Cantina Uno

By Franz Scheurer

Situated almost at the top of Liverpool Street, among the hustle and bustle of Oxford Street, this small two-storey restaurant caters mainly for locals. Neutral walls displaying colourful art, striking flower arrangements, and an open kitchen provide visual appeal, while tightly packed tables, noise bouncing off too many hard surfaces, and strong kitchen aromas from an inadequate exhaust system detract from the effect. Wait staff do their best to accommodate diners.

A pizza bianca was hot, well-seasoned and served quickly, it worked well as a pre-dinner nibble with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, although I was surprised by the thick, clunky stemware. I ordered the calamari and cannellini bean salad entrée and the calf’s liver served with radicchio as a main. The salad arrived a few seconds after I smelled its strong, fishy aroma (not a good sign for fresh seafood), the julienned garnish was both superfluous and coarse.

The calf’s liver was cooked rare as requested, on a bed of radicchio with more balsamic streaks running criss-cross around my plate than I ever thought possible. The balsamic’s cloying sweetness drowned the bitter radicchio, while the liver was full of veins and cut with, instead of across, the grain. A very disappointing dish for one who loves offal as I do!

A warm chocolate pudding with spun sugar and banana was OK, but the glass of Moscato I ordered was flat and flabby, its effervescence long gone.

When I asked for the bill I was told that they charged a 3% surcharge on AMEX, which, as far as I am concerned, stinks! It might be legal, but it’s not a hospitable practice and their value for money was not so good that it was warranted. I left thoroughly disappointed, having expected a lot more from a crew with the reputation of the one here.

Score: 5/10

For more information

Cantina Uno

152 Liverpool Street

Darlinghurst

Tel.: 02 9361 6442