Just off the Canal Saint-Martin sits a little restaurant with a handful of tables, a short-and-sweet natural wine list, and a blood sausage empanada to die for. Cantina, owned and run by the team behind the Marais’ Carbón, is everything its sister restaurant is not: inexpensive, simple, and unpretentious. And I like it that way.
The team claims to change the menu fairly frequently, but on two recent visits it boasted the same short list of tasty plates down to the “salad of the day.” But I can forgive Cantina this, as every plate I’ve tried is phenomenal.
Much of the menu is plant-based, like this roasted cauliflower roll with lemon aioli, onions, and herbs.
Gluten-free folks will also find things to suit their palates, like this phenomenal tart made with a chickpea base, yogurt topping, and loads of char-grilled veggies.
This Brussels sprout salad has loads of flavor and crunch; my only criticism was the temperature. On both occasions I visited, this “salad of the day” was served cold, and I think it would be even tastier hot or even just warm.
The corn, which is served warm and doused with chili oil and tons of shredded cheese, is so good that on my first visit, we had to order it twice. Which means I’ve now eaten it… thrice. And I have yet to tire of it.
While there are visibly a fair number of plant-based options, carnivores need not despair. Cantina’s menu – like that at almost every moderately priced restaurant in Paris these days – boasts a burger, albeit one that’s on-brand, with smoked cheese and chimichurri, and on weekends, the same chimichurri gilds a sizzling basse-côte of beef.
For me, the house-made empanadas stuffed with blood sausage so savory it’s almost like chocolate, are truly where it’s at (ugly photo aside).
Dessert pickings are slim, but this tangle of churros – accompanied by a thick dulce de leche – went down a real treat.
Cantina - 11 rue Marie et Louise, 75010