Cocktails at Ben's Canteen Clapham

Clapham has suddenly crept into my life with some speed over the last year.  Races (10k and 15k *smug*), boot camp classes (short lived because I couldn't deal with the wimpy girls who didn't want to do push ups in the mud...the zumba class is down the road love), dates (let's not discuss those) and raves (my first festival and I choose SW4 - start how I mean to go on) to name a few reasons for my trips to Clapham.  And now off to Ben's Canteen for food because my brother had a requirement of "somewhere good for burgers" (or is it Battersea...I'm not au fait with the regional rules yet).

If only I had a Ben's Canteen instead of a chippy, an Indian restaurant and pub (all of which I've never set foot in) near me.  It's a Saturday morning, call your mates up and stumble towards kind of place.  I feel like I need a loose fitting stripy top, tousled hair and perhaps a mutt to fit in.  I also need to rock the no / little make up look but as my beauty regime consists using what I would call "tools" that's not going to happen.

Erm.  Hello!  This is a crunchy chicken burger.  It was like if KFC went on one of those TV programs where they went on a health kick and had a makeover and came out so much better.  The plate was quite large so it doesn't quite demonstrate how large the burger was (large, not huge before you go flocking over and yelling at the staff because you didn't read this post properly and expected a huge burger).  My brother wouldn't share a mac & cheese with me.  He thought it was too much carbs, yet still thought it was OK to order chips for us to share.  Hm.  THEN I read Emerald Street's review about Ben's Canteen that mentioned the mac & cheese and sent the link to my brother with a self righteous triumphant air...although I'm still the loser who didn't get to eat the mac & cheese,

The lighting was a bit too cool and trendy which meant I could just about read the cocktail menu.  However my furrowed brows was enough to get the very nice and helpful waiter over who asked me what sort of things I liked to drink.  "weeell...ginger beer...or fruit...not together though..." - like I thought he was some sort of dumbass (sorry for the patronising statement).  And back he came with some ginger beer, dark rum and pale ale concoction.  I'm definitely feeling the inclusion of beer in the cocktail which gives it a nice wheaty / hoppy (whatever the main beer component is...in case you haven't noticed cocktails are my forte!) after taste making it quite mellow.

Then because I felt like I should follow through on my stated fondness for fruity cocktails, I ordered their passion fruit parasol which is a margarita with a chilli salt rim.  Was doing SO well drinking from the non chilli bit until my last adventurous swig followed by a scream.  Prior to that I was enjoying the passion fruit yumminess.  The very dangerous thing about it was that it genuinely tasted just like fruit juice but I'm sure after a few of these I wouldn't have behaved otherwise.

So Ben's Canteen.  Really good burger.  I wish we could stay there for a while longer to wait for the food baby to subside so I could even entertain the idea of pudding.  Cocktails were great and reflected the cool feel about the place.  Loved the quirky little touches about the place and the general atmosphere which made it feel perfect to chill out with friends or family.  This did make it slightly frustrating for me trying to discreetly take photos as everyone is too cool to be bothered to take any.  But then, sometimes you've gotta sit down, put the camera down and eat that goddamn burger.