £15, it is also not going to cost you what a fine dining experience will these days. If you want to put on a show and have a fancy night out with some funky cocktails and great food in a cool environment, Songbird could be the theatre for you.
Songbird, 2 Cartier Circle, Canary Wharf, London E14 5HF – 020 3154 6514 – www.songbirdrestaurant.com – Instagram: @songbirdrestaurant
Opening hours: Tuesday: 16:30 – 22:30, Wednesday: 12:00 – 16:00, Thursday: 16:30 – 22:30, Friday and Saturday: 12:00 – 22:30 and Sunday: 12:00 – 16:00
