»Ah Canary Wharf – land of skyscrapers, money and the millenium dome. Somewhere you might venture to for a meeting, or to catch a show, but possibly not for dinner. But One Canada Square – a new restaurant with a menu from former Ivy head-chef Jamie Dobbin – has popped up to tempt diners east into the financial stronghold.

It’s in the building with which it shares its name, and if you don’t know, that’s the very tall and instantly recognisable tower with the glowing pyramid on top.

An old-fashioned, wood-panelled affair, it sits rather incongruously in the slightly drab and very brightly lit lobby, somewhat in the manner of an airport restaurant.

But once you get inside the place all thoughts of delayed flights and business meetings evaporate as the incredibly attentive and knowledgeable staff bustle about making you feel very much at home.

The bar looked busy and welcoming, but we headed straight to our table and sipped at a wonderfully bitter negroni and a sweet and fruity rasberry mojito.

The food is mainly British – pies, game, even eels – whipped into a modern or exotic frenzy with additions of kimchee, Chinese artichokes and the like.

An excellent raw bar provided our ceviche starter, sea bass pieces livened with lime and chilli salt, balanced by sugary slices of mango.

Meanwhile the squash soup was a touch underwhelming – a good winter warmer with a cheeky partridge sausage roll – it lacked much delicacy and was a little unadventurous.

For the main event we shared the epic Chateaubriand – a fantastic cut of fillet for two people.

It took its sweet time coming out, allowing it the ­appropriate time to rest, but was a moist and succulent cut, with tart béarnaise on the side.

Sacrilege I know, but we asked for it heading towards medium but the chef had other ideas and it came out very red indeed. When you pay this much for a steak, you should really get it how you want it.

A special mention for the cheese board, which lurked on full show in the corner of the restaurant, breathing and generally wafting away – from creamy goat to blockbusting blue, it was a real treat to have the fromage dealt with properly. There was a wide selection of breads and crackers and chutney and it was nice to be offered the cheese board in-between courses.

Wine-wise the night was also a success; our wonderful waitress also doubled as a sommelier and we were happy to let her guide our palates.

If you worked in Canary Wharf, eating here would no doubt be a regular event – even if you don’t it’s worth the trip to try out. And as long as you stay away from the grill section of the menu, you won’t need a banker’s bonus to tackle the bill.

n One Canada Square is open New Year’s Eve and is currently serving a Christmas menu.