Life with Bees

We recently went on a holiday down the NSW coast and stopped to check out the pretty seaside town of Merimbula in the far south. The town is lovely, with a marina and a big sandbar providing a surf beach on one side and a pelican haunt on the other. Whales cruise past the town on their way to Antarctica and the fishing is apparently quite good.

For lunch we tried out the Cantinas tapas bar and restaurant on the main strip. The food sounded interesting but nothing was Spanish. There was no paella, no tortilla (Spanish omelette), and only a whiff of chorizo on the menu. The mains included a fettucini with chicken and rib-eye steaks. But after a morning spent out on the bay, we were hungry so we had the speciality "tapas plate for two" ($60) which promised to give us a good spread of dishes.

The plate, when it came, was piled high with little savoury dishes and a heap of Greek salad. A generous helping of salt and pepper calamari was a highlight - they were cleanly seasoned and seemed fairly fresh. TK thoroughly enjoyed two Greek lamb skewers with yogurt dip and I favoured the corn and coriander fritters which were well herbed and juicy. The salad was reasonable - sliced cucumber, capsicum, a few cubes of fetta and olives - and the plate left us quite full.

But not everything was good. A fetta and potato spring roll was just that - a dim sum masquerading as tapas. A pair of spanakopita were extremely ordinary and ended up left on the plate. And there was a curious, curious serve of indistinguishable curry and rice, so thoroughly overcooked that the ingredients were falling to pieces and absolutely smacking of leftovers that the chef wanted to be rid of.

The service was cheerful and prompt, though one waitress had to ask the boss what was actually in the tapas for two. We were able to sit in the open window and watch tourists drift past on the main street. There was plenty on the drinks menu and it didn't seem to matter if you wanted a meal or just a glass of riesling on the comfortable couches to people-watch with.

It was a nice holiday meal - but it was only holiday good humour and hunger that left us satisfied. For $60, you should expect more. Not necessarily more food but more style and thought from the chef. Perhaps even a little proper Spanish cooking. And you certainly shouldn't expect to be palmed off with leftovers from last night's dinner menu.

Cantinas Tapas Bar and Restaurant, Merimbula NSW
Rating: 2/5
Value for Money: 1/5
Service: 3/5