Canal, the latest venture from the team behind Crispin and Bistro Freddie, is now open in Westbourne Park. Overlooking the Grand Union Canal, a generous south-facing waterside terrace features both table seating and a lounge area, while the relaxed, indoor dining room – designed for communal experiences – accommodates up to 70 guests and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The launch also marks the debut of Quality Projects – a dedicated special projects and consultancy business founded by Dominic Hamdy, the founder of the HAM Restaurant Group, which includes acclaimed London restaurants Bistro Freddie and Crispin. Quality Projects focuses on collaborations around innovative hospitality concepts across the city, with its first partnership with Mason & Fifth and more already in development.
Located within Mason & Fifth’s newest lifestyle offering, Canal forms part of a wider ecosystem of flexible accommodation, wellness, cultural events and culinary experiences. Housed in Taxi House – once the headquarters of the London Taxi Drivers’ Association – the site brings rich local history to the project. Canal has been designed to reflect and complement its surroundings, offering both locals and visitors a warm, community-focused space in which to eat and drink. Dom Hamdy, founder of HAM Restaurants and Quality Projects, comments:
“Canal marks the exciting debut of Quality Projects and our very first venture into West London. With Canal, we’ve set out to create a place that is rooted in generous hospitality with an urban Riviera feel. Collaborating with the Mason & Fifth team has been a dream.”
General Manager Sean Cooper, who has worked at The Fat Duck, Cafe Murano, Quality Chop House and Muse by Tom Aikens, oversees the front-of-house, while the kitchen is led by New York-born chef Adrian Hernandez Farina, whose experience includes Humo, Lchuca, Coal Rooms, ASKA (NewYork), and The French Laundry. Working with his trusted local suppliers, Adrian has crafted a bistro-style menu that highlights the finest seasonal British and European produce.
Guests can expect Flatbread topped with taleggio and onion (£8), alongside snacks such as Coombeshead Farm ham (£16); and Crab doughnuts (£6), while starters include Trombetta courgette with stracciatella and pangrattato (£12); and Bream crudo with cherry and chilli (£15). Larger plates feature Ricotta tortelli with lemon and parmesan (£19); and Monkfish with datterini tomatoes and capers (£35) and sharing options like the Whole brill with bouillabaisse sauce (£65) and Ex-dairy ribeye 1kg with bone marrow sauce (£90) is served up feasting style alongside a selection of sides.
Cocktails on tap are expertly crafted by A Bar with Shapes for a Name, one of East London’s finest, ranked No.35 on the World’s 50 Best Bars list. Guests can look forward to innovative, on-tap creations such as a Brown butter Old Fashioned (£14) and a Rhubarb gimlet (£14). As day turns to night, some of the capital’s finest turntablists take over to add to the ambience, including Ruby Francis, Alena Arpels and local hero, Abraham Parker.
The wine list showcases a dynamic balance of classic regions and progressive producers, with a clear focus on quality, typicity, and drinkability. The broad selection mixes the classic, the contemporary, and the rarely seen from winemakers who have sustainability at the heart of what they do. Prices range upwards of £7 for a glass and £39 a bottle on the broad list, which is largely made up of European wines with a concise selection of New World wines included.
London-based fashion designer Nicholas Daley – celebrated for his distinctive blend of music, subculture, and style – has designed the team’s uniforms to reflect the space’s relaxed, home-from-home feel. Crafted from denim sourced from Italy’s oldest mill, Candiani, the collection features Daley’s signature wide-leg silhouettes, including a kilt. Design studio A-nrd, renowned for their work on projects like KOL, Akara and Kolae, have created a contemporary space that harmonises with the building’s original fabric, where raw finishes such as concrete columns and exposed surfaces feature. A palette of hand-chiselled wood, hammered glass, and hand-folded zinc anchors the space. While tones of walnut, richly textured brown upholstery, and reflective metals infuse warmth into the room.
