Roka Canary Wharf

Japanese, Sushi·
££££
·
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SquareMeal Review of Roka Canary Wharf

 

Good to know

Average Price
££££ - Over £80
Cuisines
Japanese, Sushi
Ambience
Cool, Fun, Glamorous, Unique
Food Occasions
Brunch
Alfresco And Views
Outside seating
Special Features
Vegetarian options
Perfect for
Child friendly, Romantic, Special occasions
Food Hygiene Rating

About

Roka is a perfect fit amongst the high rise towers of Canary Wharf. Like other Roka sites, Roka Canary Wharf specialises in bold Japanese flavours, all served within a sleek, modern dining room, with classy cocktails and service to match. This combo has made Roka a quickfire hit with Canary Wharf’s legion of corporate diners, as well as the growing number of private residents who live in this serene corner of East London.

Roka Canary Wharf continues the group’s reputation for sophisticated modern design. The main dining room features elaborately-patterned walls and ceilings, with backlighting that illuminates the whole restaurant. Solid timber tables and chairs accompany plush leather banquettes, and as is always the case at Roka, an open kitchen complete with large robata grill forms the beating heart of the restaurant, complete with carved timber counter for diners who want to get up close and personal with the chefs.

Roka Canary Wharf offers a wide variety of menus, from the extensive a la carte to a choice of tasting menus and a weekend brunch menu. The a la carte takes in a wide spectrum of Japanese dishes, from snacks and crispy tempura plates to a wide selection of sushi and sashimi, not to mention an array of dishes from the robata grill. Highlights include Roka’s rock shrimp tempura with chilli mayonnaise, signature sushi such as the yellowtail sashimi with yuzu truffle dressing, grilled lamb cutlets with Korean spices, and Roka’s famous black cod marinated in yuzu miso.

Save room for elegant desserts too, such as the miso creme brulee with pistachio ice cream, and mochi ice creams.

Meanwhile, the drinks menu includes everything from wines and beers to signature cocktails such as the Shiso Collins (vodka, shiso shochu, citrus cordial, tonic) and the Sakura 75 (gin, cherry blossom, koji yuzu sake, Champagne).

This venue also offers

Roka Canary Wharf
Private Group Dining

Roka Canary Wharf

Roka Canary Wharf
Christmas Parties

Roka Canary Wharf

Location

4 Park Pavilion, 40 Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5FW

020 7636 5228 020 7636 5228

Website

Opening Times

Mon-Fri 11.45am-3pm Sat-Sun 11.30am-4pm Mon-Sun 5.30-11pm (Sun -10pm)

Reviews

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30 Reviews 
Food/Drink
Service
Atmosphere
Value

nada C

28 December 2022  
Food & Drink 5
Service 5
Atmosphere 5
Value 5

deserts to die for

Natalie S

24 November 2022  
Food & Drink 4.5
Service 4.5
Atmosphere 4.5
Value 4.5

Amazing service, fabuolus food! What more could you ask for!! *****

Amy E

09 July 2019  
Enjoy the brunch on the weekend, great service, nice atmosphere.

Donna F

28 June 2019  
Food is sooo good. Love the restaurant style and ambience and very attentive staff.

Alex G

25 June 2019  
Food & Drink 4
Service 4
Atmosphere 2.5
Value 3
Hai!

Canary Wharf gets better. While I have no desire to work there again, when I did – in the early 2000s – it was a culinary graveyard. Things have moved on quite a bit since then and credit to the backers of Roka that they astutely chose Canary Wharf for their second outlet, opening it some five years before either its Mayfair or Aldwych branches. Follow the money was perhaps the principle. Admittedly, it took me a full decade to visit this venue, but a recent lunchtime meal impressed both me and my comrade. Nestled high on the north east corner of Cabot Square, diners enjoy a capacious room as well as a roof terrace from which to spy on nearby goings-on, cocktail in hand. The venue is all about glamour, but in a much more subtle and sophisticated way than, say, its more bling-oriented Mayfair cousin. There is a lot of polished wood and bamboo as well as an open kitchen to marvel at, although the lighting – at least on a drab grey lunchtime – seemed inappropriate; it was too dark and made the place somewhat unpleasantly eerie, muting the atmosphere. An easy problem to fix, however. Service was generally top notch and professional, again a marked contrast to my less than positive recent visits to the Mayfair branch. The menu at Roka (all venues) can be somewhat bewildering, with diners facing a potential tyranny of choice. It being a lunchtime, and a working occasion too, we took the pressure out of choosing and opted for the set menu. At £35/head, while not cheap per se, it gives a very good introduction to Roka’s capabilities. Diners get to share five small dishes and then select one main (out of a range of three), which is served with steamed rice. Presentation is emphasised throughout, although food as an art form is, of course, nothing new to the Japanese. From our early dishes, we marvelled particularly at the spicy tuna maki rolls, which were not only aesthetically pleasing, but tasty too. Vegetable tempura, by contrast, was somewhat more disappointing in its blandness. The culinary highlight, however, was the main, which comprised a seam bream fillet served with ryotei miso and red onion. The flesh of the fish was incredibly soft, and the miso paste was the epitome of the concept of the umami: a savoury, smoky, salty sensation which combined both mustard and onion across its spectrum. For the bream dish alone, I would return. If only all Roka experiences could be as satisfying as this one.

Paula T

03 June 2019   - Verified Diner
Food & Drink 5
Service 5
Atmosphere 5
Value 5
Fab place for Sunday Lunch!!!

Had a great time, delicious food and attentive staff.  Would recommend

Ming-Lai T

27 June 2018  
Fab venue and food and good value when dining on the weekend brunch deal.

Charlotte N

24 April 2018  
Lovely rural restaurant. Great Sunday lunch.

Claire H

22 March 2018  
Fantastic atmosphere. Drinks were so impressive and well worth the money - each one tasted fantastic. Cant wait to go back and sample the menu.

Rachel S

19 May 2017  
Impeccable service, lovely environment and amazing food!
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