Compared to the plentiful eating and drinking options lining the Regent’s Canal in east London, west London’s Grand Union Canal has always felt like a foodie desert. Things, however, are looking up with the arrival of Canal in Westbourne Park, the first west London venture from the team behind Crispin and Bistro Freddie, and the star attraction is a suntrap waterside terrace.
Wallpaper* dines at Canal, London
The mood: West London Riviera
What was formerly the HQ of the London Taxi Drivers’ Association has been reinvented as the latest Mason & Fifth boutique guesthouse, with Canal at the heart of operations. Design studio A-nrd (also behind the look of London restaurants Kol, Akara and Kolae) have combined raw finishes such as concrete columns with tactile touches like hammered glass, while reflective metals, including a zinc-clad central island bar, will catch the light bouncing off the water outside. Bespoke tables and banquettes, crafted by Jason Posnot of Or This, are set around an open kitchen, with staff who look just as good as the space, wearing uniforms designed by London-based fashion designer Nicholas Daley, and featuring fabric sourced from Italy’s oldest denim mill, Candiani.
‘We wanted to create a space that feels grounded and characterful, where texture tells a story and materials carry the imprint of the hand,’ explains Alessio Nardi, founder of A-nrd. ‘Every detail, from the chisel marks in the wood to the hammered folds in the zinc, was designed to feel intentional yet unpolished. It was also important to us that the space encouraged connection, which is why the central bar and open kitchen play such a key role in shaping the experience.’
The food: an all-day bistro of top-notch produce
The Bistro Freddie team aren’t stepping too far out of their comfort zone, enlisting New York-born chef Adrian Hernandez Farina to oversee a bistro-esque offering from breakfast through to suppertime. Producers are top notch: snacks of Coombeshead Farm ham and Portland crab doughnuts; or feasting-style sharing plates of Cornish John Dory with lemon dill butter and monk’s beard, and Jersey sirloin with brown butter jus, béarnaise and potatoes. To drink, the wine list features classic and contemporary styles of winemaking from sustainably minded producers, while cocktails on tap come courtesy of A Bar with Shapes for a Name in Haggerston: try an orange wine margarita when the sun shines.
Canal is located at 11b Woodfield Road, Westbourne Park, London W9 2BA, UK.
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