Canela

This isn't really a 'restaurant' as such but it doesn't suffer for that. if you're after a bit of a different lunch experience then Canela is a good bet.

Casserole, quiches, curries salads: they're all made fresh with good quality ingredients and they wont mug you either. You can eat in or take away for less than a tenner.

One downside: the service can bit a tad surly, but only on a bad day, and if you get takeaway who cares right?

Food is quite good but can be a little pricey. The pastries are very good though.

Canela's been singled out as being one of the better budget eateries in central London. I guess it could be considered budget only if you add "for Covent Garden" in front of the label, as I didn't think it was all that cheap. .

In any case, I came here one night for a pre-theatre takeaway meal, and got a chorizo tart to go. To my disappointment, it didn't seem all that filled with chorizo, and just tasted rather bland.

Also, I experienced incredibly slow service. I know I'm not the most patient person in the world. I come from East Asia, where not only are we among the fastest walkers on the planet, but we get a little agitated if we don't get responses to SMSes and e-mails in like an hour! So, to be faced by what I can only assume to be typically relaxed Brazilian service, especially when no one else is there, made me a little annoyed. Again, that could just be me.

In any case, I haven't been back since. If I'm in the area, and it's not a Sunday, I'd rather make the detour to Wild & Wood Cafe.

I poped in here today before going to the theatre with time for just take away. We got two baguettes to split and share, one: parma ham + tomato + brie and the other: parma ham + slow roasted tomatoes + cheddar cheese + basil. They were quite good and cheap in my opinion, £4.20 each one. To eat in, they were £6.90! I wouldn't have eaten in if I hadn't been running short of time because the place it's rather too small. I think they don't even have toilets. So, I quite recommend the place for take away.

The service was awful. There were two persons attending people, wearing trainers and extremely serious, making the customer feel awkward. My salted cod had 7 (seven) bay leaves…a bit too much for my taste. Have of the plate was salad (dressed) and the other have the salted cod dish with much more potato than cod.
I will not come back. There are many nice restaurants out there with service and food far better than this.
It tasted good though.

I have to agree that this Brazilian cafe is a great little find in Covent Garden and isn’t as busy as it should be considering how nice it is. Their food is great value, particularly filling and generally always tasty. They serve some decent coffee, and a small selection of pastries including the must-have Portugese egg tart, crumbly soft pastry and a sweet yellow filling. Of course, if you want something proper for lunch they also serve some nice salads and quiches.

They have some tables inside and out, but as mentioned in other reviews, this place fills up fast. My strategy is to either have a late lunch, or head there for an early dinner.

I haven’t reviewed Canela? Really? This is an outrage. Canela is probably my favourite cafe in the whole of London. I adore this place.

I also stumbled upon it by chance with my best mate. Whenever my best mate are together, some sort of communication breakdown happens when we’re hungry. We can never find somewhere both of us want to eat. Until we came here. Since then I’ve had birthday meals and caught up with old friends and found just about any excuse to come back here.

The food is brilliant. If I get here early enough I always make sure I go for one of their specials as it’s always yummy and hearty homecooked food. But all of the food is good. It’s not exactly a 'restaurant experience’, but that’s why I like it. Baked chicken, lamb casserole, quiche that looks like pie. What’s not to like?

It’s got charm. Bucket loads of charm. There’s something nice about seeing people prepare your food. Watching this in a tiny cafe with lovely (hot) waiters and friendly people is fun. You have to sometimes do a bit of shimmying around other people as it’s so tiny in here, but no one seems to mind. Oh, and you have to use the loo by the bar next door. Don’t moan.

I don’t know a huge amount about Portuguese food, but I love it here. It’s not cheap. You’ll spend about £12 for your meal and drinks. But OH! The homemade lemonade is worth the trip alone. Seriously. I’d marry a man if he could make me fresh lemonade. You can drink wine and beer too. In fact, if you don’t like lemonade, I suggest you do - it’s the same price as the beer.

I love it here. But make sure you stay faithful to this branch. The branch in Carnaby doesn’t have nearly the same amount of charm.

I heart Canela.

I love this little restaurant just off the 7 dials in Covent Garden.
I chanced upon it by accident on my way to see Chicago.

Their offerings are displayed behind a glass counter and each is served with a scrunchy fresh salad and sweet home-made dressing. There are a variety of things you’ll recognise and some you won’t but they all scream “I was made fresh this morning, eat me now”.

I have twice had two different quiches and again they are very tasty, fresh and have a bit of a twist from the norm by using unique ingredients like green beans and fresh thyme. I like that.

I’ve never eaten in probably as I’m too cheap to on my own - if the two dinky tables outside are engaged it hardly seems worth it and there is a remarkable difference in price - £5 to take away a generous helping of fresh quiche and salad, or £7.50 to eat it in. They pop it in a neat little cardboard box and give it to you along with wooden knives and forks (which I like the idea of but not terribly practical).