Kanella

Kanella Grill is a great restaurant serving Mediterranean food in Philadelphia. If you are planning to have the tasting menu for $40 per person, I must warn you that it is going to be A LOT OF FOOD because the portion size is quite generous and having 4 dishes per person is too much. That being said, here’s how everything was: Mezze The muttabal was my absolute favorite dish of the night. So so so creamy and one you must try even if you aren’t an eggplant fan. The Muhammara was pretty bang-on with its flavors. The Cypress potato chips were crisp to perfection and the yogurt dip it was served alongside was interesting. The grilled halloumi had a strong sheep milk flavor which was neutralized by the candies apricots that it was served with. It wasn’t my favorite due to the pungent flavor but I still enjoyed it, nonetheless. Mains: The spanakopita was flaky and was stuffed with a delicious spinach ricotta filling. It was a good idea to serve it with a salad containing red bell peppers because they landed some much needed sweetness to a dish high on salt (feta is a salty cheese). Another thing that they could have done is drizzled some honey on top to add some more depth to the dish. The falafels were very mediocre. I have tasted better falafels in Philly itself. I would not recommend unless you are a big falafel fan. Dessert The semolina halva was served with spun sugar and the dish tasted EXACTLY like this Indian dish called sheera/suji ka halwa while the spun sugar was like another dish called Buddhi ka baal (translates to “old woman’s hair” in English. It was served with candied fruit. A good dish but since I was so familiar with the flavors, I was more comforted than fascinated by it. Also, wish the halva was served a little warm to allow the clarified butter in it to melt. The baklava was decent but a little too sweet for our liking. Again, we’ve had better baklava at other places. The ambience is quite simple but has a very Greek-ish feeling to it. The servers are kind too. If you are looking for a pocket friendly Mediterranean place with good food then Kanella is the one for you.

My absolute favorite place for Mediterranean food in Philly!! Everything is delicious and beautiful, and the staff are extremely attentive and friendly! Definitely feels like walking into a family restaurant. The hummus is some of the best I've ever had, the falafel was perfectly crispy, and the Adana lamb kebab was cooked to perfection. Everything was flavorful and fresh. The Turkish coffee is great too, perfect for an after-meal digestive, and is served in beautiful and unique cups. A warm, friendly, and delicious place, definitely worth a visit!

Kanella restaurant serves really delicious Mediterranean food. The atmosphere is just great. It’s BYOB and they have outdoor dining areas too. My friend and I got both “The Taste of Kanella” which came with 2 appetizers, 1 main course and 1 dessert. We chose muhammara, watermelon salad, potato chips and halloumi as an appetizer, salmon kebab as a main course and caramelized pumpkin and halva as a dessert. It was a lot food but we finished everything because each dish was amazing. My favorite was muhammara. The service was great and all the waiting staff was very friendly. The prices were very reasonable. It’s a great spot in center city area. Highly recommend!

The food here was incredible. We had the halloumi meze which was like nothing I’ve ever had before as well as the rib cap and falafel 🥙 it was to die for. Great service too with all staff going above and beyond. In fact we were travelling from London and I left my bag with passports inside and I had to leave really early to go back home and the owner came and opened up at 7am to give it us back just simply incredible a must stop on your trip to Philly!

Loved this under the old ownership and was happy to see it's still great under the new chef/owner. Came with friends and we did the "Taste of Kanella," which is a great deal and absolutely the best way to dine here Loved getting to try so many of the mezze and mains, feasting together and sharing food. Everything was delicious and vibrant. Make sure to get the kunefe dessert!

Kanella has been on my list for too long. So glad I finally made it for a mid-holiday-season lunch! Our group of 4 took advantage of the Taste of Kanella prix fixe and were able to try all the Meze--our server* gifted us the Cyprus Potato Chips (shishito peppers, herbed yogurt, zaatar) so we could try them (and so very glad he did, as they were one of my favorite Meze!), too. Other favorite Meze offerings: Shepherd Salad (cherry tomatoes, cucumber, feta cheese, onion), which had some of the tastiest tomatoes I've had in a while, and lovely depth of flavor; Crispy Brussels Sprouts (carrot tarator, zaatar), which were well-seasoned; Beets with Yogurt (honey, arugula, walnut), which had a great balance of sweet, bitter, and nutty; Seared Halloumi (apricots, dates, walnuts), because how can one go wrong with seared cheese?! Also wanted to give a nod to the crispy chickpeas in the Hummus--loved the added texture! For my main, I chose the Falafel (ground fava and chickpea fritters, tahini) which were a good size, maybe a little drier than I was expecting, and paired well with the side salad (similar to the Shepherd Salad, but included red cabbage). And for dessert, I chose the Baklava (filo pastry, pistachios, walnuts), which was terrific--not too sweet! Will definitely return! *Terrific service--loved the guidance on ranking the Main dishes!