Little Canteen

Quirky little eatery serving excellent home-style Chinese food with a bit of flair.

The 2019 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).

This trendy little spot stylises its Finneston address well. It’s offbeat inside with an impressive menu edging toward the more exotic end of Chinese cooking. The décor and dining experience is quirky, with food served on mismatched melamine plates in this compact, busy space where guests are cosied in close proximity to maximise available seating. Portions are ample, ordering a couple of dishes each will mean mountains of food being delivered to the table with dazzling efficiency. The bustle of this little place means long, lingering dinners are not an option, rather it’s the kind of place for a quick and satisfying pit stop. For the bold, the menu includes speciality dishes of duck tongue and chicken feet, but worry not, there is plenty of options for the more cautious diner who seeks the familiar – but impressive – Chinese food. The extensive menu ranges from stir-fry to street food so expect plates laden with tofu – fried until crispy – piles of succulent braised aubergine glistening in a spicy oil or rich shredded Peking pork pancakes, tender and full of deep soybean flavours.