Food review: Zizzi's, Canary Riverside

REVIEW
According to some PR fluff that's just landed in my inbox, we're now approaching high season for home decorating.

At this very minute, legions of bronzed home owners are being driven through their front doors by sudden autumn downpours, and are realising that their sofa cushions actually look a bit rubbish.

This isn't just something that affects people who watch too many daytime Channel 4 programmes. It even pops into the heads of restaurant owners.

After several years of wiping down the same old furniture, Canary Riverside Italian chain haunt Zizzi carted off a big skip of the old, and waited for the satisfying beep of a moving van full of new reversing into view.

It closed for nine days in early September, re-launching with a new look on September 16. The make-over features white and grey ("representing the pinstripe influence from the City") and greeny blue (which is all about the river Thames).

It's a much more open design, which benefits from the large windows and the view out onto the river. The upstairs room is handy for private meetings, but its best to opt for downstairs if you want to enjoy any sunlight.

Canary Wharf Zizzi general manager Douglas Love said: "The old style restaurant was a lot darker and very terracotta and wooden. We're trying to make the place feel more sexy.

"The only thing that's stayed are the waiter stations. They're really solid and the ones you buy now are too flimsy."

A few days after this facelift, the nice folks invited down a scrawny cluster of press for a food tasting. On these occasions, samples of various flagship dishes are deposited around a table. You're then guided through each of the fresh ingredients while fighting the British urge not to touch anything that's over a quarter eaten in case someone else wants it.

Swinging into action with the starters, the ravenous horde was most impressed with the arancini (£4.95), a special made from risotto balls in breadcrumbs with mozzarella, chilli, tomato sauce and peas.

The undisputed champion of the main course was the casareccia pollo piccante (£8.50), a chicken pasta dish which was creamy and slightly spicy without making you feel like you'd just ingested a Polyfilla pot seasoned with anguish.

Head chef Angelo Garofalo was also keen to highlight the square pizzas, which were half a metre in length and served on a wooden board in the thin and crispy Italian style.

The pizza mezzo e mezzo (£10.45) features a coalition of mozzarella, peppers, mushrooms splitting space with cream, grana padano cheese, potatoes, onion and thyme. A new menu is to be launched from October 7, featuring wintry alternatives such as traditional Tuscan soup.

The desserts split the party, with some hanging their colours on the mast of the tiramasu (£4.50), and others going for the Zizzi trio (£5.45) of chocolate mousse, lemon meringue tart and ice cream.

Angelo said: "The food comes from traditional Italian recipes, but we add our own interpretation.

"I believe in the details of the food. Even the calamari we use is a specific species, just to make sure it's tender enough. It's the quality of the meal that's important rather than just playing around with the products."

WHARF VERDICT

Zizzi Canary Wharf
33 Westferry Circus
Canary Wharf
London
E14 8RR
0207 512 9257
zizzi.co.uk

RATINGS

Food: 4/5

Ambience: 4/5

Convenience: 4/5

Overall: 4/5

WHAT THEY SAY:

"I would recommend the food. However, the service was a little slow. Overall, good food, nice ambience and not expensive."
london-eating.co.uk

"The fact that the restaurant hires their employees very selectively is evident in the friendly, cheerful and capable manner with which the staff treat diners."
restaurant-guide.com

"Idyllically located on the river, sitting outside at dusk in the summer is really nice. Indoors there is a little more hustle and bustle."
yelp.co.uk

ALTERNATIVELY:

El Faro
3 Turnberry Quay, Pepper Street, Crossharbour, E14 9RD
el-faro.co.uk

"Millwall Inner Dock is an under-rated local spot for kicking back, and this highly-rated Spanish restaurant backs straight onto it."

First Edition
25 Cabot Square, Canary Wharf, E14 4QA
firsteditionrestaurant.co.uk

"It's more a people-watching spot than a breaktaker, but the outside area does offer elevated views of the dock beyond Mackenzie Walk."

The Gun
27 Coldharbour, E14 9NS
thegundocklands.com

"A recent addition to the Good Beer Guide, known for its gastro-food and its great views of The O2 from the terrace out back."