Before this monstrous winter storm hits the states, I thought it would be nice to eat at a local restaurant before getting trapped in my apartments for the next few days. So I decided to try an eastern mediterranean restaurant here in Philly. My family and I have been eating at these restaurants and making new friends with the owners for as long as I can remember. Everytime we go into a Greek restaurant, we seemingly become part of the family. There is already one mediterranean restaurant in Philly we always eat at, Estia, the food is always impeccable and created with such passion it is always go-to anytime my parents are in town.

Vibe

Kanella has a simple but very classic Greek aesthetic including the blues and whites with art that call backs to the beautiful blue of the mediterranean sea. While I was there during the day, the lighting wasn’t anything harsh and would probably be some nice mood lighting when eating here at night. But otherwise, the large windows allowed a lot of natural lighting into the restaurant that made it feel bigger. The dining room itself gave off a welcoming and cozy vibe with booths lined against one wall with large open windows throughout the rest of the space. Tables and chairs are placed throughout the restaurant, no bar, but still have plenty of breathing room to not feel like you’re on top of one another.

Service

So honestly not much to say about the service, which is a good thing! The servers I had were super sweet, very attentive, and helpful. As soon as I sat down there was water placed on the table along with the menu. They didn’t talk much beyond explaining the menu or answering questions. But you can definitely expect a comfortable and productive food service with servers who know their stuff. Also at one point, I heard one of the workers speaking Greek and that’s when you know you’re about to eat some of the most passionate and hearty dishes ever.

Food/Drink

After eating here, I was so excited to write about the food that I got to try. I ordered a glass of pomegranate iced tea, hummus meze, chicken shish, and had to top it off with baklava. To start with my drink, it was refreshing and delicious. I’m not sure if it’s homemade or from a bottle but nonetheless it was still really enjoyable. Now the meze, hummus, was absolutely perfect and made with love. The pita was fluffy and warm when placed on the table. The soft goodness paired perfectly with the little hint of citrus and olive oil in the hummus. Definitely a shareable plate and you get a good amount of pita to go with it. Also I took the rest of my hummus to go and they gave me extra pita with it which I was shocked about! But super appericatied.

Now for the chicken shish which came with rice pilaf and onion sumac. I don’t think I can even use words to describe it, it was absolutely delicious and I’m so happy I finally found a restaurant with really good greek chicken souvlaki. The dish came out hot, the chicken was so incredibly juicy with a bit of a crunch from the nicely charred areas. The chicken was also seasoned with something to give it a little bit of a kick. Then the rice pilaf, like heaven, it was warm and buttery to compliment the chicken and added a bit of an extra savory flavor to it. The onions was just red onions tossed in seasoning which also had a little kick to it but it’s a nice overall touch that adds to that mediterranean flavor.

The baklava. Wooooo. The love in this food does not stop at the main course. A classic and always a must have for myself. I absolutely love baklava and it’s something I always order at the other Mediterranean restaurants we go to. However, here at Kanella, it was the perfect size and absolutely mouth watering. The baklava didn’t easily fall apart and it didn’t make a mess, which I like. Sometimes when trying to breakdown the baklava for smaller bites it just crumbles and falls apart. But at Kanella, it’s easy to cut into those smaller pieces and still have the same explosive, taste bud electrifying sweetness. You don’t just taste each individual ingredient like the pistachio and walnut filling, but the flaky pastry and overall iconic taste of the baklava, homemade with love. While there, it seems like everyone was very into the caramelized pumpkin, the other patrons there actually started to all talk to each other because they wanted to talk about how good it was.

Reservations

So you’re able to make reservations through Resy, but it has to be a minimum of two. When I got there during lunch though there was plenty of room, the whole time I was there maybe like two or three other tables were filled but that was it. However, it does seem like dinner gets busy. When I was looking for tables Wednesday, between 5-8 pm their tables were fully booked. So if you intend to go on a weekend or for dinner, check what their availability looks like!

In Conclusion…

I’m going back! I would definitely love to hit this place at least once a week just because I know this will be a good way to treat myself. I’ve truly been dying for a place that has that classic simple greek chicken dish that’s bursting with flavor and leaves you feeling full of love. I know I can rely on Kanella with the good service, the community, and the food always being packed with love.

Thank you so much for reading! Please feel free to share with your friends to help support the blog and don’t forget to subscribe to never miss a post!