Smollensky's Canary Wharf

A very different beast to its sister on the Strand, Smollenskys at Canary Wharf seems to be targeting an upmarket Harvester vibe for all the workers in the area who fall between expense-accounting it at Roka and grabbing street food to take back to groaning desks. Perhaps this is a bit harsh as I didn't see inside/upstairs or the dinner/drinks evening scene and to be fair a quick and dirty lunch was exactly what we were after. The outside tables which are packed together are great for a casual lunch in the sun when its rays sneak between 2 skyscrapers to illuminate the area from 1pm-2pm with a precision of which the Incas building Chichen Itza would be proud. The lunch menu is brief and to the point: club sandwiches, nachos and fries are the order of the day. I had a sausage sarnie which had a big fat baguette enclosing a few cold slivers of thinly sliced pork which was rather disappointing for a brand which is famed for its meat. Service was smiley and reasonably efficient, appearing at the right moments even though they had a large area to look after. I was surprised that it wasn't busier but perhaps that is testament to the busy-ness of the local clientele who don't have time to eat, or perhaps those people with time to eat have found places with equally attractive outside areas and much better food. Lunch (with fries and a couple of soft drinks) was only £13 so it wasn't the most expensive disappointment I've had but next time I'd probably do my research and try somewhere which was worth a longer walk from the tube exit.

Long long waits for service, staff with little knowledge of the menu. But i do not blame them. After having to eat what was on offer, if i worked at Smollensky's i would put a large distance between myself and the grub.