Candelas

Expensive, small portions, not a good Mexican food. Old Town is a better option and check your receipt because they charge us with a 18% for gratuity with out asking. Not coming back to this place.

I don’t know why this place gets these great reviews. I went twice like 2 years apart, both times found it based on the reviews, 2^nd time didn’t realize it was the same place. Both times the food was terrible, ambiance was meh, and prices are ridiculous (especially considering the less than okay food). Drinks were pretty good, I’ll give them that, although also expensive. I usually agree with the general review consensus but this was one of the few places I really was at a loss as to why people like it.

Cerrado… Damn! this was one of the closest bars to my pad.
And they made some badass cocktails as well.
I’ll miss getting pickled and then stumbling a few blocks home.

Closed as of December 2, 2014
We have always loved dining at Candela’s in the gaslamp… innovative Mexican dishes that aren’t your usual taco-​stand fare, great service, and swanky ambience. BUT we went tonight and it was closed! (as was their adjacent burlesque-​themed bar)!! Tables and equipment everywhere through the windows, with no posted signs. Are they closed for good? Just renovating? Why not post a sign directing diners to the Coronado location? Very sad :-(

The only way I can describe the importance of Roasted Poblano appetizer: It’s as if the Pope met Jesus and they tweeted a selfie.
Go eat it. Now. I don’t think it’s a permanent item (but it should be) so don’t miss your chance!
Aside from that, the place is nice. Kinda loud and the tables for two are long so it was hard to talk over, but the waiter was funny and the food was good. Took off one star for the minor ambiance snafus and lack of vegetarian options. My enchiladas could have been better. But man, that appetizer alone gets six stars!

Staff was awesome friendly, prices are fair great place for friends to have a good time

Came here post graduation … And i can confidently say it was amazing ! We were the only party there and they were super attentive, but I’m not sure how they would be if they had more ppl ! I had a glass of their house wine and it was delightful ! We ended up ordering about 6 different dishes and all of them were delicious ! Good portions and great taste !

I remember the first time I came here for a night out about 7 years ago. It was popping, the music was bumping, the drinks were flowing and there were people dancing everywhere. No thugs, no haters, just a solid crowd looking to party. It felt like a lot of the people were foreign, which is cool considering how many neanderthals are walking around the gas lamp. Over a span of 70 minutes during my first visit give or take I met someone that told me she wished we were making out, invited me to her house, told me she was on her period on the car ride there, rolled a joint for me while talking to her son in the UK and then threw me out of her house w/​no reason other than being crazy. It was a good start to my ltr with Candelas.
I went back a few times and it was pretty much a great time every night. The latin vibe was strong and the douchebag meter was pretty low. The height of Candelas nightlife was Helloween 2009. They opened up the back room and the whole place was a party. Awesome music, awesome crowd. Packed house with full energy, no name dj that was probably better than half of the big name poseurs these days. It was one of the best nights Ive ever had in downtown. The smash a thon later that night was in part from the awesome time I had at Candelas. My cock enjoys a good party too.
We went back the following year for Halloween as well but this time it was lacking. The energy was gone and it was pretty dead for the most part. My wife showed up late and it was hard for her to get her party on since it was a bust. This was my 2^nd to last night on Earth w/​o being privy that I was going to be a dad so I wished I went out w/​a bigger bang considering the year before.
Fast FWD to 2013 and Candelas has gotten progressively worse. The crowd is too small, the drinks seem to get more expensive and Elvis has left the building. I tried to go there last weekend around 1250am and they wanted to charge us cover for 15 minutes of drinking. It’s a simple equation, let us in and make almost all profit on booze and the bartender will make a little more in tips or try to gauge people for a cover charge minutes before 1am. The guy working the door looked like he just got out of prison, tear drop tattoo and all. The door cracked opened for a minute and I could see it was dead in there anyways. Definitely not the vibe I’m used to at Candelas. Watering holes are cyclical just like women and it looks like this one has run its course.
RIP.

Went for HH ¾/​13
This place is off the beaten path and the bar is very quiet. I like it because it means you get good service and don’t have to fight a crowd. BGH doesn’t like it because she thinks it is too quiet and there is no anonymity.
Service: really good, the bartender (Kelsey) was very nice
Fish Taco ($ 6): good
Taco Ribeye ($ 7): good
Mango Martini ($ 5.50): BGH says it was good

First of all, San Diego Unilocal reviews have been so confusing to me! I have felt the opposite of the status quo. In any case, I felt I had a civic duty to fairly represent this restaurant.
THE SEA BASS IS AWESOME. They have managed to find the perfect way to brown the top and bottom of the sea bass yet have it flake off in perfection. It swims in a balsamic-​like cream sauce and veggies. I haven’t found any other place, even in Chile, that can match this place.
The wine list is average but the prices are reasonable. There’s an assortment of cabs, tempranillos, and pinots averaging at $ 45/​bottle.
The service is horrible. The place gets stuffy but just ask them to prop open a door.

I do love this place for it’s Sat night DJ! went there a couple months back and really loved the music — just right for dancing with good friends.
Bartenders were ok — heavy pours!

Love going to Candelas to grab a drink and listen to the incredible music they have spinning here on the weekends. It’s never really crowded so if you’re looking for a chill night out with a group where you can actually hear each other speak and just kick back, sip a few cocktails, and nod your head to the music, Candelas is the place.
I’ve eaten here a few times as well, and although the dining area is not usually crowded and lacks the same energy as the lounge, the food is well-​executed. It is a little over-​priced for what you are getting, however… El Vitral, in my opinion, has the better menu when it comes to Mexican fine dining.
Favorite entrée on the menu: the flat iron steak + cheese enchiladas.
(There is one slightly annoying thing they do here from time to time: they charge a nominal cover on occasion if you show up after 10, although this did not happen last time I went, so perhaps they ditched this practice. I hope so, since there’s something inherently low-​rent about charging cover, particularly at a laid back lounge. That said, the music really is great, the bartenders are very friendly, and I’ve never had a bad time here.)

There are two listings for Candelas on Unilocal.They are the same place. Candelas on the Bay or Candelas Restaurant has the best happy hour in Coronado. There happy hour is continuous Monday– Saturday. If they are open, it’s happy hour. The food is 5 stars and all food is half off in the happy hour area.
If you haven’t tried it. Try it. It’s never crowded during the week. Apparantlely it’s difficult to fill the restaurant during the winter time. With their happy hour menu and prices, they definately give you a reason to drop by.

Went to happy hour last night. The bartender was on top of it, she didn’t stop moving. It was crowded because of a convention. The waiter seemed confused, maybe it was his first night.
Great prices on appetizers and drinks, also i was happy to see the poblano soup was back. However I would have been willing to pay more for better quality food, as I remembered this place having… long ago. Most of what we ordered seemed unusually greasy. I will say that the cheese board at Candelas is amazing though!
p. s. fired my friend for being pregnant. Not Cool!

This is a Happy Hour review:
Popped in here on a Friday for some HH action! Came in the door that has you in front of the bar first. I was a bit confused because I was unsure if someone would direct me to a table or if I should grab one. If you walk past the bar then you will see the reception where they will tell you if you are there for happy hour then seat yourself in the bar area. I was sorta annoyed because staff saw us standing there looking dumb but didn’t direct us at all. I saw another group who also had the same problem.
Anyway, the bar area is cute and sultry. It is on the smaller side and dark. Red is the color here!
The happy hour deal as it stands is 5 – 9 everyday. Which is pretty awesome for those who can’t get off work really early. You get 50% off their happy hour drink list, and 50% off their bar area apps.
Tamarindo Martini: This was good, not very strong. At $ 6 it was a nice way to try something I would not normally order.
Margarita: The first one was really good! Full of real lime flavor. The next one was sweeter but still good. About $ 6.
Tuna Carnitas: Didn’t know what to expect with this one. It came out like popcorn shrimp sized pieces of tuna deep fried. The flavor in them was pretty good. It wasn’t my favorite only because the other dishes beat it, but it was still good. It came with a salsa and cilantro sauce on the side. I would have liked to see some more green or perhaps some pico to bring another element to the dish. It also came with little corn tortillas. All in all a tasty dish that was good for around $ 6.
Fish Tacos: for $ 6 at HH price i was sure these suckers would be small and not super great. I was wrong. SO GOOD. They mastered the breading and light crips fried outside with the moist delish inside. The tacos themselves (3) were big. They had cabbage with a white sauce aong with salsa. Really a great dish and I will be getting these again!
Flatbread pizza (forgot the name if it had one) it has eggplant, crab meat, goat cheese, among other things. It was small, I would be kinda let down if I paid the full $ 12 or $ 11 for it. I think at HH price it was a good deal and I will admit it had some real flavor.
I am looking forward to going back and trying out some more HH dishes and would say this is really a solid spot. My only gripe is that the service could have been just a bit better. I felt like we got he bare minimum and went with empty glasses or periods of waiting to order. It wasn’t crowded. I wish I could only take ½ star off for this because toward the end we got better service. I just have to be honest.
I wiill be coming here again for sure!

We are return customers. :)
I most recently went here with 2 other couples and there are some new observations.
— Try the Chili Mango Martini — It’s seriously yummy and fits the theme of the restaurant perfect. We orderd 3 of these! Five stars for their Bar.
— Service is consistently excellent. From the people that answer the phone, the hostess, the server, just all around great elegant service. Other restaurants might want to take cue. Five Stars here!
— The menu has changed. Some favorite items that were on the menu were no longer there. We learned that this change may have to do with a change in Chefs.
— The food was good but not exceptional as it had been. The time before last, was also was similar. Three stars here.
Overall, I recognize this as one of the great restaurants in San Diego and will likely come back for apps and drinks.
Thanks to the great staff at Candelas!

Been here many times for dinner… this update is for their Happy Hour.
WHEN — Mon-​Sun from 5 – 7 pm, Sun-​Thu from 9 – 11 pm, Mon from 7 – 9 pm is Urban Taco Night
FOOD — 50% appetizers + Happy Hour menu. Great selection at full quality. Love the fish tacos, cheese plate, and guacamole. My hands down favorite is the enchilada suizas.
DRINKS — 50% ANY drink. I’m in a heavenly rut here… groaning over the mango martini made with pureed mango and a rim full of tangy chili powder.
AMBIANCE — Intimate and uncrowded. Seating at the bar, high tables and comfy couches. During the several times I’ve happied here, I am pleased that I have not been the oldest or youngest person in the room.
SERVICE — Good. Sometimes you have to ask for what you need, but they eventually serve it up with a smile.
If you’d like all the perks of this place without the parking hassle, head to their other restaurant at Coronado’s Ferry Landing. ALL DAY Happy Hour (11 a.m. to 11 p.m.)!!!

I’d had two great experiences here, but the third was a miss.
The great:
— The atmosphere in the bar is awesome and the restaurant is romantic
— The palm heart salad is still delicious
— Good wine
The not-​so-​great:
— The waiter had a tough time recommending dishes and seemed bent on pushing the daily special
— One entrée was good but not great (halibut) and the other was not good (shrimp and bacon)
— The temperature was so hot it basically ruined the rest of our night because we were so warm. We had to go back to the hotel for cold showers.
Hate to take this place from 5 stars to 3, but that’s where we’re at…

Holiday company party at Candelas! Great choice by our boss. We had a semi pre-​fixed meal that included hors d’oeuvres, an appetizer, entrée and dessert. I think the group as a whole enjoyed the experience. I heard four stars and five but I think it is about right in the middle and is one of the best experiences I have had downtown. Some peopIe said the salad had too much caesar dressing on it and my boss said he thought it was the best he had ever had. I really liked the Medallon de Camarones al chile Guajillo. Truly gourmet presentation that I enjoyed every bite of. All the sauces on the entrees were really good and complimented the main dish well. The flan for dessert was also very tasty to finish the meal off. Looks like a nice place to pop in for a cocktail and listen to the DJ also.

I didn’t know that the lounge area is separate from the dining area. There was no one at the restaurant, but lots of people in the bar area. I took a friend here for his birthday dinner and felt like VIP’s. I ordered the structura de aguacate since the descriptions looked very interesting. The presentation was very pretty and I also tried my friend’s salmon dish, which was good too. The service was great and would recommend this place for a date. The only con is the price– a little too expensive, but worth it!

This review is for the lounge/​bar area only.
Came here on a Saturday night with a bunch of friends to listen to some house music. My first impression was that the lounge and dance area is small… But it works! Even with a good amount of people at the bar and people standing on the dance floor, you still have room to «do yo thang». We had a table by the entrance so it was nice to see the diverse group of people coming in.
Music: the DJ’s that night did an awesome job of keeping the flow and mood going. Everyone was jiving and having a great time. Very few places in San Diego play soulful house music like this place!
Drinks: At first I was a tad shocked at what they were charging. Drinks were averaging $ 10-​$ 13 each, but they were strong! The bartender that night was generous with the proportions so 2 – 3 drinks already had me feelin good.
What I liked most about this place is the mood it gives off. The music is loud enough to enjoy but at the same time, the setting is pretty intimate where you can still have a conversation with whoever you’re with.

It’s taken me a while to write this review, because it’s taken me a while to process what happened when we went to Candelas. The food was okay, not great, the drinks were ok, not great and the service was TERRIBLE.
I think our waiter was actually drunk, and he was all up in our business trying to be super helpful and charming, but really he was beyond annoying and completely inappropriate. He messed up our orders, forgot an appetizer, and seriously got in our faces to «privately» discuss each dish we ordered. It was one of the most uncomfortable dining experiences of my life, no joke.
At the end of our meal, all we wanted to do was get the check and leave to go meet a group of friends. We asked for it probably half a dozen times, each time with a «wait a second» or «I have a little something for you». We didn’t want a little something, which turned out to be a chocolate soufflé that no one wanted on the very warm and steamy night, but whatever. We let him serve it, took a bite and then got the hell out of there.
Service is key people. I can deal with slowness, even a little rudeness, but this server just ruined the entire experience. Too bad, as I’ve been to Candelas before and had quite a romantic, enjoyable experience. No more, kids — this clown ruined an otherwise great restaurant.