Say hello to the Cotswolds’ effortlessly cool summer pop-up. Situated perfectly for the Soho Farmhouse and Chipping Norton set, The Old Coal Yard (previously home to Cotswolds Guy) in Gagingwell is now home to Canteen.
Canteen in Notting Hill is an Italian restaurant from the team behind acclaimed pubs The Pelican and The Bull in Charlbury.
Open Thursday to Sunday, it’s serving fresh pastas, pizzas and seasonal dishes, with a weekly changing menu. The wine list features regional Italian wines from Piedmont, Tuscany and Sicily, as well as cocktails, digestifs and Italian beers.
We arrived on a warm Sunday evening and enjoyed a pre-sauna at Field Sauna (unconnected, but would recommend, although perhaps wait until they’ve completed their vision as they’re still in build mode). Anyway, less of that and back to the main event.
The front of house was extremely warm and welcoming, greeting us at the double-doored entrance with the doors flung open. I liked the symmetry and minimalist aesthetic. The middle of the building is divided by a bench topped with wine bottles sitting in ice buckets.
I ordered a glass of Pinot Grigio Ramato wine, which was gloriously light and crisp. Most dishes come in two sizes (small or to share). It’s a relatively small menu, but there’s something for everyone.
Rachel ordered the Tomato, Olives & Capers pizza (£17) and was very pleased when the waitress mentioned it also came with anchovies.
I was debating between a few dishes, but after enquiring about the chicken, sage and milk dish (£38), the waitress sold it to me, promising incredibly moist chicken and enough to share. I also ordered a side of Tuscan roast potatoes (£18).
I’m not sure if it was their error or our lack of clarification, but the pizza arrived as a starter when it was intended to come with the chicken as a main. However, the quality of the ingredients, the thin crispiness of the dough and the generous splattering of toppings quickly earned it a 10/10 score, which made me even more expectant of the chicken dish.
It took a while to arrive, but it was well worth the wait. The chicken was quite easily some of the best I’ve ever tasted. The juices, the sage, and the Tuscan potatoes cooked with fresh rosemary and garlic cloves meant I could savour every last mouthful.
This was a big portion size for one but in my opinion, would be a stretch to share without indulging in starters or more sides, which makes it a very pricey main. But I have to say, it was well worth it!
We liked how unpretentious it was, considering the inevitable influencer and hipster appeal. I imagine it’s because they were only three weeks in, but there seemed to be almost more staff than customers, I spotted at least 12. The result was genuinely attentive service that felt warm rather than overbearing.
It felt very casual and informal. We rocked up in casual attire and didn’t feel at all out of place. The puddings were enticing, but we didn’t indulge this time, although we’ve heard good things about the chocolate mousse and overheard some interesting flavour concoctions on the ice cream front too.
They’ll be open until at least September, after which they’ll review whether to stay open longer. For now, though, this is a great addition and, although on the spenny side, for a special occasion or date night you can’t go too far wrong here. It hits the balance of being both special and understated all at once.
Another Pub Group gem to add to the list.
Leave a Reply