Rachel Dobbs
A breath of fresh air to Napier’s inner city cafe options, Albion Canteen is beautifully considered and contemporary in both style and substance. It is the third exceptional eatery from chef and passionate foodie Jennifer Le Comte, joining the much-loved FG Smith, and Opera Kitchen under Jennifer’s parent brand, eatdrinkshare.
The delight of Albion Canteen begins as soon as you open the doors, with a fresh and stylish interior courtesy of Jennifer’s design eye and a collaboration with local artist Rakai Karaitiana.
In creating Albion Canteen, Jennifer imagined somewhere not just for an occasional indulgence, but for everyday eating: before-work breakfasts, healthy-yet-hearty lunches, and take-home dinners for busy folk who need something quick and easy, but still want to eat well.
While the dishes themselves change regularly (the entire eatdrinkshare family prides itself on using seasonal, local produce), there’s a well-designed structure to the Canteen’s menu. There’s always three or four salads – to eat in or take away in three different sizes. On our visit, the line-up included a crunchy Waldorf salad with Hawke’s Bay apples and lemon yoghurt dressing, an Indian beetroot salad (that we wished we could steal the recipe for), and an apricot and almond tabbouleh. Along with the salads, there’s always a clean protein option, a hot braised dish, and a filling fave like mac ‘n’ cheese – because some days just call for cream and carbs, right?
A favourite from the Albion Canteen menu: Salmon in saor.
The menu also includes excellent grilled sandwiches – try slow-cooked pork and pickles, or the Croque Monsieur with local holly ham, gruyere cheese, mustard and oozy béchamel sauce.
To quench, there’s fruit and vegetable juices squeezed fresh each morning, using quality local produce grown in the Bay’s backyard, plus Albion Canteen’s very own kombucha, and smoothies that are surely too creamy to be healthy.
If you’ve already had the pleasure of an FG Smith pastry, you’ll be pleased to hear Albion Canteen’s cabinet is packed full of them each morning. Team a tempting cake or bake with a cup of Harney & Sons Fine Teas or an Allpress espresso, made just the way you like it.
Jennifer wants Albion Canteen to help make Hawke’s Bay a sensational place to live and eat by connecting local flavours with what’s happening in food and lifestyles globally. Sounds like the perfect recipe.
Albion Canteen
Corner Albion and Hastings Street,
Napier.
Story by Alana Broadhead. Photographs by Rachel Dobbs.
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