Restaurant in Stockport, United Kingdom
Serious wine list, daily menu, low fuss.
Cantaloupe is a small wine bar and restaurant on Great Underbank with a daily-changing Mediterranean menu that leans Italian — crudo, pasta, whole fish — and a wine list that punches above its neighbourhood setting. Booking is easy and the room is informal. Go for the drinks as much as the food, and arrive open to whatever the kitchen is running that day.
If you're comparing Cantaloupe to Stockport's broader restaurant options, the question isn't whether it's the most ambitious room in the area — it isn't — but whether its combination of a daily-changing Mediterranean menu, a focused wine list, and unpretentious service justifies a booking. The answer is yes, particularly for a relaxed dinner where you want cooking that prioritises flavour over theatre. First-timers should know this is a small, easy-going bistro on Great Underbank, not a destination tasting menu room. Arrive expecting honest skill, not spectacle.
Cantaloupe operates as a wine bar and restaurant in one of Stockport's more interesting independent pockets, where a handful of independent outlets have brought life to a streetscape otherwise defined by post-war retail architecture. The room has a clean, uncluttered feel , the fitout is functional rather than designed , and the atmosphere is friendly rather than formal.
The menu changes daily, which matters: if you're visiting for the first time, go in expecting Mediterranean-leaning dishes without a fixed roster of signature plates. Based on verified editorial sourcing, the kitchen's strengths lie in Italian-influenced preparations , dishes like brill crudo with orange and wild oregano, rabbit with white asparagus and morels, and lamb with bagna cauda have featured. Peri peri octopus and duck fat crisps have also appeared. These are not complex constructions. The kitchen's argument is about ingredient quality and restraint, letting natural flavours do the work. When it lands, it lands well. The rabbit with morels drew specific praise from editorial reviewers. The lamb with bagna cauda drew a note that the sauce could be more generous , useful to know if you're weighing up main course options.
For a first-timer, the safest navigation is to follow the pasta dish (consistently present) and trust the fish options when whole fish is on. The vegetarian option is single rather than multiple, so if plant-based eating is a priority for your group, call ahead before booking.
The wine list is a genuine reason to visit Cantaloupe rather than just a supporting feature. It skews toward quality-focused established growers , not a list built around recognisable brand names , and the digestif selection is, by editorial account, extensive enough to warrant leaving time for it. For Stockport, this is a stronger-than-average drinks offering at a neighbourhood price point. If wine is your primary motivation, Cantaloupe competes well against most options in the area. Check out our full Stockport bars guide if you're building an evening around drinks before or after dinner.
Cantaloupe is at 71 Great Underbank, Stockport SK1 1PE. The menu changes daily, so there is no fixed dish list to preview in advance. The room is small , expect a compact, neighbourhood scale rather than a large dining room. Booking difficulty is low; this is not a venue where a three-week advance window is required, though calling ahead is sensible for weekend evenings. No phone number or website is listed in current data, so approach via walk-in or check for updated booking channels directly. Dress code is relaxed , this is a bistro, not a formal dining room. The area around Great Underbank has other independent operators nearby, so it works well as part of a broader evening in that part of Stockport.
For broader context on eating and drinking in the area, see our full Stockport restaurants guide, Stockport hotels guide, and Stockport experiences guide. If you're interested in other well-regarded independent restaurants nearby, Where The Light Gets In and Bombay to Mumbai are both worth considering for a different style of evening.
For reference, if Cantaloupe's neighbourhood format appeals but you're open to driving further afield for a step up in ambition, Moor Hall in Aughton and L'Enclume in Cartmel represent the north of England's leading end of the quality spectrum , a different category entirely, but worth knowing if you're planning a special occasion trip rather than a neighbourhood dinner.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cantaloupe | There’s a fresh, clean feel to both the décor and the cooking at this welcoming little wine bar and restaurant. The concise but appealing wine list will appeal to traditional oenophiles, with quality established growers to the fore. The menu has a Mediterranean leaning, so whilst it changes daily, it will likely include a pasta dish and possibly some whole fish. This is cooking that relies on simplicity and skill, with immense care poured into dishes like peri peri octopus and duck fat crisps, so that the natural flavours shine.; The word cantaloupe conjures up sunshine flavours, southern sensuality and Latin American vibes – not a side street in a northern industrial town working hard to revitalise itself. Still, you’ve got to give the owners marks for wishful thinking. The cheerful explanation is that the two chef-patrons simply like the fruit – which is fair enough. Located in a Dickensian-style area where a clutch of independent outlets have brought a vibrant air to the surrounding '60s-era car parks and malls, this small, easy-going bistro is a much-welcome addition to the local scene. Inside, the welcome is friendly and compensates for the somewhat utilitarian furnishings. Cantaloupe prioritises its budget where it really counts – on the food, cooking and service, plus a focus on doing simple things well and not over-stretching the short, restrained and fairly priced daily menu. And it’s paid off: the place now has a clutch of loyal fans who appreciate the unpretentious atmosphere. The kitchen likes to deep-dive into lesser-known Italian dishes such as brill crudo with orange and wild oregano, home-pickled verdure sott’olio with globe artichoke and scoops of creamy stracciatella, or thickly carved lamb with bagna cauda – although the latter came as a meagre puddle of anchovy-tinged sauce. More successful was delicate rabbit with plump white asparagus, morels and a judicious scattering of fresh tarragon. Of the three main courses, the one vegetarian choice on our visit was zucca (Italian squash) with Gorgonzola, fig mostarda and radicchio. A salad of whole, mixed leaves and mustard vinaigrette added a refreshing and crisp sparkle to the meaty mains. The line-up of desserts is limited, although our gently soothing Marsala, cherry and meringue semifreddo hit the spot. Along with the intriguing wine list, leave time to check out the remarkable choice of digestifs. | Easy | — | ||
| CORE by Clare Smyth | Modern British | ££££ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Restaurant Gordon Ramsay | Contemporary European, French | ££££ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Sketch, The Lecture Room and Library | Modern French | ££££ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| The Ledbury | Modern European, Modern Cuisine | ££££ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Dinner by Heston Blumenthal | Modern British, Traditional British | ££££ | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
Comparing your options in Stockport for this tier.
Book at least a week in advance — the room is small and Cantaloupe has built a loyal local following, which means it fills. The menu changes daily, so there is no benefit to booking further out in hopes of securing a specific dish. If you are planning around a particular night, earlier is safer.
The daily-changing menu includes at least one vegetarian option — a zucca with Gorgonzola, fig mostarda and radicchio has appeared — and the Mediterranean-leaning format means plant-based dishes are a regular feature. The menu is short and restrained, so anyone with specific allergies should contact the kitchen directly before booking rather than assuming flexibility on the night.
Cantaloupe operates as a combined wine bar and restaurant, so the bar area is a genuine part of the experience rather than a waiting zone. The wine list is a strong reason to sit at the bar — it skews toward quality established growers and includes a notable selection of digestifs worth exploring after the meal.
Cantaloupe occupies a specific niche in Stockport: a small, independently run room with a serious wine list and daily-changing cooking. If you want a broader menu with more consistency, larger Stockport restaurants in the town centre offer that trade-off. For comparable independent quality with a focus on wine and simple, skilled cooking, Cantaloupe has few direct rivals in the SK1 area.
Yes, with the right expectations. Cantaloupe is not a grand or formal room — the furnishings are utilitarian and the menu is short — but the cooking is careful, the wine list is genuinely interesting, and the service is warm. For a birthday dinner or anniversary where the food and drink matter more than the setting, it works well. For a celebration that calls for a showpiece room, it is the wrong fit.
The menu changes daily and skews toward lesser-known Italian and Mediterranean dishes — expect things like crudo, bagna cauda, or whole fish rather than crowd-pleasing standards. The room is small and easy-going, located at 71 Great Underbank in Stockport's independent dining pocket. Budget for digestifs: the selection is notably broad and worth time at the end of the meal.
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