Charcoal on Canada Square Park: Roka and the tables in its orbit

The lawn at the centre of the glass

Canada Square Park is the rectangle of grass and trees at the heart of the original estate. One Canada Square, the pyramid-topped tower that was the tallest building in Britain for the best part of two decades, rises at one end, with its two tall neighbours at 8 and 25 Canada Square close by. At lunchtime the lawn is full of people eating out of boxes. After six it changes: the paths empty, the pavilion lights come on and the towers fill the sky above the trees.

In winter an ice rink takes over the park, and in summer there are screenings and events on the grass from time to time. In either season the pavilion at its edge, low and glass-fronted with restaurants on its upper level, is where the estate goes for a dinner that feels like an evening out rather than a working meal.

Roka, and why the counter is the seat

Roka is the upstairs restaurant in the pavilion, and its heart is a robata grill: a long charcoal counter in the Japanese style, where skewers, fish and vegetables are cooked over the coals in front of whoever sits around it. The dining room works outward from that fire. The smoke is part of the atmosphere, the chefs are part of the show, and dishes arrive when they are ready rather than in formal courses.

For a date, the counter is the better seat. Side by side rather than face to face, you both watch the grill, talk to the chefs and share whatever lands between you. It takes the pressure off a first evening in a way a formal table never can. For a second or third evening, or a conversation that needs eye contact, ask for a table by the window, which looks down over the park.

The menu is built for sharing, and the easiest way to order is to hand much of it to the kitchen: a few things raw, a few from the grill, rice to finish. Ask your companion what she likes before you choose; several of ours have strong views on the subject. To drink, sake is the natural partner for the grill, and the staff are happy to steer you if the list looks long.

Why midweek is the right night

Tuesday and Wednesday are the best evenings for Roka and the square around it. The estate is working at full strength, so the pavilion is busy and bright, but the Thursday crowd from the trading floors has not yet arrived. You get a room with atmosphere and a table without a struggle.

The ideal shape is simple. Arrive at seven, as the lawn empties below. Dinner is finished by about nine, the park is lit and almost deserted, and there is still enough evening left to choose what happens next: a film at Crossrail Place, a nightcap in a hotel bar, or the walk back to your room along the dock, the tower lights lying flat and bright on the black water.

Weekends are the opposite case. The Wharf empties on Saturday and Sunday, and some kitchens on the estate keep shorter hours or close altogether. That makes a lovely walk and a less reliable dinner. If a date has to fall at the weekend, book ahead and confirm the hours for that particular day.

The neighbours worth knowing

The park sits at the centre of a small circle of good evenings, all within ten minutes on foot.

Being seen, and not being seen

The pavilion is a room for watching people, and that worries some guests before a first booking. It should not. The crowd around the park at eight is couples, colleagues and friends, all absorbed in their own evenings. A man at the grill counter with a well-dressed woman who laughs at his stories is the most ordinary sight on the estate.

If discretion matters more than usual, choose the counter over the window, arrive separately and meet at the table, and keep the walk for the park rather than the busier squares. Tell the desk which you prefer, and the arrival is arranged around it.

Companions for the counter

Thea is the one we would seat at Roka first: she would rather sit at the counter than anywhere else in the room, and within ten minutes the chefs at the grill know her name. Nancy orders Japanese food with complete confidence and will tell you which piece to eat first. Luna is the choice for a longer evening that opens with a sherry on Cabot Square and ends at the grill.

Thea and Nancy are on our blondes page, and all three appear among the curvaceous companions. Dinner at Roka and a walk round the park fits comfortably inside the four hours of a dinner date. The squares and the hotels around them are on the Canary Wharf page, with the full postcode on E14, and the fees are on rates. When the evening is decided, send it to booking.