63-69 Canonbury Road, London N1 2DG
The decision of which restaurant to go to first, after the first COVID-19 lockdown, didn’t feel particularly important at the time. In truth, I was nervous about going back into a restaurant environment, and my priority was to find somewhere easy to get to from home, where we could sit outside. I didn’t really care what I was going to eat, all of which is why we ended up at the Smokehouse.
Honestly, I’ve never really understood the fuss about Smokehouse. The restaurant’s name, and one-time association with chef Neil Rankin, suggest a hot coal, rock and roll, BBQ experience, but it’s not like that at all. It actually feels like what it is: a rather well-mannered and airy converted pub. Certainly, the kitchen champions its rare breed steaks, served (in the modern way) in large cuts. However, these sit alongside an otherwise eclectic selection of dishes featuring the sort of global influences and ingredients that have long since converged on London (togarashi, tahini, miso, ponzu, nori) together with the sort of fermented this, and pickled that, which have become increasingly ubiquitous. If this all sounds a little demeaning, it isn’t meant to be: for the most part, the food on this most recent visit was really good. However, what sets the Smokehouse apart, particularly on a baking hot day in August, is a rather lovely (and surprisingly spacious) garden in which one can eat. The garden’s foliage has matured to the point where it now serves to break the space up a little, as well as hiding the view of an otherwise mundane Canonbury junction.
We gave the steaks and “sharing plates” a swerve, and instead shared a number of the small plates (which, truth to be told, aren’t that small – certainly no smaller than ‘starter’ size). All of these dishes were priced at less than £10, and as such offered pretty good value. Only the ‘Charred Hispi, pickled carrots, sunflower seed tahini & peanuts” disappointed, with the cabbage having lost its bite and structure, rendering the whole dish a bit of a mush. In contrast, “sweetcorn, togarashi, popcorn & chicken skin” was unexpected delight – creamy corn, but with the perky kernels intact rather than pulped, somehow enhanced by the sweetness of popcorn ‘dust’, as well as the heat of the Japanese spice mix, and the shards of crispy skin. There was certainly something ‘meaty’ about the thick cut smoked salmon that merited its description as “pastrami”, so much so that the refreshing strips of cucumber and chive cream were necessary, rather than just complimentary, garnishes. “Beef tataki, ponzu, mooli, crispy shallots & shisho cress” was also a winning dish – a well-balanced assembly of rich thinly sliced seared meat, sharp dressing, and crunch. A special mention, too, for a humble sounding side salad of what turned out to be refreshing iceberg lettuce with a lively ginger dressing and strips of nori seaweed – on a day when any form of refreshment was welcome, this was the dish that we fought over!
Whether it was skilled upselling, or just the genuine enthusiasm of the waitresses, we were persuaded into some desert choices which turned out to be terrific: Mariana had the “Thyme custard, rhubarb sorbet and almond granola”, where the custard was thicker than expected, and covered the sorbet like a snug blanket. Of course, I wouldn’t know, declining a taste, lest I be required to give up a reciprocal taste of my “Chocolate bar, bacon ice cream, sour cherry and candied peanuts”. Honestly, I didn’t need to try the dish to know that it would be a winner. The bacon ice cream offered no novelty fireworks, just a smoky saltiness that matched well with richness of the chocolate. I remember some sharpness from the cherry gel, it played a modest supporting role next to the starring elements. Again, both deserts were excellent value at £7 and £8.
Sat amongst the jasmine bushes in the Smokehouse’s garden that Saturday lunchtime, it was easy to forget the disconcerting temperature check upon arrival, and the lingering presence of COVID in our lives. A restaurant that had been chosen as a health & safety ‘compromise’ had delivered up a cracking meal, in an idyllic setting, that one would rejoice in during the very best of times. It was a brilliant reminder of the magic of a good restaurant, and the perfect place to start eating out again.
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