The Tallyman opened its doors this September, bringing old-school East End pub character to Canary Wharf – a part of London better known for glass towers than traditional locals. It’s the latest opening from the team behind Faber in Hammersmith, The Somers Town Coffee House in King’s Cross and The Victoria in Mile End, whose hospitality group is celebrating its 20th anniversary.
The name is a nod to the tallymen who once kept track of goods passing through London’s docks, giving the pub a fitting connection to Canary Wharf’s maritime past. And while the neighbourhood has changed considerably since those working docks were in operation, The Tallyman is pitching itself as a place to linger beyond office hours, with classic British pub food, cold pints and a seafood shack serving everything from lobster subs to oysters and caviar.
We visited for lunch – here’s all about our experience:
What’s the vibe like?
The Tallyman brings a welcome dose of old-school pub character to Canary Wharf, with rich wood, handmade stained glass, hand-stitched leather seating and traditional ironwork signage giving the interiors plenty of personality. A far cry from the area’s slick, glass-fronted bars, it feels like somewhere you could happily lose track of time over a pint, with enough thoughtful detail to make it feel established (but not staged).
It’s geared towards the after-work crowd, though the appeal extends beyond a quick drink on the way home. Pull up a stool at the bar, settle in for a proper pub dinner or head outside to the waterfront seating overlooking Eden Dock with your laptop closed and well tucked into the briefcase.
And what’s on the menu?
For a pub in the middle of Canary Wharf, The Tallyman has a rather clever trick up its sleeve: lobster. The menu covers the British pub classics, but the seafood offering is what sets it apart, from Maldon oysters and cured trout to a platter of crab salad and pickled mussels. Miles more interesting than another gastropub doing a greatest-hits album of burgers, pies and fish and chips.
If the weather allows, you should head to the outdoor Seafood Shack if the weather plays ball. At £18, the lobster sub, packed with lobster and crab, is the main event, and with just 200 made each day, there’s a compelling reason not to dither over lunch.
Ours was a glorious, generous beast of a sandwich, stuffed with fresh seafood and tucked into a pillowy bun with a lightly charred crust. It’s considerably bigger than the photos suggest, too. Sweet, succulent crab and lobster, soft bread with just the right amount of bite: could there be a more majestic pub lunch?
If you do miss out by the skin of your teeth, worry not – the consolation prizes are hardly shabby, from caviar on chips to fish finger sandwiches.
From 5pm, the shack shifts its focus to oysters shucked to order, caviar and English sparkling wine from Digby Fine English. Picture the Algarve’s seafood shacks transplanted to Canary Wharf, with a generous dose of polish and a distinctly more sophisticated drinking list. But a really long, comforting, boozy lunch regardless.
Not a seafood fan? The mushroom vol-au-vent deserves a mention of its own. As the vegetarian option on the menu, it could easily have felt like an afterthought, but it was anything but. Our last truly memorable vol-au-vent was at the new Holy Carrot site in Spitalfields, where chef Daniel Watkins demonstrated just how much flavour you can coax from a seemingly simple dish. The Tallyman’s version came surprisingly close.
Verdict
The Tallyman is a welcome antidote to Canary Wharf’s corporate polish, with the sort of old-school pub character that makes a working lunch dangerously easy to turn into an afternoon-long affair. The Seafood Shack gives it a point of difference beyond handsome interiors – you’ll just need a glimpse of blue sky to enjoy it properly
Key details
Address: 5 Chancellor Passage, Canary Wharf Estate, London E14 4PA
Website: thetallyman.co.uk
Socials: @tallymanpub