Canelé

What is the deal with all the reviews about your very rude hostess and her issues with making people wait for available tables? So many bad reviews that say the same thing.. more

Cool! more

There are some experiences in life that elevate the bar so high that you can never view what you thought was good the same way again. Like the first time you fly first class. Or the first time you slip into a bespoke suit. Or your first threesome. Today I added to that list the first time you try the french toast at Canel?. A 2"" thick round of toast, crispy and tasting almost baked on the outside, perfectly eggy and sweet, almost custardy, on the inside. So perfect that the addition of syrup would diminish its taste. Served with mascarpone and poached prunes, this is truly an indulgent brunch treat. The duck confit hash topped with a fried duck egg was also phenomenally good. The amount of duck in the hash is generous, almost 50/50 I'd say, and deliciously good. Cut a mouthful with your fork, break the soft yolk of the sunny side up duck egg and dip the hash. Heaven. The side of house cured bacon would have been a standout in any other brunch but was almost overlooked in this company. Almost, I said. But not. A blood orange mimosa and a rhubarb lemonade rounded out this outstanding brunch. The restaurant itself is charmingly rough hewn. All dark unpolished floorboards, exposed bricks and beams, heavy and high blood red walls, and a menu written in chalk on a blackboard wall. It's a small space with a large communal table in the front window and smaller tables tucked around the two partially separated rooms. An open kitchen dominates the space. And yet, on a Sunday morning, the space didn't feel crowded or busy. On the contrary, it felt quiet and casual and neighborhoody. No first class reservations are taken here and you can leave the bespoke suit at home. Although a post-threesome morning after brunch at Canel? would be something special. Either way, this is the best brunch I've experienced in LA. Pros: French toast, duck confit hash more

I wanted to like it and hadn't read the reviews beforehand. I was given possibly the worst table in the restaurant when it wasn't busy at all. I asked for another table and that's when it began, an attitude of an annoyed, pouty child that came from the hostess and then continued with the server who seemed defensive with any question I had regarding the menu and then ordering. I thought it was bizarre, but I brushed it off. But then it continued, and my guest also experienced it. I couldn't wait to leave the pretentious negativity in the air...so we bolted fast. Pros: Eggs cooked well Cons: The hostess/owner/mgr? & service...cramped space tiny tables more

While it is slightly unfair to reduce a restaurant to a single menu item, whenever I think about Canele, a local sweet spot in Atwater Village, my mind immediately conjures up a mental image of their gargantuan French toast. It's not just good -- it's epic -- the breakfast of sugarholic champions. Not even the heartiest of appetites could take down all three towers of the three-inch thick toast. But they would sure have fun trying -- especially in the familial setting that harkens up memories of breakfast at grandma's house. You might even find yourself coming back for dinner just for another taste of traditional American charm. The French toast will be long gone by that point, but consider it the perfect opportunity to savor the crispy-skinned duck confit, one of the restaurant's signature dinner dishes. It won't put you into a sugar coma, but you will leave with a smile on your face. Pros: Best French toast in the city, homey atmosphere Cons: Limited dinner menu more

Canele cooks some of the best fresh, seasonal cuisine in the area. It has a rustic, casual, French-Californian bistro atmosphere with an open kitchen and small wooden tables side by side. The food is always packed with flavor and surprisingly affordable. Great for a budget neighborhood date-night! Pros: free treat on your way out, lots of free street parking Cons: small, close tables more

loved canele. awesome service. great food. and they give you a little cake treat when you're leaving. hey city search! stop telling me how many characters i have to write in a review or i will just do this this this this this until i get to 100 characters. Pros: near my house Cons: a little bit pricey. more

We've visited Canele numerous times and loved it--late night, early evening, brought guests from out of town--we've considered it a gem we could count on. Two weeks ago we arrived late and our waitress, a tall and skinny blonde woman, proceeded to huff at us and do her best to ignore us throughout the dinner. She made it clear that our very presence annoyed her, although we don't think we asked very much of her nor did we want to get in the way of her serving other guests. It took a long time to order drinks and it took even longer to receive them. It was shocking to be treated so poorly, especially at such a beautiful restaurant. more

I love it when you can go have an amazing meal either dressed up or in your flip flops. Wonderful neighborhood bistro type of place. French inspired - but eclectic and interesting. Save room for your canele at the end! Open kitchen provides a lovely, cozy warmth to the space. Pros: Delicious everything. Not pretentious at all. Cons: Not exactly in my day-to-day price range - wish it was! more

A communal table and stemless wine glasses?what more reason did I need to like this place? The food! We went there for dinner a few nights ago and we had a great time. The atmosphere (much like a small neighborhood French bistro) was fantastic; service was prompt and the food was delicious. Yes, at the end of the day we go to restaurants to eat, and EAT we did. I had the salt-roasted Branzino (full fish), my wife had the Seafood soup special, we topped it off with a Lemon Tart which was awesome. I?ve never visited this part of the city but I?m glad to have found someone else?s neighborhood treasure. Pros: Food, atmosphere Cons: Could be difficult for large parties (+8) more

Had a wonderful dinner at this charming little restaurant, very much like the restaurants in San Francisco. The service was impeccable, food delicious and prices very reasonable for the high quality of produce. I love this place and the caneles are scrumptious! They give you one before you leave at the door- a wonderful way to end your evening. Great for a romantic evening. Reservations recommended. more

Ok, So long story short...We have been to Canele before... Had a good time...But this time. Forget it. Too much Silverlakey attitude for us Atwater Village residents. Cons: The bitter, blonde brunch cook, who talks about u as u walk in.... more

I've gone here several times (mostly weeknights, to avoid waits) and been consistently impressed. The cozy, intimate scale of the restaurant is very East Coast, with a crowd that feels comfortably interesting instead of self-consciously hip. The winter squash soup with dates was amazing and not overly rich; my lamb main couse was well-seared and tender. My only wish is that they would change the menu more frequently so that I could try new things more often -- I've sampled most the menu now and am eager to see what else they can do! I have been here three or four times and have yet to have a bad dining experience. The growing crowd waiting outside on weekends tell me that others agree. Pros: Food, cozy, good value Cons: No reservations, waits on weekends more

8 of us went here tonite. They don't accept reservations so we had to wait about 45 minutes. (ick). However, the food made up for it. The wintersquash soup with creme & dates was AMAZING as was the Coop omelet. Yes, the omelet. All it had was eggs, salt and pepper with some sort of green leafy thing on top, but it was the best egg thing I've had. I had the beef tenderloin which was moist and salty to perfection well complemented with potatoes and spinach. Stay away from the beef stronganoff-esque plate. It is bland w/o any taste whatsoever (3 people had this plate at the table, all said it was boring). Oh, and be forewarned the fish comes with the head and tail unless requested otherwise. I also had a cappuccino which was great. The service was good too! Go and eat a yummy meal here! Pros: Food, good service Cons: No reservations, beef stroganoff thing, fish heads more

I?d been looking forward to checking this neighborhood restaurant out. Finally, last night, I got the chance. Unfortunately, I don?t plan on returning. While the staff was nice, the service was extremely slow, with no culinary pay-off. The appetizer, a blend of fish and a cube of butter in a dish, had a pleasant Old San Fran flavor, reminiscent of cocktail hour for the Mad Men set. It had 3 slices of bread stuck in the side, baked in butter: soft, chewy and dripping. The rich fish flavor, although pleasant, annihilated the taste buds. Luckily the acidity of the syrah managed to cut through the dense wall of grease. The other dishes I tasted, a clam spaghetti number with more oil and some Italian parsley was serviceable, and a plate of pan-fried snapper with peppers, green tomato and yet more Italian parsley tasted, like, well, pan-fried fish with a tepid Mediterranean salad. Pros: Location, Nice Servers Cons: Lackluster food, slow service more

Loved the atmosphere in this place. It almost felt like a bit of NY mixed with the French countryside. The food was great, the selection was very unique... It took me a few minutes to figure out what was what. The plates were quite small, just like in France. So, if you're looking for a large meal, this is probably not your best bet. However, if you want a cute, cozy local restaurant to have drinks with friends at, this is your place. Pros: Cute place, good food Cons: Small portions, tables xtra close to each other more

This is a relaxing neighborhood restaurant, with the added benefit of consistent, fresh AND delicious dishes. Everything I have tried is excellent, well maybe with the exception of the Brazino (not a fan of fish with head and tail attached at the table!) But from starter to dessert, a great experience. And as an added delight, the hostess passes out delightful treats, Canele's, as you leave. more

Loved it. Walked in at 8:30pm on a Friday night and were seated right away. Pros: seated quickly with no reservations on a friday night, great food Cons: juice glasses were weird but no ""real"" cons more

Warm and friendly service, cosy ambience, and delicous food! We had lamb, snapper, chocolate & almond cake which were all excellent! Must go and try! Pros: good food, friendly service, cosy ambience, easy parking more

I'd been to the restaurant that occupied this location in Atwater Village once several years ago and happened upon Canele when I returned to find the original place gone. What a nice surprise! The cozy dark interior gives you a great view of the cooking area along the side of the restaurant and the chalkboard menu is visible from all areas of the dining room. We split the jamon serrano, manchego, and garlic toast hors d'?uvre (a Spanish-inspired special that expanded upon the generally French menu) and enjoyed it thoroughly. But how can you go wrong cutting up some meat and cheese? The entrees proved the appetizer was no fluke - the pork loin on polenta and cooked greens was incredible and the special clams in garlic broth with toast was amazing. For dessert we split the biscuit with macerated fruit and creme fraiche and although we wished there was more balance between the three flavors (more creme better spread across the biscuit would have helped), we devoured every bite. The service was attentive without being unctuous and although they were worried they were out of Diet Coke at first, they managed to produce two cans for us (the wine list looked very good and very reasonably priced). They don't take reservations and we were there early on a Saturday night without a problem. But when we left the place was packed and people were waiting in the very small entry. On the way out, we were each given an actual small canele dessert to go. Quite an upgrade from the mints at most restaurants and a homey touch to the evening. Prices were reasonable for this level of food and parking was OK. Let's hope more restaurants like this one join the street as neighbors. Pros: Food, Service, Ambience Cons: Small dining room, no reservations more