I went here with my daughter. We Both had Chicken franchese. It was delicious. Nicely seasoned great lemon flavor. Good enough portion. read more

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First time here, exactly what I wanted, the staff is great , service is great, the food was super fresh and exactly what I was looking for old school 1970s Spaniard food. Seafood was fresh loved it, drinks are bartender are great- so happy I came here- can't wait to come back- the place is the typical old Spanish place- I love it - super clean and A rating :) places like this are long gone- extinct - so happy this place is alive and kicking. I can't recommend this place enough. Prices are fair and great with kids too! Be back soon! Also their great refill your bread chips dip and water very attentively. If you like old school Spaniard food this is the place read more

A wonderful restaurant I crave The food they serve Favorite being cheese enchiladas , they're warm salsa and All of the seafood dishes Highly recommend you won't be sorry read more

Great service!! Hadn't been there in many years. Delicious dessert. Good beer selection

We came here for my birthday to see how this place was after not being here for years. We stayed at the bar to wait for friends and had a pitcher of sangria .half pitcher 31bucks. And the drinks barely tasted of anything. I had for dinner seafood paella. 38bucks. Good sized portion but again was bland and didn't taste of anything. Kind of a let down as I really like this dish. Wife had a price fix 28bucks came with salad choice of dinner , fish or pasta , she got fish which she liked . Came with sides and dessert. I used to go to Carmen's off Hylan for this and was always great but they closed down. Food could have been better especially what I paid for drinks and meals , but may be a while till I come back again. Servers were great . Very helpful and friendly. read more

La Candela Espanola - Bar - Spanish Near Me - Staten Island, New York

The wait staff was excellent, I have no complaints with them. The food was quite mediocre. My wife and I ate there for her birthday. She was in the mood for paella. We ordered a glass of sangria for her, $12. The sangria they sell at Costco is much better. We ordered an appetizer of stuffed mushrooms, I tasted no crab, mediocre. We both ordered the Paella Valencia, the rice was steaming hot, the Sea food wasn't, and was totally tasteless. The pork was a few thin slices, the chicken was chopped up thighs, I think? Be careful, there were bones. The amount of food was plentiful.They charged extra for my credit card. All in all, not worth the money. read more

This is one of my favorite Spanish restaurants .excuse me WAS MY FAVORITE BUT I CANT BELIEVE THE PRICES. My husband and I both had Spanish seafood in garlic sauce. No appetizers or extras OUR BILL CAME TO OVER $100.00 not what I was expecting but once Covid hit we stopped eating out. I have been eating here for over 25years and the prices had me shell shocked.Double the price and serve half the amount of food. The food that I have eaten there over the years has been excellent. read more

On the evening of the impending Snowstorm Jan 2022, I went out to pick an order for my family. Frank , the manager had my order of Chicken Franchese , with all the sides, hot and ready to go. I would be enjoying a bottle of their signature Red Sangria with the meal. The dinner was excellent as was the excellent customer service from Frank. I highly recommend this fine dining experience to all. Lou Ellen Kalb R.N. read more

Been coming here for years the food is always great. My family came yesterday for a birthday. The chips and salsa they give you while you wait are great . Fried nicely with a nice warm almost chili like salsa. The house vinaigrette that comes with the salad is amazing. I frequently order the chicken villaroy as my entree and it's so good. All entrees come with family style rice and potatoes that are almost like chips but still somehow soft and almost French fry like. I finished off all my food with a chocolate mouse cake and it's amazing . Took some bites of the fried cheesecake as well and was also great . The staff are all so friendly. Highly recommend La Candela read more

Enchiladas were the worst I ever had drowned in a disgusting brown sauce they should try using salsa

I've lived on Staten Island for almost 14 years and I'm questioning myself why haven't I been here sooner? I found a Groupon from local flavor so I figured I would give them a shot and boy I am happy! Let me start off with the staff, how dang cute, attentive and considerate are they?! I wanted to hug them, these guys are so sweet. Kudos to the staff. Now onto the food. The staff should have cut me off but kept bringing me salsa and chips which are delicious and so fresh. This is the real deal authentic Mexican style food. I had the #5 and my hubs had the #1. The portions are huge (hence why I should have been cut off with the chips). You start with a salad as well, so I was super stuffed mid way through my meal. For how much food you get the price is worth it. With your entree you get rice and beans and a potato (not sure what they were called but oh so good). I would definitely return as many of their customers do it seems. The 2 couples who walked in after us the staff seemed to know pretty well which I love. Gives you that feel good family vibe. read more

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We had dinner on a Friday night at around 7:30PM. I was surprised to get a table immediately. Our drink order was immediately taken and our drinks were brought very quickly, we got chips and salsa on the table and they were good. We waited an unusual amount of time to have our order taken, I had to ask a passing server to have him send over our waiter. We ordered chicken britelo, it was a nice portion and tasted good, shrimp with a green sauce, plenty of medium sized shrimp, maybe 15 shrimp and a Mexican combo of 2 tacos and an enchilada. The mexican combo was considerably over priced for the portion received. I've seen better and bigger from Taco Bell. The meals came with salad (iceberg lettuce with a slice of tomato-nothing special), sliced fried potatoes (they were good) and yellow rice (moist and fluffy). Overall some food was good, some disappointing. The service - left me confused who our waiter was since we would be served by two different servers - I guess we were the orphan table. The check was hand written (haven't seen that since 2010) and when I paid by credit card they added the credit card surcharge onto my bill. I might go back for some items but the Mexican combo's are not worth it. I know it's a Spanish restaurant but you would think they can give bigger portions considering the price. Totally disappointed with the service and the credit surcharge. read more

Haven't been here in years and I don't know why. Food is pretty good and the give you very generous sizes. Shared a pitcher of sangria with the hubby. Sangria is nice because it's not too sweet. I had the seafood paella which is mostly in my fridge right now simply bc I was full Mixed feelings on the paella... good, but I've had better. Very filling especially after the chips with salsa which had a nice spice to it. And like I said generous portions. Inexpensive also. I'd definitely give it another try soon. read more

La Candela Espanola - Seafood paella - Spanish Near Me - Staten Island, New York

The food was fantastic. Service was great. Atmosphere is so nice. The music was great and not to loud. I went on a Thursday and had the fixed meal. The portions are great. And had a pitcher of white sangria. I highly recommend this place. read more

Service was good, food was ok not great thought it would be better I think Sofia taqueria food is better in my opinion for Spanish / Mexican food. read more

Come on Staten Island this place hasn't missed a beat. The owner has set up a nice romantic setting on the side of the restaurant, fans, a nice covering, and beautiful planters. The food is still amazing, the sangria still has you felling good and the chorizo's are still cooked to perfection. Did I mention the chips and dip, oh yeah, and stuffed mushrooms OMG!!!!!!! The service continues to be top notch, always attentive and there for your every need. Great job as always under tough circumstances but La Candela you impressed as always! Come on SI, come to a Great Kills and stop here I promise you; you will not be disappointed. And guess what they still have the music playing outside, nice touch!!!!!! read more

My family's favorite Place!! We always order the chicken villeroy! The chips and salsa is also the best!

WOW WOW WOW - This restaurant was amazing. I am not sure why it only has 3 stars so hoping my review will help it go up. We did indoor dining - the place is very cozy inside and although you can dress casual, it was not a casual feel. There was plenty of space and parking ( I am sure that it would get crowded prior to covid) - they do have a tented outdoor area with heating to accommodate other guests or those who may be afraid of eating inside but we were excited to eat inside. You get a bang for your buck here too! They start you off with chips and an an amazing warm salsa. The salsa was so good - I could not stop eating. Then they serve you salad if you get one of the meals. The dressing was so good! I got the 3 enchiladas, my friends had the half chicken and the chicken estoril. This was served to us with rice, beans, and potatoes. Everything was so tasty. Try this place. You will not regret it! read more

La Candela Espanola - a plate of mexican food - Spanish Near Me - Staten Island, New York

The place is nice and cozy. Food is delicious and staff is very attentive and friendly read more

La Candela Espanola - Flan - Spanish Near Me - Staten Island, New York

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I have been coming here for over 30 years, ever since the original place was across the street. I had both of my kids' communions there back then. I had dinner tonight with the same staff on hand, service and food was, as always, impeccable.the quality of everything was still the same, as it has been awhile since i have been there. You still have a great place Joe!!! read more

I always don't believe on negative reviews until I visit the place and experience it. This is a great hometown restaurant that everyone should visit and enjoy. It's better than fast food restaurant in the corner as they have great staff, great ambiance, and most especially great food at a reasonable price. I was complaining as I was so full from my order of Galicia, Baked clams, porkchops with garlic and bbq sauce, shrimp with rice and a grand finale flan and chocolate ice cream. Aside from that, they served great unlimited chips with delicious dip sauce and salad. Overall, very satisfied with great service, food and most importantly THE STAFF. Will definitely go back and dine again. read more

I was not impressed. Went a couple of days ago. The restaurant I found to be dirty. The people were not friendly and the food was mediocre. Not the best choice read more

I came to this place because I know a few people who absolutely love it. With saying that maybe this visit was just a fluke. If I was rating this on appearance only, this place would get a 5 star rating. It is quite nice on the inside and was very clean. The waiter we had was ok, nothing over the top or horrible. Was a little slow getting our bill, had to ask a bus boy for it. I ordered from the Prix Fix menu. First I was given my salad. This was weird. They only have a house salad with house dressing. The salad come out looking like something I threw together when I was at home. The dressing is alright to me but the person I was with liked it more, so I guess that it depends on taste. Next I got my black bean soup. This was probably the worst. I love bean soup and have had a few in my life. This one tasted like they took a can of Beans and added water to a bowl and called it soup. The best by far was the chicken francese. It was very juicy chicken with a lot of flavor. They should avoid having lemon seeds in there sauce though. For desert we had the flan and this was bad, it's sweet but not good tasting like flan at all, and instead of the golden brown color flan usually has, it was orange. read more

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The food was good, service was great. Come hungry, the servings are filling and the salsa is delicious. read more

La Candela Espanola - Spanish Near Me - Staten Island, New York

The food here is terrible. We went today and the rice looked like rice-a-roni and tasted like it too. Everything was bland. the enchilada and tacos were also bad, We hardly touched it. My 16y old daughter even said it tasted like it came out of a box and a freezer before I even made any comments to her. When We told the staff we didn't want to wrap anything up it's almost like the waiter/manager knew the food was bad and didn't hesitate or ask any questions. They did however reduce our bill significantly and we only paid for drinks. Better than $70 for boxed garbage. read more

La Candela Espanola - Chickennwith saffron rice - Spanish Near Me - Staten Island, New York

Four of us celebrated a birthday last night 3/22/23 at La Candela , taking advantage of the $30 prixe fixe deal of salad, appy or soup, entree, dessert and coffee. it's classic and quiet here, with elegant service and good, plentiful food. We ordered baked clams, gazpacho and quesadillas as apps, and various chicken dishes and broiled sole for entrees, with a pitcher of red sangria. Everything was tasty and our server had a wonderful sense of humor. The assisting wait staff was on top of everything for us. We had a great evening. read more

Food is bland. Portions are small and way too over priced. 12 dollars for 3 golf ball sized enchiladas and 25 dollars for 3 enchiladas that taste like middle school lunch. Better off eating at chipotle. read more

Worst restaurant and experience tonight! The chips were stale, food tasteless, and flan disgusting! We asked for new dessert because the flan was horrendous. They wouldn't change it! Bad business. What does ice cream cost? Food tasted like it was microwaved. Just gross! Beware ! read more

Save your money!, time and embarrassment of bringing people you know there. The food was horrible. From the appetizers, soups and main dishes. I really don't know how this place stays open. I was so embarrassed when someone gave me a certificate and I brought other people. One guest couldn't even eat their meal. The other person said I wouldn't give this to my own dog. The chicken villaroy was like paste and flour wrapped around a dry piece of what they called chicken. Please heed my warning. Stay away. The worse poor quality food I have ever eaten. For good Spanish food, try Real Madrid. read more

Ordered takeout for Mother's Day. Very disappointed. Garlic Shrimp consisted of 7 small shrimps in sauce. Tasty but not worth $13.00 dollars. Paella Valencia was dry too dry. I know takeout is difficult because you have to reheat, I ate at this location many years ago and this was a bit disappointing. Probably look for another Spanish Restaurant for future orders. I thought pricing was out of line for food value. read more

It seems the locals really love this place and that's beautiful. It was packed. The host was very nice as well as the server. Unfortunately, I can't find anything else great to say. Food was unimpressive and the wait time was too long for the food. I won't be back but best of luck. As long as the locals love it. read more

The food was dank. Not hipster good dank.. rather the dank that leaves a nasty taste in the back of your throat that gets even more dank with each successive burp. On the bright side, the tap water was clean and the chips and salsa were good. The Caesar salad tasted like it came right out of a plastic bag. The seafood in the paella had a dank fishy aftertaste. The coffee was ok. read more

We've been here three times and the drink/beer prices were different each time. Hand-written "receipts" that are nearly illegible. Will not be back again and I recommend to others go elsewhere. read more

Our favorite! Enjoyed a delicious skirt steak cooked to perfection along with the perfect martini, fresh bread, excellent service. Whether it's date night or family night La Candela fits all our occasions. read more

Come hungry and bring a designated driver. Have been coming for 30 years and I have to say, this place has only gotten better. From the chips and salsa to the enchilada candela to the zarzuela to the xango dessert. Home run!!!!! Wait, did I mention the sangria! I can't believe how much we ate and drank. Five thumbs up!!! read more

Great atmosphere good service and food. The sangria is good. Isn't the best by far the worst. Went traditional Mexican while the wife went Spanish. We had empanadas they were decent. I had the three enchilada plate very traditional flavored read more

Let's just start by saying before I written this review, I have dined at this restaurant more than once but my last experience was what pushed me to write this review. Aside from the staff being very abrupt and hesitant to help you or take your order on a busy day definatly does not make up for the quality of the food. We came here for New Years, and can you tell me this.... How do 20 grown adults share 4 appetizers and how do they have the nerve of 5 tiny (thumbnail) stuffed mushrooms to be called "family sized". Of corse we could have ordered more but that would have been extra (on top of the $85) we spent ! After the appetizers were served there was an HOUR wait until we had our main coarse. Which is rather tasty. The steak with very tender but of coarse it had a down fall, NOTHING TO EAT with it besides potatoes chip?! Yes, potato chips which we had to share. And on top of that there was no coffee it desert. I should have just taken that $85 and ripped it up! I was never so furious and disappointed in a restaurant in my life. Oh, and we watched the ball drop on an 12 Inch tv in the bar area.... What also frustrated me about this restaurant on multiple occasions is how often they can forget your order or ignore and special requests you may have... I said id like my steak rare at lest two times, and of coarse it came back well done and I had to send it back. The only plus I would say is the inside looks kind of pretty and the drinks are not watered down (which took me by shock)! I would defiantly avoid this restaurant!! read more

Our experience here started out as "solidly mediocre" and as the meal went on managed to train wreck itself into an impressive one-star experience. We came here on New Years Eve for an early dinner/late lunch. We started confused about parking, and it appears that's it's valet or fend-for-yourself. We parked without too much difficulty on a side street. Once seated, the waiter did take our order quickly, although he seemed surprised that we wanted to order from the 3pm-6pm menu around 3:10pm. We thought it seemed like a reasonable thing to do. The Sangria was, as others have mentioned, pretty great. But that's really where it ended. We ordered from the Mexican side of the menu, which might have been our mistake, but it contained the only vegetarian offerings so we gave it a shot. The enchiladas and stuffed peppers were 95% cheap cheese, they forgot to bring out my black bean soup and ended up bringing it out after my meal. They apologized, but didn't offer any type of discount for the mistake. They ended the meal with some of the worst flan I've experienced in my entire life. Cold and slimy and covered in orange liquid that left a greasy orange residue on your spoon. Neither me nor my boyfriend could actually stomach it enough to finish it. Finally, when the bill came we used a yelp "check-in" offer for 10% off, which they accepted, but then later came back asking for the number of the coupon, which we couldn't find (do yelp coupons even have numbers on them?). They did honor the coupon, but by the end of it the whole thing just felt like an ordeal and we were chomping at the bit to get out. read more

A friend of mine brought me here a few weeks ago. This is THE DEFINITION of the place that I've seen very often, as long as I can remember, but have never been to. Off the bat he orders a slew (i think that's how you spell it) of appetizers. All of them delicious. There was bread with melted mozzarella and pepperoni on it, some kind of chopped up spicy hot dog, enchiladas and some kind of rib. (sorry for the vague descriptions, there was also alot of Sangria). I had a very nice taco platter and shared with everyone else at my table, tasting their entrees. The steak was incredible. The service was excellent, and the atmosphere was very romantic. Great place to take a date ... just gotta find one first. read more

The food here was really bad. We went to this place (having truly enjoyed our many visits to Carmen's & to Spains) but this was not even close! We spent a great deal of money, but the issue was that the food (lobster, shrimp, soup, veggies, flan) were all truly "the pits!" It all tasted as if they were serving food from Spain night at a nursing home (as if the food had all been old, frozen, & tossed togther at the end of the cooking process, sans anything like flavor!) We thought we would give it a 2nd try, as friends had told us it was good, however it was, by far, much less passable then any of the other spain related dishes we have had at other places in SI, NYC, & NJ. read more