Canvas & Cream

European Restaurant in Forest Hill
Canvas & Cream image
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8 / 10 from 2 reviews
Address
18 London Road
Forest Hill
London
SE23 3HF
Map
Telephone
020 8699 9589
Cuisine
European
Region
Forest Hill
Nearest Station
Forest Hill
0.14 miles

Canvas & Cream is a family-run social enterprise. Joanna, Emily and Paul have got together with friends and family from their local neighborhood to develop this collaborative project.

It comprises an artists-designed upcycled restaurant/cafe and a dedicated gallery/project space with art workshop and creative events program. We have seven artist/artisan studios at the rear adjoining Havelock Walk, which is an established studio/live/work street.

We also have an alternative therapy room where various therapists offer a wide variety of therapies including Reiki, Massage, Osteopathy, Core Process, Laughing therapy, Acupuncture etc. We combine, health, wellbeing, arts innovation and a unique social experience all under one roof.

All In London Review

Ambitious restaurant/gallery/therapy room, but food doesn't impress

Forest Hill is one of those leafy south London suburbs beloved of young families, if the clientele at Canvas & Cream is anything to go by. The highly praised Havelock Walk is a stone’s throw away, a street lined with artist live-in studios where visitors can walk in and watch the creators at work, which explains the venue’s restaurant/art space/therapy room concept.

The pretty dining room is full of curios; there are shelves filled with china, quirky light fittings like a chandelier with glass bottles containing the lightbulbs, and mismatched furniture and wooden floorboards add a homely feel.

It’s Saturday afternoon, so the brunch menu is on offer till 4 pm, and consists of various egg concoctions, fry-ups, pancakes, or healthy options like granola and porridge. The eggs Benedict are perfectly pleasant save for the Hollandaise, which has taken on some sort of lumpy, clotted form in places. The American pancakes are thick and doughy, with a rasher of salty bacon; all good, but the serving of maple syrup is the size of a teaspoon. “Would you like any sauces with that?” the waitress asks, but when we ask for more maple syrup we’re told this incurs a charge of £1.30, as “it’s expensive”. We agree, and stick with what’s there.

Gin martinis are too vermouth-heavy, but we should have known better as the wine list has descriptions like “a pale yellow wine with greenish reflections”. But despite their flawed perception of what makes a good wine, the owners are highly ambitious: a flyer advertises a Christmas meal, which will take place within an upcycled art installation where the tables move around for each course. If this is your idea of a fun event you might find Canvas & Cream endearing.

Reviewed by Leila
Published on Dec 10, 2012


Useful Tips from AIL Users

Perfect place for a date. Plus, keep your eyes open for some of their events, they're really creative so they're events are cool and quirky.

Y, London

User Reviews

Y
from London

Aug 10, 2016

Absolutely love this place! The atmosphere is so inviting and warm, everyone's so friendly and its definitely the kind of place I can stay all day. Usually start out having breakfast/lunch and return later in the day to chill out in the back area with a good book and a glass of their delicious cider or wine.

If you haven't been here yet then I HAVE to recommend! Their full English breakfast is the best!!
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