After having several great meals in the Anchor & Hope I was very keen to try the Canton. Not in the most fashionable part of town admitedly but pretty easy to get to by tube and well worth the effort. We started off with a couple of glasses of one of their guest ales whilst sitting outside watching the world go by, before heading in to discover the delights of the restaurant.
Unfortunately like most of these gastropubs there is no booking facility and on the evening we were there the (very friendly) bar chap suggested we sit down by 7.30 to ensure a table – he wasnt wrong. On a random wednesday evening, every seat was taken by 7.45.
The starters I am sure will become legendary – although billed as a bar snack: Haggis toasties or Foie Gras toasties! I kid you not when I say that they are a work of genius. Obviously cooked in one of the fabled Breville sandwich toasters and served with an excellent chutney or (my preference) some HP sauce. Very rich, very tasty, very good.
Mains were a selection of gastropub standards. We chose from the specials board – 7 hour lamb and a chicken and taragon pie. The lamb was meltingly tender on a bed of lentils and was quite simply superb. The pie :- chicken, white wine, cream, taragon, suet crust – job done. Enough food for 7 people was polished off in record time by 5 of us, although we did forego any vegetable sides, and all washed down with a few bottles of an excellent Spanish red.
Service was very friendly all round with the chef popping out to have a word later in the evening.
All in all – just bloody great. Go there. Tonight. Before too many people find out about it and you have to queue.