The Canvas Cafe
My Review of the Canvas Cafe, a not-for-profit creative space with a fully vegan café, serving up veganised classic dishes, cakes, and freakshakes.
Where: 42 Hanbury St. E1 5JL
Website: http://www.thecanvascafe.org/cafe
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/thecanvascafee1/
Menu: http://www.thecanvascafe.org/sites/default/files/2018-05/CanvasMenu2018.pdf
CHECKED OFF MY LIST: 23rd September, 2018
OVERVIEW:
The Canvas Café opened in 2015, and works in partnership with Action for Happiness to hold events and workshops to improve wellbeing in London. Named London’s first happy café, it’s a warm and welcoming space that celebrates veganism and ethical living. As a not-for-profit social enterprise, they also hold several events throughout the year to nurture creativity and community.
Easily found right off Brick Lane in East London, my friend Hannah and I decided to check it out one sunny September afternoon. When we arrived it was quite packed, and we had to wait for a table to open. It was very much worth the wait!
ATMOSPHERE:
The environment in The Canvas Café is bright, cheerful, and cosy. I loved the laid-back atmosphere. While we did have to wait for a seat, the flipside was that once we were settled we felt in no rush whatsoever to eat our meal and get out. Instead, we could really relax and take our time enjoying the food and company. The café itself is really sweet, and I especially love how the walls are scribbled on with positive messages and memories from over the years.
MY SHORTLIST:
- Pulled Jackfruit sourdough sandwich & sweet potato fries – ‘No pigs were harmed in the making of this gorgeous version of a pulled pork sandwich!’
- I have not had much experience with jackfruit, but this sandwich completely turned me into a fan! The jackfruit was subtly sweet, with a great BBQ flavour from the sauce. It was piled high, making for a substantial serving and a very filling meal. The sourdough bread was fluffy and soft, and the sweet potato fries were crispy and delicious.
- Not-Meatball Marinara sourdough sandwich & handcut fries – ‘Hearty not-meatballs in delicious homemade marinara and cheese sauce.’
- Hannah got the Meatball Marinara, which also came as a nice large portion. She let me try a bit, and I loved the flavours in this sandwich. The not-meatballs were hefty and almost tasted ‘meaty’. The marinara and cheese sauce complemented each other very well, giving all the semblance of a traditional meatball sub.
TO TRY NEXT TIME:
I definitely want to go back and try other parts of the menu! Some other items that caught my eye were:
- 100% Vegan Bottomless Brunch: Weekends 11:00am to 4:00pm – ‘Go Bottomless for just £25 for 90 minutes, which includes any breakfast, unlimited sourdough & bottomless bubbles.’
- This sounds amazing and a great way to try out the breakfast menu! The price of £25 also seems more reasonable than many other bottomless brunch options I have seen around the city.
- The Full English – ‘Sage and marjoram sausages, tofu scramble, pan-fried potatoes, herbed beans, greens, sourdough toast.’
- If I had to pick one breakfast item from the menu, I would go with the full English. It all sounds so yum.
- Tofish and Chips – ‘Tofu deep-fried in vegan batter & nori served with homemade chips, minted peas, vegan tartare sauce.’
- I have only tried a few versions of vegan tofu and chips, so would be curious to see what this one is like – the photo on their website of this dish looks very appetising.
- Matcha Latte and Homemade Turmeric Latte
- If you follow me on Instagram, you know my obsession with matcha and turmeric lattes, so I’m always up for trying out a café’s homemade version.
Have you been to the Canvas Café? If not, what would you want to try from their menu?