Des Gunewardena was one of the duo that set up D&D (Bluebird, Coq D'Argent) but stepped away in 2022. Since then, he's started up a new restaurant group and previously revealed plans to open in The Royal Exchange in the City. Now, he's one of many restaurateurs who are flocking eastwards and setting up shop in Canary Wharf with "a brand new concept".
All we know is that it's a big space - 9500 sq ft, and will be made of "indoor restaurants and bars with private dining spaces, alongside outdoor terraces". One rather glaring piece of information is that the official release says the venue has "spectacular views overlooking Canada Square Park". Now there's one restaurant that had similar views and that was Plateau, which closed late last year. It also happened to be a D&D restaurant. We did a little digging and can confirm that's the space he's taking over.
Plateau was one of the key restaurants in the D&D group and it was a big surprise when it shut down. That restaurant was one of the first big-name places to open in Canary Wharf, back in the days when it was previously owned by Conran. So taking this space on is a big statement from Des.
As for more news about the restaurant itself, it's due to open in late 2024, so expect a few more details in the second half of the year.
More about Des Gunewardena in Canary Wharf
Where is it? 4th Floor, Canada Square, London E14 5ER
When does it open? Late 2024
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