Canteen

Gotta give them props for a beautiful website and user-​friendly online reservation system.
But that’s pretty much all there is going for this place. I went for brunch on a Sunday with a friend visiting from NYC. Our initial impressions from the Unilocal profile and their website were that it was a trendy, sunny space with interesting menu items and quirky cocktails and aggressive organic/​eco-​friendly agenda — something in the same vein as Cafeteria or Community in NYC.
We were wrong. The service was very slow and the staff didn’t seem to understand the concept of communication with one another. We ordered two coffees that took over 20 minutes to arrive. Of the four people in my party, one person’s food was straight up delivered to the wrong table, and the server didn’t think to correct that mistake before the other person apparently started scarfing down his/​her food (friend ordered smoked salmon and the other person ordered a whole grilled fish — really not sure how you manage to mix that up…)
The ambience was more «prison cafeteria» than NYC SoHo Cafeteria. They should either update their chairs and booths to look like they were manufactured after the 1940s or just commit to the retro theme altogether and stop visually assaulting me with sans serif fonts everywhere. Also, why isn’t there outdoor seating?
Finally, the waiter spilled water all over my friend and made a bumbling apology, but at that point they really should have offered to comp at least one of our meals in light of their earlier screw-​up.

Netter Laden am Rande des Food Court der Baker Street. Die Preise sind für meinen Geschmack etwas zu teuer, da auch die 12,5% Service Fee standardmäßig dazugerechnet werden. Essen war gut, Service in Ordnung, satt wurde ich allerdings nicht. 3,4 von 5, da man für den Preis mehr verlangen kann.

Wenn man in London junge britische Küche genießen möchte dann kann ich canteen nur empfehlen! Mittlere Preisklassen (für London günstig!) und die Qualität ist beeindruckend.
Geheimtipp bei der Masse an Gastronomie in London.

Came here for a drink after work.
OK place to sit and have a catch up. Waitress was informative advising me not to select a certain wine as it come from a ‘box’! Pretty much allowed to sit and chat. There is food served but didn’t go for that this time however, dishes we saw coming out looked to be of a good serving size and tasty looking. Maybe next time we will eat.

Judging by these reviews, I might be the only person in London who likes Canteen.
I went there a few weeks ago with a friend who had just come into town from the States. His hotel was in Regent Park, so we walked down to Baker Street for a late breakfast/​early lunch. I didn’t know it yet, but I had food poisoning at the time*. All I knew was that my stomach was unsettled and I wasn’t in the mood for trying new foods. After learning that «bubble and squeak» is just fancy talk for «mashed potatoes mixed with random bits», I ordered it along with eggs and bacon. I gave Canteen all five stars because despite my illness, I could still 1) taste the flavors, 2) finish most of the food, and 3) actually enjoy my meal. My friend and I ordered the same thing and he liked it too. It also helped that our waiter was very knowledgable and friendly. And not just friendly by British standards. He was genuinely an amicable person :)
*Not from the food at Canteen, obviously.

Ok so this was a massive disappointment. All signs pointed to awesomeness as our wee group was led to a bench like table and seated by our friendly waitress. Menus were distributed and sounds of ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’ were made over the options presented to us.
This was further backed up by the craning of necks to have a gander at the dishes that were being whacked out to tables surrounding ours, all smelling splendid as the whisked by… like I said, all signs pointed to awesome.
But alas, the wheels came flying off the wagon when it came time for us all to tuck into our dishes. Almost to a man (woman) our meals had faults. Dry chicken, under cooked butternut squash (how hard is it to boil?), tasteless soup… the list went on.
For all that it promised, given the style of presentation, the quality of the finish for the décor etc, the food was WAY below what was expected. T’was convenient for the office, but i’d rather walk a bit further next time.
Not for me.

The food is bland.
I’m sorry, but it is. And this was the consensus overall. It’s truly a bummer, as we work in the building and I’d be thrilled to have a sassy place to take groups and meet for lunch. But, this did not leave a very lasting impression.
They did accommodate our group of 7 quite easily at a long table in the front. There is very adequate space.
The winter stew with dumplings was literally so tasteless I thought about what I could throw in it to make it taste better? Soda? Salt? Pepper? All? It was also broth based. I think that’s «soup» not «stew.» The dumplings were weirdly gray meatballs that had the consistency of slime. Not a dumpling, unless I missed something.
My companion’s chicken was dry. The coleslaw did look quite good though, not overly gloppy. The chips were average. Many dishes just looked very lackluster.
The service was pretty nice and friendly, but a bit slow.
It’s a 3-​star review. I don’t mean to disappoint but there just isn’t a whole lot to say. They’ve got a decent prix fixe for later afternoon (3pm-​7pm) that includes a few courses, so that may be worth checking out… but I can’t say I’ll make it a priority. On the flip side, I may be back for breakfast. I’m thinking that may be the ticket here. I don’t know for sure, but I’ll give it another go to see if I can find a practical reason to become a regular. I need a place!
I’d opt for Blandford’s Café (1 block away on Chiltern) for lunch instead.

They bill themselves as «Classic British Food.» And it wouldn’t be classically British if there wasn’t something to find fault with.
It’s a nice place and giant. Tables go on forever and when in the back and when we needed to sit a group of six at lunch time, we sat without an issue.
Then, there were issues.
The menu is made up of items you’d find in British pubs. Meats, roasts, pies (a new meat and veggie option every day) as well as breakfast all day long. It has that Marylebone feel where it doesn’t seem like a canteen or a pub, more like a chic lunch spot to grab a bite to eat with work colleagues rather than mates. That would be fine if the food wasn’t so pub-​like.
But that’s actually not the issues we face. What we saw was food that took way way way too long to come out (the service was so slow and it was hard to signal our waiter for anything else since it’s such a big spot) and food that was just… meh. Everything needed salt because it was a little too bland. It was fine, just there seemed to be something with each dish that made people go, «Well, it’s good, but…»
Overall, it’s an ok spot for lunch for a bigger group and very convenient and well priced.

Quintessential British comfort food that goes beyond fish ‘n’ chips. A nice retro diner décor.

Sausages! Sausages and mash! Sausages and mash with onion gravy! Yums!
In need of comfy, comfy comfort food, Canteen was a sight for sore eyes advertising good old stodgy British grub. I ordered the bangers and mash with carrot and swede on the side. The waiter also brought me a big old pot of Dijon mustard. I was ready!
Two sausages atop fluffy mash with onion gravy — I wolfed it down in record time, smothered in Dijon. I was happy.
It wasn’t gourmet, it wasn’t a difficult dish, but it was quick and tasty and that’s just what I was after.
I was surprised about there only being 2 sausages and they weren’t huge (ooh-​err!), but you know what, it was actually more than enough. The carrot and swede mash was also very tasty (VERY buttery).
My companions didn’t seem to enjoy their dishes as much — the fish and chips and the smoked haddock — but I’d be more than happy to re-​visit Canteen, especially seeing a lady on the next table being brought a GIANT chicken drumstick with chips and coleslaw. I want that next time!

The smells! The sights! The sounds! All building up my expectations that greatness was to be set before me… but alas our prizes horse stumbled at the last hurdle. A little like the first time I saw David Beckham in an interview — the packaging oh, to behold, but the content left a little to be desired. Obviously much better now that he’s had a few elocution classes.
Smoked haddock serve atop cream mash with spinach.
The mash was cold.
— however made well being both fluffy and creamy.
The spinach was tasteless
— I’m not really sure the thought process behind not seasoning vegetables.
— however when combined with the saltiness with the fish is wasn’t to bad. Perhaps that was the thought process?
— the fish was okay although even having eaten it, I can not tell you how it was cooked. Poached? Grilled?
Overall I think my lession is simple, never select anything that you know you can make better yourself.

I really wanted to like the place — we really liked the ambiance, the service and they had a good selection of drinks. But the food was so blend and boring and since we went for dinner that mattered the most to us. Too bad.

This is a super clean hip spot with reasonably priced meals. Great quality and delicious! A welsh rarebit with a perfectly poached egg on top will be a staple for my mornings here! The servers are always a little awkward, but if you know how to ask for everything you want, you’ll be just fine.

For 18.50 you expect a nice bit of rib-​eye, not a stringy slice of gristly beef, and probably the kitchen should be able to cook ‘very rare /​blue’ rather than greyish pink, and maybe the eastern-​European staff shouldn’t stare in horror when you (politely) mention it, nor come over and explain that «that’s how rib/​eye is» (because, you know, it isn’t).
Perhaps 6pm on a Sunday isn’t their best time — I’ve had good breakfasts here. And the staff are actually quite nice — one boy very much so.

Up until now the only Canteen branch I had been to was the one at Southbank, and it’s usually a long wait there. Tonight was no exception, and the wait was so uncertainly long that my friend and I gave up. I remembered though that years ago when a foodie friend came to visit London and I told her about Canteen, she went to another branch and had told me that it was usually pretty quiet. So, my friend and I decided to travel up to Baker Street, and indeed there was no wait at all. In fact, there were several empty tables and the atmosphere felt a lot more nice and chilled.
Canteen has British food cooked well, and it was exactly what I was craving. My friend and I shared the prawns with mayo appetizer. The shrimps came with shells, but we didn’t mind peeling them. The texture was cooked just right, and it was slightly salted and served cold. The taste with the sauce was lovely. I got the daily roast (beef) with the green leaves side, and my friend got the fish and chips with the green beans side. My roast came with greens so I didn’t really need the side salad, but I ate it all anyway. I liked the beef, and though it may not be the best roast I’ve had, it was still very good. The yorkshire pudding, carrots, and potatoes were all good too. I had a taste of the fish in my friend’s dish, and I enjoyed it with the tarter sauce. The dessert, chocolate brownie sundae, was also yummy. The ice cream provided a good balance to the thick brownie. Although nothing was super impressive, everything was delicious and it satisfied a specific craving, and I liked the comfortable dining experience.

All Pictures at The London Foodie
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Fish and Chips have got to be one of the main reasons why I love this country so much. A fresh, chunky piece of cod deep fried in a light, crisp batter, served with hand cut chips and smothered in plenty of salt and vinegar gets my vote every time.
Interestingly, our national dish was introduced in the UK by Portuguese Jews, with the first ever chippy being opened in 1860 by a Jewish immigrant called Joseph Malin in the East End of London. The Portuguese love of all things deep fried also resulted in the introduction of tempura to Japan.
I admit I had an unfounded prejudice against Canteen I am not sure if it was because of the sleek Wagamama-​like décor, or the fact that it is now a mini-​chain of four restaurants across London. But when I was invited by Jenny of Sauce Communications to an evening of Fish and Chips at the Baker Street branch, I decided to give it a try.
The event was hosted by Canteen’s co-​founder and head chef Cass Titcombe, the author of Great British Food. Cass shared some of his top tips on how to prepare Fish and Chips, including his own batter recipe, how he fries the fish, advice on the type of potatoes to use and how to prepare chips.
All the fish used at Canteen is purchased from responsible and ethical South Coast day boats, and hence fish availability varies daily. Fish and Chips is priced between £10.50 and £13.50 depending on the catch of the day; these are normally cod, haddock or plaice.
We had cod and pollack deep fried in batter and also a fillet of plaice prepared in breadcrumbs. The batter was light, crisp and not greasy, and both fish were chunky and fresh tasting. Interestingly, the plaice in breadcrumbs was the most popular choice across the table.
Maris Piper is Cass’ potato of choice and his chips are double fried before being served. The chips did not disappoint they were crisp on the outside but deliciously fluffy inside, and I could have eaten twice as many as there were on my plate.
To accompany our main courses, we were served traditional mushy peas @ £3.50. Cass added bicarbonate of soda to the marrowfat peas which were soaked for 12 hours thus helping them to retain their beautiful green colour. The tartare sauce was freshly made on the premises, tasted excellent and was a real step up from its jar equivalent.
Perusing the food menu, I was impressed to see that Canteen is an All Day Dining restaurant, serving breakfast through lunch, tea and dinner. In addition to Fish and Chips, the menu includes other British classics like Devilled kidneys on toast 7.25, Steak and Chips £16.75 (28-​day aged, free range 250g rib-​eye steak) and Eton Mess @ £5.50 among other old time favourites.
The drinks menu is well thought out and reasonably priced with wine bottles starting from £12.50. There are 5 wine options below the £20 mark in each of the white and red categories. In keeping with the British theme, three types of Meantime beers (one of my favourite London brewers) are sold on draught and are priced between £3.70 and £3.95 per pint.
Cost: this was a complimentary meal but I have quoted prices of all dishes I had. I estimate that a 3-​course meal would cost in the region of £25 excluding drinks i.e. pint of prawns £7 + fish and chips £12.50 + Eton mess @ £5.50.
Likes: no-​fuss British cooking, fresh, good quality ingredients, reasonably priced food & wine menus and Meantime beers on draught.
Dislikes: in my personal opinion, the décor is somewhat bland and impersonal.
Verdict Good quality, comforting British dishes at reasonable prices in four London locations. Canteen is helping to make British cooking an appealing eating out option for locals and visitors alike. Recommended.

I really enjoyed my pint of prawns, smoked haddock w/​mash, and apple crumble. My dining companions also liked their kippers, pies, and cheese plate although they reckon it wasn’t the same as the best home cooked British food. A good spot for British food.

I can’t really agree with the two other reviewers regarding the service. When I rang to ask about the roast of the day, the lady on the phone was happy to book a table even though it says on the website that they don’t take daytime bookings for Saturdays and Sundays.
Upon arrival there was minor confusion as to which table had been reserved but it turned out that it was a nice booth right by the window.
The waitress was friendly and smiley, even when I said that I only wanted tap water instead of one of their juice drinks. I ordered devilled kidneys, which were nicely done and tender, and the seasonal greens were fine too.
I was expecting less after reading the previous reviews but it is certainly in line with my meals at other Canteen restaurants — good, freshly made food for reasonable prices.
Four stars with an extra star for booking a table even though they did not have to (and booking one of the nicest tables in the restaurant).

Canteen was a last-​minute brunch choice. The interior is very clean and functional, but the service a little haphazard, and is some ways downright odd. We picked one booth to sit in then were asked for no apparent reason (the place was empty) to pick another. One of my party asked if he could get eggs poached instead of fried on one of the dishes and was told no, he couldn’t. And another gripe: the «freshly squeezed» juices we ordered all came with bulking-​out ice cubes. All in all it was certainly an OK meal and came in at £13 a head so not at all overpriced. But the place could do a lot better.

The menu is reliable and food is just good British stodge. The bangers and mash are particularly good and I highly recommend trying them. A few weeks ago 6 of us from work went for a long lunch. We all ordered bangers and mash – if that doesn’t prove how good they are, I don’t know what will.
The atmosphere resembles that of an upscale canteen – hence the name I guess. Seating is comfortable, noise levels are high during peak lunch hour and waiters bustle around serving as quickly as they can so folks can get back to their cooperate desks before lunch hour is over.
The draw-​back… Portions are way too large so you either completely over eat or you waste half of the plate. Don’t expect to be able to manage a dessert, but do prepare to slip in to a food induced coma upon completion of your meal.

When friends from out of town come to visit and want to experience quintessential British food (usually described as «pub food») I steer them to Canteen instead.
Canteen is half retro diner (slime green booths, sparkling white tile, a «stay as long as you want» vibe), half gastro pub if that makes any sense. It takes traditional British recipes (meat pies, roasts, fish and chips) and cleans them up a little with fresher ingredients, smaller portions and half the grease. You know how sometimes you walk out after eating pub food and fall into a food coma? Less risk of that happening at canteen.
They offer free wifi, late hours and as mentioned previously, no rush service. We’ve moved our weekly meeting to Canteen for this reason — there’s something on the menu for everyone and we can linger as long as we like.
The downside: it’s certainly not as cheap as pub food, and the drink selection is a little limited. But these are minor.

This restaurant has a new branch and its perfectly located on Baker Street, very central, and easy access for me! As with the other two branches on Spitalfields and Royal Festival Hall, they serve British food with a new fresh spirit. They source their ingredients from the best places and ensure that the quality is top notch. The prices are very reasonable and the service is attentive and fast, I have to recommend the glamorgan vegetarian sausages with pear chutney at £ 6.5. It is a very generous dish and the flavors where delicious, also I recommend you try the treacle tart with Jersey cream.