The Canteen Restaurant Review, Poole

September 18, 2008 by Jason West  
Filed under British Food Reviews

I’m going to enjoy doing this review because it’s going to be a good one.

Slow Roasted Pork Belly With Bubble & Squeak

Slow Roasted Pork Belly With Bubble & Squeak

We went for lunch here a couple of weeks ago and were very impressed with the quality of food and the fact that it is pretty much all homemade including the bread and ice cream! I also like the fact that they try to use locally sourced ingredients too including fresh fish from Poole fish market.

So last night we decided to try their A La Carte evening meals out and were nothing less that impressed once again.

The Canteen is owned by Mike and Thamar Wilson, Mike has been a chef for 20 years and Thamar does a great job of making you feel welcome, so they work well together.

When I went for lunch last time I had the slow roasted pork belly with bubble & squeak and tamarind sauce which was stunning so I decided to have it once again only this time as a starter.

Sirloin Steak

Sirloin Steak

I can honestly say that I was genuinely excited about coming here again just to eat this dish - it is gorgeous and a very reasonably priced starter at just £4.95.

For my mains I went for a good old fashioned Sirloin steak with chasseur sauce, medium to well done. My wife went for her favourite salmon dish which as you will see in the photo looked fantastic.

Both our meals came with a selection of vegetables that were full of flavour and were clearly very fresh.
My steak was first class, simple as that and went down beautifully with a glass of Pino Grigio Rose.

Fresh Salmon

Fresh Salmon

It’s such a nice change to come to a place that just serves fantastic food at very reasonable prices.

For desert I went for some chocolate sponge with homemade caramel ice cream which really topped off the experience.

I would highly recommend visiting The Canteen both during the daytime and evening as we have now tried both and loved it. You just have the satisfaction of knowing you are eating good quality food and not the processed, reheated rubbish many places churn out these days.

It’s also in a nice location being only a stones through away from Poole quay which makes for a nice romantic walk in the evening or there is plently to do for the kids during the day.

Chocolate Sponge & Home made Caramel Ice Cream

Chocolate Sponge & Home made Caramel Ice Cream

You can also hire the restaurant for special occassions such as a birthday party or other celebration and choose from a variety of menu packages.

The Canteen has not been open long but already is establishing itself as a little gem of a restaurant in Poole so give it a try and let us know what you thought of it below.

For more information on the Canteen and to see their menus visit: http://www.thecanteenpoole.co.uk