Review: The Forge Cantina, Camden — Her Favourite Food & Travel

Jan 21

Jan 21 Review: The Forge Cantina, Camden

Style Points: 3/5
Price: ££
Overall: 3/5

Located in The Forge music venue, The Forge Cantina was not difficult to find but it is located on a quiet road. However when we arrived the stylish bar downstairs was buzzing and it took me a moment to realise the restaurant was upstairs.

Follow the sign that reads 'Cantina' which leads up a staircase to a seated restaurant setting with another bar. The decor is bright and quirky with colourful chairs and contrasting lights and dark wooden tables. Eye catching and cultural art work fills the walls and a quirky watering can holds your cutlery and condiments.

Forge Cantina Table setting restaurant review

Would I Want Seconds?

Once upstairs, we were met with friendly and polite waiting staff. There was a vibrant atmosphere with salsa music making me want to shimmy in my seat.

Our drinks came and I wasn't disappointed, my strawberry mojito was the right amount of strength and sweetness, with a touch of sharp. The authentic taste definitely brought me back to the mojitos I had in Cuba. My guest went for the orange creamcicle which as you can imagine had a creamy texture and actually contained milk so I couldn't try any.

We skipped starters but they offer starters such as arepas (Venezuelan corn pockets £5) and tequeños (Venezuelan cheese sticks £4.75) and got stuck into our mains the Argentinian chimmichuri steak sandwich and the Cantina burger. Both were served in a brioche bun, I thought the sandwich was served on French bread but I was quite relieved as I prefer the smooth and soft texture and taste of brioche. The steak is diced into small strips and served in a delicious sauce. I had it medium well so it was quite chewy, you may want it more tender. The French fries were light, crispy and the perfect golden colour.

Cocktails at Forge Cantina restaurant review

Cantina burger at Forge Cantina restaurant review

The Cantina burger was filling, the meat tender with a smoked flavour, my guest observed that the cheddar could have been melted slightly more and the pickle was slightly too bitter. You can add toppings to your burger such as bacon or pineapple for £1. Both were quite a generous size and we took to cutting it in half at first. The plantain chips were very tasty, they were sweet and more filling than fries. You could pair these with guacamole or salsa. Other sides available for £3 are rice and black beans, crunchy salad and chicharrones (Latin style pork crackling). Great for sharing!

Other mains on offer are veggie feijoada, a traditional Brazilian black bean and vegetable stew with rice, cassava, Fatima, greens, salad and orange (£8); the Cantina bean, a crispy three bean patty, baby gem lettuce and salsa fresca (£10) as well as Pescado a la macho, hake fillet with squid, prawn, mussels in a Peruvian style tomato, onion, garlic sauce served with rice and salad (£12).

Next up, time for dessert! There was a slightly longer wait for out dessert however staff came over to explain the various offerings and some were unavailable. We decided to share the El Presidente banana with rum custard and marshmallow frosting, by this time I had mentioned my dairy intolerance and the Kitchen kindly altered the ingredients of the dessert slightly to accommodate. The delicious flambé banana beneath a creamy whirl of whipped egg whites, served with a sweet and sharp cherry compote are the perfect combination of sweet, creamy and bitter tastes and textures together. All in all, the food was varied, tasty and very filling.

Argentinian chimmichuri steak sandwich at Forge Cantina

Could I Afford Seconds?

Altogether our two mains, two sides, one dessert and two cocktails came to £43 or £21.50 each. This is extremely affordable and I would return as well as recommend The Forge Cantina to someone who is looking for something new to try in the Camden area.

Overall: 3/5

Camden has been long known as a creative and cultural hub offering an eclectic atmosphere attracting a diverse mixture of locals and tourists alike with the likes of fashion, arts and crafts, food and music. The Forge is known primarily as a music and events venue with The Forge Cantina only opening since the Summer of 2015. With this being said it can get quite busy when there is an event on so if you wish to beat the crowd, I'd advise timing your visit around the day's events.

If you fancy filling up on some Latin American Street Food in a cool bar/restaurant and don't want to break the bank, try this spot for appetising food and tempting cocktails.