Kentish Canteen -Time out review

Time Out says - By Richard Ehrlich Posted: Oct 6 2010


Pret and Caffè Nero are both about to open branches on Kentish Town Road, but Kentish Canteen is what the area really needs: a classy local doing brunch, lunch and dinner all week.

The guiding principles are maximum flexibility and minimal expense. It's a great formula: no main course over £12, and smaller, 'larder' dishes costing around £3-5. Menus will change monthly and were still being tweaked
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Pret and Caffè Nero are both about to open branches on Kentish Town Road, but Kentish Canteen is what the area really needs: a classy local doing brunch, lunch and dinner all week.

The guiding principles are maximum flexibility and minimal expense. It's a great formula: no main course over £12, and smaller, 'larder' dishes costing around £3-5. Menus will change monthly and were still being tweaked on our visits.

Some of chef John Cook's food is sensationally good. Eggs Benedict on the brunch menu was exemplary.

On a separate visit, parmesan chicken - a breaded escalope - was tender and juicy within and crunchy without (no mean feat). A huge portion of wonderful vegetable soup featured a memorably flavourful broth. Accurately cooked steak came with addictively crisp, fluffy chips. Desserts and baking are fine, and nice touches - such as small pots of blue-chip Isigny butter - show careful attention to detail.

The space looks great, designed by a firm just around the corner and with one wall dominated by a Kentish Town photo mural. Wine list: short and imaginative, and starting at just £14.50.

Service is sweet and largely efficient. Expect great things of this new place, on the site that used to be RED