Jenny Conlon enjoys tailor-made burgers in Battersea
We visited Ben’s Canteen in Battersea, an Australian-inspired burger and cocktail hotspot, on a Wednesday evening but there was certainly a vibrant weekend buzz about the place. Described by owner, Ben Walton, as “an alternative to the pub”, Ben’s Canteen slotted effortlessly into the Battersea social scene and is now a popular meeting place. The interior is funky and cool. with dim lighting with neon accents – it could easily be mistaken for a Soho eatery. We took our place in the heart, at one of the high-stooled tables opposite the bar.
To start, we both chose a gin cocktail and the selection available was seriously impressive – both Boodles and Scapegrace were on offer – and arrived in gorgeous, gigantic cocktail glasses. To begin our feast, we opted for the DIY guacamole with tortilla chips. The portions were generous and the fresh avocado was served in a pestle and mortar style dish so you could mash it up. We also went for the falafels with harissa sauce which
had a spicy kick to them.
For the main event, we ordered a trio of mini burgers, a Cheese Burger, Posh Fried Chicken and Veggie. Each mini burger was cleverly paired with a recommended wine – wine pairing is offered every night after 5pm.
We also shared the Awesome Veggie Burger – made up of sweet potato, spring onion and harissa patty, garlic mayo and pickled red onions. What I like about the burgers here is that you can have the burger the way you like, so you can replace the bun with Ben’s Canteen slaw.
I’m never one to shy away from a dessert so we chose to share the chocolate and peanut butter brownie served with peanut butter icecream, which was warm on arrival and the ideal shared pudding to end the evening. Burger connoisseurs won’t be disappointed, and there’s a tempting brunch menu too. Look out for their Battersea Power Station branch, coming soon!
