Neighbourhood restaurant and wine bar Frank’s Canteen is back after a summer hiatus
With a tenth anniversary coming up, a new refurb, and new head chef Eloise Dawes (ex-Kudu) in tow, it’s all go go go for the Highbury spot. We visited on a rainy winter’s evening, making the restaurant seem unassuming, but the food turned out to be anything but. We followed the candlelit glow coming through the windows and headed inside…
Eat This
Frank’s Canteen serves up European classics with a twist, which, more often than not, was pickled items that brought a new layer to the hearty winter warmers. We started strong with grilled sourdough with salted honey butter – no tiny ramekins here, there were lashings of butter to go around.
Next up was the pickled mackerel served with a potato cake muffin, apple and radish. The potato cake muffin was surprisingly soft and bouncy, complementing the sharp mackerel well, so well that we could have easily eaten ten more of them. Getting in the festive spirit, we ordered the miso Brussel sprouts, which were super crispy, swimming in sauce, and a far cry from the bog standard boiled sprout affair we all dread at Christmas. Again, we could have eaten them by the truckload.
We can never resist scallops on a menu and these ones arrived breaded, topped with trout roe, and served with plenty of Jerusalem artichoke puree. The sea bass was also paired with a pickled side – beetroot this time – that had a rich earthiness contrasting with the freshness of the fish.
The dessert options took us straight back to childhood, with new takes on some retro faves like butterscotch Angel Delight layered on top of chocolate cake and apple jelly.
Drink This
There’s a small list of cocktails with a twist, including grapefruit margs and smoky negronis, but you can’t go wrong with diving into the wine list and trying a few varieties as the plates start to come out. On Wednesday nights, it’s BYOB with no corkage, so it’s a good chance to sample the food without the booze breaking the bank.
Why Go
The interiors are small and cosy, perfect for a winter’s evening, and the place quickly gets filled up with chatter, so you can leisurely eat, sip wine, and forget the rain raging outside.
Key Information
Address | 86 Highbury Park, London, N5 2XE
For more information | frankscanteen.com