The Small Canteen

We had an incredible experience here. The food here is generous and delicious. The roast chicken was succulent served with a mushroom butter sauce that was just perfect. We loved all the expertly crafted dishes. The service swift, polite and friendly. It’s a wonderful restaurant located in the small Trendy suburb of Sandyford. Would highly recommend and one of the best meals we’ve had in a long time. Not surprised it has received national recognition for the quality of food. This is a rare gem of a place.

The Small Canteen in Newcastle is exactly what the name suggests - a genuinely small space - but it’s so well maintained, curated, and thoughtfully set up that it feels cosy rather than cramped. The service staff were amazing throughout: friendly, attentive, and made everything feel smooth and welcoming. We attended as part of a staff party, and the food was served warm, freshly prepared, and seriously tasty. Everything felt like it was made with care, not rushed or mass-produced. Special mention to dessert - I tried the rum ice cream and it was honestly so good. Highly recommend this place, especially for small groups. And if you’re looking for a good variety of food, definitely check out their silver menu.

I was really lucky to get a reservation just four hours before our seating. On the way there, we noticed a huge amount of hype-locals seemed incredibly proud of this small canteen, and I was admittedly very excited. Looking at Instagram, the food and presentation looked insane, and when we arrived, the atmosphere was unmatched. It’s a really cozy and cute spot. That said, there were a few issues. The service was a bit slow, and the waiter kept bringing me the wrong drink, which made ordering frustrating. The food itself was OK. The chicken was slightly cold with wet skin, and the crab tart was pretty poor. The lasagna, however, was decent. Overall, you won’t find anything here but homely cooking. I definitely agree that this restaurant is special, and the food is good, but it wasn’t amazing or, in my opinion, deserving of the hype. Maybe it was just a bad day, but I left unimpressed. It’s taken me a few weeks to think this review over I really want to love this meal but admittedly I can’t sorry guys amazing place and presentation tho