La Cantina in Argyll & Bute

Great food and the staff were brilliant

Sorry to say this restaurant is disappointing. The food is over priced and the quality of the food in my experience was below par. Unfortunately, most of the food seems to have been cooked straight from frozen, hence the watery mushroom starter. It's a pity the standard of food is not good, as the restaurant itself is inviting and charming. Some clever menu changes, demonstrating the quality of food equals value for money prices. Also, food choices on how to meet the needs of locals and tourists alike would likely bring in new and regular custom. Such as weekly specials... Pizza night etc. To be perfectly honest the Italian theme doesn't match the food delivered in other Italian restaurants, yet its food prices are high and out of reach for much of the community. It would be lovely to visit and recommend to others if the changes recommended were put in place.

Food is really good, big portions and reasonably priced. Staff very friendly. Lovely outdoor seating area.

Great food, in particular the spaghetti carbornara, along with helpful friendly staff make this a great place to visit.

Food was excellent and a lot of it! Service was fab. Big shout out to Dawn and Shelbi who looked after all 14 of us.

Edit for the restaurant: You should talk to your stuff as this is clearly not the truth. Pictured the cup of tea. No pot, no refill offered. Just the cup with the teabag. Additionally the receipt showing fruit tea for £3.60. Clearly a mistake in this case on your servers side. Service was great and quick. The food was ok but the biggest issue is the price of food and drink. A small cup of tea is £3.60 while a glass coke is £2.50. Cake is upwards of £7. This seems quite excessive considering the food is rather standard. I do get that money needs to be made but it seems to not be a good balance and even more expensive than a proper Edinburgh or Glasgow restaurant meal.

Excellent food with large portions. Service was top notch. We had a party of 14 and the meals came out piping hot. Worth a visit.

Was in on Sat night with a party and were seated at short notice even though it was very busy, everyone in my party thoroughly enjoyed the food I had the burrito it was fantastic and the shakes are amazing. The staff were amazing and very friendly and the food was reasonably priced, cannot fault the 51st state, will defo be back .

Been on a few trips to Dunoon and go here every time! Great atmosphere, Friendly service, tasty food and good potion sizes. Thanks again!

We love the 51st State. Great relaxed atmosphere for kids. Fun for nights out. The best pizza ever and friendly staff.

Would not recommend it sadly. The menu was far too big, ended up with us taking the safer options which weren't great. Starters were okay, garlic mushrooms were watery and had an unusual texture and after taste. Macaroni bites were good but the tomato chutney or whatever it was meant to be, it was very runny and very sweet. The burgers were very dry, overcooked beyond belief and the buns just fell apart. The thick shake was great, the only redeeming thing about it coming here. The service was okay, the waiters kind of just forgot you were there once you got your food. For what it was it was far too expensive.

The veggie fajitas are to die for! Absolutely loved this place. Me, husband and kids had dinner on a Monday night. Great vibe, lovely staff, really tasty food - we were so happy with the vegetarian selection and they catered so well for my wee girl who has a diary intolerance. We’ll be back ☺️ Highly recommend!

Good portions of food, prices are a little higher than expected but a good place to eat overall

Went on a saturday without pre-booking a table and still got in!very freindly and approachable staff, try the pulled pork Quesedilla! very nice! And a decent price! I reccomend through and through!

Friendly staff and always good food. Never had a bad meal. Would highly recommend for anyone who happens to be in the town looking for some tasty scran.

I would have taken great pleasure in writing a fabulous review as far as I saw the food looked very good however when we arrived at the restaurant at 19:17 we were told at the door sorry we have been so busy tonight we are not allowing anyone in. Although there were numerous tables available. I have never been so embarrassed in all my life as the customers that were in were all looking god knows what they must have thought as we were turned away.

Food was absolutely amazing. Top quality and plenty of it. Amazing prices

We visited here while out with friends and the food was brilliant and loads of it.

Amazing food menu, brilliant place to eat, can highly recommend 👌

3 kids, 3 adults. All having different mains and desserts. Everything was delicious, freshly made and hot. We all thoroughly enjoyed our meals. The staff are great, friendly and really accommodating. Always a favourite restaurant for us.

Thanks again to Paul and his great team 😊 we are regulars to the restaurant and once again we we're greeted with a friendly smile and looked after throughout our meal. Our boy's love coming here with a big menu which covers all of your favourite choices and look out for their specials !! All or plates we empty and we can never resist the deserts which are so good. See you soon

Mmmm, disappointing Carbonara but overall quite good. Staff charming and liked the decor.

Huge menu, American styled cuisine. Friendly staff willing to assist with the menu

Staff were welcoming, friendly, and helpful, and the service was good. Food was good value for money.

Excellent food and good value and friendly helpful staff

went for lunch here last week and it was very tasty, the lady serving us with the long stripy socks on (sorry i didn’t get your name) was very friendly and attentive. nice portion size, but limited menu with many of the different choices having the same toppings, limited choice for vegetarians, especially if you don’t like goats cheese as the bagels and panini’s both are with that.

Had the chilli beef nachos to start. Husband had the mixed fajitas.. I had the mac and cheese with pulled pork .. ham and pepperoni. Food was fabulous .. the lassies that worked there were great . Very chatty and friendly. Even put ma dinner in a tub as I couldn't finish it all . Would go back next time we're over in Dunoon

This place is a hidden Gem in Dunoon , brilliant food Great Portions , will definitely be back 😁👌

We loved this place, great food

Extensive menu. Great atmosphere and food. Good value and service. Would deffo go back 😀

Good food 1st night not great 2nd night. Service is excellent prices are good lots of American themed stiff.

A small slice of Americana across the pond! A quick, kid friendly, relaxed place with wholesome down to earth food! Would recommend the bake (jacket) potato :). Will have to come back and try something else on the extensive menu.

Brilliant service and wonderful food! Great value for money with big portion sizes.

Just popped in for a drink meeting friends great staff are so friendly and welcoming

Wonderful staff, kind friendly atmosphere and child friendly. Food is always first class.

At least they were open. Few options in Dunoon on a Sunday evening. Ordered two small Quattro Stagione pizzas from a smiling helpful waiter. They delivered two large, (family size?), pizzas. The pizzas were only partially cut and the table knives could not handle the job. After tearing away for a while we were disappointed to find that they had very little seasoning. Although we were only charged for the small size, the sight of the twisted, congealing pizza meant that we managed only a couple of slices. At least they were open.

Delicious food and friendly staff. Decor, as expected, is Americana. This and the unobtrusive music lends to a great atmosphere.

Food was good and reasonably priced, we were £56 for 1 starter 3 mains, 3 drinks and 2 shakes. Food was tasty and portions were large, we didn't eat dinner after having lunch here, booths were spacious and the service was good. Only reason I dropped a star is that it is not dog friendly.

We were staying in the area and booked a table for 4, very friendly staff and quick service, food was proper comfort food, very generous portions and tasty! Lovely little restaurant with lots of interesting memorabilia.

Fantastic decoration, lovely staff and food.

I’ve been to Dunoon several times with my fiancé but today was our first visit to this cozy rustic American style restaurant. We popped in for some lunch and ordered a beer, a Strawberry Daiquiri, Chicken Nachos, a Pepperoni and Mozzerella Panini and a side of fries and it did not disappoint! In particular the two young waitresses were lovely, attentive and super friendly. We were seated quickly and drinks and food were served really fast. The food was fantastic and the atmosphere was great for a busy Saturday afternoon. Couldn’t fault it! Highly recommend and compliments to the staff.

An American-themed eatery with plenty of decor to look at, great service and American-style food (a good selection of vegetarian dishes; the predominant style is: large portions, deep fried / salt/sugar heavy / covered in cheese, so it is suitable for a very occasional treat). We enjoyed it a lot even though we were not able to finish our dinner in one go.

We were in for a meal as a group of 8 three nights ago. What’s funny is you can actually see us all sitting in the last photo uploaded having a good time. We came in before attending a concert at the Queens Hall and what a great meal we all had. We had a few starters to share (some of the new choices on the menu) which were all very tasty. We loved the new Mac and cheese bites! Although it was busy we didn’t have to wait any length of time for our mains. We all enjoyed what we ordered. The service is always great. Staff are very friendly and all had smiles on their faces. Overall, a welcoming atmosphere.

Had a great meal at the 51st State last night, food was brilliant. Tried the new Mac n cheese bites which were delicious, service was top class thanks to Rhonan and team.

Amazing service and food is outstanding. Definitely worth a visit to this restaurant

Brilliant food! Great atmosphere, and all staff are so friendly! One of our favourite places to go for food!

A pseudo American diner in an unremarkable Glaswegian seaside suburb serving the worst pizza and pasta on the planet. It’s still worth a visit, though. If only to witness cultures colliding. FYI, the table staff are great.

Friendly staff, good honest food

A quirky diner with good food and service. We like to visit here every time we are in Dunoon.

Salt n chilli chips are amazing

Very good service. Very pleasant and kind waitresses Generous quantity. Good address!

Lots of food for your money, generous portions of various americana style finger food and meals

Usually a brilliant atmosphere but on Saturday night there was a table of about 20 guys and they were so rowdy it did spoil it a bit. Thankfully they were at the end of their meals as we arrived. Then the usual brilliant atmosphere was restored when they left ❤

Phenomenal food great service and such a cool place.

First time visiting will defo be back food and service were great

Fantastic place. Nicely spaced out and service is excellent. Food is superb and quick. Everything is piping hot and fresh. Prices are really reasonable as well.

Had the pleasure of having the peanut and chocolate brownie for desert! Absolute sh÷× hot! Fantastic restraunt, staff exceptional and very good value for money

Food was delicious & well presented! Service extremely good & staff very friendly, would highly recommend

Lovely staff, our first time bringing our 8mo baby to a resturaunt and very welcoming and brought us everything we needed. Food was great, we all enjoyed it.

Tucked away in a cozy nook, this small American restaurant instantly charms with its warm, welcoming atmosphere. The interior, though compact, is inviting, setting the stage for a memorable dining experience. The menu, focused on American classics, impresses with its quality and creativity, turning simple dishes into culinary delights. Service here is outstanding, with staff going out of their way to make guests feel at home. This restaurant stands out not just for its food, but for the sense of community it fosters, making every visit a pleasure. A hidden gem, it's a must-visit for a cozy, delicious meal.

Lovely lunch, couldn't finish it so they gave us it away in a tub, just like the US. Defo be back

Great friendly service. I had a burger which was incredible and OH had pizza which was also amazing. Will definitely be back next time we are visiting.

We ordered a takeaway for seven people last night and both the service and food were absolutely top notch. We ordered six pizzas and a chicken wrap along with a number of sides and not only was everything available exactly at the time we asked for (on a busy Saturday), but it was delicious and good value for money. Would definitely recommend for anyone visiting Dunoon and looking for tasty food to satisfy a group.

51st State so friendly. Great with the kids. Steak delicious. Will return ASAP. Above review was left previously - this time we were downstairs in La Cantina who hosted a wonderful pizza and milkshake lunch for my daughter's 10th birthday. We couldn't have asked for a better experience; we were warmly welcomed, so well looked after and the food was delicious as always. Hugely grateful to all - Management, Service and Kitchen - for such a fab afternoon and happy memories.

Nice little restaurant with great hardworking staff. Pizzas are great, fajitas were ok as chicken slightly dry. Not the cheapest but on the whole food is nice.

It's an okay place to go when in Dunoon , not that it has much competition. Food was under seasoned and a bit bland.

Great friendly staff and very prompt. The food was lovely , I had the chicken burrito and the serving size was generous. The menu had a good variety of options too, overall 100% worth the reasonable price.

Yesterday whilst in Dunoon for a visit we decided to have our meal in this restaurant as there was not a lot open. Staff were attentive and service was good. My wife opted for the BBQ Chicken with Bacon and I chose the Scampi. Both came well presented, warm and tasty! They have a good range of options, drinks and cocktails. Worth a visit if you are in the area!

Absolutely fantastic meal here. Visiting the area and we decided on trying here due to the excellent reviews. Totally lived up to the reviews we read. Loved the atmosphere and American theme, food was excellent, service was top notch and the owners son was really friendly, we loved chatting to him after our meal and hearing the history of the place. If we come back to the area we wouldn't hesitate on coming back here, well done all!!

Amazing food made more amazing by outstanding service by Alison! Girl deserves a raise for sure. Goes above and beyond without even being prompted. After being in hospitality for 18 years and regarding myself as the best waitress/manager ever, Alison is absolutely a close second. She cares about and absolutely loves her job an it shows in every single aspect. An absolute credit to her manager and owner.

Very impressed with our first time eating in La Cantina. Waitress with a smile, tasty food, and an excellent band to dance to after our meal. Perfect Saturday night. 😀

It was ok, bit grubby and basic. Maybe too much variety between American, Italian and other cuisines ?

So a very mixed experience. The first day I had scampi and chips. It was great and I'd go 5 stars. A few days later I went for a PLAIN cheeseburger and it was a disaster. I expected the burger to be plain but it had been made with herbs and onion and garlic powder so it definitely wasn't plain. Don't advertise something and then serve something else. I was really disappointed that day.

I absolutely loved this place. I visited eith my other half and my little girl and we all enjoyed it. The staff were great with my girl who is almost 2 and the food was top notch! 👌 we will be back next time we visit Dunoon!

Food was ok. Service was friendly. Chicken burger wasn't a proper southern fried chicken burger as advertised but was edible. Bacon and mushroom pasta was ok also but very heavy on the garlic. Edible food at a sensible price but nothing special.

Nothing to complain about...all good

If you’re looking for a decent American style pizza crust you’ll find it at 51st State. We were ecstatic to discover the crust they make by hand is chewy, crispy, light and flavourful. Also have had the Mac and Cheese which is huge and very tasty. The onion rings are battered not breaded but they use real sliced onions. Next time I’ll be ordering a strawberry milkshake to see if its as thick as American shakes. Will definitely be getting our pizza fix from 51st State from now on.

Absolutely fab meal, fantastic staff and value for money in a lovely atmosphere.

Lovely food, managed to squeeze our booking in despite a busy restaurant. Will be back, impressed with the menu selection. Servers were friendly and attentive. Thank you for welcoming us

Food was amazing. My son gave the rating of 10.1/10 and I cannot disagree. Great service from the staff too 🙌

We had a lovely meal here at 51st State on a Friday night. We would recommend booking your table as it gets quite busy especially at weekends. I had the Chicken wrap with sweet chilli sauce chips and salad which was good. My partner had the smothered chicken and chips which was very good indeed. We had a few drinks and also the sticky toffee pudding for dessert and this was equally as good as the other food we had. We have been here quite a few times and would most definitely come back in the future.

Food was not bad, not great. My burrito was covered in loads of cheese which was a bit odd and not that nice. The starter of squat lobster was nice. Good kids menu and friendly service.

Came here for my birthday dinner with three friends, menu has everything on it, from burgers and pasta to tex mex, we decided to have starters which arrived in no time, they were great sized portions very well presented and delicious!!, our mains arrived not long after we had finished eating our starters and I think we all had a OMG I’ll never eat all that moment, the portion size of the mains were huge, the food was piping hot and delicious, we all tucked in but all thinking maybe a starter wasn’t such a good idea, needless to say we were unable to finish our mains, as much as we wanted too we were full, The staff are lovely, friendly and chatted away and nothing was a bother. For 4 of us incl 2 glasses of wine and 2 soft drinks the bill came to just under £90, well impressed. I definitely recommend you come here for dinner when your visiting Dunoon you will not be disappointed, the only difficult bit is choosing a main course and whether you want a starter or dessert. I would recommend the steak burrito, or the Cajun chicken, or the Mac N cheese or the chilli burger, all very delicious and very filling.

Staff are friendly food is good, great atmosphere for a casual munch or formal dining.

Lovely setting, atmosphere and the food was great

Great food and service. Food is cooked to order and is absolutely delicious. Staff can't do enough to help and made us feel very welcome. We would willingly go back next time we're in Dunoon.

Great food and service as always, it's our family 'go to' place most times we fancy eating out.

Great staff, great food, good value

We had an excellent meal - cooked to perfection! Thank you

Always fantastic food, friendly staff and excellent service. The staff are fantastic, I can't praise them enough. Our favourite place to dine out in Dunoon.

Michelle was the best. Food was excellent. Priced well.

We fell across this gem on our travels and were far from disappointed!! Delicious food, MASSIVE portions and very reasonably priced, so much so that I'd say you get twice the food for your money. Lovely, friendly staff too.

Went here with 20 work mates for our Christmas dinner.. Food was superb & the service was excellent. Very relaxed atmosphere & a great night was had by all.

I visited here with about fifteen of my colleagues from Oxfam for our Christmas lunch and it was fantastic. The food was hearty, well-cooked, and certainly delicious. The service was cheerful and kind, and I thought the atmosphere was calm and very inviting. No one in our party was complaining and we've been talking non-stop about it since. I sincerely recommend it.

Hubby and I ate here on Friday night, prior to his running in the Ultra the next day. We both ordered the special of Caledonian chicken. This was chicken breast with haggis and a creamy mushroom sauce. Chips and salad came too. We both had huge portions. Chicken was very tasty and the sauce wasn’t heavy at all. Lots of lovely mushrooms. French fries were tasty and the salad had a delicious crunchy topping. I could have eaten the salad all night. Will definitely return to la cantina. Lovely food, good value and super service from our servers.

We as party of (10) booked at short notice to eat at this restaurant in the early evening and everybody enjoyed the freshly prepared food and.the ambience and staff are worth a mention also. I would recommend this restaurant to my family and friends.

First time in La Cantina, outstanding service, food was amazing, Tommy and his staff were amazing. I would visit Dunoon just to go to La Cantina. First Class

Very friendly and attentive staff. Lovely food. Plentiful and great quality. Nice relaxed atmosphere in the restaurant. Definitely recommend to anyone visiting Dunoon.

Visited here during the Cowal Gathering weekend and was really pleasantly surprised. Firstly, we hadn’t booked and this is probably one of the busiest weekends of the year. Nevertheless, they made space for us, and told us up front it was really busy so they may be slower than normal.

My partner and I visited la cantina for dinner last night, food was fantastic, the lamb meatballs were the best I have ever had. The house wine was lovely and the service was great. Highly recommended will definetly be back for another visit when are back in Dunoon