Bookings for Kricket Canary Wharf now open – 09.07.24

Modern-Indian restaurant group Kricket launching fourth site in Canary Wharf 

On September 2, Kricket, the collection of modern-Indian restaurants, will open the doors to a new site in Canary Wharf, marking the group’s fourth London restaurant. Co-founders Rik Campbell and Will Bowlby are thrilled to bring their contemporary twist on traditional Indian flavours to a totally unique setting in the capital’s East. The new Kricket restaurant, with a wholly distinct fitting designed for the Canary Wharf setting, will have 80 covers and be open for lunch and dinner, seven days a week. SOMA 2.0, the adjoining speakeasy bar, will mirror the original concept in Soho with room for up to 50 guests and a licence to open late. 

On their next venture the duo have said ‘Our aim has always been to grow organically, ensuring each location provides an unparalleled dining experience. Canary Wharf will be our first launch since 2018 and will represent the beginning of an evolution of the Kricket brand, through new and unique design, combined with a food and beverage offering that continues to focus on quality and value for our guests. Canary Wharf has reinvented itself in recent years and we are delighted to bring our seven day, late-night offering to this diverse, well-connected and thriving hub.’

Divided into five sections, the food will reflect Executive Chef Will Bowlby’s playful culinary style, shaped by his tenure working in Mumbai and later under Vivek Singh at Cinnamon Kitchen in London. The menu will feature a number of Kricket classics, such as Bhel puri; Samphire pakoras; and Keralan fried chicken, alongside an array of never before seen dishes.

First, a selection of snacks (£2.50-£4) feature dishes like Raw mackerel with fried idli and ginger pickle; and Beef Idichathu with shiso and wild garlic mustard. Smaller plates (£8-16) include dishes such as Smoked onions with sheep’s yoghurt and curry leaf brown butter; Grilled mackerel, served alongside fermented Kashmiri chilli butter sauce; and Seekh kebab with onion glaze, horseradish and watercress. Larger dishes (£14-£17) from the custom-built charcoal grill that forms the centrepiece of the restaurant feature Day-boat squid stuffed with squid and Goan sausage biryani; a verdant green Mutton chop pistachio korma; and Baida roti – a handkerchief thin bread wrapped around rabbit keema and fried in ghee. Available as accompaniments are a selection of freshly baked breads from the tandoor (£4-£7) and side dishes (£4.50-£6.50). Finally, a dessert selection (£5-£8) brings a revitalising close to the meal, with dishes like Malai kulfi with grilled strawberries; and Chai financier, served with cherries, vanilla and white chocolate. 

On Sundays, guests will see a celebration of the famous Mughal dish of Murgh Musallam – a whole stuffed chicken cooked over charcoal and served with chicken mince seekh kebabs; chicken and barberry pulao; roomali rotis and a black garlic and chilli raita. An alternative vegetarian option will be equally delicious. Paying homage to the vibrant nightlife of Mumbai, a reduced late-night menu available Thursday through Saturday, will be reminiscent of those long evenings of curb-side eating on the city’s streets, laden with kebabs, rotis and Keralan fried chicken. 

To complement the culinary offering, Head of Beverage Will Rogers will lead the drinks programme at both Kricket and SOMA, featuring seasonal cocktails, a concise wine selection and collaboration beers. Cocktails will incorporate spices like mustard seeds, cardamom and curry leaves, while the wine list will focus on approachable, minimal-intervention bottles. At SOMA, Rogers and his team embrace a ‘less is more’ ethos, highlighting seasonal ingredients and high-quality spirits and spices. To celebrate the opening, a new cocktail, Rice, which is a take on a classic vodka highball and contains rice vodka, spent rice, pomegranate and chai foam, will be available alongside favourites such as Peas, a refined, alcoholic lassi with Santa Teresa 1796 Rum, Disaronno Velvet liqueur, pea, mint and yoghurt, and the Leaf, featuring Opihr Gin, Makrut lime leaf, curry leaf and pink peppercorn. 

Originating in a shipping container at Pop Brixton in 2015, university friends Rik and Will opened their first permanent restaurant in Soho in 2017, earning a Michelin Bib Gourmand in the first year. In 2018, they opened Kricket Brixton and Kricket White City. In 2021, the group introduced the brand’s first delivery-only concept which continues to deliver over 2,000 orders a week via an exclusive partnership with Deliveroo. In September 2021, Will and Rik also launched SOMA, their first bar, on Denman Street in Soho. Named after the Hindu Moon God, it serves drinks inspired by the Indian subcontinent and neighbouring countries. In 2022, SOMA was voted Best Bar at the GQ Food & Drink Awards. 

CAKE Architecture has led the restaurant’s design, which boasts an overall industrial aesthetic with exposed concrete, softened by details such as bespoke wooden chairs and warm terracotta textures. The space will be divided by translucent screens echoing the silvery surfaces of Canary Wharf while also creating intimate dining areas. Hidden from street view, SOMA can be accessed through a discreet door at the back of the restaurant. The atmospheric central bar is illuminated by bespoke geometric light fixtures glowing yellow and red.