Cadena Spanish Café

When you realize the cost of chips and dips is a whopping 16 CAD, it's high time to consider making a swift exit from this eatery. I mean, seriously, what kind of magical chips and dips are they serving up that demand such a hefty price tag? The pan tumaca is essentially a tomato mush with an overpowering kick of pepper. The bread is so petite that it struggles to contain the unruly tomato concoction.

And don't even get me started on the meat offerings—all served with identical side dishes, drowning in sauces that, let's face it, taste eerily similar. Even the supposedly unique lapin sauce is nothing more than a pool of heavy oil, rendering the lean rabbit meat virtually indistinguishable from the rest.

The lamb chop? Far from fresh. The seafood paella? Not exactly a beacon of freshness either. The chicken reeks of an overnight stay, and the mussels? Well, they seem to have been frozen in a time capsule for countless years. I can practically discern the brand of the refrigerator they've been stored in.

In the paella, the only salvation comes in the form of sausages. At least they managed to escape the culinary mediocrity that plagues the rest of the menu.

We went to celebrate a friend's birthday on a Saturday night. I highly recommend getting a reservation. The place was pretty packed. We shared 6 tapas between the 3 of us, we were recommended about 2 per person, and that was perfect. We really like the croquettes with serrano ham, the shrimp in white wine sauce, and the meatballs in creamy tomato sauce. They were excellent. The fried zucchini was strictly ok, the fried calamari was good but nothing great and the patatas bravas were ok too. We didn't try the paella but it did look good. Cocktails were really good. They also did a little birthday tres leches cake for my friend which was delicious. All in all a good night out, will definitely go back and maybe not order so many fried tapas.

Very underwhelming. Perhaps they changed chefs because the empanadas were nothing like the pictures in previous reviews. The dough was overly crispy and not flaky. The filling was very bland. Definitely needed the spicy sauce on the side to add some flavour.

We also ordered the large seafood paella. For $200, the portion was fine but the seafood were all very overcooked. Especially the crab legs. I will admit I have never had authentic paella but I expected more flavour than salt and pepper. You do get quite a bit of seafood so I guess the price is justified. However, I was underwhelmed in the taste department.

Service was nice and attentive. Hoping today was just a fluke.

I was there with a large group so we were able to try the whole menu. Everything was excellent. I I'll definitely be back.

Loved this place. The tapas was the standout: everything we tried was fresh and flavourful, served hot and nice to look at. Took me back in memory to Spain. Portions are big, the two of us would have been well fed with three tapas items. The flan was thicker than I expected, almost the consistency of cheesecake, but tasted great. The service was super friendly, quick, attentive and very welcoming. Nice Spanish decor. The food is not cheap, but the tapas is worth it. We'll be back to explore more of the menu.

Excellent Team at Cadenas! Great food and a very good restaurant to go to when you are hungry, portions are very good and filling. Big shout out to the Chef he knows what he’s doing!

Sooooo fresh! Not pretentious but warm and friendly. You know it'll be authentic when you are surrounded by Spanish patrons! Staff was welcoming and passionate about the menu. Best paella and cerviche!

We five friends had a dinner reservation for 3/29/23 and we thoroughly enjoyed our evening. The atmosphere was pleasant, the service excellent, and the food very good. We shared a number of small plates and wine. We would definitely plan to return.

Overpriced, not really tapas, food was really salty and otherwise not very flavourful.

Seems like they moved to a new location in 2022 and recently upped their prices on their menu. This explains why this spot has such glowing reviews, when they were in Sandy Hill, it appears that they had better prices and higher quality food.

Don’t waste your time or money at this spot, it’s overpriced and the food is cold, bland, and presented poorly. My girlfriend left feeling hungry despite us spending over 100$ for both of us.

Service was very friendly though

We came here for my wife's Birthday, we made a reservation for 13 people. They were so accommodating and super friendly! There is an Ecuadorian touch in their paella and it was delicious although not particularly Spanish Paella we still enjoyed it. The vibes were what we are looking for, good lighting and nice Spanish music in the background. I highly recommend this place! And George, what a friendly and personable waiter. Thank you for ensuring that everything went smoothly!

Very good food and excellent, friendly service. We ordered cocktails, a few tapas dishes and the Paella and it was ALL excellent! Thanks and we'll see you again!

As a Spanish-origin customer, I truly appreciated how original and flavourful all the food we ordered was! We had the calamares and patsy’s bravas to start (the bread accompanied with it was the best bread I’m ever ever had!), and finally we ended up with their paella, accompanied by a bottle of their Italian Cabernet Merlot Veneto (their wines are not even available at the LCBO). It was so much food we had to take the rest home, but every bite was an explosion of flavour that reminded me of my home in Barcelona. Sandra and her sons operate the restaurant, and it feels so warm and welcoming. Bravo! 10/10 would highly recommend coming if you’re looking for an original Spanish cuisine experience!

I ordered a personal paella. The seafood was really good; generous portion and variety.

The service was also very accommodating and friendly! Thank you George!

It’s rare to find a Spanish restaurant in Ottawa, so we wanted to give it a go! I was impressed with the portion sizes: the traditional Paella was MASSIVE (it says feeds 2-3, but it can feed 4-5 with a side dish or two), and the tapas generally had good portions. The only point I have is that the paella tasted a bit like minute rice and the grains were a bit too hard for my liking - maybe it was rushed when we went.

The mixed drinks were delicious, and the staff was friendly and responsive. We had a great time and will be back to try new dishes!

Cadera is a lovely little restaurant with excellent food and service. We've ordered the paella several times, as well as many of the tapas and everything has been very tasty. We recently ordered for take-out and the kitchen forgot to make one of the dishes but instead of leaving us high and dry the manager and kitchen staff went above and beyond and got the dish done asap and didn't charge us for it. That is good service and good client management. We'll be going back... Lots.

The owner/manager made us feel like family.
It wasn't too busy, which is a bonus for me.
The food was AMAZING!
The paella is massive! Traditional paella says 2-3. It's easily good for 4-5.

Perfect place for proper Spanish tapas, we only been in for lunch but reckon this would be lovely in the evening too!

The place looked clean. Servers were nice, unprofessional but nice. Food is extremely overpriced. Paid 120 for a paella for 2 that was an absolute disaster. The rice was literally soupy although the whole point of paella is the crunchy almost burnt rice. Also, didn’t have anywhere near enough seafood (huge difference from the advertised photos) all was bland (except for the calamari). Chef, taste your food before serving it, it may need some salt… Hopefully this helps you improve

Went for a girls night with my friends and everything was delicious! The service was amazing, the food was impeccable and the sangria just right. The paella you need to order in advance so that they can prepare it ahead of time. It’s so worth it!

This place was awesome. The service was great.we always had water. The food was amazing. Highly recommended!

The staff are so friendly and the atmosphere was amazing! I highly recommend their pasta and mussels, absolutely delicious! They also have a great drink menu, their sangria and margaritas were so good! I will be back again:)

If you want a good piece of lamb, avoid this place and go across the street to The Savoy, you'll pay $10 less too.

Went out last night for an anniversary date with the girlfriend. We wanted to do something special and go to a seemingly nicer place. I ordered the pork belly, spanish coffee, and the *brazziered* lamb leg. My lamb arrived and my vegetables were still frozen, they offered to take it back, I said no its okay its just a few vegetables its still edible.

The lamb was dry, tough, gamey, and tasted oiley. I apologized profusely and explained that I enjoyed the other food but I didn't like this at all and i would like to send it back. I also said they didn't need to offer anything else, just to remove this from my bill and I would be happy.

The manager said that " do not worry, I would be taken care of" and she was surprised that I didn't enjoy the lamb because it was a big sell.

I received my bill with only a 20% discount on just the lamb dish, making where the manager strong armed my partner after handing her the pay machine and said "is there something wrong with the bill? "

This isn't "taking care" of your clientele or customers, you aren't doing us a favor, and the only reason why neither of us made a bigger deal out of the "hospitality" given to us was because we didn't want to ruin the night for each other.

Delicious, delicious, delicious! Went for lunch and ordered tapas. Waiter was friendly and helpful; restaurant was cozy and comfy; did I mention the food was good? I like the beef empanadas the most of what we tried. Ceviche was brimming with shrimp and delightfully tangy. Patatas Bravas was crunchy on the outside and pillowy on the inside. Prices on the $$-$$$ range. I would love to try the dinner menu sometime, on a special occasion.

The paella was OK, but where was the saffron!? I did not taste it! We had paella before at El Meson and Don Alfonso's who were as authentic Spanish/Portuguese restaurants as you can find in North America.so yes, ok paella but did NOT have the TLC (tender loving care) that we saw before. ñ.

By chance we stopped in for an afternoon cocktail and snack with our 4 year old daughter. We sat on their lovely patio and enjoyed their pizza, and fresh dips with chips. The music was lovely and the service was excellent. A gem in a great neighbourhood.

We decided to stop here as we saw tapas on the sign. We ordered a few dishes and a glass of wine each, and it was delicious. The Latin music and vibes were delightful. There were a few other things on the menu I would love to try, so we will be back.

We had the most marvelous experience. The food tasted like it was homeade and you were in someones home in europe or latin america. Marcello was so personable and even serenaded us with some Spanish Balleros - it was a very special experience for me and my family! So gratful to have come across this family restaurant

Amazing beef and chicken empanada! Flavourful, juicy, crispy! They were filled to the brim with meat. I can eat them everyday. The ham/cheese empanada can be skipped. It didn't wow me.

The beef and chicken tacos were pretty standard. Nothing spectacular.

The croquettes definitely can be skipped.

Good service, varied menu: paella was served with within 30 minutes, chicken and ham and cheese empanadas were good, as were fried calamari. The beef empanadas were dry, as were the beef tacos. Good atmosphere!

The live music was absolutely amazing. Set the ambiance, you were able to listen and talk to other people at your table with no issues.

The rice was absolutely horrible.

Great experience - food was amazing and the staff were super kind and happy to explain different options.

Such an amazing experience. Great service and the food is just out of this planet. The albóndigas, croquettas and empanadas were so delicious.

Super great place! I went in one hour before closing on a weekday eve. No one else was dining. I asked the proprio if he wished to serve me. He said Yes. He recommended a Tapas which I ordered. Yummy meatballs and a rosé sauce. Delicious! I learned that Pialla is their specialty. They also do huevos rancheros for brunch on the w/e. Price was very good. Service quick and professional. A very welcome addition to Westboro Village! Nice to have a Spanish resto in the neighbourhood!

I am so glad that I tried it out instead of going to just a bar and grill!

We were looking for a tapas place, and found Cadena. Sandra was warm and welcoming and the food was fresh and delicious. No hint of pretentiousness, just great food at a reasonable price. And the empanadas are gold! We will be back.

Update: Went back April 2022, to new location in Westboro, and it is even better.

We ordered paella for four, salads and desserts for a family New Year’s Eve. Everything was delicious and we started the year very happy. Thank you!

Our new go to spot for breakfast in Sandy Hill! Fresh delicious food with a welcoming, friendly atmosphere.

The coffee was great, the food was delicious, and the menu has a variety of options! The owners of the restaurant are incredibly kind every time I go, and it's a great place to study, have some food, a coffee, or even a beer:) I highly recommend it!

Great cubano sandwich probably the best north of union city, what a great great food, first time in, will love to come back.

Fantastic Latin American Café with an amazing menu, and a more amazing staff. The proprietors, Nino (Italian) and Sandra (Ecuador) combine old world charm with new world taste. A fantastic combination. I can't rave about this place enough.

This cafe is by far the best I have been to! The food is delicious and the drinks are great. I was very pleased to have had a great meal for such a low price. If you come to the Cadena Spanish Cafe, expect to be wowed because i sure was!

The place is so cozy and calm. Would be great to have a chill morning breakfast or to just have a relaxing beginning of the day. Also their grilled cheese is amazing!

Incredible food and incredibly warm, friendly atmosphere. Nino and Sandy treat you like family and the cooking puts my mom's to shame - don't tell her. I recommend the amazing huevos rancheros for breakfast and the grilled cheese (with pear and prosciutto) any time of day. There's also a wide variety of delicious empanadas, including a chocolate-and-banana one that's dangerously good. I'd give this little place six stars if I could.

Best Coffee in town, Love the atmosphere and worker (Andy) was so polite and so sweet. 5 stars all the way! High recommend it!

Highly recommended, a warm ambiance, delicious food, great coffee, welcoming owners, everything you need to enjoy a very special 'eating out' experience!

Hands down the best build your own sandwich deal. For what you get, it would be more expensive to make yourself.

Les propriétaires sont tout simplement adorables donc des le début on s'y sent bien! Ambiance toute tranquille, détendue, très bon rapport qualité/ quantité avec le prix si vous voulez un bon breakfast pour commencer la journée je recommande!

Best sandwiches and banana bread in Ottawa! They use good fresh ingredients and the owners are super nice. Great coffee too.

Other reviewers are correct: very good coffee here, along with a solid selection of sandwiches (mananero was delicious), plus a warm greeting to boot! Will be back.