Review: Cantina Royal

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Three years ago, Felipe Mendez opened La Superior, a no-frills taqueria on a quiet block in Williamsburg, and tapped into a style of Mexican cooking more native to Southern California—a vibrant mix of Mexico City street food like tacos and gorditas stuffed with slow-cooked, offal-y meats and soups blasted with smoked ancho chilies. Coupled with an erstwhile B.Y.O.B. policy, it soon became the best option for a cheap meal pretty much anywhere in NYC. With the opening of Cantina Royal in the former Monkey Town space, Mendez partners with chef Julio Mora on a concept that strives to bring Mexican cooking in from the streets. During a couple visits, we found the dishes more ambitious, slightly pricier and mostly taco-eschewing. On our minds? Can the successful duo avoid a sophomore slump. —MR

Evolving the Monkey
Although the space has switched things up from its Monkey Town days, it does retain some raw design elements that complement the room's rough-around-the-edges appeal. Electrical meters and metal piping are left exposed on the walls, but in keeping with Cantina Royal's industrial-chic aesthetic, they've been encased in snazzy glass towers that give the illusion of an art display. They're the perfect design counterpoint to the gargantuan and glitzy chandelier that hangs above the room, "Phantom of the Opera"–style. The old back room from Monkey Town is still here, and like its predecessor, Cantina Royal plans to use it as a performance space, art gallery and screening room. It's a key factor in getting the restaurant to distinguish itself from the bevy of other Mexican spots in the area, which have their loyal followings—from the established (Veracruz) to the upstart (the just-opened Mole, a spin-off of the popular Lower East Side cantina). —ALL

Good cop: Salsa, pickled octopus, cactus soup, seafood rice
Mora is proud of his salsas—he told us he makes them alone, to avoid sharing the recipes with a back-stabbing stage. They're served four at a time in tiny bowls (each providing only two dips' worth, which is silly). The smoky duck fat spread was by far the best. Bottle that, bro! Tender octopus shines after a short pickling and dunk in a bright tamarind sauce. Order two and skip a lot of other things (see below). While the chicken soup failed miserably (also see below), the sour vegetable soup was nicely done with cactus, mushroom, chipotle and corn. A thicker potato-mushroom broth was hearty and could work as an entrée. The big winner is a seasonal seafood rice—ours was tossed with shrimp, squid, mussels and loads of cilantro. It reminded of another Mendes—George— and his all-universe arroz de pato at Aldea. —MR

Bad cop: Shredded chicken soup, DIY "michelada," shrimp and scallops ceviche, rib eye califa
I was surprised by how many of the dishes here were so forgettable, despite our multiple visits: a blurry parade of unremarkable plates interrupted by the occasional delicious one. Those that did stand out, though, did so because they wildly missed the mark. May I present the shredded chicken soup, arguably one of most dreadful chicken soups I've had over the last five years. It was so watered-down, the FDNY could use it as a case study for proper hosing techniques, swimming with imperceptible bits of chicken and garnished with diced tomatoes and onions that did nothing to lift its flavor. Equally abysmal was a dish that can only be described as a kind of DIY michelada: shucked oysters and shrimp with tomato sauce that arrived in a large margarita glass, and into which you pour a shot of Dos Equis lager. I could barely bring myself to look at the gimmicky concoction, much less down it, with its sudsy, slurpy, squishy textures. Both of the ceviche dishes here—shrimp and scallops—were attractively plated, but they failed to impress: The shrimp were borderline rubbery, the scallops were fishy, and both lacked an acid kick. Just as unsuccessful was the rib eye: two anemic strips sitting on tortillas that couldn't be saved by the green salsa that came on the side. —ALL

The bottom line
A middling entry into the Williamsburg Mex scene. The were far too many doozies here to justify hiking out to the restaurant, which isn't a quick hop from the closest subway station. And even if you lived in the nabe, there are better Mexican options. If it wants to stay afloat, Cantina Royal will need to do more than just wow diners with a snappy space and the occasional standout dish. —ALL


Photo by Noah Fecks