Reviews Ben's Canteen

Wonderful brunch of sweet corn and chickpea fritters with halloumi and a poached egg, washed down with a breakfast fizz. Delicious! Great atmosphere; Excellent friendly and efficient service. Highly recommend.

Seating issues and rude staff attitude aside this place is a delight. The food is beyond brilliant and the eggs just melt in your mouth. A basic manners class is probably not too much to ask for, though.

Have you ever paired your burgers with wine? No? Me neither. Well, I’ve had a bottle of wine with my meal or burger many times before but never have I thought about pairing it with its specific ingredients. Ben’s Canteen in Battersea are trying to change all that however, serving up mini sliders alongside delicious wines paired specifically with each one. It’s a fantastic idea – especially as burgers to me were old hat, making them exciting all over again. And the burgers here really were absolutely delicious. The restaurant is located on the rather busy St John’s Hill but despite constant traffic the music inside quickly drowns it out. They also have a second site in Earlsfield. We settled ourselves in here at Battersea with a couple of well-made classic cocktails in the form of a potent Negroni and smooth old-fashioned, both of which packed a nice punch and warmth.

It’s official. South London has too many brunch spots, but what lead me to Ben’s Canteen was their foodie-licious Instagram account. Pictures of flowery plates topped with colourful foods, featuring some of my favourite ingredients, were hard to resist. Ben, of Ben’s Canteen, prides himself on creating a relaxed neighbourhood hangout that does dinner, cracking cocktails and exciting wines. At the weekend Ben puts on brunch, offering Aussie treats similar to Brickwood, with the addition of banging Bloody Marys and Breakfast Fizz.

On the other side of Clapham Junction Station from me, foodies head for Northcote Road and Battersea Rise where the likes of Brewdog, Franco Manca, Brew and Lola Rojo hold court. Those in the know will also make a slightly longer journey up St.John's Hill for Powder Keg Diplomacy, Kaosarn, Story Coffee and Birdhouse.

Another popular hangout in this neighbourhood cluster is Ben's Canteen, and I popped in recently to sample dishes from a new food menu. They have also just launched a premium G&T list, so I naturally started there.

Mediterranean Gin Mare is always worth a go, and cardamom-heavy Opihr is rather interesting (if a little overpowering). All of the Ben's Canteen G&Ts are smartly presented with a range of carefully chosen garnishes in photogenic glassware, but I find £9 a little hard to swallow for such a simple drink, especially in the suburbs.

Moving on to dinner, my eyes never made it past Ben's Epic Scotch Egg on the starters. It's a great example of the genre - don't miss it.

For mains, we kept things meaty with 38 Day Aged Shorthorn Ribeye Steak topped with Café de Paris Butter and a magnificent Ben's Canteen Crunchy Chicken Burger with buttermilk spiced chicken, bacon and slaw. Both dishes were accompanied by enormous portions of delicious sweet potato fries, and I'm ashamed to say we struggled to eat them all.

To finish, Smashed Biscuits & Honeycomb with rich honeyed yoghurt and salted pistachio went over my almond tolerance line, but it should appeal to most. And you can't go wrong with Chocolate & Peanut Butter Brownie with peanut butter ice cream.

Ben's Canteen is a lovely, local establishment that really rewards loyal customers and neighbours with frequent offers and loyalty clubs. P.S There's another branch in Earlsfield if that's any closer to home!

Tried this new place for the fist time for dinner last night and the service, atmosphere, food and price were all top notch. Will definitely be back!

Ben's Canteen is a self-professed "neighbourhood hangout" which prides itself on serving hearty brunches and dinners of comfort food along with a wide selection of craft beer, wine and cocktails. But for whatever reason, fate didn't want me to come here - 3 times I booked this place and it wasn't until the 3rd time that I finally made my way to Clapham Junction and set foot here. That's just embarrassing. So on this visit, I was determined to go all out and make up for lost time.

Arriving for an earlyish dinner with built up expectations, I was immediately taken in by the relaxing atmosphere which had the air of being your local. I couldn't help but feel comfortable envisioning many a days and nights here watching time pass by. And the warm feelings were only magnified when I was informed that an offer of 2 courses and a drink for £15 was available 7 days a week when dining between 5 and 7. Call it luck or even my once enemy now friend fate but who am I to ignore the signs? So I ordered...and ordered and ordered finally settling on starters of the Pimped-up Pulled Pork Nachos, Calamari Chips and DIY guacamole with tortilla chips and mains of the Mexi burger (a beef burger w/ smashed avocado, cheese, jalapeno & chipotle ketchup) and the Crunchy Chicken burger. In addition, some obligatory orders of chips went in because obviously I didn't have enough food.

If you take the speed in which the meal was consumed as indication of how I enjoyed the meal, I certainly didn't have any complaints - it was all very good and comforting with particular highlights being the starters of pulled pork nachos (which was so generous it could've been a main) and the chicken burger (which was amazing). The good times kept rolling as I was informed of another promotion whereby if you posted an Instagram picture of your time at Ben's Canteen, you were treated to a dessert on the house. Well I'm not impartial to a cheeky Instagram post or two so without doing anything out of the ordinary, I was happily tucking into a blueberry and ginger cheesecake (which was also wicked).

So in summary, great food and also a great value meal but with limited other reasons for me to be in the area, I can't help but feel it is a bit of a destination restaurant for me. However, don't get me wrong, if I lived in the area, I would almost live here but as fate would have it, I don't. Screw you fate, screw you.

Also follow me on Twitter @annixontong and @wetrykai and on Instagram @annixontong.

10th September 2014

Ben's Canteen is one of those places that instantly makes you feel at home. Those in the know (and living close to and around St John's Hill will be familiar with the blue awning leading into the reclaimed and stripped back wood interior.

The first site opened in 2011, and I reviewed it during their soft launch period, and then again once they'd made a few changes to the burger couple of times (and was even invited to graffiti their toilets), so it was with great pleasure that I headed back to try a brand new burger, inspired by the tastes of Korea... 

Price:
K-Town Burger - £9, Crinkle Cut Fries - £3.50, Deep fried Pickles - £4, Mac 'n' Cheese - £4 

Presentation:
The K-Town burger sits imperiously on the plate, piles of kimchi poking out under the shiny demi-brioche bun. It's a loaded burger and satisfyingly fills up the blue-enameled plate it sits on. It's a marked improvement on their previous burger presentation. 

Toppings:
Uh-Maz-Ing. There is some serious chemistry going on in this burger, and the key to this are the layers of spice and umami that work together in almost perfect harmony. First off the kimchi is sharp, spicy and juicy, and it's piled on top of the patty in spades. Underneath the burger is a layer of pickled ginger and cucumber which add sweetness and crunch to the mix (although the pickled cucumber could have more vineagar as the flavour is lost against the kimchi and spicy korean tomato). It's the gochujang (spicy bean paste) mixed with ketchup that adds the final glorious touch to the burger, with a huge hit of umami and a soft, lingering spiciness on the palate. 
Meat

Meat Win. The meat Ben's Canteen use in their burgers is the same patty used by Patty & Bun, supplied by butcher HG Walter, but with one small difference - they add chopped mushroom into the ground beef mix, which I considered an odd choice...until I tasted it. The caramelisation of the mushroom with the beef adds a subtle earthy/umami hit to the beef and makes it instantly moreish. It also juices the whole thing up to the max.

Burgers are cooked medium unless requested otherwise (so make sure you request it) and the med-rare is on point.

Bun:
The Bun is the same Millers demi-brioche used by a range of burger restaurants across the capital. It 'almost' doesn't contain the huge amounts of juice and sauce this burger gives out...but it just about holds out. No problems here. 

Accessories:
Yeah, I went a bit mad with accessories, sampling the mac 'n cheese, deep fried pickles and crinkle cut fries. Pickles are pretty good, interestingly going for breaded rather than the MEATLiquor-style battered, as are the crinkle cut fries, which I hadn't noticed before but make brilliant vessels for spooning mayo into your mouth. Mac 'n Cheese was good, but a touch on the dry side. 

Overall rating: 9/10
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Location:
For those of you who follow this blog regularly, you'll remember my visit to Ben's Canteen during its soft launch, where I sampled their burger concept, and got to meet Ben, the man behind the canteen.

Well, a few weeks ago, I was invited back by Ben to try out his upgraded burger, and to graffiti the men's toilets...but more on that in another post.

Price: 
Ben's Canteen (BC) Burger with chips - £12.50. Add bacon - £1.

Presentation:
The presentation of this burger is fairly standard. The burger offers up a double patty, with cheese melted on each, a floured bap (bun on) and a pile of steak cut chips. 

Toppings:
Very good. The melted cheese is a smoked Montgomery cheddar, which offers a wonderfully mellow and savoury flavour. It was melted over and between the patties gluing the whole ensemble together. On the base of the bun was a bed of ketchup and mustard with three or four thinly sliced gherkins. The condiments added a great counterpoint to the cheese and were quite reminiscent of the comforting cheeseburger style of the Byron Uncle Sam burger.

Meat:
Very good. The meat in the Ben's Canteen burger has been totally upgraded from its former spiced meat paste incarnation, to a top notch, coarse minced chuck patty. Two of them in fact. The patties are around about 4oz each and are stacked on top of each other in the burger composition. They are made by Dove the Butcher on Northcote Road, not 10 minutes walk from Ben's Canteen, and you can buy the patties in their shop. The patties are made from minced chuck steak, and include a mix of finely chopped onions, garlic, salt and pepper. I am normally dubious when restaurants get creative with the patty mix, but the simple ingredients added to this one worked well with the whole ensemble.

Bun:
The weak link. There is nothing wrong with this floured bap, direct from the Flour Station, other than it doesn't do a great job in keeping the juicy patties and sauces in. It's also a bit too big for the patties, leaving a big overhang which ends in a bite into empty space.

I asked Ben about the burger bun and his plans, and it is on a (very long) list of tweaks to make to some of their dishes. His main priority was to improve the patty, which he's done magnificently, so look out for a new look bun at some point in the future.

Accessories:
Fine. These steak-cut chips aren't going to set the world on fire, but they are cooked golden and crunchy. Hand cut chips have since come on the menu, and I look forward to heading back to try them.

Overall rating: 8/10
This is a pretty good burger, packed with flavour, juice and the superb smoked Montgomery cheese, but the bun needs to be reconsidered as it's just not up to the task.

The fact that at least six burgers were served while I was eating mine shows this burger is in its ascendancy!

Great cosy place for a coffee or brunch. The poached eggs were cooked to perfection and the pancakes are on my list for next time...and the burgers look delicious.

Ben's Canteen is a great little neighbourhood hangout, open 7 days a week and located a short distance up the hill from Clapham Junction. I was previously unaware of Ben's Canteen, that was until I realised that there was a need to feature more restaurants on the site that were located South of the river. After a quick tweet to WeTheFoodSnobs' followers, asking for some South London recommendations, I was soon heading to Ben's site to check out their menu. I was impressed to say the least and was surprised I hadn't seen their name mentioned on Twitter before!

Ben's Canteen boasts a menu of burgers and a long list of small plates that is more of a checklist of all the latest food trends this year! You've got BBQ Chicken Wings, creamy Mac & Cheese, Pig Cheeks, Fish Tacos, Scotch Eggs and more!

Decisions were going to be tough and at the fear of food envy of my friend, I took a step back and made for the cocktail list before making any decisions on the food. My guest for the evening decided to indulge in a G&Tea Sour, a mix of Earl Grey infused Gin, Mango Liqueur, Fresh Lemon , Grapefruit Juice and Egg White. A smooth and delicate tipple to match the man sipping it haha! For me there was only one option and probably a predictable one if you've been paying attention to my recent tweets. Being the cider fan that I am and the fact that Winter means mulling season, I had to go for the Spiced Cider Punch! A tangy concoction of Cider, Elderflower, Herbal Liqueur and a touch of Bourbon!

When we finally got down to the chow, we decided to start the feast off with some BBQ Chicken Wings, piled high and covered in a sticky and smokey glaze! Now the wings were spot on, don't get me wrong but the real reason we were here, was to test whether the burger scene South of the river could live up to the quality that is found further North. They have a great selection to choose from, depending on how filthy you want to make your experience. I wasn't here to mess around though, so I went all in and ordered the aptly named Salad Dodger! A brioche bun filled with two Beef Patties, Double Cheese, drenched in Mustard & Ketchup and topped with Smoked Bacon. Not a lettuce leaf in sight!

To go with it, we ordered a side of Deep Fried Pickles, much like the courgette fries from Byron but thicker cut and super juicy. A portion of Sweet Potato Chips too. These were probably the best I've had in London if I'm honest. They were seasoned so well and I found out later that they had even won awards for their taste! Check out that cross section on the Salad Dodger in my pictures! I was impressed it was still slightly pink as I had forgotten to ask to have it cooked medium rare. The juices were already flowing freely from the double patty layer and I knew this was going to be extremely messy. The Salad Dodger did exactly as the name suggests,; packing each bite full with an intense mix of well seasoned meat and the double cheese only added to this gluttonous stack! It was seriously good and could easily give some of the big names of the burger industry a run for their money.

My chum kept to his elegant G&Tea Sour sipping image and went for the more sophisticated and well dressed BC Burger. The secret and original ingredient in this tower was the Salt Beef that sat atop of a patty made with two different types of beef, Smoked Cheddar, Homemade Burger Sauce, Lettuce & Tomato. This sat very well with him and was the first time I'd ever heard of salt beef being added to a burger!

Where in some establishments, the pudding round is seen more of an offering out of necessity, Ben's Canteen creates indulgent treats to perfectly top off the savoury courses. I opted for the Wandsworth Food Bank Dark Chocolate Mousse & Salted Caramel Cup with 50p from each one sold going to the Wandsworth Food Bank. It was a rich dessert that was incredibly addictive and saw me trying to wipe up every last smear of Salted Caramel sauce.

My guest followed the advice of our waiter, after his high praise for the Double Chocolate Brownie with Ice Cream & Salted Caramel Sauce. It is probably the most popular dessert in the industry and can differ in quality depending on the establishment. However, his reaction was one of sincere satisfaction, with him quickly proclaiming just how tasty it was. I was lucky enough to steal a bite before it was all gone and I too was soon smiling with delight. The brownie was served hot and half baked so that the centre was gooey inside. The cold ice cream contrasted with the warmth of the brownie and cut through the richness added by the salted caramel sauce.

Ben's Canteen provided an amazing night of indulgent comfort food and was the perfect start to my quest to find more of South London's hidden gems. I have instructed all of my friends South of the river to head on down to sample it for themselves. One has already followed my recommendation and visited Ben's last night. He dined on the Chicken & Parmesan Schnitzel with Smokey Tomato Salsa & New Potatoes, followed up by the Brownie, which he described as "divine!" So what are you waiting for? Ben's Canteen is open seven days a week and has an excellent range of dishes and cocktails and an atmosphere to match. Perfect for a Winter's night in Clapham!

Enjoy!

We The Food Snobs x

We had the best lunch. The service was amazing. The food is delicious. Jack, the owner, spoke to us all about the restaurant and the food and was great company. The music was a vibe. Absolutely loved it and will be returning for a dinner soon!

A pleasant tapas bar just up the road from Clapham Junction, complete with eye-catching red brickwork above the entrance. Although the decor inside is a touch unimaginative, the food did not disappoint and the cheesecake especially was on point. Sitting by the window Tapajax has something of a Parisian brasserie vibe as locals stroll by. Definitely recommended if Tapas is your thing. If you found my review or photos helpful please leave a quick thumbs up 👍 Gracias!

Very tasty and good food a tad expensive for each dish. Good atmosphere not too loud. However they are mostly high chairs for the tables so not so good for the elderly.

Spent 4 hours here on Sunday night - didn’t want to leave. Sat outside under the lovely heaters with great music. The food was incredible, so flavoursome & the vibes were perfection. We had the pleasure of having one of the restaurant owners serving us. Incredibly friendly & even bought us chorizo (on the house) as a snack whilst we were chatting away outside. Thank you for the best eve!

Tapajax is honestly banging! The food is unbelievable and the service second to none, you are always welcomed and they will always try to squeeze you in even if they are busy. The food comes out very fast and will not disappoint. The patatas bravas are litterally heaven on earth, if I could only eat one thing for the rest of my life it would probably be these. The chicken and steak are great staples as is the calamari and octopus and meat balls are also great. If I had only one suggestion would be to check the balance of pork in the menu vs. non-pork meats - as someone that doesn’t eat pork I sometimes find the menu a bit pork heavy, albeit I know the menu changes from time to time - some lamb, duck, more chicken, salmon/tuna wouldn’t go a miss! Love what you guys do though and highly recommend dining here!!

Without a doubt my favorite place in London to spend an evening or a sunny afternoon! Remarkably delicious tapas, with even better company. The owners make you feel like family, and the atmosphere is unparalleled!

The food here is unbelievably scrumptious. The staff are helpful and incredibly attentive. One of my fav places to have a spot of lunch or a glass of wine in the evening! Thank you Danny and Jack x

Love this place. Went for a friend’s birthday and it was so fun from start to finish. We were a large group and despite the restaurant being really busy the service was amazing, they managed to ensure we all ate together rather than sending a few dishes to one end of the table which is often the case with large groups! Danny and Jack were brilliant as well as the rest of the team. The croquetas and tortilla were favourites, and the wine list was great. The outside tables are also lovely! Thanks guys!

I’ve been there few times as i love your croquetas. Staff also very friendly. Cerveza “Malquerida” my favorite one.