WOW! This was our second time at Candela. This time, we had my husband's birthday dinner there with about 7 people. The appetizers/tapas were beyond delicious. Would highly recommend the octopus, the yuca, the potatoes - the list goes on! Some advice - do not leave there without trying the paella - the best you've ever had! The chef/owner kept coming over to us and talking to us about the food - the servers, the staff, everyone was just wonderful. What an incredible, personal experience... cannot wait to go back. read more

A typical Spanish restaurant with old world Spain charm ,interior like in Spain. Could use some polish. The food was okay ,sangria was good 1 glass had added liquors. I came down from palm beach as there are no longer any real Spanish or Portuguese restaurants. Also we are originally from N.J . Food was okay this is the way I was served in Spain. But portions are small compared to Portuguese rest. I'm Spoiled from NJ . It's the large portions full of sea food & yellow rice lobster & dishes like mariscada in green sauce .Spanish potatoes & port bread . The one Portuguese restaurant closed in parm beach owner was from Newark N.J. Gave huge portions now if I want that exceptIonal food and taste I'd have to fly back to South river. Spoiled for sure. read more

Amazing lunch fresh tasty and delicious and we all even got to meet the chef who is very down to earth and friendly and knowledgeable on all there wonderful wine & desserts we had we decided to try the flan it was pretty amazing !!! the caramel flan was so creamy and thick & Rich with a generous amount of lCarmel sauce ,my favorite can't wait until the next time we come back it will be for Dinner and Drinks and more wonderful desserts thank you ciao ciao read more

Candela Restaurant - Amazing lunch menu very affordable and great service and food is excellent!!!!! can't wait to come for dinner!!!!!! - Spanish Near Me - Wilton Manors, Florida

Traditional Spanish cuisine in a traditional style setting. The service is great and the chef checks with you to ensure your meal met your expectations. Food was very tasty and left nothing to be desired. I recommend Candela restaurant for those who enjoy Spanish cuisine. read more

My favorite Spanish restaurant in Fort Lauderdale. I have been coming here for years and the owner is great and always takes care of my family. We've done the bigger dining room a couple times for parties and it's amazing. 10/10 read more

Lunch with friends here today. Parking is tight in this busy strip center but you will find a spot nearby. After moving from our original table which was right under the speakers and they did not reduce the volume, we found a table where we could have a conversation and catch up on everything while enjoying a meal together. I had the Roast Pork with Morros, aka Lechon Asado con Black beans mixed with rice. My roast pork was very good, moist with plenty of flavor. I found the beans and rice dry but my "gringo" doctoring with some vinegar brought them up to acceptable. Good catching up with friends who enjoyed their dishes this afternoon. read more

Candela Restaurant - Spanish Near Me - Wilton Manors, Florida

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I had bookmarked this restaurant a while ago and finally got to try it for lunch. I made a reservation using Open Table and it was easy to park right in front of the restaurant around 1pm on a Wednesday. We had the restaurant mostly to ourselves, so we picked a table....soon after, they started playing music over the speakers and we had to move to a more quiet table. We had lunch with Roy and Julie...they had been here before. My husband and I picked from their lunch specials which were very fairly priced. I got the lamb shank which was very moist, well seasoned and big. My husband got the cerdo asado which was extremely salty...to the point that he could only eat less than half and had to get a box to bring home. The sides were good...I got the congri and ripe plantains and both were very well made. My husband's home fries were chunky and just average. Service was average, not overly attentive nor friendly, but not bad. read more

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Pan con lechon, garbanzos with chorizo and fried yucca were super delicious. I hope to return soon and try other dishes. read more

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The food had no taste. They tried to add 4 % service charge to my tag even though I was paying with a debit card. You don't pay a service charge (surcharge) when using a debit card, as major card brands like Visa and Mastercard forbid this practice. While merchants can charge fees for credit cards, adding surcharges to debit card payments--even if run as credit--is prohibited. read more

Authentic food from Spain. My family is from spain. I have also gone several times. The chef came 2 see us at the table and brought a special appetizer thats not on the menu and wasn't charged 4 it read more

A friend of mine picked this place. Some body from ware he worked recommend this place to him for lunch. He had the paella, and he really enjoyed it, so he talked us into going there for dinner. It turned out to be an excellent choice. We started with the house bread and the fried yucca. Both were fantastic. Then for diner we we had a few different dishes. My fried and I had zarzuela (seafood stew). Its kind of like paella but without any rice. My daughter and my friend's wife had the paella for two. They got it without the chorizo sausage. It also came with a half liter a sangria. My daughter did not drink that, but my wife did. My wife had Paella De Mar. Its paella with seafood only. I got to try it and it was very good. Actually everything was very good, especially the service. I'm looking forward to eating here again. read more

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We had dinner here at 6:15pm on a Friday night and it was totally empty until 6:45pm. Not sure why because the food was amazing, the service was great & the atmosphere was really really nice. They have some common tapas items and a bunch of not so common tapas items and some really interesting entrees to try in the future. The portions for tapas are a bit larger than other places. I thought the pricing was really really good. The Sangria was delicious. This is one of the better tapas restaurants I've been to in SFL. We had some delicious bread done with garlic & olive oil, Patatas Bravas, chrizo & salchichon, stuffed Piquillo peppers with spinach, goat cheese, almonds & raisins, bruschetta with roasted peppers, artichokes & goat cheese & cod croquettes. Everything was so delicious. read more

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Ordered a few of the tapas garbanzos con chorizo , gambas Al ajillo ect.. with a bottle of red wine found everything to be exquisite. Service was top-notch. The restaurant is well decorated where you can have a conversation and no one can hear you. read more

Candela Restaurant - Spanish Near Me - Wilton Manors, Florida

This place is amazing! We went for the Paella - where else can you order it 5 ways, always made to order for you? But the starters were even better!!! Rustic salad was brimming with flavors. Octopus special [it was big enough to be a main, not a starter] had thick parts of the arms but they were still tender - and so flavorful! The Chicken Cazuela Castellana main was huge and wonderful! And the Paella Negro was very good - the seafood was great, and the squid ink soaked rice was flavorful. Albarino wine was the perfect accompaniment. Service was very prompt and attentive. And the price was reasonable. This place should be packed every night! read more

A little hole in the wall in an unassuming, little bit gritty strip mall. The food is authentically Spanish and the tapas are true Spanish tapas. Not the Americanized version you see on way too many menus around here. The food is absolutely delicious. The paellas are wonderful, the pan con tumaca and patatas bravas a favorite. The service is delightful and we absolutely adore this place. If you have travelled to Spain and enjoy authentic Spanish food, give this place a try. Don't be scared off by the location. It's really a wonderful little restaurant! read more

The food far exceeded my expectations!!! It was wonderful. The owner was so proud of his food, that he made our whole experience amazing!!!! The Dine Out Ft. Lauderdale menu is an exceptional value. I would definitely recommend going!! read more

This is a must go!! Everything we ordered was delicious, absolutely no complaints! The service was great and the tapas were the best I have ever had!! The sangria was also amazing and served in a pitcher! If you are in fort lauderdale, you must go here! You will be transported to spain! read more

Candela Restaurant - Outside the restaurant! - Spanish Near Me - Wilton Manors, Florida

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The food is excellent and super fresh. The service was also great and atmosphere is super cute. I understand why they get such good reviews. We will definitely be back and i highly recommend giving the spot a try. My favorite dish was the roasted artichokes but everything was good. read more

Let's start by saying the place looks quite original. The negative points are for the following: Service was not great. Lady looked quite busy, what I understand, but a smile takes zero time specially if diapers are being nice. Food took forever, what was understandable since they cook the paella fresh. At some point looks like the place was on fire with so much smoke inside. So, in summary not a great experience. The paella grega was really good according to my husband and the vegetarian was ok for me. read more

Candela Restaurant - Seafood Paella Negra - Spanish Near Me - Wilton Manors, Florida

Amazing service , ppl are very vary nice, very cute inside, but the food is horrible!!!! HORRIBLE!!! They can't even make simple fries! It was the most disgusting fries in my entire life and im not kidding. I feel bad for this ppl who has to "sell" this food as good and tasty. The beans were just like from "el palacio del Los jugos" meaning literally reheated and served as they they were cold inside. Again, the atmosphere and staff are amazing , but food ‍ just expect everything reheated and full of fat with absolutely no flavor. The only dish that kinda made up a little was my bransino fish. It was crusty, again without salt, but this was the only thing I was able to eat. I hope this restaurant will improve and serve amazing food as this is the only thing that must be fixed in order to fill this place up with ppl on Saturday night. read more

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This place is a treasure. We found it some two years ago and now it's a regular whenever we're in town. The owners are just wonderful folks, and take great pride in presenting the best quality of food and service to their guests. As we've been many times, we can praise the consistency of excellence in customer experience. We look forward to many future visits. If you are looking for one of the hidden gems of Fort Lauderdale cuisine, search no more. You've found it! read more

I've now been twice to Candela and thoroughly enjoyed the experience each time. It's truly authentic Spanish food with a friendly staff. The lamb shank is to die for and all the paella are just scrumptious. I want to try everything on the menu. On Tuesday through Thursday, ordering before 6 PM gets you a 20% discount on all menu items, except specials, and drinks. Just go! read more

Absolutely and without any doubts the best Spanish, Cuban and Latin American Food on the planet. Yudaris and Armando are the best patrons and will go out of their way to make sure your experience is like no other. We love Candela Restaurant. The food is out of this world. The best customer service. Thank you for always making us feel at home. We just simply love you and your FOOD. You most definitely ROCK...Ariel. read more

This my partner's and i comfort restaurant. Not only is the restaurant beautifully decorated but the food is amazing. The house lemonade is delicious. The chef is so nice and loves to give recommendations. You can tell her loves what he does. The staff is so friendly. The appetizers, the rice platters, and their cheese platters are a must! I love going in the early afternoon as even then it can be very popular. For dinner def make A reservation! read more

For starters, the entire staff is so kind and nice. The head chef/owner greets everyone at the door and to me that speaks volumes. Candela is a whirlwind of complex emotions which will drive your taste buds to a whole new level. The food here is cooked with passion and love. Tucked away at a small strip mall next to a quick in and out grocery store is a restaurant that will make you feel like you've traveled overseas; and I am all for it. The inside is small and quaint but the moment you step in those doors you feel like family. There is art on the walls, a big wine wall, and an area in the back fantastic for a company or family get together. (We know because we had a Christmas dinner here last year). Not to mention the lovely choice in music. As mentioned before, the food here is top tier. There is something about a made from scratch Tapas restaurant I just cant get enough of. The bread was fresh and warm, and you must try the fried potatoes to start. The spicy creamy almost hollandaise sauce is guaranteed to knock your socks off and asking for a spoon to scrape up every drop. We decided on the octopus special which did not disappoint and the presentation was gorgeous. It had multiple flavors that set off the perfectly tender tentacle which all paired beautifully together mixing in some heat with the red peppers and saltiness of the olives. A very delightful dinner special. Our main course was the Paella De Mar which was cooked perfectly, the rice was excellent and the seafood was just right. As usual they hit the nail on the head with the right touch of seasoning, all washed down with a bottle of Cabernet of course. Overall, we will be returning and bringing friends next time so they can appreciate the joy that Candela gives us. Keep up the good work and I am so glad to see business is booming. You deserve it! read more

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MUST EAT HERE!!! Authentic Spanish food....so so good! Armondo and Julie are THE BEST!!! read more

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I didn't dine in yet the place has a nice feel inside, decorated in wine boxes and other classic looking decor. The Service was prompt and quality of food was great. read more

I dropped in to get a large order for takeout. The order took a little longer than expected, but I was picking up three different orders (for friends) since we were doing a socially distant bday dinner at a friends house. My order alone is below, and it was large as is haha....imagine three times this... Staff was super nice. The restaurant is super nice and cozy. There weren't doing dine in at the time, but I can see this being a great spot for a little date night. PAN TUMACA toasted bread, garlic, fresh grated tomato, evoo. On my last trip to Spain, pan con tomate was my jam, and this one brought back some fond memories of the super easy, yet not always executed flawlessly dish. It's crazy how some restaurants don't nail this - but luckily Candela does! PATATAS BRAVAS spicy potatoes. Delicious chunks of potatoes, fried and slathered in a spicy sauce. Get these! PAELLA DE MAR Calasparra rice & saffron broth, calamari, shrimps, clams, mussels and vegetables. This is the reason we ordered from here. I was dying for some Paella. Unfortunately this one fell a little flat for me. Maybe they were having an off night. It was good. But it wasn't great. RUSTICA Roasted beets, arugula, goat cheese, almonds, balsamic glaze, rosemary olive oil. This was really good! A nice mix of greens and veggies among the heavy dishes we ordered. CAMARONES CON TOSTONES Sweet & spicy creole shrimps and fried green plantains. This was super bomb also. The taste of the creole sauce the shrimps swam in, were delicious. The tostones held up great, even with takeout. MADUROS Deep fried, sweet plantains. I always order as a side. These were good! Overall it was a super solid meal. I will try the Paella again, but maybe not for takeout. Look forward to my next visit. read more

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When we travel we look for local restaurants. Today we were driving around Ft Lauderdale area and getting hungry and see Candela. Being a fan of Cuban cuisine we stopped. A great hidden gem and a local place that few tourists will dine. Authentic, great flavors , generous portions and good atmosphere. If your seeking a great local place this is it. read more

Candela Restaurant - Roasted Pork - Spanish Near Me - Wilton Manors, Florida

This is a wonderful restaurant, the food is delicious. We have gone for tapas as well as dinner. Never disappointed! And prices are very reasonable. Very nice atmosphere and very clean. Good wine selection.It reminded my husband and I of places we were at it Spain. Now one of our local favorites. Highly recommend. read more

Such amazing Spanish tapas and cuisine hidden off of Oakland park. Better than Barcelona!! Even the garlic bread was very scrumptious!! Every dish is lovingly prepared by Chef husband and wife who have been cooking in Spain, Italy and Switzerland. This is a neighborhood gem whose cuisine belongs in a five star hotel!! read more

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Great quiet spot for an intimate date night. Food is decent also. Service staff was very friendly. read more

Candela Restaurant - Octopus app! - Spanish Near Me - Wilton Manors, Florida

Nice atmosphere. Cute and cozy. Patatas bravas, yuca and sausage as apps were good. However the zarzuela was incredibly fishy smelling and tasting. Fish not fresh? Calamari in that dish and the paella like rubber bands and unpleasant to eat. Rice in paella undercooked for our taste. Don't understand all the 4 and 5 star reviews. Also unpleasant and tense atmosphere between owner and his staff was a bit uncomfortable. Won't return. read more

Food was very good off the lunch menu. 2 Roast Pork platters, Cuban Sandwiches no alchohol. Pork was shredded and very crispy, Service was excellent but the place was nearly empty at lunch. Ambience is pub like and really interesting . Would love to come back for dinner. $65 inc Tip read more

Candela Restaurant - Menu board - Spanish Near Me - Wilton Manors, Florida

had the most Amazing dinner at Candela's!! it's a must try while near Fort Lauderdale! everything is authentically Spanish and made with love! Very fresh! read more

It was our first time at Candela. The food was amazing. But most of all the service was incredible. We will definitely go back. read more

After a few days of seafood and big meals. I was craving something different -- tapas or charcuterie. This small Spanish restaurant on a side street just south of Oakland Park Boulevard fit the bill. We had called and made a reservation, but it really wasn't necessary off season on a Sunday evening. There were only a few other tables filled. But there was a guitar player in the corner entertaining the sparse group. The menu has tapas, small plates, as well as regular entrees. One of their specialties is paella. We were only two people, but this is the kind of place to come with a crowd so you can share and try many different things. We tried a glass of their white sangria -- it was quite good. Very citrusy, light, and refreshing. Next time I'd like to try their red sangria. We shared a "tabla surtida" -- which was a large charcuterie board including manchego cheese, olives, Serrano (ham), chorizo and salchichon. The meats were all sliced paper thin. The summer sausage (salchichon) was seasoned with paprika. I thought it might be spicy, but it wasn't. The Serrano was melt in your mouth like a prosciutto. One meat was like a hard dried salami. The Spanish cheese was cut in small triangles. It was firm and nutty in flavor. Nothing comes with the board, so we ordered a loaf of their "pan gallego". This rustic bread was thickly sliced and had olive oil, herbs, and salt in it. It went well with all the meats. The board was surprisingly filling. We almost ordered some croquettes or another small dish, but decided to go right to dessert, instead. We shared a slice of their "almond cake" which I'd seen photos of online. The tarta de almendras was wondrous. It's topped with powdered sugar but isn't that sweet. If you like almonds or the Italian tarta de nonna, you will love this. They don't make this on site. It's actually imported from Spain and is a regional favorite of northern Spain. It was delicious. read more

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Such quiet cozy out of the way spanish/Cuban restaurant. The owner/cook was very helpful and friendly. We had the beet salad, charcuterie board, Spanish bread (flown in from Spain), and 2 different Paellas. Everything was delicious. I don't know why there wasn't many ppl there, the food was fabulous! read more

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The tapas we ordered were very good. The service was excellent. They made you feel welcomed and made sure all went well. Las tapas que ordenamos estaban ricas y el servicio muy bueno. Todos atentos q todo estuviera a nuestro gusto. Un ambiente bien familiar. read more

Very local! I think the chef/owner may be a mad genius. The service is decent, service is a bit slow and the ambiance may be lacking. But the steak I got was sensational! read more