Canela is a fantastic go-to in the Castro. The service and ambiance are great. The food is consistently good and there is a great wine list. It's great for a friends night out.
Edoardo Piccinin
great place close to Dolores park to chill and have some nice spanish food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
JustinP
Canela Bistro & Wine Bar is an Excellent spot. Welcoming & lively vibe, friendly & attentive service (Thank You Trinity), awesome wine list, and a delicious menu. Our favorite bite is their Roasted Bone Marrow. I highly recommend Canela Bistro & Wine Bar.
Jbell
The service was impeccable, and the drinks were fantastic. It's a must to pre-reserve a paella. We ordered the seafood paella with six types of tapas: garlic shrimp, octopus, patatas bravas, boquerones, olives, and shishito peppers. Everything was absolutely delicious!!! This is the best Spanish restaurant in San Francisco.
Clif K.
What a great experience. Great good and fantastic atmosphere. One thing that really stood out too was our waitress, Jessica. Absolute subject matter expert with a smile. We will be back on a regular basis. Super fun place.
RuthA
What a wonderful experience we had at Canela last night. Even though it was very crowded, we had superb service. The food was fabulous, especially the octopus and the shishito peppers. Would have liked a bit more salt on the lamb chops and Parada's braves, but that may just be me. The others at my table were okay with the salt levels. I will definitely be back to try one of the tasting menus. Oh, and the wine list is extensive and our server was very helpful in deciding what to order.
Conib
Wonderful staff all around. Outstanding menu, super ambiance, and the best customer service. A bit on the pricey side but well worth it. It was a memorable birthday celebration and we intend to return for another celebration. I'm surprised that my husband and I did not find our neighborhood gem sooner. Now I know exactly where to take our out-of-town visitors. I loved Canela! What a great experience!
We have eaten at Canela multiple times and this week we had the absolutely worst experience. The food was terrible. The jamon has a nasty porky taste. That is not what proper jamon tastes like. The lamb chops were fried in a flat top stove in disgusting butter. Those should be grilled. Shrimp was disappointing as well. I also believe we were overcharged. We had out of town guests with us and didn't want to make a scene, but definitely not coming back. Such a bummer that this once lovely restaurant chose to lower their standards.
Jenny Vereschagin
This is a nice, intimate neighborhood tapas restaurant with excellent quality food. The portions are generous. When they say 2-3 plates per person, they mean it. We have robust appetites so we ordered 7 plates for 2 people (we left with a takeaway box). I tried a vermouth and it was very similar to the flavor I enjoyed in Spain. My husband had a Spanish red wine (Tempranillo) and enjoyed it, I also tried a Spanish white wine (Albariño) which was lovely. The dishes we ordered were the boquerones (light and delicate with olive oil and orange segments), the scallops (my husband’s favorite, he devoured them all), the patas bravas (smoky and flavorful but could have been more crispy), the empanada( deeply flavorful, wow!), the chorizo flatbread (we took this home, it would have been better if it was fresh), the gambas ajillo ( my favorite dish, yum!) and the star (according to my husband) was the meat croquets. (They were delicious). The staff were phenomenal. They were friendly and focused on providing us with a wonderful dining experience. When we arrived the restaurant was empty but by the time we left it was hopping. Truly a neighborhood gem. We will be back.
Love the food and service here so much. Don’t forget to try the deserts- I’ve had most if not all and they are as phenomenal as the food (not always the case these days)! Also if you lean vegetarian there are loads of amazing options.Kid-friendliness: It’s mostly adults but we’ve brought our kids and they were great with them. I’d stay in the earlier side because it can get busy later on.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
LU NA
Food was ok but service was
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
MarinerS
Lovely restaurant! The ambience is amazing. Every dish we got was beautifully presented, delicious and unusual. I don't know why it was not more packed but pleasantly quiet. Great place for a great meal. A nice occasion or just a yummy dinner.
Mark E. S.
Always spectacular and special! Make sure also to try the Transcendent Pride cocktail!
Awesome food and really special little place tucked into the market street Castro corridor! The dates and croquetas were delish!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Patatas Bravas, Lamb Skewers, Bacon Wrapped Dates
Canela is a fantastic go-to in the Castro. The service and ambiance are great. The food is consistently good and there is a great wine list. It's great for a friends night out.
great place close to Dolores park to chill and have some nice spanish food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Canela Bistro & Wine Bar is an Excellent spot. Welcoming & lively vibe, friendly & attentive service (Thank You Trinity), awesome wine list, and a delicious menu. Our favorite bite is their Roasted Bone Marrow. I highly recommend Canela Bistro & Wine Bar.
The service was impeccable, and the drinks were fantastic. It's a must to pre-reserve a paella. We ordered the seafood paella with six types of tapas: garlic shrimp, octopus, patatas bravas, boquerones, olives, and shishito peppers. Everything was absolutely delicious!!! This is the best Spanish restaurant in San Francisco.
What a great experience. Great good and fantastic atmosphere. One thing that really stood out too was our waitress, Jessica. Absolute subject matter expert with a smile. We will be back on a regular basis. Super fun place.
What a wonderful experience we had at Canela last night. Even though it was very crowded, we had superb service. The food was fabulous, especially the octopus and the shishito peppers. Would have liked a bit more salt on the lamb chops and Parada's braves, but that may just be me. The others at my table were okay with the salt levels. I will definitely be back to try one of the tasting menus. Oh, and the wine list is extensive and our server was very helpful in deciding what to order.
Wonderful staff all around. Outstanding menu, super ambiance, and the best customer service. A bit on the pricey side but well worth it. It was a memorable birthday celebration and we intend to return for another celebration. I'm surprised that my husband and I did not find our neighborhood gem sooner. Now I know exactly where to take our out-of-town visitors. I loved Canela! What a great experience!
We have eaten at Canela multiple times and this week we had the absolutely worst experience. The food was terrible. The jamon has a nasty porky taste. That is not what proper jamon tastes like. The lamb chops were fried in a flat top stove in disgusting butter. Those should be grilled. Shrimp was disappointing as well. I also believe we were overcharged. We had out of town guests with us and didn't want to make a scene, but definitely not coming back. Such a bummer that this once lovely restaurant chose to lower their standards.
This is a nice, intimate neighborhood tapas restaurant with excellent quality food. The portions are generous. When they say 2-3 plates per person, they mean it. We have robust appetites so we ordered 7 plates for 2 people (we left with a takeaway box). I tried a vermouth and it was very similar to the flavor I enjoyed in Spain. My husband had a Spanish red wine (Tempranillo) and enjoyed it, I also tried a Spanish white wine (Albariño) which was lovely. The dishes we ordered were the boquerones (light and delicate with olive oil and orange segments), the scallops (my husband’s favorite, he devoured them all), the patas bravas (smoky and flavorful but could have been more crispy), the empanada( deeply flavorful, wow!), the chorizo flatbread (we took this home, it would have been better if it was fresh), the gambas ajillo ( my favorite dish, yum!) and the star (according to my husband) was the meat croquets. (They were delicious). The staff were phenomenal. They were friendly and focused on providing us with a wonderful dining experience. When we arrived the restaurant was empty but by the time we left it was hopping. Truly a neighborhood gem. We will be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Croquettes, Gambas Al Ajillo
Restaurantji Recommends
Love the food and service here so much. Don’t forget to try the deserts- I’ve had most if not all and they are as phenomenal as the food (not always the case these days)! Also if you lean vegetarian there are loads of amazing options.Kid-friendliness: It’s mostly adults but we’ve brought our kids and they were great with them. I’d stay in the earlier side because it can get busy later on.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food was ok but service was
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Lovely restaurant! The ambience is amazing. Every dish we got was beautifully presented, delicious and unusual. I don't know why it was not more packed but pleasantly quiet. Great place for a great meal. A nice occasion or just a yummy dinner.
Always spectacular and special! Make sure also to try the Transcendent Pride cocktail!
Great tapas and sangria. Loved it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bacon Wrapped Dates