Best of Summer in London: Enjoy Eco-friendly Cocktails & Dining in Canary Wharf

Top Canary Wharf restaurants have found a very creative way of tackling food waste by launching the “Conscious Cuisine” initiative. Visit Hawksmoor, Humble Grape, Pergola on the Warf, Gaucho, Caravan, and a few more planet-loving eateries until mid-August to indulge in some innovative AND sustainable choices made from ingredients that would have otherwise gone to waste.

The unique eco-dining project (part of a bigger and greener transformation of Canary Wharf) drives awareness around sustainability and food waste with new dishes cooked from “saved” fruits and veggies and served on plastic-free carbon-neutral plates. And just wait until you try the thoughtfully mixed cocktails that give back to the environment!

Humble Grape, the dream home of sustainable wines and affordable brunches. (photo source: Humble Grape)

Here's what's on the menu:

At Humble Grape

Canary Wharf’s gorgeous waterfront wine bar is a one-stop shop for catching up with friends or sunset dates, offering chillaxed vibes and over 400 artisan wines. For Conscious Cuisine, Humble Grape has come up with three mind-blowing dishes made entirely from excess food items.

• Root Vegetable Bhaji with Herb Sauce

Whether it’s vegetable peelings, trimmings, or seeds, nothing gets thrown away when making this incredible dish. Even the sauce it's served with is blended from leaves and stems.

• Tempura Cod Tongue, Cauliflower Leaf Kimchi

Cod tongue is a delicacy in Norway and yet mostly goes to waste in the UK. Here they are battered and transformed into crunchy tempura, served with kimchi made of cauliflower’s green leaves that usually go ignored.

• Pork Croquette and Tomato Aioli

Nothing goes to waste in this flavourful dish where often underused meat from a pig’s head is braised until tender, fried, and served with an aioli made of eggs and tomato pulp.

Pergola - the botanical waterside oasis and rooftop terrace if you're after cocktails with panoramic views of the city. (photo source: Pergola)

At Pergola - Drink sustainable spirits while helping the Planet

Located in the enchanting Crossrail Place Roof Garden, Pergola on the Wharf is the botanical escape you need. With streaming sunlight from floor to ceiling windows and tables surrounded by the freshest flowers, ferns, and vines, who can resist this beauty? Do some good for the planet and try this:

Tree Planter Cocktails

Until the 14th of August, for each order (see the exact list below) Pergola will plant a tree in partnership with Sapling Spirits for every cocktail that they sell. Sapling Spirits are fermented using Wildfarmed regenerative organic wheat, which helps create a healthier living soil while increasing biodiversity and capturing CO2. Their cocktail selection includes Sapling Negroni (Sapling Gin, Campari & Discarded Vermouth) and Sapling Sour (Sapling Vodka, Hone, Matcha, Apple, Lemon & Miracle Foamer).

Caravan - stunning restaurant with an outdoor terrace in the heart of Canary Wharf. Open all day for breakfast, lunch, brunch, dinner, and everything in between. (photo source: Caravan)

At Caravan - Learn new ways of utilising less popular food

Caravan brings all-day dining with their terrazzo and bar space that is stripped back and sun-drenched. Try a dish based on one of their most popular items:

Cauliflower and Shiitake Potstickers

Potstickers and dumplings (think Japanese gyoza), inspired by the ingredients of one of Caravan’s bestselling dishes: spiced cauliflower, harissa, pomegranate, tahini, and curry leaves. At the heart of this mouth-watering gourmet journey are cauliflower stalks, a part of the vegetable that normally goes to waste. Yum!

Hawksmoor restaurant - London's most revered steak chain at its floating flagship of British steak and sustainable seafood in Canary Wharf. (photo source: Hawksmoor)

At Hawksmoor - Discover the sustainable story behind a classic

Hawksmoor is one of Canary Wharf’s latest openings: it is housed in an eco-friendly fully floating pavilion in Wood Wharf, made from sustainably sourced timber decking and aluminium extracted from hydro sources. Its green roof bursts with wildflowers and grasses, offering a welcoming home to many insects and bees. The main dock-level restaurant is joined by The Lowback, a 120-seat waterside bar. If you're after sustainable dining, Hawksmoor chefs will treat you to a dish that was initially created for the in-house staff:

The Potted Beef

Made from trimmings of beef that would usually get discarded, this food-waste-friendly dish is served with Yorkshire Puddings sourced from Sunday Roast leftovers. Lovely!

Gaucho - premium Argentinian steaks, the finest wines and perfectly-curated flavours of Latin America - all in one place. (Photo source: Gaucho)

At Gaucho - Rediscover familiar tastes with sustainable ingredients

Gaucho Canary Wharf boasts spectacular river views from its panoramic restaurant area and leafy, continental terrace. Their Conscious Cuisine selection includes one cocktail and two dishes, promoting the sustainable steak movement.

At Flor del Mundo

To reduce the carbon emissions embedded in growing and importing lemons, and the food waste arising from squeezing the lemons, Flor del Mundo designed a substitute for lemon juice using food-grade natural acids. Alongside this, The Botanist Gin donates £1 from every cocktail sold to their charity partners ‘Not For Sale’, who help to launch community reforestation projects that remove at-risk individuals from the dangers of modern-slavery.

At Colita de Lomo:

One of their best-selling signature Aberdeen Angus steaks from Argentina, grilled to perfection by their grillers! This summer they are undertaking a pioneering project to improve the sustainability of their beef. Therefore they have calculated its carbon footprint, all the way from the farms in Argentina, to their UK-based restaurants. With this information, they have invested in offsetting projects with charity partners ‘Not For Sale’ and will continue to work with the whole supply chain to introduce changes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

At Crate to Plate

Crate to Plate grow salad, herbs, and leafy greens hydroponically and aeroponically, in disused spaces across London. These methods use 96% less water than traditional soil farming and take place within 3 miles (800 yards for the lettuce) of their sites. Besides being grown locally, the produce is delivered by electric vans or bikes. Crate to Plate has a zero single-use plastic policy and has recently launched a zero-waste packaging solution. Bravo, guys!

So what are you waiting for? Pop on the DLR, Elizabeth, or Jubilee Line to treat your taste buds AND help the planet while you're at it! Oh, and between bites and fruity alcoholic sips, why not take a dip in the newest and coolest open water swimming venue in Canary town?