La Canela

I came here for restaurant week for the $75 dinner, and it was absolutely amazing. The restaurant is beautiful inside, and much bigger than expected. I believe this meal came with 5-6 tapas and 3 entrees to be shared. It was a great deal, as it was a huge portion of food to be shared. Favourites include the bacon wrapped dates, Bavette steak, champinones, bone marrow, and the churros are so soft and fluffy absolutely 10/10. I would definitely return to Canela to try their tapas tasting menu. Wonderful experience and I will be back!

I have walked by this place so many times for years and never realized what an absolute gem it is until now. We just stumbled in, drawn by the promise of paella, and ended up with an unexpectedly fantastic meal. Let's start with the restaurant: modern, tasteful decor with an attractive bar, outdoor seating, and a neat raised area in the rear, any of which would be a great setting for a romantic date or a special celebration. The service was stellar, with a very warm, friendly server who was knowledgeable about the food and drinks and appeared promptly just whenever he was needed and was overall someone genuinely enjoyable to interact with. Finally, there's the menu. The wine list is extensive and well curated--it's wine bar after all--but Canela also offers excellent non-liquor based cocktails and beer. The food, the star of this already excellent show, was uniformly outstanding. The paella is a special order that you either can get only on Sunday, or you place your order ahead of time with your reservation. We were lucky that the chef accommodated our order on a random weeknight without a reservation, and it was so worth the 45-minute wait (for two), handily beating every other place in the city where I have had paella. The tapas were also fantastic, with a take on patatas bravas that was pitch perfect with crunchy deliciousness, and a clam chorizo/sofrito dish that offered rich, subtle flavors, that were a joy to eat. The chef came out to chat with us at the end of the meal, and we were glad for the chance to thank him for his graciousness and knocking every dish out of the park. Overall a wonderful experience that I will be happy to repeat and heartily recommend! UPDATE: Patatas bravas are no longer made at optimal crunch levels, but the beautifully braised beef cheeks with crispy kale, lamb and fig flatbread, and especially the ricj gambas al ajillo easily made up for that minor change.

John Patrick

What am amazing tapas restaurant! The menu offers everything for everybody. The gazpacho soup is amazing! They do a twist and make it with Pear instead of tomato. The chicken skewers were so good. I wish we ordered more food just to be able to try more items. The wines were also amazing. Looking forward to going back.

Colton Davis

If you're looking for an incredible happy hour experience, look no further than Canela Bistro & Wine Bar! My bestie and I indulged in their happy hour menu for two (such a smart idea, btw!), and every bite was absolute perfection. The patatas bravas were crispy and flavorful, the tortilla española was perfectly cooked and comforting, the croquetas de jamón were rich and creamy, and the manchego y chorizo pairing was a dream. And don’t even get me started on the sangria—both the rojo and blanco were refreshing, well-balanced, and dangerously delicious! The ambiance was warm and inviting, making it the perfect spot to catch up and unwind. The service was exceptional, with friendly and attentive staff who made us feel right at home. Whether you're a tapas enthusiast or just looking for a fantastic happy hour in the city, Canela is a must-visit. I’ll definitely be back!

Dyanna Volek

This place is FABULOUS! The food is so delicious and is the standout. Ive been to a few tapas bars in the city, and this is definitely one of the best. We ordered the bacon wrapped dates, bone marrow, paella, flat bread, and scallops. Everything was mouth watering. I dream about those dates and scallops. I would even forego the paella just to have all the small plates. They sell and stock Spanish wines and also have a little market to purchase Spanish products. The ambiance is a bit out-dated but don’t let that stop you from coming in. The service is friendly and so attentive. I hope they stay around for a long time!

David

Canela Bistro & Wine Bar a collection of Spain’s best dishes in the ever so vibrant Castro Street. You probably have to come back because we ordered so many dishes yet we didn’t try everything I wanted to try. I had my eyes set on the Pulpo and it was arguably the best octopus I’ve ever had. The sangria is made beautifully. There was this warm undertone that made the atmosphere very romantic. AMAZING place for a date to explore Spains’ very best cuisine. Cheers!

Andrew Tam

Canela bistro brings Barcelona to your doorstep! Authentic flavors, cozy atmosphere, and exceptional service. All the tapas we tried were delicious and reminded us of our trip in Barcelona. A must try, will def be back. 🤤🤤

Michael Wu PhD

This now our favorite Spanish tapas/wine bar. We went there for my wife's birthday. We didn't have reservation, but the super friendly waitstaff went above and beyond to try to seat us, and ended up giving us a very memorable birthday dinner. The tapas was no doubt top notch, paella was so deliciously savory leaving us wanting more, and the wine is excellent too. The ambient is classy but comfortable with very good vibe. We are definitely going back again. And we highly recommend that you give them a try as well.

Matty Easton

Canela Bistro is a sophisticated gem tucked just a short walk away from the bustling Castro nightlife. It’s the perfect spot for a group dinner; they had no problem accommodating our group of 7. The staff were friendly and attentive & the atmosphere incredibly romantic and upscale. Of the 11 tapas we ordered, there wasn’t a single one we disliked; everything was high quality and flavorful. Standouts include the Gambas al Pimenton (spicy shrimp) and Pulpo (octopus) — in fact, our table enjoyed the Pulpo so much that we ordered a second plate! The texture of the octopus was melt-in-your-mouth tender and was plated with some thinly scalloped potatoes, adding a nice heartiness to the dish. Of course, everyone’s favorite was by far the Seared Scallops — each one was presented on a miniature crostini with saffron aioli and a tangy piparra pepper. The only downside was the $8.50 price tag for each individual scallop, but they were so memorable that we all felt the cost was more than worth it. Each tapas has the option for a small or large plate (the large sizes are exactly double the price). Most of the small plates still had enough for everyone in our group to try a bite, so I would recommend only ordering the large size for the real crowd pleasers (like the Patatas Bravas). We ended our meal with the tres leches strawberry bread pudding to celebrate a birthday, and they made sure to bring the cake out with a candle. Our waitress also brought a house copy of “The Encyclopedia of Birthdays” for us to read to the birthday boy, which was a really charming touch and made the evening even more special. Overall, we were extremely satisfied with the entire experience, from the service to the food to the little dispenser of mouthwash in the restrooms (you’ll need it after all the garlic! 😂). We can’t wait to be back next time we’re in the mood for Spanish cuisine.

Jenny Xu

I came here with a group of 10 and this place was great for a group dinner - the table was pre heated and the table was outside at a private event! Good: - Great tapas style place - We got a bottle of white wine as well to go with our dishes and they poured it all out really nicely for us - My favorite tapas were the pulpo, the meatballs, the bacon wrapped dates, and the empanadas Bad: - The wait times were long between some of the initial dishes, but then got quicker over time which was good! - The service was slow to come outside to help - The shishito peppers were way too spicy! Overall, what a fun place to take a big group, and festive!

Amanda Root

My aunt and I had a very lovely meal at Canela. Our table was seated outside, safely distanced from other guests. The staff that waited on us were upbeat, knowledgeable, and you could tell they were genuinely happy to be working despite everything going against the restaurant industry right now. We dined off their menu which was 4 items for $50. I believe that to be an awesome deal! The food was spaced out well, arrived piping hot and presented just beautifully. I would 10/10 recommend spending an evening out at Canela, especially if you haven’t dined out yet during COVID. This was a fantastic experience!

Ilona A

Service was incredible, we got extra champagne to celebrate our reunion! Our server Matthew was kind and attentive, gave us great recommendations of many tapas to share, and deserts were fire!

Jess M

I came here for restaurant week for the $75 dinner, and it was absolutely amazing. The restaurant is beautiful inside, and much bigger than expected. I believe this meal came with 5-6 tapas and 3 entrees to be shared. It was a great deal, as it was a huge portion of food to be shared. Favourites include the bacon wrapped dates, Bavette steak, champinones, bone marrow, and the churros are so soft and fluffy absolutely 10/10. I would definitely return to Canela to try their tapas tasting menu. Wonderful experience and I will be back!

Christine Mamuad

I have walked by this place so many times for years and never realized what an absolute gem it is until now. We just stumbled in, drawn by the promise of paella, and ended up with an unexpectedly fantastic meal. Let's start with the restaurant: modern, tasteful decor with an attractive bar, outdoor seating, and a neat raised area in the rear, any of which would be a great setting for a romantic date or a special celebration. The service was stellar, with a very warm, friendly server who was knowledgeable about the food and drinks and appeared promptly just whenever he was needed and was overall someone genuinely enjoyable to interact with. Finally, there's the menu. The wine list is extensive and well curated--it's wine bar after all--but Canela also offers excellent non-liquor based cocktails and beer. The food, the star of this already excellent show, was uniformly outstanding. The paella is a special order that you either can get only on Sunday, or you place your order ahead of time with your reservation. We were lucky that the chef accommodated our order on a random weeknight without a reservation, and it was so worth the 45-minute wait (for two), handily beating every other place in the city where I have had paella. The tapas were also fantastic, with a take on patatas bravas that was pitch perfect with crunchy deliciousness, and a clam chorizo/sofrito dish that offered rich, subtle flavors, that were a joy to eat. The chef came out to chat with us at the end of the meal, and we were glad for the chance to thank him for his graciousness and knocking every dish out of the park. Overall a wonderful experience that I will be happy to repeat and heartily recommend! UPDATE: Patatas bravas are no longer made at optimal crunch levels, but the beautifully braised beef cheeks with crispy kale, lamb and fig flatbread, and especially the ricj gambas al ajillo easily made up for that minor change.

Eric Tu

The food is absolutely delicious and the owner made me feel right at home. He paced the courses perfectly. The croquettes and chocolate olive oil cake are to die for!

Nice cocktails and amazing paella (everything is delicious!) We were a large group so the wait was a bit long for the drinks, but over all a very good experience, I’ll be happy to come back!

Canela hosted a party of 12 for us, and everything was great. It was 8pm on a Friday and the place seemed full but our server Jess never left us feeling ignored or wanting. She had a good gauge of how much food we should order and I think we only left with one tiny box of shrimp to take home. We had both kinds of shrimp, fried chicken skewers, artichokes (super good), boquerones, some super good cheeses, a chorizo flatbread and I think a veggie one too, Spanish olives and spicy peppers, pork rinds, bacon wrapped dates, maetake mushroom skewers (great flavor on these), Spanish tortilla, pulpo (also really good), duck meatballs (a table favorite) and croquetas. The market salad was refreshing to mix in with the tapas, bit of a palate cleanser. The cocktails paired good with the food. Nice citrus flavors to balance things out. They had some custom mixes going on or something. Dessert was churros which were super fluffy and had a really good chocolate sauce to dip them in. Good stuff. It was all really good. Our table just had a really good time, and having food like this where people are sharing really lent to the conversations and catching up we were doing. Chef Mat came out to say hi and check on us, which was appreciated since we were such a big order. Good job, looking forward to another group meal here.

This was amazing and we are so glad! We didnt book the paella, just tapas, but wow, everything was scrumptious, came out steadily, and was filling for 2 people who didnt quite eat lunch! The pork skewers were SO tender, artichoke flowers were delish. The ganache dessert was the best I've had in a while!!! So perfectly crispy crunch mouth feels! Hot take: authentic Spanish style tapas was a way better experience then any recent California inspired a la carte thing I've had recently....and cost less and service was better!

Our first time and we had a most spectacular time at Canela! The service was spectacular. Matthew was super accommodating as we were very late to our reservation (street closures and power outage) and we had a show following our meal. Not only did he guide us through the just right amount of food but also sped up serving it to us so we could leave on time. All around a wonderful experience. We can't wait to return!

Very yummy Spanish cuisine. We had a large party of 18 and ate fa.ily style. All food items were pre-selected making super easy to sut back and enjoy the food and company.

Steve Reddell

Canela hosted a party of 12 for us, and everything was great. It was 8pm on a Friday and the place seemed full but our server Jess never left us feeling ignored or wanting. She had a good gauge of how much food we should order and I think we only left with one tiny box of shrimp to take home. We had both kinds of shrimp, fried chicken skewers, artichokes (super good), boquerones, some super good cheeses, a chorizo flatbread and I think a veggie one too, Spanish olives and spicy peppers, pork rinds, bacon wrapped dates, maetake mushroom skewers (great flavor on these), Spanish tortilla, pulpo (also really good), duck meatballs (a table favorite) and croquetas. The market salad was refreshing to mix in with the tapas, bit of a palate cleanser. The cocktails paired good with the food. Nice citrus flavors to balance things out. They had some custom mixes going on or something. Dessert was churros which were super fluffy and had a really good chocolate sauce to dip them in. Good stuff. It was all really good. Our table just had a really good time, and having food like this where people are sharing really lent to the conversations and catching up we were doing. Chef Mat came out to say hi and check on us, which was appreciated since we were such a big order. Good job, looking forward to another group meal here.

Magocchi O

This was amazing and we are so glad! We didnt book the paella, just tapas, but wow, everything was scrumptious, came out steadily, and was filling for 2 people who didnt quite eat lunch! The pork skewers were SO tender, artichoke flowers were delish. The ganache dessert was the best I've had in a while!!! So perfectly crispy crunch mouth feels! Hot take: authentic Spanish style tapas was a way better experience then any recent California inspired a la carte thing I've had recently....and cost less and service was better!

Caroline Morton

Our first time and we had a most spectacular time at Canela! The service was spectacular. Matthew was super accommodating as we were very late to our reservation (street closures and power outage) and we had a show following our meal. Not only did he guide us through the just right amount of food but also sped up serving it to us so we could leave on time. All around a wonderful experience. We can't wait to return!

Jesse Blieberg

We had an outstanding dining experience at Canela. The atmosphere reminded us of an intimate tapas spot we used to love back in NYC. The staff was constantly checking on us and bringing out the food at a quick pace. The tapas, paella, gazpacho, croquettes and desert were all exceptional. Can't wait to go back. We ordered a paella to go for the next day and it was well worth it.

Visited to celebrate my mom's birthday. We made a reservation on a Sunday at 6:30pm via Opentable for their paella and tapas pre-fixe menu, which includes a paella for the table, 2 tapas, and 1 dessert per person. We opted for the mixed seafood and chorizo paella and they were able to accommodate my mom's request for no oysters in the paella. They started us off with the Spanish cheese tasting, which included 3 varieties of cheese that were nicely proportioned so each of us got to try a slice of each. For the tapas, we opted for patatas bravos, jamon croquettes, tortilla espanola, and stuffed piquilo peppers. I also ordered a sangria, which was a pretty small portion for the price. The tapas were all quite good and by the time the paella arrived we were already pretty well fed. For dessert we got the chocolate olive oil almond cake, which was a very thin layer of cake covered with tons of shaved coconut and the tres leches pumpkin bread pudding, which was unique but not a personal favorite. While I quite liked the cheese and tapas, the paella and desserts were just all right

Michelle Barnes

Visited to celebrate my mom's birthday. We made a reservation on a Sunday at 6:30pm via Opentable for their paella and tapas pre-fixe menu, which includes a paella for the table, 2 tapas, and 1 dessert per person. We opted for the mixed seafood and chorizo paella and they were able to accommodate my mom's request for no oysters in the paella. They started us off with the Spanish cheese tasting, which included 3 varieties of cheese that were nicely proportioned so each of us got to try a slice of each. For the tapas, we opted for patatas bravos, jamon croquettes, tortilla espanola, and stuffed piquilo peppers. I also ordered a sangria, which was a pretty small portion for the price. The tapas were all quite good and by the time the paella arrived we were already pretty well fed. For dessert we got the chocolate olive oil almond cake, which was a very thin layer of cake covered with tons of shaved coconut and the tres leches pumpkin bread pudding, which was unique but not a personal favorite. While I quite liked the cheese and tapas, the paella and desserts were just all right

Ruthie Thomas

It was our first time here, and it did not disappoint! We left the food choices up to our server, as we wanted to try some things outside our comfort zone and did we ever! The wine and drink recommendations were spot on and SO good. We had a few different things, of which I just forgot to snap pictures of. We did a semi tapas tasting that included the croquetas de jamón- so so good; baked cana de cabrá- good(I’m not a huge fan of ‘sweet’ cheeses so it wasn’t my favorite but still tasty); setas- flavor was amaaazing! And the lollipop lamb chops- I unfortunately got an overwhelmingly fatty cut so wasn’t able to enjoy Overall a great experience, and we’ll definitely go back

A four star experience in terms of food. The help was a little bit uneven but the service was still very good. They spoke a little bit too fast and it's a little bit too noisy to hear them describing an extremely complicated menu. The Castro district really didn't need a restaurant like this. The area is loaded with two star restaurants and nothing much better than that. This is a four star. But it's very lovely and the care and talent that goes into the food preparation shows.

This is a review for happy hour. We got the $45 happy hour set that includes two drinks and five small dishes. Happy hour is an audition - it should entice us to come back for a full meal. But when they say small, they mean SMALL. The portions we got were at least half the size of the happy hour dishes in shown in previous reviews, so maybe something has changed for the worst. Patatas bravas were tiny, despite potatoes being such a cheap ingredient, and not good. They were served in a tiny paper cone, so all the potatoes got soggy from trapped steam and the scant not-at-all spicy sauce only graced a few pieces at the top, leaving the rest dry. The two croquetas were good, but itty bitty. Like croquetas for ants. It also seemed like the kitchen used a shrink ray on the boquerones. When not part of the happy hour set, each of these small dishes would have been $7, which wouldn't be worth it. The servers were just the nicest people, though. And hopefully the regular menu is better than what the happy hour indicated.

Lauren Girardin

This is a review for happy hour. We got the $45 happy hour set that includes two drinks and five small dishes. Happy hour is an audition - it should entice us to come back for a full meal. But when they say small, they mean SMALL. The portions we got were at least half the size of the happy hour dishes in shown in previous reviews, so maybe something has changed for the worst. Patatas bravas were tiny, despite potatoes being such a cheap ingredient, and not good. They were served in a tiny paper cone, so all the potatoes got soggy from trapped steam and the scant not-at-all spicy sauce only graced a few pieces at the top, leaving the rest dry. The two croquetas were good, but itty bitty. Like croquetas for ants. It also seemed like the kitchen used a shrink ray on the boquerones. When not part of the happy hour set, each of these small dishes would have been $7, which wouldn't be worth it. The servers were just the nicest people, though. And hopefully the regular menu is better than what the happy hour indicated.