I Went To A Canada-Themed Pub In The UK & Their Poutine Would Make A Real Canadian Gag

The views expressed in this Opinion article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.

One of the most Canadian restaurants I've ever visited was not in Canada but actually in the United Kingdom.

Yes, you read that right. There are plenty of Canucks in England and many other fans of Canadian culture, so it was a pleasant surprise when I discovered that there's a Canada-themed pub in London, although the menu could use a little work.

Having travelled from the east to the west coasts of Canada, I thought I'd seen it all, including the very Canadian experience of learning how to line dance in Banff, Alberta.

But it turns out I was wrong. Some places are more "Canadian and proud" than others, and that includes one place in London called the Maple Leaf Bar & Grill.

I travelled to London in June to explore all that the city has to offer, and that's when I stumbled upon the most Canadian pub ever in a very popular and touristy spot in the city. It was not what I expected, especially after eating their poutine...

Here's a look inside the restaurant located in Covent Garden and my thoughts on the whole thing.

The experience

Maple Leaf bar and grill in London.Mira Nabulsi | Narcity

From afar, you can spot the Canadian pub because it's called the Maple Leaf and has huge Canadian flags waving from its entrance. That alone made me giggle.

But, as I approached the restaurant and got a closer look, I realized how proud the space was to be Canadian. However, it did feel a bit overwhelming, with more maple leaves and red-and-white decor than you'd see in a typical Canadian restaurant.

A bear at the Maple Leaf restaurant. Mira Nabulsi | Narcity

They had a moose head on the wall wearing funky sunglasses, a bear at the entrance holding a hockey stick and wearing Canadian swag. The walls were filled with Canadian-inspired decor, which included framed Toronto Maple Leaf and Montreal Canadiens jerseys, and they had a bunch of Canadian beers on tap, too, that were advertised in the space.

Covent Garden's website describes the restaurant as follows: "With its warm and friendly atmosphere, delicious food, and extensive selection of drinks, Maple Leaf is a must-visit destination for anyone looking to taste Canada in London."

The space has couches, high-top tables, an outdoor patio, and a bunch of screens with sports playing on them, making the restaurant pretty popular.

Wall decor at the restaurant.Mira Nabulsi | Narcity

Regardless, the pub required customers to head to the bar to order and then find a table to sit and wait for the food and drinks to be brought out.

While waiting for my food to arrive, I ended up speaking to a guest sitting next to me and he said he visits this pub quite often. He also said he has been to Canada and loves the warmth and hospitality in the country. Maybe that's why he goes to the Maple Leaf restaurant in his hometown.

The food and drinks

Menus at the restaurant.Mira Nabulsi | Narcity

The menu was something I was quite curious about because, other than poutine and bagels, I'm not sure what a Canadian menu can possibly look like.

But the restaurant had an interesting offering, with several different options from various cuisines.

The Covent Garden description of the menu promises "classic Canadian dishes, such as poutine, Montreal smoked meat sandwiches and butter tarts."

However, when looking at the menu, the only thing that stood out to me as a Canadian dish was the poutine, although some of the varieties are not what you'd expect. The Maple Leaf offered customers poutine options including Classic, Country Style, Hogtown, BBQ Burnt Ends, British, and Porkie.

WTF is a British poutine? I'll tell you: It's chicken, BBQ pulled pork and peppercorn sauce... seriously.

Obviously, I had to order the classic poutine and put it to the test to see if those in the U.K. were able to pull off what we know best. (More on that below.)

As for their beers, you can expect to get a pint of Canadian, Sleeman, Moosehead, Frothy Beaver I-P-Eh! and Maple Leaf Lager. The last two might not be so familiar to you, and that's because they are made in London for the pub specifically. Creative names, eh?

The poutine

Mira holding a poutine in a restaurant in London.Mira Nabulsi | Narcity

The minute I sat down, I knew I had to try their poutine because that, to me, is a fair test of the restaurant's authenticity. And wow, was it the biggest fail ever, because the restaurant butchered our national dish.

As described on the menu, the classic poutine consists of fries, gravy and squeaky cheese curds for £6.50, which is roughly $12.

According to the various recipes found online, the word "squeaky" is not a factor in any recipe, which is important to note because when biting into these curds, it was a bit too squeaky for my liking.

Moving on to the gravy, even though it's an essential part of the poutine, there is a science behind the dish to ensure that there isn't too much gravy on the fries. You don't want the fries to get soggy too quickly because of the gravy, turning them into noodle-like things. However, the Maple Leaf failed that test, and the poutine I ate at this pub felt more like soup. Yes, I said soup.

It was 80% gravy, 15% fries and 5% cheese curds, which according to my calculations, is not poutine.

This takes me to my last point: the fries. Fries are usually my favourite part of the poutine because I'm not even a fan of the dish in general, although I do love fries. However, the Maple Leaf fries were so hot, soggy and oily I couldn't even enjoy them on their own.

Poutine from Maple Leaf restaurant in London.Mira Nabulsi | Narcity

The dish overall was boiling hot. I could see the steam coming from it for quite a while, which made the fries even soggier. But the cheese never melted! That really freaked me out because what kind of cheese can withstand a piping-hot soup of gravy and fries? Maybe it was the "squeak" factor that made these cheese curds resistant to heat.

I should add that the poutine smelled quite funky, which is a no-no for me. I tried to pack it up so I could give it to someone to eat because I felt so bad, but after waiting half an hour, it was still so hot and I couldn't carry it around in the heat.

Anyways, the Maple Leaf pub's poutine sucked, and I felt so bad that I couldn't even take two bites from it, even though I tried.

So, as much as the restaurant tried to be the most authentic Canadian spot in London, there simply is no place like home. Their poutine soup might fool the locals, but it did not vibe with me.