It’s not often that I indulge in fine dining, but back in January I found myself in gorgeous restaurants for three course meals three times in one week – first for our wedding anniversary, then for my mum-in-law’s birthday, and then to try out One Canada Square with blogging buddy Mitra. 

For a joint belated birthday dinner out/blogging opportunity, Mitra invited me to dine with her at One Canada Square while she scoped it out for Elate magazine. (Oh, the glamorous life of a plus one!)

We were treated to a three course meal with wine on a Wednesday night with a 7pm reservation, and while a party of four wouldn’t have had to wait more than a few minutes for a table, there were quite a few diners in the restaurant so it still looked inviting. (Side note: the bar at the front looked great, and when we arrived that area was buzzing with local office workers enjoying a tipple before the tube journey home!) Before sitting down, we were able to check our coats and scarves into the cloak room.

Now, one of the best things about dining out with friends is that you can try their food. And when you’re dining out with a very good friend then you may be lucky enough to go halves on everything to try even more options! And that’s exactly what Mitra and I did.

As we sat down we were served bread and butter to nibble on, which was fantastic because we were so very hungry in that after work and it’s been oh so long since lunch break state. As we read the menu our server explained how different dishes were served and helped us select a red wine that would complement the steak we selected for our main.

For our first course we tucked into yellow fin tuna tartare with spiced avocado and black pepper dressing (£11.50) and dressed Dorset crab with mayonnaise and melba toast (£14). All the fish and shellfish at One Canada Square are hand selected in the mornings at Billingsgate Market, and we could definitely tell because the tuna and crab just tasted so wonderfully fresh.

Like many fine dining restaurants, we received a snack between the starters and mains. And while I’m blanking on the name of the dish, it included salmon and blood orange – a combination I’ve never had and that I’m still not sure if I’m a fan of, but I’m glad I tried it.

Next up was our chateaubriand served with chips (600g, for two, £55), Béarnaise and blue cheese hollandaise sauce, and sides of creamed spinach (£4) and mixed herb salad (£4). And while it was absolutely delicious, it was a bit too much for me (I get full very quickly on meats and sometimes struggle with rich, buttery sauces) so I didn’t finish my portion. Instead they packaged it up for me in a little box so I could take it home and eat in small portions throughout the week – which was fabulous because I hate wasting food!

Last but certainly not least was dessert. I had a selection of ice creams and sorbets (3 scoops for £5.50) and Mitra opted for the bitter chocolate delice with salted caramel and clementine ice cream (£6.50). Needless to say, this round didn’t last long.

Overall the experience was great and the food was delicious. I’m not sure if I’d go back for dinner on a week night simply because it’s very out of my way, but I did take a peak at their weekend brunch menu and I think I’d like to come back for that!

One Canada Square restaurant is a modern European restaurant and cocktail bar by ETM Group, located on the ground floor at One Canada Square in Canary Wharf, London, E14 5AB.

Please note: while our experience at One Canada Square was a gift from the restaurant, the views expressed are my own.