Review: Las Canarias (Royal Oak)
Las Canarias
http://www.lascanarias.ca/
8888 Country Hills Boulevard NW
403.475.4165
While visiting my mom in the NW a few weeks ago she suggested that we try this place that had recently opened shop in Royal Oak. There hasn't been a good Spanish restaurant in Calgary since Don Quijote closed down a few years ago so we were stoked to try it out.
Overall rating: 9.6/10
Food: 9.5/10
Price: 10/10
Ambiance: 9/10
Service: 10/10
Food: 9.5/10
We are from South America and eat a lot of seafood. We've had excellent paella in many countries around the world, including coastal regions where the catch is fresh. Unfortunately, since La Paella and Don Quijote closed down, there hasn't been a decent paella in Calgary. A lot of places try but fail to deliver due to either serving a very small portion, skimping out on the seafood, or not using real saffron (see my Briggs Kitchen & Bar review). Las Canarias knocks it out of the park on all counts. We've been there twice and have had plenty left to take home both times with their generous serving size. The flavour was very rich and authentic with healthy portions of seafood, and the texture was right on point; probably a result of their use of Bomba rice from Valencia.
Our starters were the patatas bravas (Spanish style potatoes) and blackened beef, and on our previous visit tried the mussels and octopus. All were tastefully prepared, with good textures and rich flavour. Seafood is tricky as it can often be either overdone or slightly underdone, but on both occasions all of the seafood was cooked to perfection.
Price: 10/10
I've noticed a trend lately where many new restaurants open their doors with prices that are much too high for what they are offering. If you are serving Earl's quality food, you shouldn't be charging Belvedere or Q Haute prices. Usually, a good, authentic paella in Calgary would run you $35+ per person. Las Canarias is about $20 per person and, as mentioned above, the portions are very generous.
Both of the times we've gone have been on Tuesdays which is their 1/2 price wine night. They have a decent selection of $30-40 bottles which, at half price, gets you a terrific three course dinner for two with a bottle of wine <$100. Similar dinner experiences in other comparable restaurants have been >$150.
Ambiance: 9/10
They have live Spanish guitar on certain nights of the week but we haven't been there for that. The restaurant has been very tastefully renovated with a distinctive Spanish flair. They have dark wooden trestles across the ceiling and stonework on the walls. The music is at the right level to provide good ambient sound but without overpowering the conversation. The lighting is dim with candlelight at the tables.
Service: 10/10
On both occasions we were served by the owner, Claudio, who is from the Balkans but fluent in Spanish. While the paella takes about 45 minutes (as noted on the menu) since it is prepared fresh, the appetizers arrived promptly and we the service was attentive while not overbearing. Having spoken with him for a little while during our first visit, on our second visit he welcomed us at the door and greeted my mom with a kiss as is traditional in Spain and South America, which I found charming and courteous, and offered me a handshake.
If you like Spanish food or are craving some authentic paella, I would highly recommend paying Las Canarias a visit. Perfect date restaurant.
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