Worth the read I promise!! From three-time *Chopped* Champion Chef Chris Holland, *Kantina* is not just a restaurant, it's a destination that deserves a spot on every food lover's must-visit list. This Asian-inspired taqueria and cocktail bar elevates street food to an entirely new level, serving unforgettable tacos, dumplings, and creative small plates in a setting that is both sophisticated and welcoming. Chef Holland's culinary talent shines through in every dish, from his incredibly fresh ingredients to his signature homemade hot sauces, which take the tacos from excellent to extraordinary. Kantina also stands out for its thoughtful and extensive gluten-free and vegan offerings, ensuring there is something exceptional for every guest. The beverage program is equally impressive, featuring expertly crafted signature cocktails and a carefully curated wine list that evolves with the seasons. Whether you're enjoying dinner in the beautifully designed dining room or relaxing on the charming patio in the picturesque village of Sparkill, New York, the experience is second to none. What truly sets Kantina apart is the combination of remarkable food, outstanding service, and genuine hospitality. The staff consistently goes above and beyond to make every guest feel welcome, creating the kind of dining experience that keeps people coming back. And now....Chef Holland is booking private intimate events at your home with your favorite cuisine. If you can think of it, he can create it. Contact Kantina, ask for Jensen for more information and please tell them Laura sent you. read more

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Delicious and refined Asian tapas/street food small dishes and shareable plates that will make your tummy happy (but not your wallet). The atmosphere gives off a trendy vibe, with a chef from Chopped behind the concept. It was pretty busy on a Saturday evening but tables were available indoor and outdoor. Reservations are probably a good idea if you come at a busy time. Similar to a tapas or dim sum place, you check off your order on a slip of paper. Really enjoyed the complex yet simple flavors of the shrimp dumplings (3) though they were very small bites, the fish taco (1), and the pork belly lettuce wrap plate. Each dish is paced out to you as they see you finish. The lobster taco was good but at $17, pricey, for its small size. Savor each dish because they will be gone before you know it. They charge a mandatory 4% kitchen fee, which I understand in theory but not in practicality for customers in these times. This evening there were a few Lantern flies spotted, one of which landed in my glass of water. Parking is easy and shared with a few other nearby businesses. They also have Taco Tuesdays to get discounted tacos. This is enticing because each taco is small and not filling in its own. read more

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Decent Korean food but horrific service. Four of us had a reservation for 6:45 on a Wed. We stood for a few waiting to be seated. We opted for outdoors which is a lovely space. We then waited & waited to put a drink order in. We finally got the attention of someone & ordered drinks. We waited a very long time to get them & the place was not packed. We finally got them & talked to the mgr who took a round of drinks off our bill. We shared cauliflower, mushroom dumplings & various taco's. Food was very good. We had so much trouble trying to get someone to help us & someone in our party waited 20 minutes for his drink - unacceptable! Really the service was terrible. They also charged us $8 in fees to pay the kitchen staff - what a turnoff. I won't be back bc of the service & the added fees to pay their staff. read more

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We went in on taco Tuesday, where if you buy three tacos they give you the fourth one free. They also have seven dollar margaritas which the bartender was spot on with the different flavors that we tried each one was very tasty and well balanced. Michael was our server and he was very polite and attentive. The ambience is very light low-key low lighting not a noisy place seems to be well decorated and well outfitted. Our appetizer were snap peas with a crusted coating, which were very tasty and enough for two people to share one order. We ordered the three tacos as I mentioned above, which are pictured in my review and only could eat two and two to go home from each dish. Definitely would go back on another Tuesday for drinks and something to eat even had a very cute little bar area again the bartender was spot on with these drinks. read more

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Cocktails are AMAZING!! But the bathroom is disgusting! It is absolutely infested with drain flies. If the bathroom is dirty, I can't imagine what the kitchen is like. As delicious as the cocktails are seeing the bathroom like this, I will never be back and I will tell everyone about this!! read more

Kantina - Drain flys - Tacos Near Me - Sparkill, New York

This place is awesome! Don't miss the margaritas, dumplings, or tacos. Also, the people who work here are incredibly nice and attentive. The vibe is laid back, friendly, with a more upscale hint than the kantina name would make you think. read more

We were there for happy hour. Excellent margaritas, delicious tacos. We had, shrimp, spicy chicken, eggplant, zucchini and pork belly. My favorite was the spicy chicken. It was so good and I'm not even a fan of chicken. read more

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I had a great experience here. The spicy salmon hand roll was delicious! Same right she fried rice and honey walnut shrimp tacos. Really cute nice ambiance. The service was great! The bartender and our server were very friendly and helpful. read more

Kantina - Tacos Near Me - Sparkill, New York

Excellent little gem in the heart of Sparkill. I love this place so much, coming from Bergen County makes the trip well worth it. Every single thing is delicious, including their yummy cocktails. From the house kimchi, the Korean fried cheese and the multiple different choices of tacos, everything is so so good. Our eyes were definitely bigger than our stomachs, but it was well worth it! The GM, Jensen, is so kind and gives great insight on menu choices. Run, don't walk to Kantina! It's great! read more

Kantina - All of the tacos! - Tacos Near Me - Sparkill, New York

Really unique fusion spot. Every bite we had was enjoyable. The space is small and intimate, the staff is friendly, and the drinks are great! The tuna taco and bulgogi taco were excellent. read more

Kantina - Tacos Near Me - Sparkill, New York

Fabulous dining experience. Very different and unique meal. Who knew beets could be this delicious? Dumplings were delicious too and everything rocked. Shitake fried rice was really tasty. Drinks were pretty good including a local draft draft (Industrial Arts ipa). Dessert was the only item that didn't hit a high bar. Going back in two weeks and can't wait to go back. read more

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We came here for the first time and enjoyed our time. It's a smaller place so if you can make reservations I'd recommend that, since we dined on the couches. The food here is really good but the portions are pretty small for the price you are paying. It's $9 for one taco. The tacos are loaded but I still think it's pricy for one taco. read more

Kantina - Tacos - Tacos Near Me - Sparkill, New York

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We were visiting the area and needed to eat. We saw a Korean fusion place on Yelp and tried it. We were not disappointed. Great different cocktails, like you never saw before. And the takos and shared appetizers were to die for. We are only here for a week but will return. read more

Decided to go here for Christmas Eve brunch and am so glad I did! We got the hashbrowns to share - so dang crispy! I had gotten the Mongolian Beef bowl with a fried egg- I wish I had more of it. The beef was delicious and it was all very filling. My bf got the Korean Chicken & Waffles - he liked it but wish he ordered what I had instead. We pushed our stomachs to the limits and tried the donuts. They were okay- maybe a little greasy. Not my favorite but still decent. The drinks were the stars- again my bf wish he ordered what I did, the Santa's sour. Service is always good there but being that it was Christmas Eve, you didn't feel like anyone had any kind of resentment being there and were very welcoming. This was our first time not sitting at the bar so it was nice being seated in a regular table. Already want to go back. read more

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Lovely "hole in the wall" vibe here. Food is fantastic, but the cocktails are what keeps us coming back. We appreciate the slight changes in the menu every few months we get to visit, very refreshing. Compliments to the chefs and the fantastic front house service! read more

Really great upscale Latin/asian fusion restaurant in sparkill! Makes you feel like you're in NYC. The service was good but I wish the waiter would've been more proactive about helping us select the right dishes! We decided to just one thing from each section and ended up having too much food... but it was all pretty good. read more

Kantina - Tuna tostada... excellent - Tacos Near Me - Sparkill, New York

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I love Kantina in Sparkill. I have yet to try the one in Nyack. This is a cozy restaurant with a small bar, decent drinks, nice hostess, and an interesting menu. If there are no seats available, one can sit on the comfy sofa and eat there. There's a happy hour as well. read more

I could hardly believe coming across this gem in Rockland County, not exactly a foodie haven (outside of some pockets of Nyack). Kantina serves Asian-inspired tapas and tacos, and the dishes are exquisite, thoughtfully executed, with unique and unexpected flavor combinations. I was tempted to order one of everything! The SHRIMP HAND ROLL is incredible, full of umami goodness, and probably my favorite item of our meal. The EGGPLANT KIMCHI is delicately flavorful and came with tortilla chips for dipping. We ordered 5 types of TAKOS: hot chicken, fish & chips, Korean braised rib, Mongolian beef, and eggplant katsu - all were delicious in their own way but I was especially taken with the fish & chips which is the best fish taco I've ever had. The FRIED OYSTER MUSHROOMS are a crispy, hearty delight. The BABY BACK RIBS are tasty and tender, though a bit more pedestrian compared to some of the other dishes. I have to say I had higher expectations of the SHIITAKE FRIED RICE, which has a crusty, paella-like bottom, but which I found a little hard for my liking...maybe if I had it first before the heavier tasting foods, it would've been better appreciated. We shared a S'MORE WAFFLE for dessert, with decadent homemade marshmallow frozen custard filling - yummy! The food complements perfectly with their inventive craft cocktail menu and curated selection of beers and sake. The ambiance is the sort of hip-casual vibe (exposed bricks, artisanal stocked bar, etc.) that you're more likely to find in Brooklyn. That's something I love about the dining scene in America which isn't as prevalent elsewhere, that you can have an elevated and sophisticated meal experience without stuffy pretension. The staff are warm and friendly and service we received excellent. I didn't even mind the 4% "kitchen appreciation fee" cos well, kudos to the well-run kitchen! I'll certainly be coming back to try out the rest of the menu (including the dumplings which we missed this time), and also look forward to the warmer months when the outdoor patio opens. read more

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Small bar/restaurant located in the heart of Sparkhill. We stopped for happy hour for some snacks and drinks. The happy hour included $6 tacos and $8 drinks. The food was delicious , our favorite tacos were the fish and chips as well as the Korean short rib, but all unique and flavorful. Service was excellent and all staff was very nice. They did impose a 4% kitchen appreciation fee which we didn't feel was necessary due to all the staff being friendly and helpful. read more

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This experience altogether was overwhelming. The prices were high at first glance when I was choosing a restaurant for a group dinner but I thought I'd give it a try since they have GLUTEN FREE KOREAN INSPIRED TACOS! So so so excited. They seated us outside and the vibes were great, especially since the weather was great. The decor is set for casual to upscale, welcome as you are. The service was okay. Nothing fast, nothing too helpful. The biggest and most disappointing kicker was: their gluten free tacos were LETTUCE WRAPS. Why advertise them as gluten free tacos when you'll be using a small piece of lettuce instead of corn tortillas which is the default in traditional tacos?! Definitely not worth $19 to pay for a serving that doesn't even amount to a small salad. read more

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Food -amazing. Cozy yet vibrant vibes inside the restaurant. If you love Spanish cuisine styles but Asian inspired meals, this is the place for you. Haven't eaten anything I hated. Wait staff is super kind and engaged in helping you with the menu. read more

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This place was very cozy and busy. The atmosphere is great, the staff was friendly and accommodating, the food was good, the prices and some of the portions are not and that is why they did not get five stars. I really wanted to love and be wowed by this place too and it just did not happen. My husband and I got 4 cocktails 2 from the regular menu and 2 from their secret menu. All were good but they were not worth the $17-20 price range that is comparable to NYC. These types of prices are not what any drink should cost in a small area like Sparkill. Some much higher end places in NJ do not even have cocktails near this price. The food was good. Their Mongolian beef taco was one of the best things I have eaten over the past few months and the Korean hot chicken taco was delicious. However, each of these tacos ranged from $9-11 for a single taco! My husband got the fish & chips taco and sushi roll taco I believe. Both were good but again not worth the price tag. We also got the kale dip to start and the size of the dip and chips was comical for the price, also the season dusting on the chips was powdered and caused my husband and "choke" on the dryness a few times. The hand rolls were great and probably the only fairly priced thing on the menu. The dumplings were okay but they were small and again not worth the price tag. We loved the shittake fried rice, which they mix the egg table side because it's piping hot, but i think that they rely on the presentation of this dish to wow because despite it being good, it could have used a bit more seasoning. With all the amazing places in the area that have better prices on everything, I can't say we will frequent here again unless it's for a happy hour or taco Tuesday just to get the prices of the food and drink down to what is normal for the area. read more

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I'm disappointed ): maybe we caught the cooks on an off day but I will never go back. Everything was heavily coated in tempura and air fried, and it was so bland. The prices are absolutely insane for such small portions. I came with a group of friends and we split a bunch of the shareable plates and every single one of us was disappointed. The wings were just awful I wish I could give 0 stars honestly. The service was wonderful, the waiters were wonderful, beautiful ambience.... But the food was just so awful. I've waited all year to finally get a reservation bc they only have 6 tables but I wish I saved my time and my money. Didn't help that they ran out of sangria at 6:15 pm... all 6 of us left half the food on the table and went home to get pizza. read more

My husband found their happy hour menu and we went here for some tacos and drinks. We ordered a bunch of different tacos--the presentation of the tacos is super impressive and from the first bite to the last, the flavor of each was stellar. Normally, the prices are a little expensive for us, but the happy hour menu was the reason we needed try it out. The place itself was very cool inside, they also have a fun outdoor area but we went in the winter so didn't get to utilize it, but looked like a good place to hang in the summer. Our server was super helpful and attentive to us. I still dream about the Korean Short Rib Taco and hope to be back in the warmer weather. read more

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I love going to Kantina for a nightcap and the occasional bar side taco. The place always has interesting cocktail selections and curation of beers on hand. I had a wrench IPA and Sangria and my friend had the sushi taco which looked amazing. Would recommend calling ahead and the space is small for a reservation. read more

Favorite part of our meal was the shrimp hand roll starter, followed by the wings. A little pricey but both pack so much flavor and texture.

We love taco Tuesday's here! They are super creative and it's buy three get a fourth and $7 margs. Try the coconut marg or "the lanai" for a tropical vibe. My mil gets the sushi taco x4 every time! read more

I wish I had read the reviews before coming - it put such a bad taste in our mouth that they added a "4% kitchen appreciation fee" to our 2 person bar tab. I have worked in many restaurants and I have never seen that. My thoughts were "do they not tip out the kitchen staff? Can the owner not afford to pay the cook?" We still tipped over 20% because the service was excellent and I feel like the bartender doesn't see any of that "kitchen appreciation" charge. We walked out hungry paying over $60 for an appetizer, 2 sodas, and 2 tacos. :( read more

Kantina - Teriyaki Broccoli Bites - Tacos Near Me - Sparkill, New York

The food was refreshingly different and tasted great. The atmosphere felt as a trendy place in the city. It's the first time we were here, but we're sure to come back. read more

Kantina - Tacos Near Me - Sparkill, New York

Such an amazing establishment. Hannah at the bar is a wizard mixologist. The creative fusion of Asian Mexican cuisine is the best.

I live three minutes away and feel so so lucky this is one of our neighborhood date night spots. Would do just as well in NYC/Brooklyn even with the crazy competition there. Can't believe this is a suburban restaurant. The food is phenomenal, modern, incredibly flavorful. Brian is the best server with great recs and Robbie concocts stellar, unique cocktails. The vibe: Great low warm lighting, modern clean yet warm toned decor, music on point. Arepas, fried rice, sushi tako, short rib tako, shrimp taco roll, broccoli, dumplings - the go tos! read more

Kantina - Shrimp Hand Roll - Tacos Near Me - Sparkill, New York

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Amazing experience will definitely go back thanks for great food and service. Great atmosphere

Amazing food unlike anything i've ever experienced before. Staff was so friendly and attentive. Beautiful vibes all around amazing!

I'd been hesitating about visiting because I was convinced the concept was a little weird but oh man do I regret waiting. Our meal was fantastic. I had the Jade(d) cocktail and it was so good. I could picture myself throwing those back on a sunny afternoon sitting outside. My friend and I split the broccoli and the mermaid chips. Oh. My. Goodness. That broccoli was hands down the best I've ever had. The texture was amazing and the sauce was delicious. The mermaid chips were insanely good. The best way to describe them is Asian Doritos but the BEST way possible. I also had the pork belly bahn mi and they were good but the pork belly was a little tough. I also had the eggplant taco and it was so good. Really nice texture on the eggplant and outstanding flavor. My friend had the chicken tikka masala taco and said it was very good. She also enjoyed the shrimp taco. Would come back again. read more

The food was sooo good and unique. Service was really friendly too. Def will go back

Came to this place twice since my boyfriend lives 5-10 min away from this place. We found out about this place since we heard of Chef Chris Holland from competing in Chopped and Alex verses America so we were excited to try this place. The menu was different the second time we came so they prob have a changing menu. We really enjoyed the steak tartare, koji butter board, hamachi dish. My bf enjoyed the shrimp handroll but I thought it was okay and messy to eat. For Takos, we liked the sushi roll and korean short rib. The korean hot chicken wasn't as great and was too brown/overcooked the second time around. I would skip the dumplings since you can get better ones in the chinatowns of NYC for wayyyy cheaper (it also only comes with 3 dumplings). Portions here are small, and that includes the drinks so I would say food is on the pricier end. Food came out in a timely matter and service was good. read more

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We came here during Happy Hour (Wed to Fri 4-6) where tacos were 6 bucks and drinks were 8. Amazing deal but since it was our first time we ended up over ordering. Food: 4/5 Banchan: ordered all 3 options. My fav were the kimchi and kale. Kimchi was spicy but had very authentic flavor (and Im Korean). Kale had a wonderful nutty flavor and worked well with shitake mushroom. Didnt even know these could work w Mexical tortilla chips. Hot appetizers: 5/5 Ordered Korean chicken wings, Shiitake mushroom rice, pork dumpling. They were all amazing but my fav was the mushroom fried rice wich they came out in sizzling cast iron pan. Loved how rice became super crispy as it sizzled. My absolute fav dish of the night was the shrimp hand roll. Amazingly tender and lightly seasoned naturally sweet shrimp worked really well with crispy nori and wasabi snow!! AMAZING! Tacos: 3.5/5 Basically ordered all the HH tacos minus the Veg. version. Most were super salty for my liking or had too much mayo. My fav was the special which was Thai beef. Service here is quick and very attentive despite being super busy. Def surprised to have found this super hipster vibe place in this small town. Def will be coming back soon! read more

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Kantina fires on all cylinders with inventive, delicious food, artisanal bar and great service in a warm cozy space with a terrific vibe. There was not a single thing on their menu that my wife and I didn't want to try and not a single thing we tried that disappointed. The cuisine they serve is an ambitious departure from most convention fusing Asian BBQ and Mexican street food into a fun and outrageously delicious meal worthy of destination status from our Bergen Cnty residence. Kantina is now on our dining rotation!! read more

We had a party of 13 and they were so helpful and accomodating even phoning me to see if we still wanted outdoor seating prior to our dinner because it rained. The food is delicious and innovative and everyone raved about it and the drinks. We will definitely be returning- Thank you for a wonderful night. read more

Interesting taste and flavors. The taco fillings were overflowing and the combinations we tried were pretty tasty. We enjoyed the tacos and even the slight punch of the spicy kimchee. They also had canned sake available which was a nice touch to the Asian flair menu. You order from a piece of paper in which you can write done how many of each items you need. All in all, we enjoyed our communal meals and glad we tried it. You may want to call ahead on the weekends to make reservations. Ambiance is cool and cozy. read more

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