Some restaurants pique your curiosity for years, without ever quite drawing you in. Cann Hall Road’s Lakehouse, an unassuming Hungarian dining room near Jubilee Lake on Wanstead Flats, is one such example. I’ve walked past on dozens of Sunday morning excursions to the nearby Leytonstone Farmers’ Market, even pausing on its decked terrace to study the laminated menu.
So, as torrential rain swept in last weekend, the boyfriend and I decided to combine a visit with a pre-prandial glass of wine at new bar Joyau, which has reinvented the space formerly occupied by Burgess & Hall on nearby Winchelsea Road. But that’s another feature.
If you haven’t ventured inside Lakehouse, you might be surprised: the room is charmingly homely, with blue-and-white check wipe-down tablecloths, salvaged wooden decking and other objets adorning the walls. Owner Michael was instantly attentive, helping us navigate the menu, which runs over four pages.
There were, however, a few key dishes I’d decided prior to the visit that we needed to taste. First up was a tin mug of chilled cherry soup – “we eat it on hot days in Budapest,” said Michael, which sold it instantly: despite an intense sweetness, it worked well as a starter, although in my mind didn’t need the crown of whipped cream. Also recommended – and a nice contrast – were the crunchy mixed pickles.
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The classic beef goulash was another must, the meat slow-cooked and tender, not quite as filling as I’d hoped but swimming in an unctuous sauce made from red wine, tomato paprika and onion. This was soaked up by a side of home-made nokedli, mini dumplings that also provide textural juxtaposition.
The clear winner, however, and, I’d go so far as to declare this – drum roll – one of Leytonstone’s finest dishes, was simply termed ‘roast pork’ on the menu. Served in mouthwatering chunks on a slate, it achieved the winning combo of being golden and crispy on the outside and juicily butter-soft underneath, notes of garlic and onion upping the umami thwack. Another mug, filled with grilled sauerkraut, added an sweet-sour tangyness to offset the richness of the meat. We couldn’t get enough if it.
By now we were fully immersed in our mid-afternoon cultural diversion. With the restaurant quiet before the evening service rush, Michael poured us a heady Hungarian digestif on the house; it’s worth mentioning that the restaurant is actually BYO too (corkage £8, however), so don’t forget to pick up a bottled of vino.
Paying up and heading back out into the sideways rain towards the blur of Leytonstone High Road on a Saturday evening – one which would soon entail cocktails at Mora, beers at Stone Mini Market, and live music at Luna – we felt invigorated by our briefest Budapest vacation.
But if you’re tempted, don’t delay: the restaurant, said Michael, closes in its current location at the end of August and moves to Woodford.
Starters from £8, mains from £11. Find Lakehouse at 324 Cann Hall Rd, London E11 3NW, follow @lakehouse_hungarian_restaurant
