This is Roe. There's a lot of space for outside seating but it really wasn't the weather for it when we visited.
What can you tell us about Roe?
This is the first proper second restaurant from the team behind St James restaurant Fallow, Will Murray, Jack Croft and James Robson. It takes a very similar approach to Fallow, with a focus on seasonal and local ingredients overlaid with a no-waste ethos.
Where is it?
It's the latest opening in Canary Wharf's Wood Wharf area. This is becoming something of a foodie enclave, with big restaurants from Hawksmoor and Dishoom nearby. And big is the order of the day when it comes to Roe as the restaurant is significantly larger than Fallow and one of the biggest restaurant spaces in Canary Wharf.
It's pretty easy to find, and closer to the Canary Wharf underground station as opposed to a 10-minute walk from the Elizabeth line. Just head towards this huge round tower and you'll find it at the base.
Look out for this round tower and you'll find Roe taking up the entire base of it.
So it's a pretty big restaurant
Oh yes. Apparently, it has space to fit in about 500 diners, but this is spread into multiple areas. There's the main restaurant as you come in, and even that's in three separate sections with a much larger counter space than you might have seen at Fallow.
The counter is a great place to sit, although we'd maybe have liked a little more interaction from the chefs and more dishes passed directly to us rather than making something of a circuit to come from behind. That's something they can work on, though.
Just one part of the main dining area of Roe. There are many, many more tables spread out in sections throughout the entire floor.
On top of that, there's another big room around the side of the restaurant that acts as their bar, plus a private dining room upstairs and lots of space for alfresco dining once things heat up a little. Oh, and this impressive chef's counter in the basement:
Downstairs in the basement, you'll find another kitchen and this great chef's counter.
Where should we go for a drink first?
The most obvious place nearby is the bar underneath Hawksmoor - The Lowback. It's a short stroll from Roe and either before or after your meal here, it's probably the best option.
And there's a bar at Roe too?
Of sorts, if you're coming into the restaurant, you'll find it by following the counter to the end where the last room is intended to be the bar. That said, we think they should embrace that space a little more as a specific bar area and be inspired by Hawksmoor to give it its own identity. Most of the tables were still laid out for dining, and given the size of Roe, it could benefit from having a dedicated drinking space, particularly based on the cocktails we had.
All of the cocktails come in at £12; many are inspired by the seasonal and local themes of the menu. Herbs from Roe's hydroponic garden come into play here, and you'll get some original drinks like the following:
The cocktails to make a beeline for - the Carrot Gimlet, made with gin and sand carrot cordial (£12). Deeply carrotty, it's like getting one of your five-a-day in alcoholic form.
Onto the food, then - what can we expect?
If you've been to Fallow then the menu at Roe will look very familiar, but only at first glance. A mix of small and large sharing plates, it's laid out similar to Fallow's menu but most of the dishes here are completely new. You'll find a couple of their signature dishes like the Hen of the Woods burger, a version of their dairy cow beef burger which throws some venison into the burger mix and some new flatbreads. Otherwise, it's all-new but you can still see the overall ethos of Fallow's seasonal, low-waste approach shining through.
Here's a taste of what to expect from the small plates and snacks:
Breaded mushrooms, kombu, garlic mayonnaise (£7) - We love fried garlic mushrooms, they're something of a comfort dish and Roe's ones are done very well.
Cuttlefish fried toast, pork skin, sesame, chilli jam (£11) - essentially a Roe take on prawn toast.
Maitake Cornish pasty, walnut ketchup (£9) - The Cornish pasty was perhaps the one thing that didn't quite live up to billing. Maybe we were expecting too much from what's a perfectly fine pasty.
Steering away from carbs on the night we visited, we didn't have any of the flatbreads, but they still come recommended. Roe is another restaurant that's embracing snails on the menu, with the snail vindaloo flatbread coming in for a lot of praise (although the Cornish scallop with bacon butter is the one to go for if you can't abide snails).
Brand new to the menu at Roe is the skewers section. These are a must-have and come on their own bespoke wooden platter. Here's what we had:
Chicken thigh, lamb sweetbread and satay (£10) and rare breed pork, Thai basil and chilli (£9)
Like Fallow, there are steaks at Roe too, with the entry-level being a Flat-Iron at £26. And another new addition is the Feast section for at least two people. It says "for two or more" but as long as you haven't gone too mad on the ordering up until now, this is ideal for two to share:
Roe mixed grill of flamed harissa haunch, venison skewer, grilled sausage, smoked peppers (£52) - this was excellent and feels like you're really getting the best of Roe in one dish. Special extra marks for the excellent kofte (hidden at the bottom of this pile).
Blooming onion, pickled onion, garlic mayonnaise (£10) - when it comes to sides, this huge dish is a must.
How is it for vegetarians?
There's plenty to choose from, including a white cabbage and miso skewer and a praline pumpkin and ricotta flatbread, with the only sections that are not vegetarian-friendly being the steaks (of course) or the feasts. And of course, that onion is a must-have.
What about dessert?
While we'd heartily recommend all of the above, you will have to leave room for at least one dessert. They have soft serve (it's an Eton Mess version here) and are also proud of their cheesecake which incorporates Tunworth cheese, but the banana is the number one dessert to go for.
Caramelised banana parfait, peanut, toasted vanilla (£9) - it looks exactly like a banana, but this is actually parfait, shaped to look like a banana. Even close-up, it still looks like a real banana. It's extraordinary and the caramelised skin on top is marvellous too.
Vienetta, mint chocolate cream, marigold (£10) - essentially a deconstructed Vienetta.
How about drinks?
Alongside the aforementioned cocktails, there's a small wine list which leans towards (albeit not solely) organic, biodynamic or minimal intervention. That starts at £40 a bottle, and £14 a glass while you can head straight to the Fine Wine section if you're feeling flush - there prices start at £230 a bottle.
Overall thoughts
The Fallow team have been going from strength to strength over the past few years, and that winning streak continues at Roe. It's an absolutely massive restaurant which may be a big ask to fill completely, but if anything is going to bring in the punters, it's the food on offer here.
Pretty much all the new dishes we tried were excellent and we feel we've barely scraped the surface. And that banana dessert will take some beating as the best dessert of 2024. With breakfasts still to come, we think Roe will do very nicely in Canary Wharf.
More about Roe
Where is it? Five Park Drive, Wood Wharf, London E14 9GG
How to book: Book online
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Instagram @roerestaurant.
Hot Dinners ate as guests of Roe. Prices are correct at the time of writing
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