Ben's Canteen
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 Perfect for a spontaneous date. Lovely food, lovely staff, great atmosphere and not that hard on the purse... |
Date Description |
  West, South |
A Tuesday night date. Probably not the liveliest of evenings to choose but, I suppose if you can enjoy a date on a Tuesday as much as you would on a Friday or Saturday, then you're probably in good company!
Ben's Canteen on St John's Hill in Clapham was our destination of choice. We arrived by car and lucky for us parking was easy to find and free after 4.30pm, which was an added bonus. We spotted Ben's just over the road which had a really understated exterior; small delicate lights and a chalk board with the day's specials written on, it almost felt as if we were in the country looking at a cute cafe. We were a little early so decided to go for a drink in Powder Keg which is just down the road on the opposite side... a little gem of a place. Walk in and it feels as if you've stepped back in time, with it's eclectic mix of vintage furniture, small clusters of tables and chairs or luxurious booths. Greeted by a maitre'd we instantly felt well looked after and it gave the place a certain je ne sais quoi... Great choice from the boy! Order one of their delicious cocktails from the menu and you'll feel quite the lady!
After one or two we were on to Ben's Canteen. Having come from the fairly busy Powder Keg, I was a little worried when we walked into Ben's and saw only a couple of filled tables (it was a Tuesday night towards the end of a tight January so only to be expected). There's nothing worse than being on a date and limiting your conversation to small talk for the fear that everyone in the restaurant will be able to hear about the most embarrassing thing you've ever done or the name of your first hamster! Lucky for us, the atmosphere that's been created in Ben's is such that even if you were the only couple in there, you still wouldn't feel awkward. The tables seemed to carry a sense of intimacy and individuality, with candles in mis-match old cheese pots, cutlery in vintage tins and not one chair the same. And I can't miss out a very good choice of music too. Some of the food on the menu was a little off piste to what I'm used to seeing but I went in with both feet and ordered the pigs cheeks. They were a talking point if nothing else but, of course delicious, as was the rest of the meal. 'Would you like to see the desserts' we were asked... Absolutely! In came the star of the show; a huge green scoop of real mint ice cream in a cone served in a very cute miniature tin bucket. Wish I'd been the one to order it but unfortunately, the second cool point was awarded to the gent sat opposite me!
I would suggest Ben's Canteen for a spontaneous mid week date, perhaps with someone you've seen before. Lovely food, lovely staff, great atmosphere and not that hard on the purse... Full marks from me!
Tags
ben's canteen battersea st. john's hill clapham junction cafe restaurant powder kegContact information
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