The Canteen, Bristol

Posted on: 2017-03-09

Our rating:

The Canteen provides top grub in warm, non-pretentious surroundings. And the chance to work it off with a good ol' boogie afterwards.


The Canteen

 

Nestled in between The Mild Mild West and the perpetually hand-standing Jesus on Stokes Croft, and occupying the ground floor of Hamilton House is The Canteen, an establishment which, even in spite of its name, I had not previously noted for its culinary expertise. This is in no way a reflection of its food, but rather due to its capacity as a music venue (they host a live band every day of the week, for which entry is free) which was, before last week, the only pretence under which I had visited.

 

But before the lights are nightly dimmed and the stereos readied, The Canteen functions as just that: a canteen. Unreserved tables occupy a large open-plan space which invites a warm hubbub to bubble amongst its incumbent guests, not unlike a school dining hall. The food, however, couldn’t be further from the components of a school meal.

The Canteen Menu

Scrawled on a blackboard set perpendicular to the bar is the menu, which, we are informed, is refreshed daily. In place of turkey twizzlers and potato smileys though are dishes like arancini and purple sprouting broccoli bake with vermicelli rice. I go for the dish entitled ‘Beef cheek’, while my companion, Eduardo, likes the sound of the pork and chooses accordingly.

 

Only a few moments after we have taken our seats, a complimentary starter arrives in the form of a bowl of curried cauliflower soup, accompanied by hearty wedges of home-baked bread. The soup was pleasantly hot in both senses of the word (“This is almost as hot as me!” quipped Eduardo, after his first mouthful had left him gasping), its comprising blend of spices leaving a surprising smoulder at the back of the mouth even after its actual temperature had long-since waned.

The Canteen Soup

It was not long after the downing of spoons into empty bowls that our mains arrived in earnest. My beef cheek, braised in a red wine and bone-marrow sauce, arrives on a bed of girthy pappardelle and topped generously with parmesan. The dish is incredibly rich to the taste, yet doesn’t ever overpower and is hugely enjoyable right to the bottom of the bowl, which is deceptively deep. The chunks of meat, which perforate the layers of pasta, are wonderfully tender and establish it as a meal of real quality.

The Canteen Beef

Eduardo’s comments about his food are barely audible amid noises of satisfaction. His pork belly is presented fabulously, swimming in a chilli ramen broth with sora noodles and topped with pickled veg. Between rapaciously-taken mouthfuls, I am just about able to discern that it is, in his words, “really good”, which, after tasting it myself, I can confirm: the chak sui sauce which marinades the pork complementing the notes of ginger which reverberate through the dish.

The Canteen Pork

The speed at which the (reasonably sizeable) bowls empty is testament to the quality of their contents - The Canteen provides top grub in warm, non-pretentious surroundings. And the chance to work it off with a good old boogie afterwards. 

Atmosphere: 4

Value: 3

Food: 4

Service: 4



Article by:

Sam Mason-Jones

An ardent Geordie minus the accent, Sam seemingly strove to get as far away from the Toon as possible, as soon as university beckoned. Three undergraduate years at UoB were more than ample time for Bristol (as it inevitably does) to get under his skin, and so here he remains: reporting, as Assistant Editor, on the cultural happenings which so infatuated him with the city. Catch him at sam@365bristol.com.