Why you goTalk about buried treasure. Set back from the busy Gold Coast Highway in a nondescript shopping centre, there’s a spot, smaller than the average suburban lounge room, where lucky punters are likely to be enjoying some of the best times available on the Glitter Strip – possibly the entire Queensland east coast. This tiny two-hander has a warm, homespun feel that helps to conjure the kind of relaxed, fun vibes flashier fit-outs just can’t buy. It’s no surprise when you realise who’s at the helm. Cantina is a successor to low-key Goldie legend Lupo (which, incidentally, made the New York Times, not once, but twice during its illustrious five-year tenure). The owners, the Pearce family, craved change post-lockdowns, so they shuttered and split their much-loved restaurant earlier this year and set up Piatto, a tiny laid-back Italian eatery, and Cantina, a Spanish-leaning wine bar. Here, son Harry Pearce and partner Missy Price now produce snack magic from the most basic of open kitchens while graciously ensuring glasses remain topped up. And if the handsome L-shaped copper-topped bar looks familiar, that’s because it’s a cut-down version of the U-shaped one that used to grace Lupo. Gotta love the upcycling.
