I’ve always found Canary Wharf a fascinating corner of east London, uneasily mixing the essential elements of life in the capital: the old and the new; work and home; domestic and foreign; business and pleasure.

It can sometimes feel like any business district in the world, with precious little to anchor it to London – let alone the historic Docklands – to be found in its architecture, food or nightlife.

But while the area will probably always be synonymous with the offices which dominate it, the last few years have seen the green shoots of an interesting bar and restaurant offer starting to poke out from between the gaps in the concrete (including The Pearson Room and Iberica la Terraza.)

One man who is leading the foodie renaissance in E14 is Moreno Cassacia, Executive Chef at the Quadrato restaurant in the Four Seasons Canary Wharf.

Moreno and his team have created a delicious “Local Flavours” menu, comprised of food raised, rooted and matured within a 50 mile radius of the restaurant – with many ingredients coming from a few square miles around Canary Wharf.

My guest and I enjoyed four set courses, starting with rich, thickly sliced smoked salmon from Hackney Wick’s famous Forman’s smokery, served with a quail’s egg and a delicately flavoured red onion confit.

Before our main course – an unctuous 28 day aged Surrey beef fillet, elevated by the accompanying violet asparagus and pink fur potatoes – we were treated to a tasting plate of ravioli, featuring borage which had been foraged from neighbouring Shadwell.

While our beef was commendably well-cooked and tasty, it was the borage ravioli that really impressed us: buttery, light, and refined, it was some of the finest pasta I’ve eaten in London and comes firmly recommended.

For pudding, we enjoyed Androuet matured brillat-savarin cheesecake, with gooseberry in Bermondsey made coulis, which didn’t hit quite the same high notes as the rest of our meal.

We left the restaurant reflecting that the E14 menu is a good idea that’s been nicely executed. It succeeds in bringing authentic and very local ingredients into the dining room of a top international hotel and positions Canary Wharf not as an identikit business district, but as part of a city that’s proud of its produce.

The hotel itself, the Four Seasons Canary Wharf, is situated on the river, and our room – the deluxe guest room – enjoyed panoramic views down the Thames, in both directions.

Ideal for business travellers who want a slice of luxury but attracting increasing numbers of local families for weekend stays and brunch, the Four Seasons Canary Wharf had a pleasant Sunday-morning buzz when we went down for breakfast (tip: go buffet over the breakfast menu or you’ll be in for an expensive morning).

Another of the hotel’s selling points is the stylish and comprehensive fitness complex which sits adjacent to it on the banks of the river. Featuring an infinity pool used as a backdrop in a recent Bond film, a state of the art gym and fitness centre, and all manner of saunas, steam rooms and high-end pampering facilities, the centre is owned by Virgin but is freely accessible to hotel guests with the swipe of a key card.

The Four Seasons is characterised by these contrasting appeals. The front overlooks the manicured streets of Canary Wharf, but the back enjoys stunning views over the river, the alluring pool, and the picturesque courtyard.

During the week it is characterised by busy business stays and at the weekend a relaxed and family-friendly appeal: the various function rooms filled with family celebrations.

The Four Seasons has an understated charm where the more you look the more find, like its corporate appearance that reveals on closer inspection to be inspired by a cubic design throughout the hotel and manifest in a floating staircase in the lobby.

Nelio Afonso, Hotel Assistant Manager, was the perfect embodiment of the warmth and friendliness which this multinational hotel delivers so well.

Tip: Make sure you bring your swimwear – once you see the infinity pool you won’t be able to resist a dip or relax and take in the view.

If you like the Four Seasons hotel group, read our reviews of the Four Seasons Marrakech and the Four Seasons Hampshire.

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