Review: The Canton Arms, Stockwell

We were very lucky to squeeze in a Sunday lunch before Tier 3 asserted itself across London. And we picked a good’un in the Canton Arms. It’s the stable-mate of some of our favourites; the Anchor & Hope in Waterloo, the Magdalen Arms in Oxford and the Stockwell Continental in… well, about four doors down from the Canton Arms, in Stockwell.

Interesting neighbourhood, lots of Portuguese, Brazilian and East African restaurants and cafes. The Canton Arms is just a big ol’ boozer that has been given a make-over, but not too much of one. It still feels like a pub, even though everyone is dining.

So Maureen starts with curried mussels on toast, and they are very good fat mussels in a very Japanese-style curry gravy. My starter of cauliflower soup with truffle butter is a good bowl of soup, albeit I think it wanted just a bit more body. The truffle butter is a great touch.

I have to pick the roast beef. Those are generously thick slices of full-flavoured Dexter beef, roasted just as deep pink as I’d like it, seared at the very edges. The roasties are good too, and otherwise we just have beans and watercress with it. What, no Yorkshire pud? Nope. For Maureen this is a travesty, for me it’s just how they’ve decided to do lunch and it’s a great dish of food. Even so I can imagine being in a minority here.

Maureen’s main is an Arbroath smokey with chive cream. It is very literally that, with a bowl of deliciously sweet new potatoes on the side. And to be honest, it’s just a lovely thing to eat. Could have used a wee drop more chive cream.

Rice pudding with a boozy prune at the bottom and crumble on top is a great post-lunch knockout blow. Mmmm. Meanwhile the buttermilk and fig ice cream is an excellent light alternative; the tangy buttermilk works very well with fresh figs.

It’s jolly useful to have The Canton Arms just 20 mins walk away. It should be £32 for three generous courses, and that feels right to me as you can be confident of great cooking and a menu that can’t fail to please.