Canteen reviews
We ate around lunchtime on Good Friday and the experience was poor. My partner's beetroot and celeriac salad lacked any real flavour apart from the sinus-destroying blob of horseradish. Her macaroni cheese passed muster, as did my starter of pear, endive, hazelnuts and blue cheese. The gammon and potatoes with parsley sauce was pretty bad. Potatoes that were dry from being kept warm for too long and with the characteristic taste which that brings. The sauce tasted mainly of nutmeg and not of parsley. Again, the sauce appeared to have been hanging around too long - decomposing into whatever went into it. We waited 25 minutes between finishing starters and the main courses (advertised as being quick to deliver).
We will not be going back until we see some reviews indicating things have improved. I suspect this will be never.
What an awful place. I went there last night for my birthday.
The doors kept blowing open every 5 mins, so we got blasts of cold air throughout our meal. When we pointed this out to the staff, they either walked off while we were talking to them, ignored us or answered back soooo rudely.
The food was average and they even had the cheek to add service charge to our bill after us having sat there so uncomfortably. (There were other diners arriving and leaving immediately, due to the cold drafts!)
Would highly recommend that no one visits this dreadful restaurant - go to Carluccio's, where the service and food are impeccable!
I used to go here all the time when it first opened and it was great, but recently I have been sorely disappointed. We last went in on a Saturday and ordered some eggs Benedict and Florentine. Although there were very few people in there at the time, we waited almost an hour for our order (during which time other punters who'd arrived after us were served). When I asked the waiter politely for an explanation, I was informed that it "takes a while to blanch spinach" (news to me!). Finally, we couldn't wait any longer and left without paying for our sub-standard coffee and pre-made fruit juices.
My advice would be don't go there. Try S&M, Valerie, Story Deli or even Rosa's cafe for a better breakfast. Take it from a local, the Canteen is beyond dire.
Clueless staff, arrogant maitre d', food like something from Asda reheated on an upmarket plate (how anyone can find the food good is beyond me).
by meracus, 28 Apr 2007New manager at the beginning of the year seems to have improved this place. Don't forget the tasty little dishes like Bubble & Squeak and Eggs Benedict as lunch options. I also like the cheese. Deserved winner of 'Best Restaurant' in Observer food awards, although it's surprising that such a relatively low-end place did so. Hope they can keep it up.
by alexl, 13 Apr 2007Just had the most delicious dinner at Canteen, food could not be faulted. But what was it that left us with such an unnecessarily foul taste in our mouths? Could it be the inappropriately snooty maitre d' who would not allow us to sit at any of the empty booths because he had "had so many requests that evening"? Or was it the impossibly stupid French waitress who couldn't manage simple English, or simple maths, and thought it would be OK to give us our change in 5p's?? Lovely food, obnoxious staff...
by Tony Martin, 30 Dec 2006Service was awful. We waited for 10 minutes just to get a wine list. There were plenty of waiters walking around, yet they all seemed oblivious to us. The food was very bland. The restaurant itself is very cool, but next time I go to Spitalfields I'd much rather have a quick bite at one of the food stands at the market. At least they're cheap...
by Anonymous, 27 Nov 2006Slightly unusual venue that feels like an upmarket school canteen or stylish motorway service station. To add to this the service was somewhat amateur. However it's a decent place for lunch with mates as the food is very good.
by Lexi (11 reviews), 09 Apr 2006Excellent interior, great food and reasonably priced. Not the best location, but still good for people watching.
by mrem, 13 Mar 2006Really nicely and carefully cooked food, an interesting and tempting menu and well-presented.
by Daisy K, 07 Mar 2006Have we missed a great restaurant in London? Let us know.
Stuart PhillipsCovent Garden »
