Food focus: Leon

New ideas include a different special every day, including Rogan Josh, Tuscan Sausage or Honeyed Sweet Potato with Chick Peas (all £5.80), while seasonal products are on the menu alongside old favourites.

All anyone unfamiliar with the Leon philosophy needs to know is the restaurant chain serves responsibly sourced food using fresh and seasonal ingredients, with dishes served in cardboard boxes which are easily recycled.

And the new menu has proved to be a recipe for success as Canary Wharf manager Ursula Bowerman explained.

She said: "The biggest change has been the daily specials and that's something we did because of Canary Wharf customers. We asked them what we wanted and they came up with the idea of the daily special. There is a different dish for every day and all anyone has to do to check out what it is is to have a look at our website."

Items reintroduced to Leon's spring menu include starters like Classic Baked Beans (£2.20) and Green Sunshine Salad (£2 takeaway/£2.35 eat in), with the latter proving a big hit.

Ursula said: "The sunshine salad is quite simple - endamame beans, fine green beans, peas, mint and vinaigrette - but its hugely popular. It's something really light for the summer and with the good weather we've been having people have been snapping it up."

New main courses include "Sonny" chicken curry (£5.80). A lightly spiced dish with lime, lemongrass and pearl barley, it was named after chef Benny Peverelli's newest child and is proving a popular choice with punters.

"We also have a smoked mackerel and beetroot superfood salad (£5.30/£6.25)," said Ursula. "The fish comes from sustainable stocks and the salad is made to order. It's been a really big hit as it's packed with goodness."

Puddings have not been overlooked with the new stars on the scene being the Pocket Knickerbocker Glories (£2.40/£2.80). Choose from Blueberry Boost, Mango and Strawberry or Black Forest but Ursula advises getting in early to grab one.

She said: "They have been flying out since they were introduced and we're really pleased about that. They are very healthy - full of superfoods like blueberries and things like low fat yoghurt - so I'm not surprised they are popular as they are absolutely delicious."

With summer seemingly set to stay Leon will be revising all its wraps later this month and introducing even more new dishes. According to Ursula the quality of the food speaks for itself but there is an extra ingredient that makes the eating experience even better.

She said: "Our food is fast, fresh and delicious. It's served with energy and a big fat smile."

Wharfers can experience that food even more conveniently over the summer when a "mini-Leon" opens in Canada Square park to coincide with the activities focused around the big screen switching on later this month.

Leon
Promenade Level
Cabot Place West
Canary Wharf
E14 4QS

T: 020 7719 6200

leonrestaurants.co.uk