Nov. 16 (Bloomberg) -- Canary Wharf is London’s Las Vegas Strip, not just a place to win (or lose) money, but a culinary destination that draws in chefs seeking a slice of the action.

Jamie’s Italian has joined the eateries in recent weeks, along with Wahaca, Roka and Canteen. It’s good for those who work at Canary Wharf, though a trek for the rest of us for whom the Docklands Light Railway provides a smooth ride into concrete canyons where it’s easier to get lost than to follow the maps.

The first London venue (excluding Kingston) of Jamie Oliver is a crowd-pleaser, which means you may have to stand in line because there’s a no-reservations policy. It’s easy to see the attraction of the friendly faces and prices, with snacks from 2.75 pounds ($4.60) and pasta mains for less than 10 pounds. It’s an operation that’s as slick as it appears casual.

The snacks include fabulous marinated sardines with fresh garlic, lemon, parsley and a touch of chili. The Parmesan chunks with balsamic vinegar demonstrate the high quality of the produce. Spaghetti Bolognese is a simple dish well done, the ragu of beef, pork, herbs, Chianti and Parmesan enlivened by crunchy bread crumbs.

Let’s pass on the chewy hamburger that couldn’t be rescued by a mountain of salad, and the house wines “bought by us in eco-friendly Tetra Pak cartons and decanted for you.” Decanted?

Jamie’s mission statement -- “That is what I’m passionate about -- good food for everyone, no matter what” -- might ring truer if it weren’t immediately above a list of merchandise. You can purchase an oven glove for 12 pounds.

While the place is noisy (80 decibels plus), and it’s easy to be cynical, Jamie’s Italian is first class for a chain.

Unit 17, 2 Churchill Place, London, E14 5RB. Information: http://www.jamieoliver.com/italian/canary-wharf or +44-020-3002- 5252.

Fun Tacos

What Jamie’s does for Italian, Wahaca does for Mexican cuisine. Both are friendly places serving food that’s stronger on flavor and fun than on slavish authenticity. I’d rather ride through Tijuana astride a donkey, wearing a sombrero, than waste time pondering how real Wahaca’s dishes are.

Pork pibil -- the meat slow-cooked in a spicy Yucatecan sauce with achiote, garlic and orange juice, served with pink pickled onions sprinkled with coriander -- is one of my favorite snacks in London. The cost? 3.75 pounds for three tacos.

The cocktails are fun and even the few wines on the list are well chosen. Service -- from an excellent chap called Brendan when I visited -- is attentive. The downside for everyone over 18 may be the noise. Even in mid-afternoon, it was above 75 decibels, not far below the 80-85 level on the busy street at Moorgate on the way back to my office. (One staffer said he had trouble hearing himself when Wahaca got busy.)

A quiet room for adults might be an idea. Still, the chef Thomasina Miers and her business partner Mark Selby are food heroes for what they have achieved at Wahaca.

40 Canada Square, Park Pavilion, E14 5FW. Information: +44- 20-7516-9145 or http://www.wahaca.co.uk/flash/main.html.

Sushi and Sake

The arrival of Roka in Canary Wharf is great news for fans of the contemporary Japanese restaurant, whose original London branch is in Fitzrovia. Roka has long been a favorite of mine, both for sashimi and sushi and for dishes such as the spicy lamb cutlets with Korean spices. At the culinary center of Roka is a robata grill. The menu at Canary Wharf is similar to that at the Charlotte Street venue, with added dishes such as grilled teriyaki baby chicken, shiitake rice and roast ginger aubergine.

Good Times

Throw in a selection of sakes and you may be set for a good time. When I lunched there, a large table of about a dozen boisterous customers gave the impression the good times are back. They raised the noise level by a few decibels, but the high ceiling helps keep the volume down. This branch won’t tempt me away from the original, which feels more neighborhood, less corporate, but for celebratory meals in Canary Wharf, it’s tops.

(I went with Bob Bob Ricard’s owner, Leonid Shutov, who deserves an award for placing an emergency buzzer for Champagne supplies at each table in his restaurant. At the Parlour venue downstairs from Roka, it was a struggle to get any as our first two Champagne choices were unavailable. Nul points.)

First Floor, 40 Canada Square, Canary Wharf, E14 5FW. Information: +44-20-7636-5228 or http://www.rokarestaurant.com.

British Prawns

Canteen is doing a fine job serving uncomplicated British food of a quality that’s still uncommon. The Canary Wharf branch occupies an enviable ground-floor site, with large windows and a view out onto the patch of green that counts as open space in this environment. I tried the fine macaroni and cheese (8 pounds), a pint of the freshest prawns with mayonnaise (7 pounds) and a duck, chestnut and prune pie that was rich and comforting. Hmmm, I could eat that right now.

Canteen, 40 Canada Square, London, E14 5FW. Information: +44-845-686-1122 or http://www.canteen.co.uk/.

Canary Wharf, which has attracted KPMG, HSBC Holdings Plc, Citigroup Inc., McGraw-Hill Cos., Trinity Mirror Plc and many others, now has drawn four fine eateries. They’re all worth ***.

(Richard Vines is the chief food critic for Bloomberg News. Opinions expressed are his own.)

To contact the writer on the story: Richard Vines in London at rvines@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: November 15, 2009 19:00 EST