CANTINA BAR
Sydney, New South Wales

My other half and I LOVE Mexican food! If we're not making it at home, we're out getting our fix at one of the many awesome Mexican restaurants in Sydney at least once a week. Even though we're vegetarians, we usually have no troubles getting a good feed...until now. We were super excited to try out the new Cantina Bar. The deco is awesome, the vibe is great and the staff are fast and friendly. We were a little shocked when we looked at the menu and saw the lack of choice for vegos. If we didn't want sides like hot chips, deep fried peppers or corn on the cob, our only other choice was corn chips and dips... while the meat eaters could choose from tacos, nachos, quesadillas and the like. The friendly waitress, however, reassured us that most things on the menu could be prepared for vegos. PHEW! So we ordered vego nachos and vego soft shell tacos (which, according to the menu, were around $16 each when served with pulled pork). Our food arrived quickly and while it tasted fine and fresh, we were surprised by the fact that there were no beans, tacos, mushrooms or anything else to replace the pulled pork that would make the meal a little more vegetarian friendly...just a tangy slaw, some cheese and sour cream. That's it! Worse still, when the bill arrived, we were charged full price – exactly the same amount as someone who got a good helping of meat with their dishes. It's one thing to leave vegos out of the equation when planning a menu, but it's another thing entirely to expect us to pay full price for a dish that has simply had the meat taken out of it.

I went to this little bar last week. The atmosphere, ambience, and food and beverage offer is outstanding. I found the pulled pork nachos to be tasty and good value. Jalapeño Margherita was also very nice. My wife had mulled wine which she loved. The space is small, its feels intimate and I don't think it would be ideal for groups of 4 or more. I don't agree with DB - this place isn't for families or kids. In my view Balmain needs more places like this for young professionals and adults wanting a drink and some light food - just my opinion. Go there for fun and tasty food and beverage options, don't go there for kids menus or family fun.

My wife and I have been looking forward to eating at the Cantina Bar. We decided to go there with our two daughters during the week just as they opened for business on a Thursday. The atmosphere and set up is great. Cantina Bar has a really nice look and feel to it. The service was also good. The food was average, but a nice change for Balmain considering there aren't any Mexican or Central American options. Unfortunately, due to the extremely small portions the food and drinks are extremely overpriced. We left hungry due to not wanting to pay full price for a tapas sized meal. I was floored to find out the two juices we ordered for our girls were $7.50 each. There is a surcharge for paying by credit card, which was not well received considering the food was already over priced. Out of 5, I would rate Cantina a 4 for atmosphere, 3 for service and 0 for value.