There’s nothing better than St Katharine Docks waterside dining for a relaxing experience. St Kats is a central London marina near Tower Hill, The Tower of London and Tower Bridge. You can dine alfresco overlooking the picturesque marina with excellent restaurants like Emilia’s Crafted Pasta, Bravas Tapas, and Chayote. If you’re searching for the best places to eat near Tower Hill, Tower of London or Wapping, you must visit St Katharine Docks.
“These waterside restaurants are situated in an idyllic setting. You can enjoy alfresco dining in style away from the busy tourist hotspots of the Tower of London. It’s a relaxing haven worth visiting,” Homegirl London.
My Favourite Places To Eat At St Katharine Docks
My favourite St Katharine Docks restaurants include Emilia’s Crafted Pasta, a cute date night restaurant for pasta lovers. They make pasta from scratch daily, paired with the ultimate sauce. The menu is concise but offers enough choice whether you’re a vegetarian, fish fan or meat eater. With an open kitchen and cosy seating, it’s a darling little place which is a real gem. Read my Emilia’s Crafted Pasta review.
Bravas Tapas serves modern Basque small plates, Spanish wines and cocktails. It was a lively and buzzy restaurant with quality tapas. Share an assortment of cheeses, Iberico ham, Galician beef short rib with truffle and crispy onion or favourites like Padron peppers and croquetas. Read my Bravas Tapas review.
Our visit to Chayote in London’s St Katharine’s Way was unforgettable. Named after a fruit with a taste akin to cucumbers, Chayote blends Mexican, Peruvian, and Spanish cuisines using sustainable methods. It’s a prime spot for those seeking authentic tastes from these regions, conveniently located near the Tower of London and St Katherine Docks. Chef Tomasz Baranski masterfully crafts a menu featuring tostadas, tacos, and other specialities, all set against the scenic St Katharine Docks. Read my Chayote restaurant review.
For Allpress coffee, try White Mulberries. You can enjoy baked goods such as croissants for cakes for a treat. We ate lunch there today, and I enjoyed a Super Food Bowl brimming with quinoa, avocado, rocket, tomatoes, feta, dill, and basil. Homeboy went for the avocado on toast with lemon drizzle, virgin olive oil, chilli and poppy seeds. For breakfast, you can try the toasted banana bread; it’s yummy!
St Kats Docks are home to a string of chain restaurants, including Strada (Italian cuisine), Zizzi (Italian cuisine), Ping Pong (Asian cuisine / dim sum) and Café Rouge (French cuisine). The Dickens Inn dates back to the 18th century, so you might fancy popping in for a pint of fish and chips.
St Katharine Docks History
Back in 1825, an Act of Parliament deemed this area for redevelopment. In the process, 1250 houses were demolished alongside St Katharine, a medieval hospital, hence the name of the docks. Thomas Telford designed the project, including a quayside and two linked basins accessed from a Thames lock. Philip Hardwick was responsible for the warehouse buildings. In its heyday, the docks handled cargo from the Far East, the West Indies, Africa, and Europe, including tea, spices, ivory, wine and sugar. It would be best to read Wikipedia to learn more about the history.
Today, the docks include offices, public housing, private residents and numerous restaurants. You can admire the luxury marina, filled with yachts and barges.
St Katharine Docks Information
To find out more about this area, go to the St Katharine Docks Website. Located in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets on the north side of the River Thames, the address is London E1W 1LA. The nearest underground station is Tower Hill. Wapping High Street and Shadwell overground stations are close by. London Bridge, Fenchurch Street, and Liverpool train stations are a short walk away. You can arrive via riverboat from Canary Wharf if you want!
Author: Homegirl London. Photographs: Homegirl London.
