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Cantina

Kuwait City

More than just a casual Italian restaurant

A taste of the Med: Approachable yet refined, Cantina is the latest project from one of Kuwait's most distinguished culinary talents: chef Basmah Marouf, who earned her stripes as executive chef at Madison & Heig. Opened in Kuwait City in November 2023, the restaurant is a warm, inviting celebration of Mediterranean flavours with a particular focus on Italian cuisine, and it's certainly made its mark on the local food scene.

Pasta par excellence: Meticulously crafted using quality ingredients, Cantina's Italian offerings may be comforting, but they're anything but cliché. Fresh pasta dishes such as pappardelle bolognese and pici cacio e pepe are stylish yet satisfying, while other soul-soothers include the likes of steak frites, chicken milanese and a luxurious Cantina burger. Craving more? The restaurant even runs a pizza pop-up in a secret garden space in the Shuwaikh Design District on weekends.

Comfort and sophistication: The perfect balance of classy and cosy, Cantina is a welcoming space filled with earthy, elegant colours, warm wood tones and soft, atmospheric lighting. Every interior detail is planned to enhance the dining experience, encouraging intimacy, serenity and relaxation – and the same goes for the presentation of the dishes, which are plated just so and served by the most accommodating and attentive of staff.

Recommended dishes: Begin your meal with a sumptuous starter of whipped ricotta with crispy pasta sheets for dipping, then follow up with the tagliata: a 240g hanger steak smothered with a balsamic baste and served with a salad of rocket and Grana Padano. For dessert, it's got to be the panna cotta, made with real vanilla bean and crowned with a shower of diced fresh strawberries.

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