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    Cantina Cafe Ristorante

    4.1 (171 reviews)
    ModerateItalian
    Closed • 4:30 pm - 9:00 PM
    Updated 1 month ago

    Cantina Cafe Ristorante Photos

    CANTINA CAFE RISTORANTE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Pasta family style comes with meals

    The ambiance felt like your nonnis basement, very cute and homey. The service was pretty good. They were knowledgeable and helpful explaining the menu. We felt the sauce was delicious and pasta cooked perfectly. The portions were very large so expect leftovers. They discourage sharing but if you wanted to it's an $8 share plate fee. Understandably... it is old school coursing so you really get what you pay for being it feels family style anyhow. Highly recommend.

    Buffet
    Kevin A.

    So, I was a plus 1 for a friends work Christmas party of ohhhhh 30. These guys weren't ready for this kinda traffic. There were two sizeable parties here on top of the regular bar traffic. Do better. Anywho, on to the ambiance, y'all are on point. This spot is cute. There are baskets all over the lining of the ceiling throughout. The food is authentic and soooooo yummy. I'm very pleased with the quality of food you put out. There's a one man band who plays everything under the roof . He went from country to east listening, to some Italian song. Can you say diverse?? YES! Well done.

    Antipasto! Enough to feed over 10 people easily!!
    Des D.

    Cantina is an Italian restaurant like no other in Connecticut! It feels like you are legit having dinner at your friend's super Italian grandparents house- and the food definitely adds to that homey authentic touch! Make sure to make a reservation- Cantina is super small but cozy. We've come here several times with groups of 4- 10 and each time was fantastic. Portions are huge so come hungry! Totally recommend finding dishes everyone in your party enjoys so you can share. My favorite dishes are their pork chop special with hot cherry peppers and potatoes and their veal parm. Pork is so difficult to cook without drying it out but at Cantina I have never had better! It is so juicy and flavorful and those potatoes?? Chef's kiss! The veal is so tender too and gigantic- never had better! Prices are SUPER fair! Especially for the amount of food given! Staff works very hard as well! Totally recommend for a truly unique, authentic Italian experience!

    Pastaaaa
    Kim U.

    Been coming here for years. It's fantastic, authentic and fresh made food. Come hungry because you will have enough for two days! Make a reservation because they are verrry busy on the weekend. Seating is close and so it can be loud. Staff is friendly, drinks are well poured and the food is great imho. Six of us went a few days ago. We ordered The pork chop special. Two humongous chops with veggies and roasted potatoes. 3 orders of their veal/ eggplant layered with sausage stuffing smothered in sauce. 2 pasta dishes. The pasta entree came in a bowl that was at least six inches deep with 3lbs of pasta. Veal parmigiana All dinners come with yummy warm bread and dipping oil and a family style salad and a bowl of penne with marinara. Of course I will be back. Love this place!

    The Pork Chops with hot peppers and potatoes is a favorite!
    Louise M.

    Great Italian menu items in this family restaurant expertly prepared by Chef Tomaso. We enjoyed Chicken Picatta, Pork Chops, Calamari and "the Football" all of which went home for more servings! Great service! Casual ambiance. A must for those with healthy appetites especially during this cold weather! First time won't be your last! Ciao!

    Leftovers! 3 entrees and 3 9x12 takeaway pans!

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    5 months ago

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    2 months ago

    Food is amazing and huge portions. Chef will make any dish you want. Wait staff is great

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    7 months ago

    Good was great and the portions are generous! Great family style dinner atmosphere. Service and food was fantastic!

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    8 months ago

    The food was excellent. A portions were large. The prices were reasonable, and the staff was incredibly friendly.

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    2 years ago

    Excellent food and service. Highly recommended. We had a holiday party here and the service was top notch for 30 people

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    3 years ago

    If you want leftovers go for it, excellent penne al vodka. Definitely recommend and will return. A salad and bread comes with the meal.

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    Mondo - Slices Of Pizza-  Fresh Mozzarella Pie and Fresh Tomato & Basil

    Mondo

    4.3(605 reviews)
    0.3 mi
    •$$

    I honestly only got pizza from here because I really needed to use the restroom after being at the…read moresoccer fields, and I am so glad I did. This was a 10/10 great pizza experience. We are not often in Middletown, but we will definitely be back. This is a great place to stop, and I 10000% recommend it. Of course, I had the gluten-free veggie pizza, and I added pineapple because I am a pineapple-on-pizza person. Sue me, I am an islander. My partner had the shrimp pizza, not gluten-free, and ordered a medium. The size was honestly obscene for a medium. He kept asking to drive back down there every day after because he wanted it again. Definitely returning.

    Our neighbor raves about Mondo, so we thought it was high time we paid a visit…read more Mondo is fairly easy to find; our only error was accidentally pulling into the wrong parking lot. They do offer a free lot in the back, but judging by all the cars, Mondo is very popular on a Friday evening. Sure enough, there was a big line of people picking up orders, but we walked right in and were seated immediately. We started off with a beet salad, which was surprisingly delicious, combining candied walnuts and sweet orange and green apple slices with salty feta and tangy balsamic over a mountain of mixed greens. We then moved on to paninis, generous portions of meat and toppings on freshly baked, crispy bread. One of us chose more mixed greens tossed with dressing while the other chose crunchy French fries. We also ordered a third panini to go, the Mondo combo. We asked for fries; the kitchen accidentally gave us a salad. Our server, Heather N., saved the day by noticing the error and giving us both side orders. Mondo is family friendly, and there were plenty of children during our visit. As such, the volume was a tad loud and boisterous, but nothing obnoxious that would prevent us from returning.

    Photos
    Mondo - Bar area

    Bar area

    Mondo - Sherry Salad

    Sherry Salad

    Mondo - Restaurant

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    Restaurant

    Avella’s Italian Takeout - Menu

    Avella’s Italian Takeout

    4.6(71 reviews)
    2569.0 mi

    Hidden gem right in the heart of Middletown. We ordered the Bada Bing Chicken sandwich, Bacon…read morepizza, garlic knots and grabbed some octopus and cannolis. The sandwich was very good, crispy and flavorful. The bacon pizza was just crispy enough with flavorful sauce. The garlic knots were made fresh with a very nice aromatic herbal garlic infusion. The cannolis were chocolate dipped and share size **we did have to go back because the pizza was made without bacon and we were over charged for the garlic knots. Brought it to the owners attention but they corrected it right away. He also added the cannolis for the inconvenience. Mistake fixed right away and will definitely come back again for just that reason

    Massive, delicious sandwiches and great customer service. This is truly a hidden gem near Wesleyan…read more I've passed by here so many times but never noticed it, so I'm glad I stumbled upon it on Yelp! There is no parking lot, but street parking in this area isn't too bad. It is a take out place so the inside is set up like a deli. Everything in the case from brownies and cannolis to pasta salad and squid salad is homemade. They offer a large variety of sandwiches, pizza, and more, but I knew I had to get. Teflon Don because of how delicious it looked in the pictures on Yelp. The Teflon Don did NOT disappoint. I got a 12" grinder, and it was massive. It was stuffed with meat and satiated my sandwich craving. I also tried apricot nectar for the first time, and I'm hooked. The workers were also super sweet and even let my friend go into their kitchen and see the fresh sauce they had on the stove for his chicken parm! Great people.

    Photos
    Avella’s Italian Takeout - Pizzas

    Pizzas

    Avella’s Italian Takeout - Bada Bing on a Portuguese roll - this is half, I ate the other half but I couldn't finish it!

    Bada Bing on a Portuguese roll - this is half, I ate the other half but I couldn't finish it!

    Avella’s Italian Takeout - Chicken parm on a grinder roll

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    Chicken parm on a grinder roll

    Esca Restaurant & Wine Bar - Ahi Tuna Chips

    Esca Restaurant & Wine Bar

    3.6(305 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    •$$

    I had been to Esca in the past, but this was my first time in a while, so I was excited to return…read more We were seated upstairs overlooking the restaurant, which gave the space a nice atmosphere and made for an enjoyable setting. At the start of the meal, we asked for sparkling water, and the waitress specifically told the busboy not to bring still water as well. Personally, I think it can actually be nice to have both on the table, but it was not a major issue. For an appetizer, we ordered the octopus, which unfortunately was the low point of the meal. It was extremely chewy, almost difficult to chew, and probably should have been sent back. The scallops for the main course were much better and redeemed the experience considerably. They were cooked properly with a pleasant texture and served over a decent risotto base with a flavorful sauce drizzled on top of the scallops that complemented the dish nicely. For dessert, I had gelato, two scoops of chocolate and one vanilla, and both flavors were excellent. Very rich and one of the better parts of the meal. Service overall was solid. One person in my party did not like being referred to as "dear" by the waitress, though I personally did not mind it. She was nice and seemed to really know the menu well. Overall, this was probably closer to a three-star experience based on this visit because of the disappointing appetizer. However, I know the restaurant has been better in the past, so I am giving it four stars and would still consider returning.

    Decided to try Esca an Italian restaurant in Middletown located right on main st . We stopped in…read morefor a grils dinner / happy hour ! They offer happy hour M-F I think 4:30 to 6:30 ! Which we loved ! They had amazing options for happy hour . We tried the Arancini balls ( 2 large balls) , which were my favourite highly recommend . The cheesy garlic bread was also amazing! We tried the humus with homemade sesame crackers .. the hummus was okay a little bland for me and the house made crackers were not my favourite personally . - the lemon shrimp was good to ( but only 3 shrimp ) We also tried the tomato basil flatbread which is a regular pizza size ( perfect for sharing ) - the crust was thin and flavours were good ! Overall we had a great time drinking our $6 sangrias ( during happy hour ) and had a great time trying the small bites and pizza . Service was good and plenty of seating cozy environment. Will def be back for happy hour and to try some more options on the menus

    Photos
    Esca Restaurant & Wine Bar
    Esca Restaurant & Wine Bar - Grilled Octopus

    Grilled Octopus

    Esca Restaurant & Wine Bar - Sunday boozy brunch: Spiked Iced Coffee & Sangria Mimosa

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    Sunday boozy brunch: Spiked Iced Coffee & Sangria Mimosa

    Cantina Cafe Ristorante - italian - Updated September 2026

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