16 www.eatdrink.ca restAurAnts issue no. 24

A Chic and Stellar Taste of Serbia

London's

Kantina Café

is drawing rave reviews

By Bryan Lavery T here's a new game in town: a contemporary, upscale Serbian hot spot serving great food. This new arrival on the restaurant scene is stylish, streamlined and urban chic. The concept was designed by Miljan Karac and his wife Bojana, who operate the restaurant. The newly renovated space on Talbot Street, formerly occupied by Libido, has a clean, modern style and features a fresh and contemporary take on international and traditional Serbian cuisine. The restaurant's logo and signage communicate not only the owners' personalities and originality, but also their unique sense of style. The room itself is both striking and attractive, with brown leather lounge seating transitioning into spacious wood block tables, white leather banquette seating, and simple but stylishly comfortable chairs. On one wall, a series of identical gold-framed mirrors reflect the reclaimed heritage yellow brick wall opposite them. For those looking for a cocktail or a cafe au lait, there's a small bar at the back of the room with seating for six. The kitchen is on the small side, but Karac has plans to The Lounge area August/september 2010 Stylish, streamlined and urban chic enlarge it. Lively, modern Serbian and Balkan Gypsy music plays in the background. Restaurant insiders agree that this restaurant is noteworthy. "Chef Danijel Markovic is not only talented but he is cooking some of the most delicious food in the city," said one prominent local chef, and several other chefs concurred. Kantina currently ranks among the top restaurants in London for a truly superb and innovative culinary experience. A hop, skip and a jump from the John Labatt Centre and around the corner from King Street's hip restaurant row, Katina has a very bright future, but so far it has remained relatively unnoticed by the local dining set. I predict that this is about to change. Karac tells me, "Serbian cuisine has many culinary cultural influences, including the Byzantine Empire/Greek, Turkish and Austro- Hungarian cuisines." This certainly make sense, as Serbia borders Hungary to the north; Bulgaria and Romania to the east; Macedonia to the south; and Croatia , Bosnia , Herzegovina and Montenegro to the west. Serbia's capital city, Belgrade, is among the most populous in Southeastern Europe.

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