Outside was unassuming. I didn't expect anything like this in a strip mall style location. I wasn't dressed nicely for what the inside decor represented, but they didn't treat me any different. The prices on the menu were average for food places in that area, but that wasn't what made this place amazing. David our server was and was on point, he gave excellent service and even genuinely engaged in conversation. The food was amazing... The chef and owner truly care about the quality, taste and experience. Great place to unwind and/or great spot for a date night. Definitely going back soon. My opinion is this is an undiscovered gem in Calgary and I am confident you will love it.
Update: after going back time and time again. I have never been disappointed. Highly recommend
I planned a birthday party here recently for almost 30 people and they were amazing to work with! They were so accommodating, the food and drinks were delicious and the service was excellent. I will definitely be going back and recommending this place to others as well! Thank you Claudio!
It a wonderful exoerience the owner is a kind and loving gentleman; I would totally recommend anyone to try
My wife and I just noticed the place and decided to try it. What a great find. The food was amazing! The service is friendly and laid back. It is the best place we have been to in the last 10 years.
Have now been here for a very tasty tapas lunch and a delicious Paella Mixta. I can't say enough about the food, the service and the ambiente. Live music tonight was an extra treat. The warmth inside comes from the heart.
AMAZING FOOD. Referred by a good friend (Thanks Andy), to hit the red mile on 17th ave, and pop in for some food with the bf. Glad I did, awesome food and great staff. Experience was great and will definitely be back. Paella is highly recommended. Drinks are a must try here ...
Leticia Rivero Fernandez
+5
Exquisite authentic Spanish(from Spain) food!!!
This is our Must-Go restaurant every time we are in Calgary.
Excellent food quality and service.
Excellet Paella!!! We have been looking for a good paella in Calgary for many years and finally I can say that I found a really good one. Service was excellent and the ambient was really good. I highly recomend this place.
Not the type of restaurant you expect in a strip mall. The food was very well presented and absolutely delicious. We were there on a Friday night and they had live music going as well. A really nice place to go for date night without having to drive all the way downtown.
Superb quality food. Excellent service. Great ambiance and decor. Will definetely be visiting them again. Loved the sangria, seafood paella, medallones, crema de champinones and crema catalana.
We went for the New Year Eve party. Everything exceeded expectations - delicious food, excellent service, entertainment.
We liked a lot the European tavern atmosphere. The owners are very nice and care about clients and as a bonus to this great place the cook is from Spain. We will be back soon.
Thank you Florin & Cristina
The atmosphere is warm and welcoming as are the staff. The food is excellent and presented very artistically. We enjoyed the live music and spent almost 3 hours there relaxing. A mini holiday to Spain in NW Calgary!
I was looking forward to eating spanish food and found it in Las Canarias restaurant!! Delicious food very well cooked and beyond excellent service! I felt like in spain. Love it and will go back!
The food was amazing and the service was fantastic!!
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Visited the restaurant twice and was a good experience for the most part. The food was good but their in house menu does not have nearly as many offerings as their online menu. Still made it work though. In terms of decor, I found it a little dark in there. It is more intimate with less lighting so it’s great if you want to bring a date. Like many other reviews, call ahead if you want to order the paella. It can take upwards of an hour for the restaurant to prepare it. My two favourites dishes are the fish tacos and the scallops. Both were bursting with flavour and the scallops were tender. The parking can be a pain if you wanted to come down to the restaurant to eat. They have no parking lot to call their own, so individuals with mobility issues would have a difficult time getting to the restaurant. The entrance to the restaurant is elevated and requires individuals to walk up two or three steps/stairs to enter. There is no ramp for accessibility, again limiting those with mobility issues.
Overall, I would give this place 3.5/5. Most of the food was good, and the service was fine, but finding parking can be an issue and lighting is a bit dark (at least for me).
Nice atmosphere, server was polite. Bacon wrapped dates were great, chicken and chorizo paella was lovely! Used a groupon. Would go back to try more, the menu was very reminiscent of Barcelona!
We found out about this restaurant because my boyfriend's parents love it here. We went on a cold Monday night at around 8 pm and were greeted by the husband/father/owner. Both servers were the husband and wife team and their son and daughter I think were cooking in the kitchen. The mussels were fantastic as were the shrimp and the sausage was amazing. We ordered a full bodied tempranillo that was half price and it was just a nice place to dine. We were happy to see big tables come in around 9 and they were all speaking Spanish or Portuguese which is a very good sign about authenticity. Highly recommend this restaurant to anyone who wants a great meal cooked with love and served with a smile.
We made a reservation for our anniversary date night last night as the reviews looked great. We were not disappointed, the place was fantastic.
The ambiance was very calming and the Spanish guitarist was a lovely, romantic touch.
The tapas was excellent. We ordered 5 tapas. I particularly loved the calamari and tuna tartare. We finished the meal with a delicious creme Catalina which reminded us of our trip to Barcelona.
We will definitely go back and try more dishes.
We just went there with the Groupon and the food is really great. The guy working there was really friendly. The Paella was awesome, although I'd rather have had calamari instead of fish in it. Overall really good food.
I’ve been meaning to try Las Canarias ever since I saw Gwendolyn Richard’s Instagram post (March 15, 2017). As I knew it would take 40 minutes for the paella to cook, I called the restaurant 20 minutes before we arrived to get the dish started. For this post, let’s listen to Siempre Me Quedara by Bebe.
This Place has a Very inviting feel to it, very cool decor and a great patio, we were welcomed immediately and the servers were very friendly, we were served promptly and the drinks and appetisers arrived very quickly,there were just 2 of us and we had just appetisers, I had the Steamed mussels in a white wine broth which were quite nice a little lite on flavor but over all not bad , we shared a big plate of nachos and they were wonderful , lots of cheese, lots jalapenos peppers, chicken topping was extra , however it was a very good portion, could have used more of the condiments and the sour cream, guacamole,and salsa came in ridiculously small containers.
Prices were OK, a little on the high side considering the average portion size, overall it was good and I would come back.
Ooh yum, this sangria reminds me of When I was traveling through Europe. Worth checking out. Such classic Spanish food! They carry a few unique beers from time to time, maybe Caravel Craft Brewery, Under the bridge and Paulaner.
Was great that this place takes reservations cuz we came here for dinner club with 9 girls. I was interested in ordering a paella to share with one of the girls and since it takes 40 mins to prepare I called a day ahead to have it ready for it to come out 20 mins after we arrive. I got the Mixta paella which had seafood, chicken and beef. It came in a 12 inch pan with 2 giant prawns, mussels, clams, shrimp and chicken and beef for $34. It was very fragrant and very tasty. My only critique for this dish was that the chef should have deveined the prawns. I also shared the coconut shrimp with my friend that I shared the paella with. It was crispy with a hint of orange zest. Some of the girls order sangrias and they said they were delicious. My friend got a flat pop and ordered the fried calamari and the taste was a little off.. seemed like they might have used old oil. I finished off with the creme brulee and it was so good!!! Totally recommend this if you have room.
The food and attention is excellent! I heart a review on the radio, after I went I understood why the comments on the radio were so good. It's not easy to create a Spanish environment in Canada, however I found "Las Canarias" has an inviting and refreshing environment that reminds me of Spain.
Delicious! Best meal we have had in Calgary for a long time. Lamb shank was absolutely amazing. Calamari was as it should be, tender and flavorful. Your won't be disappointed with your meal.
Excellent restaurant! The food is perfect, the service is great, and so is the ambiance. We have been there twice now, and I can see this will become a favourite destination
My wife and i went there for our wedding anniversary. We ordered the paella mixta and the table de iberico and the calimari. Having to the two apps made the wait easier. Everything was beautiful and well balanced. It took me and my wife back to spain. My wife who is from spain agreed that it smelled, tasted, and felt like spain.
With this resturant you get what you pay for, and the service was warm and welcoming. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone who either misses spain or wants to get a taste of it.
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Calgary's newest Spanish tapas house brings tasty treat to northwestBY BILL KAUFMANN, CALGARY SUN
FIRST POSTED: THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015 11:36 PM MDT | UPDATED: FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2015 12:01 AM MDT
The gastro plot continues to thicken in the far Northwest. Seemingly out of nowhere, a Spanish Tapas house takes the place of a failed eatery in Royal Oak, joining a host of other new arrivals, many with an “ethnic” pedigree.Las Canarias isn’t another rerun of contemporary sleekness, its decor runs on a dose of whimsy that recreates a stucco-spackled Spanish courtyard, a matrix of faux vines creeping beneath the ceiling.
The large number of younger families at this new strip mall eatery is probably a function of its suburban location.As you’d already guessed, a good slug of the menu’s devoted to tapas, or small shareable dishes, on top of appetizers and a smattering of entrees.Paella, that classic Spanish rice-seafood dish — is served for two at $38 and diners are told to expect a 40-minute wait.Mizue didn’t like the sound of a cod mousse stuffing deep fried red peppers tapas ($7.95) but we went with it anyway.And we were richly rewarded with a creamy, potently flavourful seafood filling that centred lightly-batter red peppers draped in a pepper aioli.The Galician style octopus ($13.95) was another tasty Latino revelation.Tender morsels of octopus shorn of their tentacles were set atop thin wafers of boiled potatoes the seafood prepared with a tangy shot of paprika and a salty edge and served in extra virgin oil. Very nice.Our lobster salad ($14) didn’t want for seafood that was tossed in with red onions, cucumbers, baby greens and dressed in a mildly tangy balsamic vinaigrette.This was a pretty decent effort, though it didn’t quite keep pace with the other dishes.One of those was the blackened beef tapas — pretty much a tartar with a decidedly peppery savour served atop tomato slices.We couldn’t possibly get enough of the ingenious, utterly delicious pollos las Canarias ($23.95) that gave us twin chicken breasts stuffed with boursin cheese, spring onion and serano ham for a sharp, potent garlic taste.This was prepared in a vaguely sweet preparation of red onion demiglaze and lemon oil.For a carb, we chose the mashed potatoes - deliciously buttery with secondary garlic tones.The dish was completed with sauteed carrots and zucchini.Service was efficient and friendly for the most part but became a little ragged toward bill time. But that’s a pretty niggling shortcoming for an eatery that’s taken a chance on an unlikely location, and whose tasty stylings deserve to succeed.
Once again las Canarias provided an excellent dining experience. The service was friendly and efficient. The owner treated us as though we were guests in his home, not just customers.
The array of tapas and paella were well-presented and tasty. Be sure to ask for more bread to soak up the sauces.
We come from the deep southwest to experience this bit of Spanish sunshine in Calgary. It is worth the trip.
Las Canarias offers great value. Many of the prices for tapas and raciones were near what one would pay in Spain.
I have been to Las Canarias a couple of time within the last few months, and both times had an excellent experience, the food was tasty, the staff very friendly, the prices were very reasonable, I was very impressed with the overall experience and would definitely recommend it
Following my initial foray I elected to return to Las Canarias. The ambiance is interesting and lends to the feeling of being on a garden patio. Our server and one of the owners of the restaurant provides a welcoming and relaxed atmosphere.
The appetizers selected were attractively presented and very tasty. The main course were similarly presented well and I would recommend sampling the Spanish cuisine available such as the black rice paella, ahi tuna, or the halibut.
This atmosphere and relaxed approach to cuisine allows for an evening of an unhurried enjoyment. While others may find the service too relaxed, I personally enjoy the casual environment.
I will be making this a regular location to return.
Went for a painting event. Service was nice but...they forgot basics like water and one of the dishes we ordered. Patatas were good perhaps maybe less paprika. Shrimp were nicely cooked with lots of butter and garlic. The pate dish had only two pieces of bread? Maybe 4 would work better. Sangria was nice but as $12 definitely expensive.
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Las Canarias is one of those restaurants that you might never make the trip for because it's hidden deep in the NW corner of Royal Oak. That would be a shame though because this casual dining restaurant is an interesting find.
High quality Spanish food. It's not street food. So expect your entrees to be in the $20 plus range. But they're great quality. The fish dishes are cooked well to a soft, flaky state and covered with delicious complex sauces. A buttered clam sauce on the halibut was definitely a standout. But the simple ahi tuna with sesame seeds and teriyaki dressing was a nice sweet combo with great texture.
For $10, the calamari was a great way to start the meal. Nice light, but crunchy batter on tender squid. But again, the lemon aioli sauce it came with was an awesome compliment to the dish.
For a casual dining spot, expect a wait. Especially if you want to try the paella as it takes 40 minutes to prepare. Our fish dishes took a while, but thankfully the waitress noticed and provided us with some complimentary bread. So I can't fault the service. Overall it's a nice spot to visit if you're in the area. This dark, intimate Spanish restaurant deserves a little more hype than it gets.
We loved this restaurant. We tried paella and sangria and everything was delicious!. The decoration of the place is just like a Spanish tasca. The service was very good, and food is not expensive.
VOYAGE TO THE LAND OF LULU MOMS AND ADIDAS DADS- As we made our way up to Royal oak, land of soccer mom’s in lulu lemons and the Johnsons’ trying to keep up with the Jones’ I was not expecting much from the little Las Canaries inbetween Smash Burger and BMO… Maybe just expecting to get my banking on after?
The calamari was amazing (some of the best I ever had) and was on special for $6.99! I had the slow cooked lamb shank (Cordero a la riojana) and let’s just say… Mary had a little lamb… It’s meat was soft as dough… And Michael ate it ALL. From the ambiance, to the service, this place sure to make a splash. While talking to the owner we discovered they just recently opened, so we better give them a warm Calgary welcome!
If you are prepared to make the voyage to the land or Royal Oak Trees, Las Canarias has everything it takes to not only compete, but surpass, some of the restaurants currently on 17th… And their competition is lucky they are not… Yet…
First time eating here. Went with friends for a girls evening out. The food was fantastic and service was just as good. I had the lamb confit, which was AMAZING! Portion was huge and the meat fell off the bone. Friends had the duck leg and halibut which they also enjoyed! Would definitely go back - maybe with hubby next
The service is fantastic and the only thing better than that was the food itself. We had several appetizers and desserts this visit and were impressed with each dish brought to us. The owner expressed his desire to adapt his food and service to the tastes of Calgarians, while also introducing a unique cuisine to the city. The staff were helpful with recommendations for wines and dishes and helped us bring our meal together. Can't wait to return!
Impossible to get any more authentic spanish culinary experience in Calgary, than in Las Canarias. No difference between their tapas and those served in Plaza Mayor de Madrid or anywhere else in Spain. Food is delicious and fresh, service is really good. Claudio is a great host, very welcoming with his guests.
my favourites: fried calamari with alioli, shrimps in olive olive and white wine, cheese and ham platter, and the Crema Catalana for dessert. Hes got also a small but very good selection of spanish wines, any Rioja is fantastic.
A must visit for any great food lover.
Was our second visit....definitely not disappointing. Fantastic food (best calamari we have had in a long time), great service and ambience....even some live Spanish guitar to add to the experience. Will definitely be back soon!
I don't often take the time to rate restaurants but Las Canarias is worth recommending. The atmosphere is lovely, the service is attentive and the food is authentically Spanish. The owner mentioned that there are several food items they import from oversees to ensure the best flavor and authenticity. Many of the staff are from Spain which is nice. I studied in Spain during University and it was nostalgic to be served Spanish dishes with the same presentation you would actually get in Spain. On top of everything I've heard they have live Spanish music/flamenco guitar on certain nights which is something unique you don't see at many places let alone out out in the suburbs. The atmosphere is great for special occasions or tapas with friends after work. Even just to stop in for a glass of wine and daily feature and chit chat at the bar. Highly recommend you try this place out. Try the clams tapas or stuffed chicken dinner!
Amazing food and even better service. Tried multiple menu items and all are excellent! The owners are very hands on and provided excellent service. A rare find in Calgary.
Great food and excellent service directly from the owner. We have been there twice, and apart from the food, the best part was the owner's attentiveness to our party. Highly recommended, especially considering there are very few places like that in Calgary. The only downside is that it is a bit expensive.
Service was impeccable! I believe the owner or manager of the restaurant greeted us at the door and he was so friendly the whole night. The food was delicious and well priced. The ambiance was superb (Friday night there is live guitar music). We were there for hours enjoying ourselves. We ordered the appetizers and were not disappointed. The calamari, especially, are divine! Regret not ordering the paella or a main entrée- will just have to go back again soon!
Guys you MUST check this place out…fancy and the prices are really low for the quality you get.
If you did not try Paella go back, you have no idea what you missed…
Really nice and knowledgeable personnel …an exceptional place for a nice family meal.
We will definitely go back for more…
Spanish restaurant in Royal Oak. At last, a Spanish -European restaurant in Royal Oak. The ambience is nice , the food is good and the staff is friendly. We ordered for the four of us, Tapas ( Beef Ragout, chicken kabob, scallop ceviche ), hot starter of mussels in white wine sauce. We also had a complimentary tapas of some sort of Spanish antipasto on bread which tasted very good. The tapas tasted very good, and the sauce of beef Ragout tasted so good, we kept asking for more bread. By the way, their bread is good.
For the main, we ordered the famous Spanish seafood Paella , it comes with a lot of seafood, the taste is good, but perhaps the rice is a bit soft for my taste. The server explained it's more of their style. We also ordered grilled Rib-eye steak which is amazingly tasty and grilled to perfection. As it is my friends's birthday, we also had a complimentary ice cream. It's a fun night.
Food 10/10. Service 10/10. Value 10/10. The owner created a blackened steak appetizer. Only $12 it was fork tender with a flavorful peppery crust. The seafood paella for $37 served 2 and was fresh and authentic. The waitress warned it took 45 min to prepare and was well worth the wait. Wine selection was excellent. Capped off the meal with a 'spanish' coffee which was an espresso with sime kind of alcohol. Sorry i don't remember but we simply asked them to create a spanish coffee and it was superb. We were lucky to have the dessert special, a chocolate orange torte/cake. It was so good i could have wept. Waitress was excellent. Its about time royal oak had better food options than awful chain restaurants. The chefs create amazing food here. You must try it!!
Excellent, new date night destination!. Great Tapas, wine and Spanish espresso. We enjoyed an excellent meal for a good price. Service, quality and presentation are second to none. My new favorite date night destination in NW.
Very tasty food. Enjoyed the dinner at Las Canarias, excellent service, the Pollo Las Canarias dish was excellent
I really enjoyed the food, it was just what I needed and wanted. I ordered their Seafood Paella to go and plated it at home. The Paella is enough for three with an appetizer and has plenty of seafood. I'll return to dine at the restaurant in the future. They had live music which was very enjoyable while waiting, and I highly recommend Las Canarias as a destination for dining out and takeout.
Incredible paella!! I lived in Spain for a few years and this is the closest I’ve come to authentic paella... great job on everything, solid decor, live music on the weekends... you’ll have to check it out for yourself. Appetizers good but portion size a bit small. No complaints about the flavour tho and again, try the paella, don’t miss out.
Great place for authentic Spanish Paella! Full of seafood like mussels, shrimp and fish. 😋 The rice was tasty and chewy.
The two person portion was super big and can probably feed 3 to 4 people.
Excellent paella. The price really worth it. All the sides were yummy. Can't wait to visit again.
The tastes of Europe are rare in Calgary, because too many of us don't know. We want our steak and wtv else. Spain has a diversity of food unknown to the Calgary resident. But you can come taste some of Europe's greatness, here. They have made dishes for you, I think they should have ignored the simple requests of regular Calgarians. What I tried here, known to be staples of Spain, I was very impressed. I bow down to those who seek to defy the norm, step away from the standard, be of their own, instead of a mere product, they add, advance, exemplify. We are Beings of Experience, do not stagnate. . Long live Spain.
I love places like this. Local and family owned. It was our first time here so we tried a variety of things. It was interesting and unique. My favorites were the fish tacos and scallops. Make sure you have time, it wasn't a quick experience. Dessert took especially long. My friend had the rice pudding and wouldn't recommend it. But definitely come and support. Next time we'll try the Paella.
Had a delightful and authentic Spanish dinner
We tried the Pulpo, which was super buttery and tender. You can’t miss the home made Chorizo - it’s too die for! For the main we had the Mixed Paella which was enough to feed 4 people. We loved the flavor of the rice and there was a great variety of seafood!
Def coming back to try more of the menu and the dessert!!
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