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Wharf Life May 26-Jun 23, 2021 wharf-life.com
Canary Wharf
700
Total capacity of Pergola On The Wharf, including a 200-person wrap-around terrace
green into the
how Pergola On The Wharf is set to festoon its roof with greenery to reflect the Roof Garden’s lush paths by Jon Massey
U
nfortunately it’s a building site at the moment, so we can’t go inside yet,” said Incipio Group’s head of creative development, Rory Graham. It’s less than two weeks before Pergola On The Wharf is set to open and we’ve met to chat about the venue that will see the vast unit at the eastern edge of Crossrail Place Roof Garden transformed following the demise of the company that ran Giant Robot. Rory’s calm exterior belies what must be a feverish level of activity in the run-up to launch, expected on Friday, May 28. “The best way to describe this venue is what we leant on for its design – the roof garden it sits beside,” said Rory. “It’s an incredible pocket of calm in the middle of the metropolis that is Canary Wharf and we wanted to continue that look and feel throughout Pergola. “We’ve created a 12ft by 8ft flower wall planted entrance, a whole foliage ceiling and made a bar out of trees. It all plays into our airy, green, crisp style. “The venue’s 10,000sq ft with two bars, one big open theatre kitchen and private dining space. Then we’ve got a 200-capacity wrap-around terrace looking over the Wharf – we’re incredibly lucky to get this location. In total we have capacity for 700 people.” Pergola started life under railway arches in Goldhawk Road, Shepherd’s Bush, gaining its name from the popularity of bookings to sit under the tiny outdoor structure its founders had built. “We launched in White City in 2016, and on the back of that we opened Pergola Paddington and then we had
Pergola On The Roof, which was the original concept – this is the fourth venue within that brand,” said Rory. “It’s informal, good fun, accessible and there for everyone, whether a large group or a couple coming for dinner and drinks. It might be the after-work crowd, which we’re obviously keen to engage with in Canary Wharf. “People can expect relaxed DJs, good music and good food. In terms of the food, our executive chef Nick Wyborn, who trained at the Langham Hotel, and recently came over from Mac And Wild, has used land, sea and earth as the narrative for the menu. “All the dishes relate to that, as does our drinks menu, which has fresh beers, cocktails and coffees during the day and there’s a low and no alcohol section as well. “On weekdays we’re open from noon-11pm and earlier for brunch at the weekends as well as later into the night. “We’ll be serving everything from really good burgers to Continued on Page 8 An artist’s impression of how Pergola On The Wharf will look when complete
Incipio Group’s Rory Graham said the opportunity to open beside Crossrail Place Roof Garden was something the company couldn’t turn down
