Review of 'Canteen'

After seeing one of the people behind Canteen on the television show “Saturday Morning Kitchen” I was anxious to try this restaurant which bills itself as providing “great British food”, “nationally sourced, skillfully prepared and reasonably priced”. After my visit I think I can agree with all of these statements.

The restaurant is very modern looking with simple wood and stainless-steel décor. The floor-to-ceiling glass windows certainly helped with the airy feel. Free WI-FI is on offer and there were a few people in the restaurant taking advantage of this while nursing their tea through the hours though, very nicely, the staff did not appear to mind in the least. As a matter of fact the staff were so relaxed they appeared non-existent yet were at the table whenever required.

The menu is also refreshingly simple offering a range of traditional British food including an assortment of all-day breakfasts (Eggs Benedict £8.50, Devilled kidneys on toast £7.25, Bacon sandwich £4.50, Bacon, fried eggs and bubble and squeak £7.50, etc.). We were a bit early for dinner and my companion was disappointed to learn that the free-range chicken meal (served with garlic mayo and chips, £12.50 for wing and breast, £9.50 for leg and thigh) she wanted would not be available for 30 minutes so we decided to have starters - fresh roasted tomato soup which was an excellent choice as it was full of lightly-spiced flavour and served with a couple of slices fresh bread (with wonderful butter). I decided to have the roast-of-the-day which was lamb served with greens and roast potatoes (£13.50 - though the daily special notice on the table said £12.50 we got an apology from the manager that this was incorrect when we questioned the bill ). The dish was supposed to also have mint sauce but none showed up on the table, though it was not, to be honest, really needed as the lamb was full of flavour and very tender with the greens only lightly cooked but still crunchy and the roast potatoes perfectly cooked (crispy on the outside, fluffy white on the inside). My companion was disappointed with her chicken as it lacked a lot of flavour though, to be honest, this is quite common for the traditional English “chicken and chips” (the garlic mayo added a bit of flavour but still a bit bland for my tastes).

The meal came to about £48 including a 15% service charge and drinks (I had their home-made lemonade and my companion had a rather odd flavoured rose-water drink, at about £3 each).

Overall, I found this a wonderful experience and will certainly be very tempted to return. The environment was relaxed, pleasant and very conducive to conversation which seems to be sorely lacking in most London eateries.

Rating: “Nearly perfect, but not quite”

Review Date: 2010-08-14

Cuisine: American/British

Address: 55 Baker Street, London, ENGLAND W1U 8EW

Public Transport: Baker Street

Location: London (England) - Bayswater

Map:

Telephone: +44 (0) 845 686 1122

URL: http://www.canteen.co.uk/