Many people say that Ventnor is fast-becoming the food mecca of the Isle of Wight. We reckon it’s already here and are pleased to see yet another addition to the already fantastic choice of places to eat out.
Cantina is the latest ‘kid on the block’ and the brainchild of Ventnor resident, Klaus Kuhnke.
Italian with a twist
Klaus is a successful chef, who’s also responsible for Artisan Foods and The German Deli at Borough Market. The food on offer at Cantina, however, has a distinct Italian feel to it.
Take Roasted Mediterranean vegetables and Taleggio on sourdough bread (baked on the premises) for example? Or Porchetta with rosemary and apple sauce on sourdough?
There’s also a range of quiches – baked daily – served with fresh salads. Not to mention Klaus’ much-loved slow cooked beans with ham and egg (or mushrooms for the vegetarians), served on freshly baked sourdough.
If you want to pop in just for a tea, coffee or one of the range of soft drinks, that’s fine.
Oh, and there’s fresh pastries and cakes baked daily.
Keeping it local
Klaus is passionate about supporting local businesses, so when he signed the lease for Cantina’s new premises at 20 High Street, he was keen to ensure he used as many local tradesmen as possible for the renovations.
And you can’t get more local than this.
- Michael Edwards of Distinctive Designs was responsible for the design
- The metalwork was carried out by Graham Potter of The Forge in Bonchurch.
- Upholstery of the benches was the work of Mark Innocent
- Terry Stillmann of Tombleson Contracting carried out the Project Management, tiling, plumbing and extraction
- Jonno and the boys were responsible for the electrics, whilst Mark Gaffney did the carpentry.
- Decorating was by Nick from Topcoat
- And lastly, the excellent table tops and bar tops were crafted by Sam Brown of Hale Design.
Cantina is open daily from 7.30am-6pm. All tables have access to powerpoints so you can plug in your laptop and make use of the free WiFi.
Go check it out!
Cantina
20 High Street
Ventnor PO38 1RZ
Tel: 01983 855 988
Twitter: @cantinaventnor
Please support Cantina by giving them your business. By them and other companies sponsoring features and taking advertising, they enable you to continue to read OnTheWight for free – Ed
