Overall delicious food, but somehow lack in service and atmosphere: Restaurant Chicheria Cantina (2. August 2023)
This place was on my to try list for about 6 months, but somehow, every time I had a booking, my plans were changed last minute, so it took me a while to finally try it, and it’s worth trying. The concept is that you select a bunch of different dishes to share, which I always like quite a bit since it allows you to indulge in different things. We went for the “choritos fritos (panko fried mussels, Ají Amarillo Leche de Tigre)” (CHF 10.00), which were definitely nice, but a bit expensive for being basically a clam. The “croquetas (tapioca croquettes, Parmesan, Rocoto jam)” (CHF 12.00) were quite nice and had a lovely crunchiness to them.
I must say that I absolutely enjoyed the “anticucho clásico (classic grilled beef heart skewers, uchucuta sauce)” (CHF 20.00), but if you consider the price, then I found three pieces of beef heart on a skewer for CHF 10.00 just a bit of a rip-off. I mean, if you put like 4 or 5, it feels at least like you’re getting something, but like this it felt a bit overpriced. The “ceviche callejero (raw sea bass, classic Leche de Tigre, corn)” (CHF 27.00) was absolutely nice and enjoyable, though.
I do admit that the “chanchito pachamanca (huacatay marinated pork belly, peanuts)” (CHF 30.00) was one of my absolute favourites that evening since the pork belly was incredibly tender and rich in flavour.
The “salmón nikkei (miso-glazed salmon, bok choy, passion fruit ponzu)” (CHF 32.00) was somewhat tasty, but a rather small portion. On top of that, I’m not the biggest fan of bok choy, so the dish was, all in all, not really that amazing.
Since they had my favourite kind of vegetable, I decided to go for the “broccoletti a la brasa (char-grilled broccoletti, vinaigrette)” (CHF 9.00) as a side dish, and I must say, I always like them, but somehow this combination of flavours was not really hitting it off for me. In any case, this is always somewhat a tasty side dish.
The place is simple, but appealing in terms of interior design. Now, when comparing it to the other place they run, the Barranco, it feels like it’s a bit more “laissez faire”, which also shows in the service. They are definitely friendly, but it somehow felt like things were not really fully under control.
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Contact Details:
Restaurant Chicheria Cantina
Köchlistrasse 35
8004 Zürich (CH)
Tel.: +41 44 302 42 42
E-Mail: info@cantinazurich.ch
Homepage: http://www.cantinazurich.ch
About the Author: Sven
I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org.
Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City. 
