Museum of London Docklands,
West India Quay,
Canary Wharf,
London,
E14 4AL
(020) 7538 2702
The ViewLondon Review
With a great atmosphere and truly fantastic food and drink, Rum and Sugar proves to be among the finest, most affordable venues in
Canary Wharf.
The Venue
Situated on the West India Quays basin and commanding spectacular views of Canary Wharf from its outside terrace, Rum and Sugar is
housed in a converted 19th century depot which used to receive and treat imported goods such as rum and sugar during the Docklands’
booming port days. This historical background is very much in evidence inside the venue, with stacks of wooden barrels cut away to
display examples of olden-day produce, and the Docklands Museum right next door. The maritime theme is reflected in coarse wooden
floorboards and brick walls, as well as immense timber columns and ceiling beams.
A touch of modernity is introduced with overhead ducts and extravagant lampshades, not to mention the central bar, made up of
gleaming glass and fairy lights and accessible from nearly every angle. Meanwhile there is ample seating on either side of the vast
room, including comfortable sofas and booths for casual drinks, and a dimly-lit, atmospheric dining area to the left, made up of
comfortable wooden chairs and low tables. The outside smoking area can hold many more customers should weather permit, although there
are plenty of gazebos and heaters no matter what the conditions.
The Atmosphere
The crowd at Rum and Sugar is, perhaps unavoidably, made up of businessmen and women from the nearby Canary Wharf district, as well as
curious museum-goers and tourists. The disarming lay-out and seating plan of the venue is extremely conducive to intimate
conversation and relaxation, aided and abetted by a very helpful bar and floor team. Live music is
customary on Wednesdays, as are excellent DJs on Thursdays and Fridays – and the boisterous yet friendly atmosphere is ideal for
end-of-the-week R&R, or indeed office parties.
The Food
The brainchild of the Ampersand company, caterers to the Royal Family and the most prestigious corporations in London, Rum and Sugar
offers a superlative menu of tasty, locally-sourced dishes at very reasonable prices. For starters, the Billingsgate crab & crayfish
tortellini (£6) is a thing of beauty, and the mains, which include white truffle and mushroom risotto (£11), burgers, pies (£10) and
a deliciously tender sirloin steak (£17.50), are just as good. In keeping with the venue’s theme, rum is liberally applied to certain
dishes, including the superb pear and vanilla panna cotta (£5), which rounds off the menu in style. You will be hard-pressed to find
a better, more affordable restaurant in Canary Wharf.
The Drink
The bar certainly doesn’t let the side down either, with several dedicated mixologists experimenting weekly with such hare-brained
notions as sweet-shop liqueurs and 19th century cocktails (£6.50-£8), as well as the usual suspects - a knock-out Old Fashioned is
yours for £8. A thoughtful selection of beers draws on the nearby Meantime brewery, as well as Staropramen and Stella Black (£3.50 a
pint), and the wine and champagne list (at anywhere between £5-£10 a glass) is lengthy and described in painstaking detail – you
really get the sense that some poor soul had to drink their way through an awful lot of wine before settling on these vintages! And
that’s before we come to the rum, almost 100 varieties of which are assembled here in some form or other – white, dark, aged or
spiced, you’ll be sure to find your particular tipple among the infusions on offer, and other spirits such as whisky and tequila are
given a similar treatment.
The Last Word
Atmosphere, location, great food and drinks, an interesting back-story – Rum and Sugar has the lot in spades. A must-visit for anyone
in the area.
Rum and Sugar has been reviewed by 3 users