Cantina Caruso

Cantina Caruso is Margate’s typically cool answer to the problem of where to eat if you have no reservation. An Italian deli by day, it transforms at weekends into a walk-in wine bar with a brief menu of small(ish) plates. Despite being next door to alma mater Bottega Caruso, it has the tucked-away feel of a hidden gem – rustic and atmospheric, with charming staff who are clearly proud of the food and wine they serve. Much depends on sourcing, and Simona Di Dio and Harry Ryder have an enviable reputation for garnering faultless raw materials. Pop in for a glass of Nerocapitano (a Sicilian chilled red) and you could be tempted to add some Sardinian pickles and a plate or two of simple, affordable Italian classics. It’s the kind of unfiddly, big-flavoured food that we all like to eat, seen at its proudest in a dish of local squid and peas or the extraordinary aubergine parmigiana. No wonder Cantina is an all-year-round local hit.  ...