Cantina

As I have not lived in Perth of the last couple of years, it is always a surprise and a pleasure to visit the new establishments which have been popping up around town. One of the places which has received a lot of hype recently is Cantina 663. And rightly so I believe, as the atmosphere is taking on a whole new existence for Perth: its New York meets London Soho, and for some its Melbourne, while retaining the Perthy laid back attitude. Situated on Beaufort St in Mt Lawley, this little restaurant takes over the arcade next door, and sweetens the mood with fairy lights through the pergola roof beams.

The menu is seasonal and ever changing, breathing freshness and innovation to the table.

Cotechino, Polenta chips, mustard fruits $14.50 (£8.90)

A few starters to share included crispy squid and cotechino with polenta chips. The crispy squid was slightly over battered, and therefore the flavours did not stand out, while the cotechino and polenta chips were superbly complimented by the mustard fruits and the flavours came to life. I am a fan of polenta chips, and these were no exception.

Crispy squid, bay salt, salsa verde, pickled carrot $16.50 (£10)

 The pappadelle in my main dish was cooked perfectly to al dente. The prawns didn't disappoint either, with just the right amount of bounce in texture and crunch to taste. The disappointing aspect of this dish however was the overbearing amount of pangrattato (covered!) which made for too much texture, and the fact that the dish was over seasoned with salt, which was probably a combination of the anchovies and the already salty 'breadcrumbs' (and I am a salt fan). No one needs that much 'crunch'!

Home made pappardelle, prawn, anchovies, flowering broccolini $29.50 (£18.10)

The service was cheerful but maybe slightly over attentive with three different waiters trying to take our order. This can be slightly counter relaxing. 

The bill came to a total of $160 (£99), which included a glass of wine each, three starters (of which one was grilled bread) and a main each (3 people).

Overall I think Cantina is a great addition to the Perth dining scene, mainly for its originality, seasonality and funky feel. Check out their website here.