By river to dinner: the boat from Westferry Circus, and where it can carry an evening

A commuter boat with a better second shift

At eight in the morning the river buses are full of lanyards and laptops. At seven in the evening the same catamarans carry a different crowd: couples heading out to eat, visitors who wanted London from the water, and the occasional banker who has worked out that the river is the calmest way to leave the office. Thames Clippers runs the service, under the Uber Boat name these days, though nearly everyone on the estate still calls the boats Clippers.

As date transport the boat is hard to beat anywhere in London. It is quick enough to be practical, slow enough for a real conversation, and it frames the evening with the best views the city owns: the towers falling away astern, the old wharves of Wapping and Rotherhithe on either bank, and eventually the underside of Tower Bridge passing overhead.

Boarding at Canary Wharf Pier

The pier sits on the river at Westferry Circus, beside E14 8RS, at the western tip of the estate. From Cabot Square it is a short walk along West India Avenue and down the steps to the water. Tap the reader on the pier with a contactless card or an Oyster, or buy a ticket in the operator's app, then wait on the floating pontoon while the boat comes alongside.

At low tide the gangway down to the pontoon slopes steeply, which is worth knowing in heels. Inside, seats run in rows either side of a central aisle, and a small bar sells coffee, wine and beer. Many boats also have a little open deck at the stern, and on a fine evening that is the place to stand: the wind is real, the engines are loud, and the view back towards the estate as the office floors light up is the one everybody photographs.

The river is always colder than the street. Even in June the open deck bites once the sun drops, so bring a jacket rather than leaving it at the hotel. She will arrive with a coat or a wrap that looks as good over dinner clothes as it does against the wind.

Four piers worth stepping off at

Greenwich, downstream. A few minutes on the water brings you to the pier beside the Cutty Sark, with the colonnades of the Old Royal Naval College along the bank and riverside rooms for dinner within a short stroll. It is the gentlest version of the boat date and the one with the easiest journey home.

Tower, upstream. The boat slips under Tower Bridge just before this pier, which alone justifies the trip. St Katharine Docks is a few minutes' walk away, with its marina, its moored yachts and tables set around the water.

Bankside. The south bank beside the Globe and Tate Modern, for a play on a summer night or a gallery evening, with plenty of kitchens a short walk from the landing stage.

Embankment. The longest of the four rides, and the doorway to the Strand and Covent Garden. There is time on board for a proper drink, and in the right season the sun goes down ahead of you over Westminster.

Getting the timing right

Boats run most often around the commuter peaks and less often later on, and the final departures of the night leave well before the Tube shuts. Look up the last boat back before you reserve the table, not over dessert. Missing it costs nothing but the view: from Greenwich the DLR runs under the river from Cutty Sark to the estate, and from the central piers the Jubilee line brings you home from Westminster, Southwark or London Bridge.

The river is rarely the fastest way to the West End; the Jubilee line wins that race with ease. It is simply the best way, which is a different thing. Use the boat for the outward trip, when the light is good and the evening lies ahead, and take whatever is quickest home.

How a river evening is booked

Tell the desk which pier and which departure you have in mind, and she meets you on the pontoon at Canary Wharf, or in the lobby of E14 8RS if you would rather walk down together. The usual check of your booking name, hotel and room happens in the message thread before anything is confirmed.

The destination decides the length. Greenwich and back with dinner in between fits three hours, £700. The Tower, Bankside or Embankment, with a proper meal and an unhurried ride each way, wants the four hours of dinner by the dock, £900. Two guests sharing one companion for the evening, perhaps a couple marking an anniversary, book the evening for couples on the water on the same ladder. All four piers lie inside the travel we include, so the figure quoted is the figure paid.

Three who are happiest near water

Cindy spends her fine weekends sailing and has the easy balance of someone used to a moving deck. Blonde waves tied back against the breeze, a film camera in her jacket pocket: she photographs the bridges and prints the best frame later. Her hours run from afternoon into early evening, which suits a sunset boat in high summer. She is on the blondes page.

Violetta swims long distances for pleasure and looks entirely at home beside a river. Tall and sleek, with a sense of humour that lands a beat late, she keeps a favourite Greenwich table at the Trafalgar Tavern on Park Row, so a downstream evening with her more or less plans itself. Patricia paints in watercolour and will pause mid-sentence to watch the light shift on the water, then return to exactly the word she left. Violetta and Patricia both appear on the slim and slender page.

For the towns at either end of the ride, see Greenwich and Tower Bridge. When the plan is set, send it to booking.