Tipped

OK but Canteen can do better

September 23, 2008

I felt like everything about this place was middle of the road.

Service - friendly staff, but we waited a while to be served and had to ask for some drinks a couple of times

Food - good but could have been better.

Whilst we waited for a late arrival, we snacked on potted duck with piccalilly and bread, plus pork scratchings. When I asked the waited if the potted duck was pâté, he said no, and that it was not duck liver but duck meat. When it turned up it was in fact pâté so I assume the waiter was a bit confused by my question or the definition of pâté...

For starters we shared a hot buttered arbroath smokie and a smoked mackerel salad. The salad was adequate; the smokie was a little dry, and I couldn't detect any butter.

For mains, my friend gave her Stilton and broccoli pie a thumbs up. The roast duck and veg on our table also seemed to go down well. My husband and I both had rib eye steak which was cooked as ordered (medium rare) but was a bit tough and chewy.

The produce is all regionally sourced so that deserves some credit, but overall I wasn't overly impressed. It is really just posh pub grub. However Canteen is a convenient place to dine if you are going to a show at South Bank. The wine list was good, and the cocktails looked pretty nice, though we didn't try them.

Tags: cuisine: british

Film and food

August 27, 2008

I took my dad to the NFT for his birthday to watch his favourite movie (i know i'm a wonderful daughter) and post movie we decided to go for a bite to eat so we tried our canteen. The South bank has gone through such a transformation over the last couple of years with great versions of chains opening up but I had never eated here before and it was ideal.

My dad is a traditional sort of chap, and the pie and mash fare was right up his street, we both had the sausage and mash (my family have a history of food envy so we play sfae by always ordering the same thing) and a couple of glasses of wine. The staff were very helpful and attentive and we had a lovely experience overall.

I'm not sure its special enough to make the journey to eat there, but if you are pottering along the southbank or going to an exhibition/play/movie here Canteen is certainly a good bet.

And given I'm a huge breakfast fan and they have all day breakfasts on their menu it is safe to say I'll be visiting again

Tags: breakfast, british, southbank, mash

A great spot on the south bank

February 06, 2008

This is a handy little find on the ever expanding South Bank. They seem to serve a bit if everything really, though I went there for breakfast and they served such delights as marmite muffins, bacon sarnies, eggs benedict and fried eggs with bubble and squeak. The place got really packed as we were leaving at lunchtime and I beleive you can't book so be warmed - though there's heaps of seating! I also noticed outdoor seating which would be lovely in the summer. They're licensed too if you fancy a tipple. Most breakfast dishes were around the £6 and v tasty!

Tags: breakfast southbank waterloo restaurant

British Classics

December 04, 2007

Canteen prides itself on serving well sourced, sustainable British classics at reasonable prices. And they do it well.
We stopped by on a freezing cold Sunday afternoon after bitterly braving some culture on the Southbank. The staff were friendly and very accommodating in helping us to find a nice little table towards the back where we could hang up our giant parkas (Tables at the front are communal, and some of the smaller tables have places to put coats or belongings).
As we were late (3pmish), they were out of the Roast of the Day, but that didn’t matter as they were spotted the roast chicken with chips on the menu. The chicken was tender and moist and the chips were some of the best we’d had in a long time – perfectly golden and crisp on the outside and soft within. We polished off the lot.
Being greedy we also found room for dessert which was fantastic – a hot apple crumble with custard and some fragrant warm gingerbread with poached pears. If they’d have had a fireplace nearby I would have dozed off for a few hours.
The well chosen wine list features all wines either by the glass, the carafe or by the bottle – fantastic if you want to taste around or if you just want a glass of something nice rather than the “house red”.
Canteen is open all day long, and the extensive menu reflects this: You can come for breakfast (featuring everything from bacon sandwiches to muesli), lunch, afternoon tea (wide selection of homemade cakes, tea with freshly baked biscuits), cocktail-o-clock (all the classics), and dinner.

Tags: british