Trishna sommelier to open first solo restaurant The Pearson Room

The 120-cover Pearson Room at 16-19 Canada Square will open on 24 April offering an international and 'eclectic' all-day menu showcasing sharing plates.

Meanwhile, the bar will be open for drinks from lunch till late offering a selection of wines chosen by the award-winning sommelier. 

Throughout the day​

The team from the Marylebone restaurant were originally approached by the shareholders of the Reebok Sports Club who were looking to relaunch the gym’s Canada Square restaurant.

Sethi has developed the concept and is taking charge of the launch on a consultancy basis; she will then take on a front-of-house management role and will operate the restaurant for the gym once the business has opened.

"Canada Square and the Docklands is such a beautiful area, and the heart of London’s busy finance district," she said.

“What we really wanted to do was create a space where throughout the day at various times you can come and have a different experience,” she told BigHospitality.  

Soho House Group​

The restaurant team at the Pearson Room, which is named after the Nobel Peace Prize-winning former Canadian Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson, is led by general manager Johnny Gonzalez. Vagner Matos will head up the kitchen brigade. Both have previously worked for Soho House Group at Shoreditch House and Cecconi's.

The menu will be available throughout the venue and will focus on sharing plates such as fish tacos, pico de gallo, chipotle aioli, pickled jalapeños and coriander. Signature dishes, for example guinea fowl crown with smoked chilli sauce, will also be available after being cooked in the kitchen's Bertha charcoal oven.

Sethi has put together a diverse wine list for the new restaurant combining rare wines from emerging regions alongside new versions of classics - bottles will cost from £19, glasses from £5. Cocktails will also be featured with a selection designed by Victor Matos, also formerly of the Soho House Group.

Featuring interiors by B3 Designers, the second-floor Pearson Room, with views of Canada Square, will feature dark timber flooring complemented with industrial features such as the pewter bar and exposed light fittings.

Canary Wharf​

Sethi said she believed the restaurant would be a real change from the current dining options at Canary Wharf.

"We wanted to acknowledge the history associated with the address - but we’re also looking to bring something new and exciting to the restaurant scene here.

“You have high price point-places and then you have mid to lower-priced chains but there is nothing in between which offers value for money but in a casual, sophisticated environment. There is definitely a gap for that in this area,” she added.

Sethi has received plaudits for her food and wine pairings at Trishna and has developed the Pearson Room’s new wine list – she gave this advice for any sommeliers or hospitality businesses putting together a drinks list for a new restaurant.

“You have to really get into the concept of the place you are buying for and just think will this work, will anyone who walks into the restaurant be happy with this? It ultimately has to be really accessible so diners feel comfortable enough to part with their money,” she concluded.