Cantina Cafe Ristorante
| Address: | 74 Court St, Middletown, CT 06457, USA |
| Phone: | +1 860-704-0000 |
| Rating: | 4.4 |
| Working: | 4:30–9PM 4:30–9PM 4:30–9PM 4:30–9PM 4–10PM 4–10PM 4–10PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 14
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A Private User
We went to Cantina for our 24th anniversary, to start, it took 40 minutes to get a drink after being seated, that was probably the first sign to leave. Then as our waiter passes us numerous times, he finally stops and takes our order. The appetizer took another 35 minutes. We asked if there were problems in the kitchen and he said that we needed to be patient for good Italian food. (My wife is Italian and cooks great Italian food). Instead of having salad, he brought out a big bowl of pasta, because they were "out of salad". Unfortunately both our main courses had pasta also. He threw in a glass of house wine for us to make up for the salad. Finally the dinner arrived. It was ok...nothing great. I had the veal which was so covered in cheese, it definitely wasnt fine dining. I just asked my wife what she had which was just two weeks ago, and she cant or wont remember. Three hours later it thankfully ended. We went back to our room at the Inn At Middletown (which was great) and drank wine and ate dark chocolate to forget our nightmare at Cantina. The regulars seem to like it, or maybe they are all family. Too bad,,,we were really looking forward to this restaurant.
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A Private User
"We asked if there were problems in the kitchen and he(the server) said that we needed to be patient for good Italian food." This statement, from another review of Cantina or in my family "The Italian Club", is all the reason anybody who loves food needs to go to this incredible place. I have eaten at Raos and Patsys in East Harlem, NY, Bella Grotto in Little Italy, NY, along with Casa Mia and Carbones here in Hartford, CT. By far the Veal Tommy at Cantina is my favorite dish at any Italian Restaurant, ANYWHERE. The portion size, sides of pasta with the daily red sauce, and a classic simple salad with an orange and a traditional balsamic dressing make me feel at home with a wonderful, loving Italian family that I have never known. The Veal Tommy is a STEAK, not cutlet, covered in salty prosciutto and asparagus and an even saltier mozzarella. Ive eaten at Cantina in 20 minutes, Ive eaten there in 90 minutes. To me, time spent with friends and loved ones in a comfortable place while sharing food prepared with passion and confidence, is the reason why we eat. Time doesnt contribute to the equation of this experience.
JO
Joann Wright
Recently ate at Cantina with my husband and another couple. This was our first time at this restaurant which had great reviews. But, I will only speak on behalf of my husband when I say we will never go back or recommend this restaurant due to the gross amount of food served as an entrée. The entrée was fair and not the quality authentic Italian meal we were expecting. The waitress made the night for all of us. She was courteous, prompt and had a great sense of humor. The salad, NY Style Calamari and wine were very good. With the obesity problem that plagues our country, why would a restaurant serve such large portions of food? It appeared that many patrons were leaving with doggy bags as we did.
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Lenny Donofrio
Ok, not the best, but not the worst. When you walk, in it takes a few minutes for anyone working there to even know you are there and seat you. The area I sat in was full of nats or fruit flies and you can see them all over the wall. The bread they bring you can be a bit more like Italian bread than French bread. The calamari I ordered was good, but saturated w oil because they need to let it sit and drain before its served. Had a pasta dish and it was very good and had to take home most of it because the servings are huge.. They need to address their insect problem and a few little thing. Also, all they serve is bottled beer and it was a bit warm..
JO
Joan Pollock
I am giving this place 1 star not because of the food. The food is very good. I will never return to this place because when we arrived for our 7:00 reservation on a Saturday night, they didnt have a place for us. They claimed we did not have a reservation. I made it with the owner the day before. We had friends coming from Massachusetts and I knew they would love the food. The hostess implied that I was lying and that I didnt make a reservation, she did not appear to care in the least that we were disappointed and made no effort to accommodate us. We walked down the street to Amicis and had a wonderful dinner.
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Kathy Adams
Cant say enough about the food and the service here. We had a lovely "date night" here and plan to go again very soon. The food was quite abundant - the two of us ordered one entre and took home enough to take for lunch for a few more days. And it was delicious, very authentic Italian and just what we wanted. Our waitress was friendly and warm, always nearby without hovering. We loved the whole experience.
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Leslie Kloskowski
My husband and I and another couple ate there recently and all entrees were delicious....its worth the wait. We didnt feel rushed. They dont push the food at you to rush you out the door. Yes we did have to wait but our waitress was WONDERFUL. We will be regulars. The portions are large. The salad was fresh and delicious. Looking forward to our next dining experience at Cantina!
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Nathan
Awesome little place. The portions were incredible. If you order an entree you will leave with leftovers every time. The atmosphere was relaxing, cozy, and seemed to be centered around the food. If you want a good italian food experience, this is the place to go in my humble opinion. I am a professionally trained mixologist and their cocktails were also spot-on.
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Barbara Delconte
I love Cantinas. We are an Italian household and usually cook Italian food at home. When we discovered Cantinas, we could not believe how authentic, tasty and freshly prepared the food is. Tomas is a wonderful chef and he prepares every order as if it was for his family. We have brought many of our friends to Cantinas and they loved it.
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Joe LaRosa
This is by far the best traditional "family style" Italian restaurant in the area. It reminds me of Sunday dinners at my grandmothers house. The portions are huge, and the service is the right pace (relaxed) for groups looking to sit down and enjoy a long meal over the course of a bottle of chianti or two.
JC
Jclaudio claudio
Pasta for shrimp alfredo was under cook and needed more taste .We ask for a Coke he brought out a kids size cup.Portion was big but had no meaning if it didnt taste good.i can make alfredo sauce better than this place and Im not even Italian..I never go there again
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Janna Wood
Great Italian food! They give you so much food... I end up getting most wrapped up to go. A bit pricey but its worth it! Very cozy inside. A place I love to bring people while they are visiting CT.
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Lynda Zawisza
Took the family this past Friday... Wonderful! from our waitress, to the service to the food. Very relaxing and fun evening to spend with my family!! Thank You Cantina!!
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victor ouchana
Ate here last night for a friends bday dinner. The food was absolutely amazing, friendly staff and a really good price. You have to come eat here for yourself.
