City AM Restaurant Review - 1802

City AM’s monthly restaurant review column is sponsored by the Docklands Light Railway (DLR), whose campaign to encourage people to try somewhere new highlights plenty of attractions, restaurants and bars around the DLR network. Each month a City or Docklands-based Personal Assistant will give us their opinion on one of the area’s restaurants.

Restaurant: 1802
Nearest DLR station: West India Quay
Address: Hertsmere Road, West India Quay, Docklands, London, E14 4AE

Reviewed by: Angela Hayes, Spencer House Capital Management LLP

Cuisine: British

Atmosphere & Décor:
It was quite full when we arrived but still felt spacious enough to have a private lunch. I should imagine that the bar area comes alive in the evenings and I would be happy to go back and experience this. 1802 has a very industrial yet swanky feel to it. With high ceilings showing beams and air conditioning vents, it mixes well with the wooden tables and brown leather chairs and sofas. The tables are nicely spaced apart so no conversations can be overheard and the roomy feel makes it a comfortable place to discuss business over lunch.

Food:
The food was indisputably excellent and the menu included various interesting dishes such as onion and cider soup with cheddar toast. Our choices for the day, however, were: bubble and squeak with poached egg and hollandaise; oil spot sausage roll with spring greens and piccalilli; beef, ale and mushroom pie with wild garlic mash, and haddock fishcakes with watercress and tartar sauce. All of the above were very tasty and obviously cooked with good quality ingredients.

Service:
We arrived and were shown to our table promptly, however there seemed to be some confusion over who was serving us, as we had three different people come to take our order even though we had said we needed more time. We had to wait 15 minutes before the wine arrived, after which we were brought the wrong food twice. However, when we were finally presented with our starters they were absolutely lovely and far outshone the service we had received up until then. When we finished our meals the restaurant manager came over and apologised for all the confusion with the service, explaining that both staff members were trainees. I thought this was a nice gesture, as she clearly knew that the service had not been up to scratch and was doing her best to rectify the situation.

Value for money:
The excellent food meant that it certainly was money well spent. Forgetting the “trainees”, I would highly recommend this restaurant for a fulfilling business lunch and/or evening meal.

Comments on the journey:
1802 is a short one-minute walk from West India Quay DLR station so excellent for anyone close to that area.

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