Address: 33 Earlham Street, WC2
Website: www.canelacafe.com
A Modern Portuguese Cafe that offers tapas style dishes for sharing and drop in diners, as well as pairs well with an array of drinks on offer. Canela Cafe has an airy, seaside vibe, will walls adorned with teal blue wooden panels and earthy design. Wonderful service, though not the cheapest for a cafe meal at £7, Canela Cafe can be a great escape from the busy office hours and hustle and bustle of Convent Garden’s busy streets.
It’s menu promises authentic Portuguese dishes, using typical ingredients like salted Cod (Bacalhau), quail eggs and potatoes. Taste however, is a different matter. Most dishes were very one-note, using similar ingredients in both entree and mains. Canola Cafe‘s menu is dominated by saltiness, potatoes and cod. This might be a good tactic to attract punters, or getting that extra drink just to counteract the saltiness, but tasty or memorable it is not.
If you are looking for a great atmosphere and service, or a place for a quick, cheap meal is this the place for you. Great food however, is not on the menu.
Pastéis de Bacalhau/Cod croquettes (left)
- Good thin batter but over fried and a bit brown.
- Great cod flavour soft mash and herby. Similar to a chinese “wu gok”
- Overall on the salty side and a bit dry.
Croquetes de Carne/ Meat Croquettas (right)
- Crispy and dense croquette with duck.
- Piccallily sauce was very tangy and helped counteract the saltiness and dryness of the croquettes.
- Again, dry and salty.
Alheira frita e Ovos de Codorniz/ Traditional smoked game sausage and Fried quail eggs
- Great presentation, with chorizo flavor and confit duck inside.
- Tangy mayo helps bind everything, and counteract saltiness
- Nothing special.
Dish of the day- Cod with olives and potato
- Oniony and good crispy salted cod flakes running through, paired with egg and olives.
- Traditional and filling, one of the better dishes of the day.
- More potato than fish, but a great dish if you are feeling hungry!
Alheira de Caça com Ovo/ Peasant sausage (wild boar, duck, rabbit & chicken, smoked over olive wood and oak) served with salad, fried egg and crisps
- A Sausage and egg dish that is essentially the same dish as the appetizer version (Alheira frita e Ovos de Codorniz).
- Less salty that the starter.
- Chips is an interesting addition that adds a crispy element.
- Otherwise nothing special.
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