In the second of our review blogs, it is time to share our thoughts on The Canteen, which you will find in the unassuming building on the crossroads in the centre of Newport:
The venue has been home to various eateries over the many years that we have been coming to Newport but, a bit of a spoiler for the rest of this post, we very much hope that its current guise is here to stay.
I should start by declaring that I am not usually a pizza fan. I was spoilt by several years of enjoying the most amazing wood-fired pizzas on the French Mediterranean coast, so I am *very* fussy about my pizzas. My stomach churns just thinking about the stodge that is usually served up, so I will admit to a lack of enthusiasm when I first heard that The Canteen had morphed to a Pizzeria. I cannot remember exactly when it became a Pizzeria (2019?) bit I am now a total convert and it is always on our hit list when we are in Newport.
There is a website at https://www.thecanteennewport.com/, but it is currently under maintenance, so you are best off heading to their Facebook or Instagram pages for latest news and menus.
Typically open from Tuesday to Saturday, it is worth checking to see if they are open if you are there on a bank holiday weekend as they are often open, or serving takeaway pizzas at the very least. Opening times last week were as follows:
Entering The Canteen, you will be struck by two key first impressions.
The first is that Joseph Washbourn, of Toploader fame, appears to be working there and you will find yourself hoping for an impromptu performance of ‘Dancing in the Moonlight’ 🙂
Joking aside, what will actually strike you is the warmth of the welcome you will receive. This is extended to your furry friends – dogs are very welcome and Peggy (our dog) always gets spoiled with biscuits and a bowl of water. Newport is a very friendly town, but The Canteen really does a great job of creating an extremely inviting atmosphere. It is a simple decor but very comfortable with a very nice vibe.
There are daily specials, as well as salads and burgers, but we have always gone for pizzas and you will not be disappointed. There is a great choice and some very interesting options to whet the appetite. Here is what we enjoyed last week:
The ‘Ultracomida’ (£15) – A mouth watering serving of serrano ham, chorizo, sweet peppers, mushrooms, creamy mozzarella, manchego
The ‘Welsh Goat’ (£12) – A brilliant combo of spinach, roasted red onion, pine nuts, Pant y Sgawn goat’s cheese, with the optional pancetta
The ‘Spicy Pepperoni’ (£13.50) – A warming / zingy blend of Hungarian pepperoni, spicy Italian nduja sausage, jalapenos
The ‘Welsh Italian’ (£13.50) – An architectual delight (the photo doesn’t do it justice!) of roasted tomatoes, crispy pancetta, rocket, Gran Levanto cheese and caesar dressing
As I hope you can see from the photos, the pizzas are exceptional and take me back to my Mediterranean days of thin, crispy pizzas where the toppings are the real heroes rather than a thick slab of soggy bread that is drenched in ‘cheese’. You will feel satiated, but not bloated. That, in my humble opinion, is the way pizza should be and it is fantastic to have such a great pizzeria in Newport.
The food is fantastic, but there are always some interesting tipples to wash the food down too. There are usually beers from the local Bluestone Brewing Company , but others from slightly further afield. I very much enjoyed this beer from the brilliantly named Purple Moose Brewery last week:
P.S. See what I mean about Toploader? 🙂
I expect you can tell that we are very much big fans of The Canteen. It is a lovely place to go and enjoy a great meal, but the takeaway option should also be on the consideration list if you are arriving in Newport late and cannot be bothered to cook / wash up. Depending on what time you arrive, a smart move would be to call up in advance and pick up some pizzas on your way to your property?
Thank you very much to the team for several delicious meals and the very warm welcome this year. We will be back and would encourage you to pop in for a great experience if you are in Newport.