The early season sunshine has already started making an appearance across Canary Wharf, with pleasant evenings tempting workers, residents and visitors to the area outside.
The time of summer socials is almost upon us, with the smart and the organised already beginning to consult diaries, form plans and make bookings.
With whole businesses, teams and small groups of colleagues all looking to capitalise on the clement weather ahead, it’s best to secure key dates early, especially at the estate’s top spots.
Having arrived in the vanguard of the area’s regeneration Hawksmoor Wood Wharf quickly established itself in the upper echelons of the estate’s hospitality scene.
Both have terraces for guests to enjoy dining or refreshment in the open air.
Wood Wharf is the brand’s largest venue and, moored at the head of Water Street, acts as a gateway to a part of the estate that’s become well known for drinking and dining in recent years.
Oysters with bone marrow at Hawksmoor
just ‘a little unexpected’
Hawksmoor says: “Our Wood Wharf venue isn’t about reinventing the wheel.
“It’s about doing things properly: sustainable food, an award-winning cocktail menu and genuine service – all delivered in a space that feels considered, open, and just a little unexpected.”
Those planning seasonal events can look forward to a solid offering menu-wise.
Hawksmoor has long specialised in “dictionary-thick steaks”, chicken dishes and seafood such as lobster, monkfish, hake and Dover sole.
The cooking is big, bold and honed by the team over many years to reflect the quality of the sustainably sourced ingredients.
Crowd-pleasing sides such as Tunworth mash, macaroni cheese and beef dripping fries sit happily on a menu next to starters such as potted beef and bacon, smoked salmon with Guinness bread, roasted scallops and oysters.
>> Hawksmoor Wood Wharf boasts a 20-seat dining room for guests or businesses hosting private gatherings.
It’s fully equipped for presentations and groups of 34+ can take a semi-private space with a dedicated waiting team and sommelier to ensure guests are effectively refreshed.
To make planning easy, Hawksmoor offers both a canapé menu, with bites inspired by the flavours on its main menu as well as bowl food options for those seeking something more substantial.
Bite-size desserts can also be arranged to send guests away with a sweet taste in their mouths.
The Queenie Watts private dining room at Hawksmoor Wood Wharf
key details: Hawksmoor Wood Wharf
Hawksmoor Wood Wharf is located on a floating pontoon beside Water Street and is open from 11.45am-11pm, Monday-Thursday, 11.45am-11.30pm Friday and Saturday and 11.30am-8.30pm on Sundays.
At weekends, the venue offers extensive traditional roast options.
Event enquiries can be made online for all of the venue’s spaces or via email to woodwharf@thehawksmoor.com.
The largest creatures on Earth have inspired countless works of art and fiction, often used to draw attention to matters of importance.
In the Hebrew scriptures, Jonah finds redemption in the belly of a great sea creature, having turned back to a righteous path.
There’s Moby Dick and Thomas Hobbes’ Leviathan too, but we needn’t get bogged down with revenge, obsession and highfalutin social philosophy.
More recently, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home saw Captain Kirk and crew forced to time travel back to 1986 on the silver screen to pick up a pair of humpback whales, thereby averting ecological disaster after an alien probe comes seeking the ocean giants, only to find them extinct in 2286.
That’s almost as far-fetched as everyone running around with hand-held communication devices and tablet computers…
Recently unveiled on Water Street, Whale On The Wharf, then, belongs to that proud tradition of leveraging the largest animal on the planet as a lodestone for attention and it’s exactly what StudioKCA’s intallation does.
Leaping from the waters of the dock close to Marceline and Dishoom, the 12-metre high sculpture successfully breaches the consciousness of passers-by.
StudioKCA have also created similar pieces in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, and in Bruges, Belgium.
The whale’s skin is made from plastic waste reclaimed from the ocean – image by Jon Massey
the story Whale On The Wharf tells
“We’re telling the story of how we live, what we use, where it ends up and what we should do about it,” said Jason Klimoski, who along with his wife Lesley Chang run the Brooklyn-based art and design studio that created the piece.
“It’s about the 150million tonnes of plastic in the ocean and the 8million we add to that each year.
“A lot of that is hidden, so bringing some of it here hopefully helps people visualise it.
“The plastic used in Whale On The Wharf comes from the Pacific and the Atlantic. We worked with the Hawaii Wildlife Fund to collect about five tonnes of plastic.
“We cleaned it, organised it by how long it had been in the water, sorted it by colour and cleaned it piece by piece.
“We chose to make a whale because, pound-for-pound, the plastic in the ocean weighs more than the total of all the whales on the planet.
“We thought it would be the perfect metaphor to help people understand the scale of the problem.”
The sculpture is supported on a recylced steel frame and concrete foundations made with biochar from spent coffee grounds collected from Canary Wharf – image by Jon Massey
a sustainable foundation for Whale On The Wharf
While the leaping creature is the public-facing portion of the work, Whale On The Wharf is also a creation of significant depth.
Canary Wharf Group’s commission is about a lot more than adding to its extensive public art collection.
Wharfers sipping coffee on the estate and then discarding their cups in its waste bins have contributed to its construction.
The sculpture sits on a foundation of concrete made with biochar, a material that replaces sand in the mix and is made from those discarded grounds.
This also prevents CO2 being released when the coffee breaks down and reduces demand for the extraction of traditional raw resources from the Earth.
“We understand the power that art holds,” said Sophie Goddard, director of environment, social and governance at Canary Wharf Group.
“It can provoke emotion and it can create change.
“With this project we’ve really pushed the boundaries of what can be achieved.
“We thought about how we can take the principles of the circular economy and push those forward.
“We’ve locked up spent coffee in the foundation and we’ve been able to do that through the efforts of our in-house waste management team.
“They hand-sort the rubbish that goes into our bins and their work means we’ve sent no waste to landfill since 2009.”
Whale On The Wharf is free to visit and stands 12 metres tall – image by Jon Massey
a strong steel core
On top of the concrete, Whale On The Wharf is supported by a braced steel structure made from recovered and reused steel to further reduce its environmental impact.
Jason said: “Inside the sculpture there’s a steel spine that supports the structure and aluminium armature to make the shape of the whale.
“Onto that we attached each of the pieces of plastic using steel ties and screws.
“We really want people to see the things they use every day, to recognise them and then wonder what happens to them. How did the things that make up this sculpture get here? What was their journey?
“There’s a car bumper, a kid’s toilet. It’s really the items that relate to children I find both funny and sad.
“Hopefully there’ll be a conversation at home after, especially with the kids, about how we use plastic and what we do with it afterwards.
“When we were building it, we were focussed on the scale of the issue, not necessarily on the thing itself.
“We have a son and so we have to think about the stuff we buy him and what will happen to it.”
Now Canary Wharf has both a head-turning artwork and also a constant reminder of the consequences of unbridled consumption on our planet.
As well as its role in drawing attention to environmental issues, the installation is a significant addition to the estate’s sculpture collection – the largest publicly accessible collection of outdoor works in the UK.
“The whales is a landmark, it’s visually stunning and it really stops people in their tracks,” said Lowri Harries, associate curator of public art at Canary Wharf Group.
“That’s exactly what we want. Since our initial call with Jason, the installation has involved pretty much every part of our business.
“Construction, development, sustainability, marketing and communications as well as all the external contractors that have worked on the project.
“It’s taken a village to make this happen and we’re really thankful to everyone involved.”
An Ode To Never Fitting In, 2024, by Ashley Cluer is seen at Refuse in Broadwick Studio – image by Jon Massey
Visitors can expect to see a selection of sculptures including a vast chain made from medicine blister packs and vibrant lime green shapes made from cement, newspaper and recycled wood.
Free to access, the exhibition is on display at Broadwick Studio.
Perhaps when prompted by all these signs, we might take more notice of the way we’re living as a species and even avoid alien annihilation in the future.
PS, at Wharf Life we’re calling the Whale Bruce. You didn’t hear it from us…
key details: Whale On The Wharf
Whale On The Wharf is located on the corner of Water Street and Park Drive in Canary Wharf’s Wood Wharf. The installation is free to visit.
Refuse is in place until April 26, 2025, and is open from 10am-6pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at Broadwick Studio on the corner of Water Street and Charter Street in Wood Wharf.
This means members can indulge in everything from spinning to sound baths, HIIT sessions or weightlifting.
Third Space CEO Colin Waggett
unveiling Third Space Wood Wharf
But with the opening of Third Space Wood Wharf club, that offering and capacity has received a massive boost – essentially beating an already unbeatable proposition because access is included with membership of the Canary Wharf club as standard.
Expansive new studios mean Hot Yoga and Reformer Pilates classes are now available at for the first time on the estate.
There’s also a fully equipped training space and a swimming pool at the 15 Water Street location, which is spread over two floors above Tribe hotel and Dishoom.
“When I joined, we had four clubs and three brands – it was abundantly clear that the right one to grow was Third Space, which brought together serious business and lifestyle propositions,” said Colin Waggett, Third Space CEO.
“It had a brilliant name too, so the initial challenge was to bring those four locations, which included the former Reebok Sports Club in Canary Wharf, under the Third Space name.
“Having achieved that by 2017, we started to look at new sites including one near Fenchurch Street and then Islington.
“We were gradually building and we started looking at Wood Wharf in 2018.
“It’s been a long time coming, but that’s reflected in the quality of what we’ve created here.
“We decided that for Canary Wharf and Wood Wharf we would only have one membership so people don’t have to make a choice between the two sites.
“If you buy into one club, you get access to both.
“By doing that, it’s made it easier to get the proposition right at Wood Wharf.”
The new club features a large, well-lit multi-functional training area
the Third Space Wood Wharf proposition
“It provides something different to the main Canary Wharf site – more of a country club feel with the pool and spa,” said Colin
“We’ve also got a massive, multifunctional training space.
“Then, over the last five years Reformer Pilates and Hot Yoga have become ever more popular and that’s why we’ve built those studios.
“The former, especially, is having a big moment and, had we not built the Wood Wharf club, we’d have put facilities into our Canada Square site.
“We have to watch the big trends and change our space allocation in both clubs over time to reflect them.
“Right now that means less cardio activity and fewer cross trainers but more racks for weightlifting and greater space for our mind and body offering with Yoga, Pilates and sound baths.”
Third Space Wood Wharf has a dedicated Hot Yoga studio
growing from experience
Colin knows a thing or two about keeping abreast of developments in the industry.
Having joined Fitness First in 2004 as chief financial officer, he was running the company a year later and presided over its growth from 250 locations in 10 countries to 500 in 25, expanding into the Middle East, south-east Asia and Australia.
Striking out on his own, he founded studio fitness concept Psycle in 2012, which included a branch in Canary Wharf’s Crossrail Place albeit before any trains were running.
While on that journey, he met the owners of Reebok Sports Club, who were acquiring Third Space and ended up joining the company as CEO in 2015.
While the pandemic meant pausing plans for expansion, the brand is now very much back on track with sites in Battersea, Wimbledon and Clapham
“Next year we’ll open three or maybe four clubs – which could make seven in two years – and that’s a lot,” said Colin.
“These are all sites we signed four years ago so we’ve known they were coming and we’ve been preparing for them.
“Our business is property and people. The property side happens very slowly, the design, construction and the rest of it.
“The people side can happen quite quickly – we usually need a team of 50 or 60 people to open a club.
“About half to two thirds of them are already working in one of our clubs.
“It’s all about getting the skills and culture right, which is what we spend time preparing for.”
“It’s always a challenge but that is what we’re here for.
The Reformer Pilates studio features equipment for group sessions
keeping that quality
“Preserving the quality we have at our existing clubs is a complete obsession with new openings,” said Colin.
“Our mantra is we get better as we get bigger – so we work really hard to ensure that’s the case.
“The golden rule when opening a new club is always to promote internally. Our heads of department will be two-thirds internal as well.
“The things we’ve been investing in, knowing these openings have been in the pipeline, are recruitment, training and education.
“We have a significant team of master trainers who are out there recruiting instructors and training them up to the standard we want them to be at.
“We’re in the fortunate position of being able to recruit the best.
“Our Canary Wharf and Islington clubs both have what we call Academy Teams, which are gateway jobs for people looking to become personal trainers.
“Our smaller clubs also help because that network provides career pathways which help us fulfil that mantra of being better.”
Third Space Canary Wharf already has a wealth of facilities including a fully equipped combat area
evolving the Third Space Canary Wharf site
With the Wood Wharf launch well underway, the refurbishment of the Canary Wharf club is itself an ongoing mission.
The space formerly used for The Pearson Room is set to be repurposed as a mind and body space to cater for the upswing in demand for Yoga and sound baths, while the existing studio will likely be filled with more Reformer Pilates machines to accommodate larger classes.
It’s all part of a carefully curated mix that’s designed to give frequent users the best deal possible.
“We’re great value if you come regularly and terrible value if you don’t,” said Colin.
“We don’t have membership contracts. If people want to leave, for whatever reason – life’s got in the way, they’re too busy – then they should leave feeling good about us.
“Our aim is to never let people down, but to recognise that some will cease training.
“One in five of our new members is actually someone returning to us.
“For all the things available to you, our price per day or per visit is extremely good value.
“It’s about an investment in something, a good use of time.
“We’re aimed at people who are prioritising their fitness and want good experiences – members who are trying to get the most out of life in busy London.
“We meet their demands as these change and evolve.
“With a master trainer in charge of each area of fitness, they’re always looking at our programme to see what’s performing, how it can be improved or refreshed – a bit like changing a menu at a restaurant.
“You want to keep your favourites, but you want new attractions too.”
Sound baths are increasingly popular across Third Space’s clubs
new thinking at Third Space
“One of the things we’re doing more of across our clubs is focusing on that whole spa experience with saunas, plunge pools and hydrotherapy,” said Colin.
“At one time it was thought they just felt nice but increasingly there’s a real purpose to spending that time, whether for the physical or mental benefits you get from them.
“Sound baths, for instance, are curiously absorbing and a really nice treat.
“If you’re training at a high intensity, adding in softer programming to a club gives our members greater value.
“The ambition is that one day every one of our clubs will close with a session.
“People can then train in the morning and come back at the end of the day for what’s essentially 45 minutes of meditation – that would be wonderful.
“Wood Wharf itself has quite a different vibe to our other clubs – it’s beautiful to look down on the water and the streets below from the third floor.
“Some people will prefer to train there or just come for specific classes while mainly using Canary Wharf. It could just be where the mood takes them on the day.
“The club generates more capacity for us and, now that it’s open, we’ll be doing more to sell the two offerings together.”
need to know
Club membership at Third Space Canary Wharf, including access to Third Space Wood Wharf currently costs £217 per month.
Group access for the brand’s clubs (excluding Mayfair and Islington) costs £245.
- Jon Massey is co-founder and editorial director of Wharf Life and writes about a wide range of subjects in Canary Wharf, Docklands and east London - contact via jon.massey@wharf-life.com
In contrast, Fish Game is the rock dropped into the serene waters of Wood Wharf.
Here there’s a giant artwork of a man apparently eating credit cards with his head wrapped in cling film, tree stumps supporting glass tables, colourful fishing floats and flailing squid hanging from the ceiling and a private dining room decorated with images of Mafia bosses.
The restaurant, which recently opened its doors is the latest creation of Roberto Costa – the man behind Macellaio RC, a chain of six establishments named in honour of the Italian word for butcher plus his initials.
These feature butchery as theatre and plenty of Italian produce and dishes as befits a son of Genoa.
Fish Game, however, is different again – a bamboozling, hedonistic sort of a place that nevertheless rests firmly on four pillars – bread, veg, fish and, naturally, game.
To ensure those pillars are well founded, Roberto has turned to head chef Matt Colk – who returns to E14 having previously spent eight years cooking at The Gun (a little further to the east and right on the Thames) before a brief flirtation with Soho and then Fish Game.
It’s some distance from his start in hospitality.
“I began cooking when I was 14 in a little chip shop in North Lincolnshire,” he said. “I went on to do graphic design at college but my part-time job in the kitchen was much more fun.
“When I was 18 I came to London and first of all worked at Christopher’s Restaurant And Martini bar in Covent Garden before moving on to Roast in Borough Market.
“Then I worked at the RAC Club in Pall Mall, winning Worshipful Company Of Cooks’ Young Chef Of the Year in 2013 before joining The Gun in 2015.”
Rabbit Croquettes with marjoram and lime zest mayonnaise at Fish Game
The approach at Fish Game, however, strikes a contrast with his previous roles.
Having impressed with two dishes he served Roberto during a cook-off, he got the job and then discovered things in his new restaurant would be quite different.
“Roberto wants everything rustic, a bit more rock ‘n’ roll – everything natural,” said Matt.
“He wants to change people’s idea of what food is – to try all the good bits that people normally get rid of.
“In the beginning it took time because I was making dishes the way I used to, but Roberto didn’t care for recipes or classics. Everything had to be different.
“That took a bit of time to get used to but I sought inspiration and had a few ideas.
“We’ve broken the menu down into four sections with bread, veg, seafood and meat. If you need advice the waiter or storyteller will come and advise you what to have.
“It can all come together or separately – that’s how people enjoy eating.
“They can share and there’s never any rush.
“Diners can have small plates or big plates, whatever they want, and then order more if they are still hungry.
“It’s simple food cooked well. Roberto loves the diversity of England’s produce and wants to showcase that.”
Early signs seem to indicate that’s something customers are eager to experience.
While only open a short time, bookings have been strong with Matt and his team of chefs working furiously to satisfy full services.
Roman Tigella bread withe rabbit and offal at Fish Game
The menu is certainly a singular creation with ingredients cooked primarily on the ash and charcoal of Fish Game’s bank of grills.
“We’re in the middle of four really good restaurants here, but I love that this isn’t a chain,” said Matt.
“The feedback has been really good so far and people are getting used to the food.
“There are dishes on the menu that have taken two months to create, but the one everyone loves is something that took me five seconds to whip up.
“Roberto turned to me and said he wanted a squid dish on the menu – I asked when, and he said: ‘Now’. So I looked in the fridge, found a few ingredients and made the one that’s on there now.
“It’s charcoaled squid served with fermented chilli and fried cavolo nero – it just works. There’s a little bit of sugar and salt in there against that chilli sauce.”
Chilli is a big ingredient for Fish Game. In fact the restaurant is certainly the only place in Canary Wharf that boasts a tasting menu dedicated to the plant’s spicy fruit.
This offers diners the opportunity to taste peppers from Italian farm Vivi Piccante ranging in heat from a prickly 100,000 to 2.3million units on the Scoville Scale.
For contrast, a supermarket Jalapeno is around 2,500 units.
While Matt isn’t afraid of some spice, his dishes are designed to delight rather than melt guests, often focusing on less frequently used ingredients.
“I’m proud of the ox heart, which is marinated for 12 hours in garlic and chilli plus olive oil, that we source from near Roberto’s home in Italy,” said Matt.
“Then it’s seared on the charcoal and served with a crunchy carrot salad, with red onion, salt, pepper and lemon juice.”
Sea bream at Fish Game
Other offerings include a gamey take on an Italian classic in hare arancini, a dish of smoked duck breast and duck leg, a venison tartare with bone marrow and rump of mutton with fresh mint and mustard.
Game dishes range from £6.50 to £52 for a beef ribeye off the bone with bone marrow.
On the aquatic side, there are oysters (£6 for two), langoustines with samphire, mussels with venison nduja and monkfish with rosemary, lime and sea salt.
Dishes range in price from £6 to £50 for a butterfly sea bream served with olive oil, cherry tomatoes, pine nuts and basil.
“If I was ordering, I’d start with the Tigella bread from Rome (£9), which is served with rabbit and offal cooked over ash and finished with parsley, fresh garlic and lemon juice,” said Matt.
“Then, of course, I’d have the squid (£9). Sometimes the people are right.
“They even rave about the potatoes we serve but they’re just crispy new potatoes with chilli, garlic, chives and lime.”
In addition to the skill of the chef – after all Matt used to write a recipe column for Wharf Life when he was at The Gun and we don’t let just anyone do that – key to the success of a restaurant is the produce it has to work with.
Fish Game promises to regularly change its menu to fit in with what’s in season, whether that’s meat, fish or vegetables.
“It’s a little early for game season at the moment, but come August 12 we will have grouse on the menu and we also plan to feature partridge, pheasant and quail at the right time,” said Matt.
“We’ll be sourcing our game from the Windsor Park Estate, which is pretty local to us.
“In fact, if they turn the menu over, diners will be able to see where we get all of the fish, meat and game that we use within the UK, which is a nice touch.
“For Roberto it’s important that we serve things that stand out.
“That includes the fact we only offer two desserts – a tiramisu that’s made at the table and a lemon tart with seasonal fruit.
“We’ve also got an ice cream machine that we’re going to use to make a gelato with olive oil and sea salt. It sounds ridiculous, but it’s really good.
“I’ve been here two months, but as for the future I’d love to win a Michelin star and then perhaps see if we can expand to another site or two.”
Venue owner Roberto Costa with Matt
So there you have it, the Wharf’s latest arrival packed with unusual produce, dishes, decor and verve.
Fish Game is, Matt tells me, currently looking for talented chefs – who wouldn’t want to chance their arm at a project that aims to stand out and get noticed?
Oh, and before I forget to mention it, as if potent art, a chilli menu and plenty of food isn’t enough, the Water Street restaurant also distinguishes itself by offering drinks served from its extensive Agave Bar.
Specialising in Tequila, Raicilla and Mezcal (with a single Sotol on the list too) this promises to add a potent note to any dinner.
And there certainly isn’t time to go into a cocktail list that’s classified by a system of chess pieces.
You’ll just have to head down to Wood Wharf, bag a table and work your way through them, by which time the whole enterprise might make some kind of sense.
- Jon Massey is co-founder and editorial director of Wharf Life and writes about a wide range of subjects in Canary Wharf, Docklands and east London - contact via jon.massey@wharf-life.com
Not many restaurant group flagship venues are actually floating.
But Hawksmoor’s Wood Wharf establishment, permanently moored off Water Street, sits on a specially-built pontoon above the cold, dark fathoms of what’s left of the eastern end of West India Middle Dock.
It’s the first in a clutch of new venues – something of a beachhead that will see Wharfers drawn in ever greater numbers over Montgomery Bridge.
Hawksmoor may have leapfrogged them all, becoming the first hospitality venue to open its doors in the emerging community, but the speed of its arrival hasn’t been to its detriment.
Its 160-seat restaurant on the top deck is all deep leather banquette seating, gold, glass and warm lighting. It’s filled with different, comforting textures offset by polished wood – all the glamour of an Art Deco ocean liner.
Head downstairs and 120-seat bar The Lowback continues the theme, its bottle display recalling the slick glamour of an illuminated 1940s jukebox.
It’s not just about the sleek interior, though. Like cutting into an exquisite steak and seeing the glowing red of perfectly cooked meat, the quality goes all the way through.
The restaurant at Hawksmoor’s Wood Wharf establishment
Cookery
Matt Brown is group executive chef for Hawksmoor and boasts a CV that includes some of London’s best restaurants, including extensive periods working with Marco Pierre White.
He said: “I always wanted to cook. I’m from Chesterfield and I moved to London when I was 16, got an apprenticeship at The Ritz and did that for about four years. After that I was reading about this guy – Marco – in the newspaper, so I went to work for him for about 20 years. Then I was head chef at Le Tante Claire for Pierre Koffmann for two years.
“But I’ve always wanted to challenge myself. Some of my cheffy friends saw taking the job at Hawksmoor in 2015 as a step down – cooking in a steakhouse – but not at all.
“What we try to do at Hawksmoor is no different from what one, two, or three Michelin-starred restaurants are trying to do. The amount of effort we put into sourcing ingredients and cooking them in the correct way is unbelievable.
“The lengths we go to to get the ultimate chip, for example, are incredible and we do that in all our restaurants – that’s a different ballgame to doing it in one kitchen.
Steaks served at Hawksmoor
“Firstly we take great care selecting the potatoes – if you start with rubbish you’re never going to get a good chip – and then we have a three-day process. We blanch them first in boiling salt water, then chop them up and they go on trays to let the steam out.
“Then they go in the fridge overnight. You have to get as much water out as possible. Then we fry them at 140ºC on the second day and put them back in the fridge. Then we serve them on the third day, frying them in beef dripping at 180ºC.
“While 80-90% of the menu is set in stone, we’re always trying to do things better, to create more interesting side dishes.
“We work with about 500 farms in the UK – all small producers – where you can select all grass-fed cuts. The menu is cool starters and steakhouse classics, but we want to be about more than just steak, we want to be a great restaurant as well.
“That means having a drinks list, a wine list and food that are all amazing. For me, it ticks all the boxes. You can come here and have what I think is the best steak and chips anywhere. My favourite is probably the rib-eye. It’s flavoursome and has just the right amount of unctuousness – tender, but not too tender.”
Matt’s connection to Canary Wharf dates back two decades to when he met local resident Lisa, who he subsequently married, but the local dining scene was pretty limited then.
“It’s not like it used to be – when I came here a few weeks ago, it was for the first time in 18 or 19 years,” he said. “Initially we were a bit dubious when we first thought about Hawksmoor on a boat – it’s not really what we do.
“But then I saw the restaurant and it’s amazing – what a great venue for anyone to come to.”
The Lowback Bar at Hawksmoor Wood Wharf
Bartending
That spirit of inclusion (pun intended) continues downstairs in The Lowback. Conceived as a venue in its own right, manager Joe Worthington is in command and wants Wharfers to see it as a favoured hangout whether they’re living or working locally.
“Hawksmoor is The Lowback’s big brother so you’re going to get that guaranteed quality, really great food. But the focus down here is on drinks.
“The atmosphere and the service will be just like any Hawksmoor but the lights will be lower and the music a little louder.
“We want it to be a hub for the Wharf. Whether you live or work here we want it to be your local, whether it’s for a cocktail or a pint of Guinness.
“We’ve got a great Martini list and one good thing is that a lot of prep for our drinks is done early – they’re designed so they can be put together in 30 seconds.
“That means we’ll be aiming to deliver drinks to the table in under five minutes for parties of two or three – a little longer if there are more guests.
“In spring the terraces will be open – there’s a further 30 seats on tables out there, bathed in sunlight.
“I imagine that, when people look out of their residential towers or their office blocks, they’re going to see that terrace outside and fancy having a Martini by the water.
“Inside we’ve got this beautiful 10-metre bar with a plethora of drinks on offer.
“If you want a whisky on the rocks, a pint, a cocktail, we’re at your beck and call. The best place to sit will be at the bar where you can watch your drink being made. You’ll get your own designated bartender and they’ll be happy to talk you through the menu.
“What’s at the forefront of our minds is ensuring we deliver drinks and food with great service.
“We hope that when people come down here we’ll create regulars. The theatre of making drinks will still be there but we want to serve people quickly.
“Nobody comes to a place to stand at the bar for seven minutes. The prices we charge are the industry standard, but what sets Hawksmoor apart isn’t how cheap or expensive we are, it’s the people we employ – the atmosphere and the culture those staff create.
“Before I joined the team, I’d been coming to Hawksmoor for about 10 years and the thing I loved about it was that the bars felt independent while still being encased in the restaurant.
“The Lowback is a stand-alone brand and it’s somewhere that enables us to say yes to people whether that’s accommodating large bookings or two people who just want a quiet drink.”
