Canela Bistro & Wine Bar

My overall experience was amazing! The food was perfectly cooked and seasoned. This is my favorite Spanish restaurant or bistro in San Francisco.

I did not feel this restaurant was that good. I was disappointed
Pros:
–Ambiance, nicely decorated, and dim lighting for a more romantic feeling.
–White Sangria was delicious and good size.
Cons:
–Expensive price for mediocre tapas. $ 12.50 for a tapa? c’mon.
–My husband ordered a wine with his meal but did not get it till towards the end
–Service was sluggish and very non-​attentive.
Note: Paella served only on Sundays.

Closer to a 3.5. Tapas restaurant with a nice ambiance. Two dishes really stood out for us … The seared shrimp with paprika was absolutely delicious — perfectly cooked, with a great sauce that we dipped all of our bread in. The shredded duck, cabbage, currant, and raisin salad was really interesting as well — a unique combination of salty and sweet, crunchy and soft. Everything else was fine but not as memorable. A little on the expensive side when all said and done but a place we’d come back to the next time we’re in the mood for tapas.

Awesome tapas! Cute place for a date or group event. Has an upscale feel inside. Good wine list. Great tapas options, even for vegetarian and pescatarians. Sit back and relax and enjoy a leisurely evening. They were sort of short staffed when we went on a Saturday night so the service was a little scattered but it didn’t detract from the evening.

Review for brunch:
This place may be underrated because it was a bit empty for Sunday brunch. The décor was really nice, the mood was chill (due to the lack of a crowd) and we got great food as well as service. The prices were very reasonable for the amount of food you get.
I ordered the Huevos a la Espanola. It was a very hearty breakfast plate, with THREE eggs on top of potatoes, kale, pepper and chorizo. It also comes with a side of salad. My only complaint is that there was a lot of juice/​fat probably from the chorizo. I would’ve liked it if the dish was dryer and less oily on the bottom layer.
Everyone else was happy with their food, from the bocadillo sandwich, to the flatbread and thin omelet. I wish I could bring this restaurant home with me. Really recommend it for brunch since it’s delicious and there’s no obnoxious wait.

Pretty good tapas bar, but not the best you can find in the city in my opinion. I got the fried shishito peppers with sea salt, gambas al Ajillo (shrimp with garlic, lemon, olive oil, parsley), and churros con chocolate. The shishito peppers were not fried that well and could have used more salt in my opinion. The shrimp was cooked well, so I can say that were my favorite dish, but I was really not blown away with how things were flavored. The churros were also deep fried and ended up being too crunchy I think. The chocolate was good though. I had a bite of the bread pudding which was really good — good mix of lemon and blueberry. You wouldn’t really think of getting bread pudding at a Spanish tapas bar though. Overall, the food really didn’t stand out in my mind, and I thought it was overpriced what I was served.

I love this place. I’ve been here twice now not to be disappointed.
The food is good. I would recommend their croquetas and their pulpo. Both were the best of all 5 dishes we ordered.
Mat approached us as we were there late… he’s American but his partner is Spanish, which perfectly explains the whole concept of the restaurant. Great Spanish food with the vibe of SF.
I really enjoy tapas and this is a perfect spot in the Castro to have tapas, sangria and a great evening out.
Thanks Mat :)

Sorry folks — i was not impressed. Or, to be more precise, i was turned off by certain aspects of this place.
I guess they started by annoying me (maybe restaurants should be conscious of such things!) by continually not bringing water, even though i asked — 3 times until i finally got some. (And i tried to be patient, not pushy until the 3^rd time.)
The other aspect that was disturbing to me – and critical to my downgrading my rating of Canela — was the size of the portions. We’re not talking traditional tapas size (yes, i know that’s small plates), but really tiny! I had the trio of tapas appetizer sampler. The 3 were so tiny that if one didn’t focus all one’s attention on the single bit of a bite, i realized i lost even getting the flavor. They were that small.
I had originally thought this place was providing a great alternative by having «raciones» — full dinner size portions, supposedly — in addition to small-​plate size, for most items on the menu. Great. I ordered the tortillas with salad. What i got would have been a good size tapa, NOT a dinner size portion. The taste was fine; but after both the THREE tapas appetizer & the racion (FULL size) tortilla & bit of salad, along with some sangria, i was left to make the rest of my dinner at home, as it was just not a full meal at all. So sad.
Spanish food is traditionally hearty (& generous). I love it! Canela’s version was both very mild flavors & extremely minimal portions, even for tapas. (Oh wait, i had the racion, in addition to the tapas. Oh well, enough.)

Really cute, stylish tapas place in the Castro with some paintings and intricate décor on the walls. The lighting is pretty dim, and they have candles on all the tables — perfect for a date or an intimate group dinner!
Service was fantastic. Our waitress came by to check on us at all the right times and was quick to return our credit card after we paid. The chef even came out to greet us as we were finishing up our meal!
While I was impressed by the décor, ambience, and service, the tapas varied quite a bit in quality.
1) Flash-​fried spicy shishito peppers (4 stars) — Exactly what the name sounds like. The shishito peppers are flash-​fried with some sea salt and spicy seasoning (not sure from what) on top. Initially, it seems pretty plain, but the kick from the spiciness is pretty good.
2) Salt cod tapenade on bread (5 stars) — Delicious! One of the specials for the day. Very generous piles of tapenade on each piece of bread. The bread is slightly toasted, and the tapenade was creamy and flavorful. I do wish the salt cod was a bit saltier though.
3) Spanish peppers stuffed with lobster (3 stars) — This was definitely the most disappointing one we ordered. I expected more than 2 meager peppers. It was nice that there were some decent-​sized chunks of lobster meat in the stuffing, but the peppers were a little on the sour side and overpowered the taste of the lobster. Definitely left much to be desired.
4) Grilled skirt steak with chorizo mayo (5 stars) — Also a special for the day, and I would definitely get this if it’s on the menu again. The steak was grilled to medium rare perfection. It was seasoned well and so tender. The chorizo mayo is really smoky and creamy and goes great with the steak. In addition, the fried kale and shredded potatoes were really delicious as well.
Omg, the churros though, are a MUST GET! Dusted with sugar and cinnamon, the churros come out fresh from the fryer and are lightly crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. The chocolate sauce it comes with is perfect and not too sweet, think somewhere between dark and milk chocolate. Each bite is basically a piece of cinnamon-​y, chocolate-​y, fluffy heaven melting in your mouth.
The red sangria is decent. Comes in a large wine glass filled to the brim, with a few pieces of fruit for garnish. It was definitely on the lighter side though, as far as sangria goes.
I’ve heard that the paella only served on Sundays is pretty amazing, so I’ll have to come back to try that!

I want to say first that the service we received with my husband was OUTSTANDING. This review alone would be for 5 stars if it was for service, cleanliness and ambiance of the restaurant. Its absolutely beautiful inside!
However the food was a bit underwhelming overall. I ordered the Churros, which are a must, and they were AMAZING! The closest thing we tried since our honeymoon in Spain. Dessert alone is 5 stars. Thank me later after you order the churros!
We got the «Gambas al pimentos”-Shrimp tapa, tasty but we both agreed we have had better.
We got the «jamon iberico cheese plate» — underwhelming and honestly I think they might have had bad luck on the ham leg they got flown in from Spain. Was kind of plain and old tasting.
The Patatas Bravas (potatoes) — as expected, not amazing, but a-​ok.
The Mejillones in Spanish Cava– Mussels with chorizo broth were good, my husband liked those out of all the tapas we tried.
I think Canela is a nice restaurant, I just unfortunetly was underwhelmed on most of the food, but we both agreed we would go back for drinks and the Churros at the bar!

TLDR — pretty good tapas, lively restaurant, some hits but overall still missing a wow factor. Try the tapa tasting trio and the stuffed red peppers, and don’t forget churros for dessert
Being a huge fan of tapas, I’ve been meaning to try this place for a while now and finally did so recently, taking advantage of their SF Restaurant Week menu. Their $ 40 dinner included your choice of 4 items from a selection of 9 tapas and 4 desserts from their normal menu. I came with one other person, so between the two of us, we had a pretty nice tasting of their menu.
The spot was pretty busy so I’d definitely recommend making a reservation beforehand. Ambiance was lively and energetic enough for a nice dinner with friends but also dim enough for a date. The restaurant isn’t very big though. Some of the tables were pretty cozy next to each other, so I felt like it was hard to keep conversation private.
Food was good overall. There were a few things I really enjoyed, but for the most part, the dishes were missing something that left a lasting impression. As with tapas in general, expect to be spending more than you would probably want to. Our waiter recommended maybe 3 tapas per person, which would probably end up being around $ 40 before tax/​tip, but I felt like 4 tapas was a good amount of food, which would be maybe $ 50 – 55. The $ 40 prix fixe SFRW menu was definitely a pretty good deal and offered a solid sampling of their tapas.
–ROASTED CHICKPEAS — ²⁄₅
They started off our meal with a small, complimentary dish of roasted chickpeas. It was nice to have something to snack on while we waited for our food, but I wasn’t really a fan of the texture. It was crunchy but not fully crunchy (kind of like a stale crunchy), so I felt like each chickpea was missing something. I liked the seasoning though — some sort of paprika and salt maybe?
–SPANISH OLIVE OIL FLIGHT ($ 15) — ³⁄₅
[3 spanish olive oils w/​fresh bread]
The flight came with a card that explained the tastes/​infusions of the 3 different olive oils. I tried doing a blind taste test of the olive oils, but honestly I couldn’t really tell them apart much. I remember liking the bread, but overall, the olive oil flight wasn’t very special. More or less the same as bread and olive oil you’d get complimentary at some restaurants
–FLASH FRIED SHISHITO PEPPERS WITH FLAKEY SEA SALT ($ 10) — ³⁄₅
Not bad. The peppers were super soft and tender but pretty greasy as expected. Some were very mild but some were pretty hot, so be careful! Not very impressed though.
–TAPA TASTING TRIO ($ 12) — ⁵⁄₅
[shot of seasonal gazpacho; croqueta of jamon; pinxto of goat cheese, zucchini & pepper jam on toast]
Wow this trio was good! I have no idea what was in the gazpacho (maybe cucumber and apple?) but it was absolutely amazing. The croqueta was ridiculously good — so smooth and creamy on the inside, nice and crisp on the outside. The pinxto was perfectly cheesy and left me wanting another.
–GAMBAS AL AJILLO ($ 12.50) — 3.5÷5
[seared shrimp w/​sliced garlic, parsley & lemon]
Solid but not very memorable. Shrimp was cooked well but flavors were very average.
–MEJILLONES CON CAVA ($ 12) — ⁴⁄₅
[mussels cooked w/​cava, sofrito & chorizo]
Not amazing but the broth had enough flavor that I used extra bread from the olive oil flight to dip it
–PIMENTOS DE PIQUILLO — ⁵⁄₅
[stuffed roasted red peppers]
AMAZING. Definitely the unexpected winner of the night! The peppers were incredibly soft, subtly sweet and stuffed with cubes of tender chicken. Never would’ve thought I’d be so impressed by stuffed peppers
–COCA FLATBREAD ($ 17) — ³⁄₅
[chorizo, sofrito, pickled beets & onion]
Meh. The flatbread was thin and crisp at some parts but kind of chewy (but not fully soft and doughy) at others. A little too cheesy and lacking anything special topping or flavor-​wise
–CHURROS ($ 8) — 4.5÷5
Mmm warm, soft and slightly doughy on the inside. The outside had just enough crisp to it and was lightly dusted with sugar so it wasn’t too sweet. The chocolate dipping sauce was pretty light and watery rather than thick and rich, so it didn’t feel too sugary

What a wonderful find! Myself and two friends enjoyed their 4 course plus wine pairing special for SF restaurant week and it was to die for! Amazing sea bass and flank steak… every course was impressive. The service was fantastic and the chef came out to greet us as well. Can’t wait to take my husband there for date night soon!

Loved the food.
Only problem — not the restaurant’s but the tapas format’s general one — is that serving sizes vary. Some dishes may be sizable, some smaller. Check with your server if in doubt, and keep in mind you can always order more later if necessary. Our server was a great help recommending how many dishes to get, she was not trying to «sell» us more food, just helping to get exactly what we wanted. Thanks for that.
Note that most or even all dishes come in two sizes: tapa (smaller) and ración (larger).
Specific dishes we had:
Garnett Yam Bravas (tapa): was actually big-​ish for two people, but delicious, we finished it all.
Gambas al Pimenton (tapa): perfect size, rather spicy compared to other dishes, very good, shrimp were soft and juicy.
Seared Brussels (tapa): not too big, very good, sprouts cooked just right, not too hard and not too mushy.
Stuffed peppers with pork, can’t find on the online menu so not sure of exact name (tapa): rather small, just two small peppers, so for two people I might order the big size; very good, also unusual in that the stuffing was not ground meat, but little cubes, interesting!
Tapa Tasting Trio (tapa): good, size-​wise truly just a taste of three things.
Bread pudding: I am something of a bread pudding obsessive and will order it anywhere it is served. Also picky about my desserts in general and will often condemn them as dull even at fancy establishments. This one was fantastic. Probably among the 2 – 3 best I ever had in the Bay Area. Could tell there was thought and work put into the recipe.
The place looks nice, and service is attentive.

Any restaurant where the chef/​owner is working the kitchen, speaking Spanish respectfully to his kitchen staff, and takes the time to go out to your table, say hi, and ask how everything was… PLUS 20 points right there.
I’d had din here several times, but never brunch. This past Sunday we decided to dip in for brunch.
The coco flatbread, with grilled eggplant and honey? Amazing.
I always get the patatas bravas here, with paprika aoli. A must! They take me back to random touristy days spent in Barcelona.
Then for dessert. Yes, you know we did! We ordered the churros with chocolate sauce. Prepare your palate, you shall not receive frozen, busted churros, but golden, crispy, flaky goodness, blessed with a creamy, chewy center. Damn, you should start your brunch feast with these. We also shared the warm lemon huckleberry tres leches bread pudding with crème anglaise. Another dessert masterpiece.
I liked this place before, but lemme tell you, they’ve upped their game. I love it now.

Tapas for the win!!!
Dropped in spur of the moment to eat a snack-​ey dinner with my sister. I guess it’s a «make reservations» type of place but we had no idea. Thankfully there was an open spot at the bar but it was on the side of the bar. It was part of the bar but it was normal table height. We received two menus quickly and ordered our drinks right away. (We were wine girl thirsty). We ordered about 7 types of tapas.
The wine was flowing the food was flowing (2 dishes came out) and we were having a great time but all of the sudden we ate all of the food and drank all of our wine and were wondering what happened to the rest!!! We waited around for about 15 minutes before the bar tender finally looked our way and realized we were staring at him. But obviously with unhappy faces. He had a waiter come around to check on us and I notified him we were without service or food for about 10 – 15 minutes he apologized and said he will see what happened to the rest
About 5 minutes later, the rest of our five dishes came out all at once… so much for the «tapas» experience. Oh well…
Thankfully the bartender refilled our glasses and apologized for the wait. I would say having 5 tapas out at once made me less able to enjoy each dish individually. I am also glad 3 other people came to check on us. One being the manager and I don’t know who the other lady was. Maybe she was the owner. Not sure. But it made me less irritated for sure.
I guess I can’t be too upset since we didn’t have reservations and it was a busy busy Saturday night. Over all we enjoyed ourselves and would like to come back for the next seasonal menu!

Went here for brunch on a Sunday. Food was pretty good, but significantly more expensive than it should be. I wouldn’t come back here for that reason alone. There are too many other amazing restaurants in the area that offer better value and ambiance.

I love the food here and the wines are delicious. Red sangria FTW! I am bummed though that they removed their silent movies playing opposite the bar and replaced it with a static painted mural. With the movies, I’d have given them 5 stars. The movies added warmth and mystery, with dramatic flamenco or tango dancers and dramatic stage sets. The mural is tame in comparison. I know it’s weird to have loved a movie wall so much but it truly added to the flare of diner experience. I bet I am not the only one missing those silent stomps and twirls as I chowed down on delicious squid ink enriched paella or spicy shrimp. Oh Canela, hear my plea!

This was my second time here and I gotta say I loved it both times. A great selection of wine. I myself really enjoyed the blend. The food was amazing and filling. Being Spanish myself I would come back again and again.

An excellent business dinner here. Party of seven seated promptly in spite of separate arrivals. a glass of oloroso sherry to begin. And then a variety of small and large plates. Such excellent variety. Great Spanish wines. A lot of vegetarian options. A satisfying meal well served

I went here on a date last night and give the date a 2.5 but Canela 4 stars! Canela actually made up for my so-​so date. Somehow although my date had suggested dinner, I ended up having to find a place and make a reservation last minute. My date’s one random request. somewhere off of Market street. Thank god for Unilocal.I had originally made a reservation for 6:45 pm, but needed to change it last minute to 7:15. I was really worried since I had a company holiday party right before and my date had a birthday party to get to sometime after 8 pm. Canela came through and accommodated my reservation.
Parking in the Castro can be tough especially on a Friday night, so I was rushing to make it in time and already nervous about meeting a blind date, but the adorable host at the front was so sweet when I walked in, I was immediately relieved. He called me by name & said, «We’ve been waiting for you» with a huge smile and took me to my table. The waitress was also awesome all night. She immediately took our drink orders and made sure to bring our orders out one by one with enough time for us to enjoy each one. One thing that ruins a dining experience for me is when you are being rushed through dinner and your plates are already being taken away before you are even done eating. Canela did a great job of checking in, but let us relax and have a longer dining experience.
The food was delish and I have to admit I’m not a huge fan of Spanish food! But everything was seasoned really well and brought out at the right temperature. We had the patatas bravas, the shishito peppers, a mushroom dish with bread crumbs, and the beef cheeks along with sangria. The sangria was actually a nice big pour. I was really worried there would be nothing for me to eat because I’m vegan, but there was plenty. When the bill came of course my date forgot his gentleman ways and let me pay for half. But everything was priced so well that it was only about $ 35 each including drinks.
I will definitely be back, but next time with a 4 star date worthy of Canela!

My boyfriend has been wanting to come here for Paella Night (Sundays) for the longest time and we finally did. Dang this restaurant is so sexy. Great place to take a date, both because of their good food and excellent service.
We had the pleasure of being served by Chris, who catered to all of our culinary needs. But first, let’s rewind. We called in ahead of time to make sure there were still seats available on Sunday night for paella, and they said yes BUT the paella takes about 45 minutes so we should expect a wait for our main course. Once we were seated, Chris reminded us and apologized repeatedly that the food would take a long time, but we were already prepared.
In the meantime, we ordered some wine and gazpacho with what was apparently Spanish honeydew. Definitely the most unique gazpacho I’ve ever tasted. Very refreshing and cucumber-​y. Next our paella arrived. SO GOOD. Would definitely recommend coming here just to try that. Lastly, my boyfriend and I ordered the beef cheeks because my friend Nina Y. recommended them. It arrived by the time we were nearly done with the paella so we were not quite in the mood for something so savory but they were not bad.
Overall I would definitely recommend Canela for their food, wine, and service. Wonderful experience that won’t disappoint!

To be honest, San Francisco is one of the coolest places in the US right now related to food. Not is the food amazing in the City, we have start-​ups in the city specifically for food and getting people connected. One of these startups is Nommery and I was here for a dinner with that startup.
We had family style of dishes — 9 dishes and 2 desserts shared between 6 people. It was definitely a lot of food among all of us, but it was definitely really delicious.
My favorites were the beef cheeks because they were so tender and melt in your mouth delicious. Everyone at the table really enjoyed these shrimp that we had gotten that were in this spicy sauce, but I personally didn’t like it so much. My other favorite savory dish was the mussels steamed with a bit of chorizo. I always love a good dish with a bit of chorizo in it. The two desserts we were offered — the bread pudding and the chocolate cake — were both great.
I’m going to definitely have to take some friends here and enjoy a bottle of wine (30% off on Wednesday) and get some more great food.
Protip: beef cheeks! Sangria!

Me and the spouse are here for pride weekend and it was delicious. Tapas places are always great so you don’t overstuff yourself.
We had a large salad (peaches, goat cheese, Serrano ham), lamb skewers tapas, veggie pimiento and chicken mole pimiento.
For desert we tried the chocolate almond cake and it was so delicious.
The only drawback I will say was that sitting in the back had very slow service. Very hard to get the waiters attention. Also the bathrooms were a little unkempt.

Canela. Oh so cozy and perfect for a chilly SF night.
This is a long overdue review for the dinner we enjoyed here during Restaurant Week. When the host called me to confirm my reservation, she told me that the only set menu they’d be offering is the $ 85 five-course“Discovery” menu which comes with wine pairings. We could also order tapas from their regular menu as well. Perfect.
We enjoyed some sangria at the bar while waiting for our table. I admire the simple yet elegant décor. Very intimate setting and perfect for a date. To my delight the hostess seated us right by the window which made for some good people watching.
An amuse-​bouche came first. I personally did not enjoy the soup as it tasted a bit too vinegary and was tepid upon serving. Next came a duck liver pâté with a salad on the side. My favorite item of the set menu was the seared championes with prosciutto; it made for a delightful bite with varied textures and savory flavors. The seared white fish filet and braised pork cheeks were both tender however did not possess a memorable flavor profile. We ordered the Gambas al Pimenton off their daily menu; the seared shrimp with paprika, garlic, lemon and sherry had my taste buds begging for more.
Our server Melody F did a terrific job at answering all my questions about our dishes. Her upbeat and bubbly personality despite how busy it got that evening made a world of difference to our dining experience.
While we were wrapping up our meal with fresh churros and lychee dessert wine, the owner + executive chef Matt came by to check in with us. I gave him some feedback regarding the wine pairings as I felt that some of them could have highlighted the flavors of the pork and fish better. Their wine list is primarily Spanish and Californian. He thanked me for the input and returned with two glasses of Caudum Bodegas Larraz which he informed us was the last of their bottles. We both greatly appreciated the gesture and the lively, fruity + well-​balanced vino.
It’s always a bonus to meet an owner who’s passionate about both his food and his customers. I’ll definitely return to indulge in some more tapas!

This place is great! It is located in the Castro district. Great wine selection and great location. Everything that I ordered here was perfectly tasteful and I would definitely come back here again.
I ordered the cheese plate and you have the option to choose 2 or 4 choice of different cheese. I got the 2 cheese — Aged Manchego (Sheep’s Milk) from La Mancha and Lightly Smoked San Simon (Cow’s Milk) from Gali, which is served with Piquillo Pepper Marmalade and Fresh Bread.
If you want to try different dishes, I would recommend doing family style. As for the other dishes, I ordered:
— Coca Flatbread: Aged Spanish Serrano Ham and House Dried Pineapple, Topped with Arugula Salad
— Deviled Eggs w/​Garlic Paprika Aloli with Serrano Ham
— Seafood Tapas: Gambas al Pimenton — Seared Shrimp with Smoked Spanish Paprika, Sliced Garlic, Dry Sherry and Lemon
— Seafood Tapas: Mejillones con Cava — Mussels Cooked with Cava, Sofrito and Chorizo
— Pinchos Morunos of Lamb — Marinated and Grilled Moorish Natural Lamb Kebabs with Piquillo Marmalade (It was okay)
— Lamb Shank which wasn’t on the menu but VERY DELICIOUS. I would pick the shank over the lamb kebabs.
Definitely a place I would recommend!!!

A great date spot– the ambiance was dark and romantic. We started with sangrias– the waiter advised us that it was more cost worthy to get two glasses instead of half of a pitcher, and we definitely were glad we did. We got the patatas bravas (which were good, but not mind blowing), Pimentos de Piquillo (peppers stuffed with seafood), Gambas al Pimenton (seared shrimp), and a flatbread. 4 tapas was definitely a good amount of food, as the pimentos and the gambas were definitely on the smaller side. The gambas were the stand out dish for me and were delicious. The pimentos were ok, I probably wouldn’t order them again. The great part too is that they kept bringing us out this nice soft bread to dip in the sauces. It was like a magic bread basket that never was empty!
However, if you’re going to order anything, *definitely* get the homemade churros. It’s probably the best churros I’ve ever had of my life.

Hola amigos! Food is aaiiiiiiight. Es bien… Pero no es el mejor. Otra punto: el camarero fue un poco loco!

Canela a cute little place with lovely décor, the seating is nice and cozy and it is a great place for a pre-​clubbing dinner or for a long conversational dinner. We almost spent three hours over some small plates and wine. The Service was nice and the Chef took time to come out and talk to the patrons, which was nice. I would have liked to give this place four or five stars but the food just does not do it for me.
Things we liked — Pimentos de Padron, Garlicy Gambas, Patatas Bravas, Chorizo Stuffed Peppers
Things that did not float our boat — Stuffed Piquillo Pepper (with wild boar), Albondigas (chicken and rabbit).
Also, why paella only on Sundays?!