Nook
Walk to the very end of Cowbridge Road East, Canton, and a few doors down from The Dough Thrower, opposite Victoria Park you will find Nook. A Michelin guide mentioned restaurant serving up small plates and natural wines. Canton is a hot spot for some great restaurants, and despite Nook being well known in the city, this is my first visit and I’m hoping they slot into that category.
Run by the same owners as Kindle and Dustys Pizza, Nook emphasises a focus on authenticity and a passion for raw products.
The venue is quirky, cosy & rustic, with beautiful large windows, farmhouse style tables & chairs, and bottles of wine decorating the walls.
The limited menu contains some small plates with both classic & unusual combinations.
I also have no clue what some of the produce is (Saor? Guanciale?). A member of staff kindly explains that saor is an Italian food preparation technique and guanciale is an Italian dry cured pork cheek. Sold.
I’m also delighted to see that ‘those’ hasselback potatoes are available, which I’ve seen plenty of whenever Nook is mentioned in other reviews.
We start proceedings with some focaccia (£4) & olives (£3.50). The focaccia has an appearance more akin to sourdough, though the texture is unmistakably focaccia. Nicely salted, not greasy from being overly soaked in olive oil, warm, a subtle crisp crunch on the outside which won’t damage your teeth, softer on the inside, and visible air bubbles in the crumb. This is a great piece of focaccia bread.
Here’s what we ordered for mains, before I dissect each dish individually:
Aged Welsh Florentine steak (600g - £6 per 100g),
Hasselback potatoes with basil aioli & garlic butter (£7),
Leeks in saor with guanciale (£8),
Tenderstem broccoli, radicchio, blood orange & chilli (£6.50).
The baked whole bream with salsa verde (£18), and pappardelle with crab meat (£16) also held serious appeal. I actually suggested ordering the pappardelle for us to share as a starter, but Millie gave me a look of exasperation. The boss had spoken.
The steak is the highlight of the entire evening and serves as an exquisite centre piece. We weren’t asked how we would like it cooked, but it arrives medium rare, rich, succulent, and well seasoned, with subcutaneous fat adding even more flavour. Mouth watering. A Tuscan dream.
Now, let’s talk about ‘those’ hasselback potatoes. These little spuds appear to be a real flair dish, and I associate them with Nook purely based on what I’ve seen through social media. A quick scan of the room confirms that all other diners in attendance with food on their tables have ordered them too.
They’re buttery & fluffy on the inside, however lacking any crispiness on the edges of the rounds. The dollops of vibrant, creamy basil aioli & the smearing of herby garlic butter underneath are a blessing. The picture may not do the portion justice, but it was large enough that we couldn’t quite finish them.
A nice dish, though I must admit I’m ever so slightly underwhelmed due to the lack of crispiness.
I’m a huge fan of the balance & textures within the tenderstem broccoli plate.
Firm broccoli stems alongside bitter, crunchy radicchio leaves, the citrus flavour of a juicy & acidic blood orange, and the heat of chilli oil.
The leeks are loose, silky, and buttery. Sweet raisins & salty pork cheek is scattered amongst them, caramelised onions piled on top.
Time for dessert. We go for both options available on the menu: tiramisu (£6) and milk panna cotta with pear (£7).
A brick of tiramisu is presented with a thick layer of cream, a sponge doused in coffee, and a chocolate dusting.
The panna cotta is silky, creamy, milky & wobbly, with the pear providing both sweetness & texture.
Our meal was washed down with 4 glasses of natural white wine. 1 was a Spanish offering of Navaherreros served on tap (£6), the other 3 were a German drop, named Sybille Kuntz (which one of the lads working warns me against attempting to pronounce - £7).
I’m no wine connoisseur, but do enjoy a glass. We much preferred the German to the Spanish.
Our bill totalled £105 without service, which is reasonable considering we ordered some small starters, a 600g steak with 3 side dishes, 2 desserts, and 4 glasses of wine.
We thoroughly enjoyed our evening here.
Staff were so friendly, informative, and attentive (but not overly). The restaurant has a laidback feel, with an open kitchen/pass.
I would not hesitate to recommend or visit again, this venue would be stunning in the summer & would love to see what else is done with the menu when the seasons change.