“I’ve brought the rosé you’ve ordered,” the Marceline sommelier says, with both hands behind his back. “But I’ve also brought you an alternative to consider – and I think I know which one you’re going to choose”. I’m expecting to see a more expensive label emerge, followed by a long-winded tale of provenance that will convince me to part with more cash. But this sommelier hasn’t just brought a more expensive label, he’s brought a magnum. It’s a Tuesday and there are just two of us at the table. It’s a hard no for me, but looking around, this brazen (yet enjoyable) attempt at an upsell probably has a high rate of success.
This French-inspired upmarket brasserie has opened its doors in the heart of Canary Wharf, London’s office-heavy financial district and, until recently, a gastronomic wasteland. But with hybrid working here to stay, the area’s future has been questioned. Millions of square feet of office space have been vacated since 2021. It’s an adapt-or-die scenario, so big efforts are being made to pull people to (and keep businesses in) the area with upmarket restaurant chains like Hawksmoor, Roka and The Ivy.
Marceline is the first significant standalone restaurant to make a move. It’s taking a direct aim at the power lunch trade. The power (aka long) lunch is largely seen as a relic of the pre-2008 past, where too much drink is drunk, big decisions are made, and not much work is done after. But, as office life informalizes (even for the finance bros) and businesses look to incentivize working life beyond income, it is making a slow and steady comeback. So let’s just say that it’s no surprise to see the sommelier pushing 1.5Ls of wine on us.
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The lowdown
What we loved
A brasserie on a barge. What’s not to love?
Must order
Related
Ravioli Dauphiné with comté
What to drink
French Martini No.5
Best seat in the house
Get yourself a corner booth by the windows for a light-filled lunch
Content from our partners
Chef
Robert Aikens, the identical twin brother of Michelin-starred chef Tom Aikens (read our interview with him here), leads the kitchen. Tom is renowned for being the youngest British chef to retain two Michelin stars. Robert doesn’t boast the same success but has a long resumé when it comes to Michelin cuisine, including working at the now-legendary Le Gavroche.
Most tellingly though, a big chunk of Robert’s professional life was spent at Pastis, a beloved French bistro in New York City’s Meatpacking district. The restaurant, open since 1999 (barring a brief closure due to a landlord dispute), is largely seen as the spark that ignited the neighborhood’s transformation into a culinary hub. No wonder then, that Marceline hopes to repeat the trick in Canary Wharf. They’ve taken the chef and a chunk of the menu; even the plates appear inspired by Pastis.
Menu
With a reassuringly short menu, Marceline focuses on the classics. Escargot, cheese souffle, beef tartare and onion soup: reading the hors d’oeuvres is like picking up your favorite book as a child – pure nostalgia. The dish we order is one we’ve not seen before: Ravioli Dauphiné with comté, crème fraiche and brown butter. Delivered as a sheet of uncut fresh pasta in a pool of butter, this traditional dish hails from its eponymous French region and is rumored to be 800 years old. Order it alongside the all-you-can-eat fresh bread to ensure none of its calorie-dense deliciousness goes to waste.
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Already halfway into a butter-induced coma (what a way to go), we double down for the entrées. A half lobster served with maître d’hotel butter and a heap of crisp fries is as pretty on the plate as it is delicious. The lobster is presented on a bed of fries and is cooked and seasoned to perfection. Fries, served with a healthy dollop of mayonnaise, are just as good.
While this is the only main course we tried, it’s hard to see where you can go wrong on the menu. There’s fillet steak, moules frites and even a modest plate of tomato spaghetti. For the lunch crowd, you can come in for a steak sandwich or a croque monsieur and leave with your head held high, knowing you’re well below the company’s lunchtime allowance – you’re such a team player!
However, the calorie budget is well and truly blown by this point. If there is room to spare, the dessert menu is familiar and scrumptious in equal parts. The aptly named Chocolate is a must. An indulgent mousse served with Chantilly cream, cacao nibs and a chocolate crumb, it’s impossible to resist and yet impossible to finish. We were also taken with the particularly wobbly crème caramel, a universally loved dish with lashings of caramel sauce.
Once your magnum of rosé is consumed, finish the meal on the terrace with a French Martini No.5, which takes a classic French martini and chucks in a measure of cognac, just because.
As we leave, bellies full of French wine and food, the front of house leaves us with a telling message: “You must come back for lunch.”
Wood Wharf, 10 Water St, London E14 5GX, +44 20 75543344, marceline.london, @marceline.london
