The food that comes out of Franks Canteen’s kitchen is haute cuisine, despite the establishment’s unassuming appearance.
Even though we didn’t intend to eat out, we eventually gave in to our hunger on that nice and breezy Highbury evening. We were looking for a relaxed place to eat when we saw Franks Canteen, a modest restaurant with a black exterior that seemed nice enough..
There weren’t more than twenty covers inside. The space was minimalistic, with simple seats arranged around simple tables and a few tall stools placed in front of windows overlooking the street. As a whole, it was really relaxing.
The restaurant is named after Paul Warburton’s son, who also happens to be the head chef and proprietor. Frank, ironically, is unable to consume numerous common foods in this country due to allergies.
Food & Drink
After settling down, we were informed that many of the items on the menu were meant to be shared. The server recommended that we each order four or five items and then wait for them to arrive when they were ready. That made me very delighted, since I often share appetizers with my dining companions rather than ordering a single main dish.
We can’t even begin to guess what we were expecting, since the level of originality, the size of the servings, and the deliciousness of the food just blew us away.
The meal began with a platter of St. John sourdough cut into large chunks and served with whipped salted honey butter. We restrained our hunger since we still had so much to look forward to.
The next course was the Kent asparagus with beurre noisette hollandaise and toasted hazelnuts. This was no ordinary hollandaise; rather, it was a brown butter sauce with a naturally nutty flavor that, when combined with the nut topping, was just outstanding.
A few minutes later, the pan con tomate, sour cream, and Brixham fish arrived. When combined with the sour cream, the mackerel was so tender that it almost melted in your mouth.
Last but not least, the show-stopping conclusion was the Blood Sausage Bun with Jalapeno Salsa, Chopped Egg Aioli, and Shoestring Fries. There was more flavor packed into that one bun than we could have ever believed possible.
Although we drank gin and tonic to accompany our meal, there were other cocktails, such as a Plum Sake Manhattan, and wines available.
VERDICT
The food at Franks Canteen may seem like it’s from a fancy restaurant, but the atmosphere is very not. We recommend putting this restaurant on your list of must-visits.
Check out the menu here.
