Restaurants & Tapas Bars

Canela Bistro Bar

An American whose love affair with Spanish cuisine and culture encouraged him to accomplish his dream of opening a restaurant, and a Spanish partner from Madrid made the perfect couple for Canela, one of several Spanish-flavored restaurants that have opened in San Francisco this past year.

Chef-Owner Mat Schuster and Francisco Cifuentes teamed up to bring joy to the act of eating and drinking, by providing a new space that seeks to strengthen the Castro neighborhood, a diverse community where the restaurant is located and where it also intends to serve as a new bridge that leads towards the discovery of Spanish flavors in California.

Their travels through Spain were the genesis of a passion that is now decanted on the plate with a menu that blends traditional Spanish recipes with some California-inspired fare.

The freshness of locally grown produce is married with Spanish ingredients, shaped in the form of sandwiches, soups, coca flatbreads and an array of tapas and plates as grilled marinated chicken sandwich with Manchego cheese and paprika aioli, gazpacho, skirt steak with quince, roasted pepper with Manchego almond, coca flatbreads with chorizo, garlic shrimp with pimentón and Sherry wine, pinchos morunos, calamares a la plancha, not to mention traditional Spanish recipes as tortilla española or croquetas.

The dessert menu highlights some sweet Spanish traditions, with a twist, as crema catalana with a hint of lavender, cinnamon churros with chocolate, and arroz con leche, a delicious creamy rice pudding prepared with a family recipe. Menus are reviewed seasonally.

The wine list features Spanish wines from DOCa Rioja, DO Ribera del Duero and DO Rías Baixas.