The Canteen is now so well established that it has become a culinary institution; one somehow feels in no hurry to pay a visit as it's always going to be there for you, like The National Gallery. Perhaps that is a bit of an exaggeration - it's just that I've been meaning to go for ages, and just hadn't got round to it - an omission that has now been rectified, I'm glad to say!.
The restaurant belongs to the film actor Michael Caine and his partner Claudio Pulze, whose interests in this field run the gamut from A to Z, Aubergine to Zafferano to be exact. Marco Pierre White was once the chef, and the consultant chef is now Gordon Ramsay of the two starred Michelin Aubergine. The Canteen has its own M Star, so one goes along with certain gastronomic expectations. Given its spectacular, but relatively out of the way location, (overlooking the Marina at Chelsea Harbour, with glittering gin palaces swinging gently at their moorings), the place is fairly buzzing even on evenings early in the week. Booking towards the end of the week is de rigeur.
For a modern restaurant, there's quite a wide choice of dishes on the a la carte menu, which still has quite the look of Marco Pierre about it. There are 11 starters, five costing 6.95, the rest at 8.50 with the scallops weighing in at 12.45. The ten main courses are priced at 12.95 except for a couple of supplements, and the puddings are all 5.95. Since the menu is both comprehensive and interesting, you can read it in full: Canteen Menu.
We began with a ballottine of foie gras which was strongly flavoured - more of the foie and less of the gras, I suspected. It was partnered by a grape chutney that was refined, which an accompaniment to foie gras needs to be, but also just piquant enough to be a sufficient foil to the rich paté. A tian of white crabmeat and prawns came as a neat double-decker pair of rings: the fish on top of avocado in a little sea of gazpacho. It was set off by a coiffeur of fine salad leaves, a signature that was repeated a little to readily on a number of dishes.
My friend was glad that his seared cajun tuna was rare and juicy enough to balance its rather dry bed of couscous, but there was a nice salad of peppers and olives. He would have quite liked another vegetable and perhaps a sauce. It was a dish that was good as far as it went, although seeming to lack completeness.
The sirloin of beef, (which carries a Stg 4.95 supplement), was magnificent. The beef itself was perfect in texture and flavour, and the sauce had sheen and a rich depth of flavour. The fondant potatoes were creamy, the roasted garlic was well caramelised and the field mushrooms were dark and delicious. This was very definitely Michelin standard cuisine.
The same could be said about the puddings which were very accomplished. I admire anything reasonably competent in the patisserie department, because I know how difficult it is to prepare and cook even the least elaborate of fancy desserts. But we were treated to some culinary fireworks. A Tiramisu like no other was beautifully arranged together with an ice cream of complementary flavouring. We've all been served those dreadful dollops of spongy gloop - Tiramisu in name only. This was special.
Lemon tart is another old favourite, but unfortunately it's got to the stage where you are often better off leaving a restaurant before the dessert and taking a Marks & Sparks lemon tart out the fridge when you get home! But at the Canteen, where the base is crisp and delicious, the filling evokes lemon groves under a Mediterranean sky, and the little garnishes are inspired and clever - an orange sorbet with finely cut caramelised peel and a tiny salad of grapefruit and blood orange. All the components combine to make up a dish worthy of its name Assiette of Citron.
Given that I began with fish and progressed to red meat, but that my friend's meal went in the exact opposite direction, it can be difficult to choose a wine that will please both parties. He chose a light, fresh red from Spain, the Principe de Viana Navarra, Stg 16.00, which we asked to be put into an ice bucket. If you don't overfill the glass, it's easy to warm the wine in your hand if it starts to get too chilly. Both of us were very pleased with this arrangement.
We were well looked after by very competent waiting staff who were not too haughty to seek help when our interested inquiries taxed their powers of English to the limit! All in all a most enjoyable meal in a relaxing and pleasant water-side setting.
The Canteen, 4 Harbour Yard, Chelsea Harbour, London SW10 0PZ
Tel: 020 7351 7330
Open for lunch 12.00 - 15.00 except Saturday (closed)
Open for dinner Monday to Thursday 18.30 - 23.00
Friday and Saturday dinner: 18.00 - 24.00
Sunday: closed for dinner
Lunch menu: Stg 15.50 2 courses, Stg 19.50 3 courses
Dinner: a la carte Stg 28.00 3 courses. You can see prices of individual
dishes by clicking the Canteen Menu.
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