Canela Bistro Bar — Restaurant in San Francisco

6/18/13

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY COUSIN

My cousin was scheduled to come to SF from Seattle for work the week of her bday, which gave me an opportunity to celebrate it with her. We picked a place close to where she was staying in Union Square and picked her up. Traffic was horrendous getting to Canela, but we found street parking out front and were on time for our 6:30 reservation.

We ordered the Padron Peppers upon seating (before even looking over the rest of the menu). I haven't seen these outside of Firefly in Vegas and love them! The peppers were more heavily fried here. Very tasty but not quite as crispy and crunchy as the ones I love in Nevada.

We also ordered a full order of shrimp ($15) which were very, very good. Large and juicy. Cooked nicely with great flavor. I spooned up all the broth when the shrimp were finished. My husband ordered ham croquettes ($10) and the one I had was wonderfully crispy on the outside with a creamy inside. Like the ham and cheese had blended into an awesome melty sauce. Garlic fries ($4) were good but they were thick cut and not crispy enough for me. I had a few but didn't really enjoy them as much as the other two at the table. The sauce was good, slightly spicy.

Husband also ordered the tapas plate of meatballs ($12) and I enjoyed one but liked my shrimp better. My favorite order was the veggie plate ($16 for full order plus $2 for anchovie add). There was a great assortment of veggies and it was a good amount of food (though, $16 is a lot for a vegetable plate). Even though this was my favorite dish, I thought it was a little oily. (probably why it was my favorite) All of the vegetables were saturated - it was still really good though!

I asked for hot sauce to accompany the meal and received a nice, homemade hot sauce in a cute serving container. It was great and went well with the dishes we ordered.

The server was good, though a little slow. We weren't in a hurry but I felt like he should have asked if we were ready for the check after dessert, instead of us having to find him to ask for it. Our drinks were refilled though and he was friendly.

We ordered two desserts. Even though it was the day-of for my cousin's bday (which we'd let them know in advance) there's no bday dessert and they were each $8. She did get a candle with her churros. And they came with a melted chocolate dipping sauce. Very popular at the table. I preferred husband's creme brulee-like dish called Catalana but thought it was sort of small for $8 and would have liked more of the sugar-shell-topping. The custard filling was outstanding.

All in all, great bday, great dinner,...

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...

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...