What a difference a couple of years makes. Like a Cinderella rags to riches story, Cellar Bar has gone from a dank basement bar that attracted some ghetto types to a chic, upmarket cocktail bar the likes of which Canary Wharf has been crying out for.

The Venue
A couple of years ago Dockmasters was looking a little tired, a little downtrodden, a little ghetto. Fast forward to present day and a massive refurbishment has put the past to rest and a butterfly has emerged. Who knew? Located a short walk from West India Quay and Canary Wharf stations, below the marble clad exterior of upmarket Indian Restaurant Dockmasters House lies Cellar Bar, and the unimaginative name is where the lack of creativity ends.

Stepping down the external steps beside Dockmasters House, past a gorgeous outdoor courtyard area perfect for alfresco drinking, lies this basement bar. However, stepping through the doors soon allays any fears that this may lead to the dark, dank cellar of previous years. Instead a beautiful space is secreted away. Nods to its previous incarnation remain with a low ceiling and a few exposed brick walls, but the glamorous touches capture the eye. A decent-sized bar at the far end of the main room glows with yellow underlighting beneath and bright lighting behind, capturing the sparkle of the various premium spirits located to the front. Modern designer high stools line the bar giving a decorative twist to the usual bar staple, the rest of the seating scattered consisting mostly of high stools and tables, which are surprisingly comfortable. To the right a large low black leather sofa gleams in the candlelight, and cube stools in black and white add a funky edge to the space.

Stepping through a small doorway into the back area of the bar you’ll be astounded by the simple elegance you’ll find. Comfortable booth-style seating lines the periphery of the area, mellowed by delicate chain-style curtains covering the walls, rivalling any upmarket West End bar. Looking back to its previous incarnation that was more cellar than bar, it’s impressive how it now appears.

The Atmosphere
Cellar Bar always suffered in the past from the fact it was one of only a handful of bars in the area that opened until the wee hours, a fact taken advantage of by unsavoury types from the neighbouring rougher areas that hem in Canary Wharf. Now, however, it’s a whole other story. The stunning decor and upmarket ambience the bar emits is intimidating to ghetto types and a smart but strict bouncer that stands guard over the bar’s entryway is enough to ensure this remains an upmarket cocktail bar. That’s not to say it’s pretentious, rather it doesn’t want history to repeat itself and wishes to maintain its place among London’s top cocktail bars.

The crowd pulled in is unsurprisingly made up of a lot of suits from the neighbouring offices, fed up of the plethora of chain bars that infect the area. However, they also bring in parties of people from the nearby O2 Arena, including the crew of some of the big shows there. Filling a much-needed niche in this area, an upmarket cocktail bar of this type may be one-a-penny in places like Mayfair but in the Docklands it has an important role to play. The staff are especially worth a mention, being friendly but extremely efficient with a level of service usually reserved for hotel bars and top restaurants. A soundtrack of laid back tunes and chillout house beats completes the ambience of the bar.

The Food
Being located beneath the exquisite Dockmasters Restaurant, it’s no surprise that the menu at Cellar Bar focuses on high end Indian dishes. A well priced lunch menu exists between 11.30am-3pm offering dishes like lamb rogan josh, chicken tikka masala, pea and paneer makhani, and fish moilee with rice and a choice of a free drink for just £10. This is in an area where a sub-standard fish and chips meal from the local pub comes in at over a tenner.

In the evening, the menu skews towards sharing platters with a choice of four on offer for £7.50-£12.50. Although the portions aren’t large (two people could happily chow down through two or three platters) the quality of the food is excellent. The seafood platter consists of: thick pieces of rich salmon tikka with a creamy, fresh dill sauce; well cooked, plump vermicelli fried prawns that are nicely balanced with a crispy coating covering the tender meat beneath; and a flavour-filled carom seed batter fried fish, which is tender and flakes nicely with each bite, the slightly spicy batter adding a nice aftertaste and finish to each mouthful.

Alternatively, you can try the Dockmasters House mixed platter consisting of: thick pieces of succulent, perfectly spiced and seasoned katsuri chicken tikka; a rather unappetising looking but delicious lamb shammi kebab, which has a dark crisp shell revealing the spiced lamb meat beneath; and the chilli dill salmon tikka and vermicelli fried prawns found in the seafood platter. It’s a great way of sampling examples of the dishes from the restaurant.

The Drink
Cellar Bar most impresses with its drink menu. They have a decent bottled beer selection and, perhaps surprisingly, draught beer in the form of Peroni, Staropramen, Meantime Stout and Meantime Wheat Beer for a rather pricey £3.75 a pint. They also have an excellent choice of wine and Champagne, including some vintage bottles and the ubiquitous Cristal for the City boys. Their selection of premium spirits is also, frankly, awe-inspiring.

However, where Cellar Bar really thrives is its choice of cocktails. Although there’s no tome of drinks, there are some well thought out cocktails with interesting twists and inventive signature drinks that cleverly bring the Indian influence of the restaurant to bear. The mango and cumin daiquiri (£9) is especially impressive. The amber liquid appears in a large martini glass with cumin seeds stuck around the rim. Sipping through the seeds you get a hint of the Indian spices that are reminiscent of a well-seasoned curry followed by a sharp hit of sweetness from the mango. The mix of sweet and savoury and the strong Indian influence are impressive and the cocktail is a delicious take on the usual dull flavoured daiquiris that pepper bars across London. Similar in design is the Kesar Martini (£15) made up of saffron-infused Beefeater 24 stirred with dry vermouth. The perfectly mixed martini is simply presented and tastes pure and alcoholic and the flavour of the saffron comes through nicely, creating a pleasant Indian-inspired undertone that fits the theme of the bar perfectly. The only real disappointment is the Ink Martini (£7) made up of Beefeater gin shaken with blue curacao, cranberry and creme de peche. Appearing almost toxic blue in colour although it’s well mixed the flavours are a little cheap, with the sweet fruits overpowering the drink.

If you prefer cocktails that are a little more girly then the Honeycomb (£7) is a must. Made up of Acacia honey shaken with cream, fresh ginger, amaretto and Krupnik honey vodka, it’s more like a dessert than a cocktail. The creamy mixture appears in a large martini glass with a slice of ginger as a garnish. The rich creamy texture is underlined by a delicate sweetness courtesy of the honey and the ginger is only just detectable, providing a pleasant balance to the drink. Also excellent is the Sharbat Champagne cocktail (£10) made up of rose liqueur and cardamom infused syrup mixed with Henriot MV Champagne. Stunningly presented in a glass that’s somewhere between a Champagne flute and wine glass, rather than a single rose petal a whole pink rose head floats beautifully in the drink, creating a feast for the eyes. The flavour of the drink is dictated by the sweetness of the Champagne underlined by the rose flavour that comes in as a delicious aftertaste. Exquisite.

The Last Word
Knowing what Cellar Bar used to be only serves to highlight just how incredible it is now. An upmarket cocktail bar in the heart of Canary Wharf, it’s just what the locals have been crying out for. Worth making the trip to visit.

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