Where to Eat in Canela: 10 restaurants, and the ones the whole state voted for

Canela has an unfair reputation problem: people who come to the Serra think of dining in Gramado. But in 2026 the town placed two restaurants among the 30 best in Rio Grande do Sul, in a ranking judged by 95 specialist assessors over twelve months — and one of them came third in the state.¹

So this list starts with what has been judged from outside, and continues with what solves each occasion.

The ones the whole state judged

1. 1835 Carne e Brasa — 3rd best in the state

It came third in the Revista Sabores do Sul 2026 ranking, repeating its 2025 podium. The ranking assesses consistency and technical level based on the observation of 95 specialist judges over twelve months.¹

For when: it's the town's special-occasion house. Book genuinely far in advance.

2. Magnólia — 23rd best in the state

In the same ranking. It has existed since 2014, set in an old house on Rua Dona Carlinda, with signature cooking, retro decor and an intimate mood — one of Canela's most iconic addresses.^{1 2}

For when: dinner for two where the setting counts as much as the plate.

3. Empório Canela

A bistro next to the Stone Cathedral, from hot soups to elaborate dishes, such as beef fillet with green apple and gorgonzola risotto. Also recognised among the state's 30 best.³

For when: you're downtown, you've just left the cathedral and you want to sit down somewhere better than the obvious.

For galeto — the Serra's root dish

Galeto ao primo canto is the food Italian immigration left in these mountains. It isn't a tourist dish: it's what families eat here.

4. Galeteria Nanoma

One of the town's most traditional, known for its authentic all-you-can-eat galeto with pasta. A family house, more than two decades old.⁴

For when: a hungry group, and when you want to understand where the Serra's cooking comes from.

5. Cattedrale Galeteria

Across from the Stone Cathedral, refined and traditional, with Italian cooking.⁵

For when: the same dish in a smarter setting, and the location solves an evening downtown.

When the table wants something else

6. Galangal — Thai

A reference for Thai cooking in the Serra Gaúcha, in central Canela, with typical dishes and well-balanced flavours.⁶

For when: it's the fourth night of the trip and nobody can face melted cheese any more. There is a moment when that happens, and it arrives sooner than expected.

7. Schnitzelstubb — German

German cooking, the other side of the Serra's heritage.⁷

8. El Greko — Greek

It appears often among the town's best-rated houses.⁷

For when: both solve the same problem as Galangal, by different routes.

For sweets, coffee and the afternoon stop

9. Casa da Velha Bruxa

Restaurant, patisserie and café, with a branch in Canela and another in Gramado. The sweets are the highlight — especially the creamy hot chocolate.⁸

For when: the mid-afternoon stop in the cold. In Canela, that's practically infrastructure.

10. Estação Campos de Canela

Not a restaurant but a set of them: the old station now gathers shops, restaurants and kiosks, from sweets to wine and hot chocolate.⁹

For when: the group can't agree on where to eat — here everyone sorts themselves out. And it's covered, which saves a rainy day.

And the photo of the evening

Dinner in the Serra is the one moment of the trip when everybody dresses up at the same time. Afterwards, nobody has any record of it — the dinner photo is always the one of the plate.

Our studio is in Canela and in Gramado; the old-fashioned session takes about an hour, costume and set included, and it fits in the late afternoon, before your booking. Said in full: it's our business, and it's why this blog exists.

📖 We also wrote the 10 attractions of Canela and where to eat in Gramado.