Alto 19: Bank on the view, even if the food isn’t on the money

Meal for two about £180Locke London, E14alto19.comThere are occasions when you have to choose between the food and the view. I reckon it also depends on how much you fancy your date. You either want somewhere with the intimate corners and temping possibilities of J Sheekey or Scott’s, where no one would notice you kissing someone half your age, or somewhere where — if the food and company are bad — you can distract yourself with a spectacular cityscape. Which doesn’t bode well for Alto 19, set in the penthouse of a Dockland’s skyscraper. Nor for the man I’m meeting, anyway.Stepping off the Tube at Canary Wharf is like walking into the Drive soundtrack: a neo-noir scene of electric-lit skyscrapers punching a black sky, over slick oily water. Canary Wharf always struck me as a culinary wasteland. I don’t think of Huelobsessed City boys as having especially refined palates. If they eat at all it’s sushi straight after gym or at raucous cigar-munching steakhouses with clients. This place was literally built on money, a Mecca to capitalism rather than culture. Is the food scene changing? Restaurants synonymous with central London — Dishoom, Blacklock and Kricket — have successfully branched this way. Big Mamma has an outpost now, called Barbarella, and there’s Roe from the team at Fallow. The latest high-profile opening is Alto 19.Straightforward, Italian-style comfort food.I get lost trying to find it. I pass Hawksmoor, set on its own little island, lit like a gin-palace and the grandstanding frontage of Boisdale. Both City transplants that have followed the money eastward.Alto 19 takes this proposition a step further, bringing a Sloane-y institution to this far-flung corner of the city. Chris Dargavel, the chef behind Chelsea classic Daphne’s, has brought his seasonal Mediterranean cooking with him. It’s a soft style that makes sense drinking Chablis under an awning in South Kensington, but can it tempt protein-maxxing bankers?The entrance is uninspiring, like the lobby of a co-working space. But the dining room is spectacular: wraparound windows overlook the twinkling Docklands. I take a date because it’d be rude not to when the venue is this sexy. The bar is red lacquer, the lighting is so dark I can’t read the menu — but I look amazing, so who cares. The vibe is high-end 1970s Bogotá coke denThe vibe, enhanced by funky Latin music, is high-end 1970s Bogotá coke den. We start with drinks on plush sofas from a confusing cocktail list, which I am not sure is written in English, featuring ingredient lists like “gin mare, el bandarra white vermouth, fino sherry, paprika and espelette oil, pickled chilli”. Still, the result is a spritzy mingling of flavours that do the job. The food isn’t sharp or edgy. Rather, it’s Italian-style comfort food, straightforward, but low on stodge. We find elegant, glamorous dishes: bluefin tuna carpaccio; hand-cut pappardelle with a beef shin ragu; and a whole salt-baked branzino. We begin with polenta and sage focaccia. It’s warm, salty, satisfyingly bubbly but crispy on top. And a chunky beef tartare of diced red cubes heavy with lashings of rich garlicky salsa verde (not the usual sharp cornichons). Instead of toast, the meat is generously smothered with “straw potato”, which gives the velvety beef a nice crispy bite. Or at least that’s what my date says. To me it’s just a tartare covered in crisps. But then I’m not very sophisticated.Alto 19 has a confusing cocktail list, which barely appears to be in EnglishCharlie McKayMy John Dory comes piled in meaty fillets, with lemon and herb crumb and luscious chanterelles, all delicately sweet and fragrant. I enjoy my side of honey-covered carrots sprinkled in sharp pecorino. My date’s chicken Milanese is nothing to write home about. Along with his “potato fritti” it may as well be an oversized chicken nugget with chips. Did he order from the kids’ menu? Perhaps I’m just conscious of our age gap. We finish by sharing a hot chocolate mousse with the texture of an uncooked cake; it’s too sweet for my palate.I suppose, given the setting, £180 for two isn’t shocking, especially given the wine. To the international bankers around us, it’s pocket change. The food isn’t memorable enough to travel far for — although the view is. And I’d certainly come back for the date.Elizabeth Taiwo “Came for sunset drinks and loved it. Staff and vibe were great and the drinks were better than I thought they’d be.” Dylan Goh“Soft launch review — half priced drinks and food. We ordered the grilled prawns starter, mushroom ravioli with cream and truffle sauce, chicken Milanese, steak, prawn risotto and sides of carrots, aubergine, cavolo nero. Prawns and pasta were the highlight.” Josh Powell “What a welcome addition to the area. Fantastic views. Fantastic service. The portions for food are big, the cocktails are delicious.”