Cancha Boutique Gastrobar

4.5 STARS

I'm a little late on this but got some inspiration after seeing Cancha featured in Eater's Underrated Neighborhood Gems.

Prior to COVID, I rarely ventured into The Marina/Cow Hollow unless it was for Manic Mondays at Matrix back in the days.

Now, I'm plucking white hairs that sprout out and eating dinner earlier than most seniors.

With COVID, I find myself venturing to The Marina/Cow Hollow a little more often now...because compared to other parts of the city, the outdoor dining situation is more pleasant.

Cancha opened during the midst of the pandemic serving Peruvian cuisine. They're offering takeout, delivery (3rd party apps), indoor dining, and outdoor dining (dog-friendly: https://bit.ly/3EidrTZ).

The indoor dining area is small with limited seating so it's recommended you make reservations on the weekends.

I made reservations for an early weeknight dinner and it didn't seem it was needed.

M E N U
Peruvian: Ceviche, anticuchos (kebabs), empanadas, mains, and sides.

They were pending a wine and beer license when we visited but they now have one.

F O O D
* Yucas a la Huancaina w/ boiled egg, olive, olive tapenade ($9): https://bit.ly/3pkUVEi
Love fried yuca so had to order this. Crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside with a mild, creamy cheese sauce. Great starter.

* Tiradito de Jalapeño: Salmon w/ avocado, cancha, crunchy quinoa, jalapeño ($20): https://bit.ly/3ofSF1A
Loved the presentation, vibrant colors, and textures but this was my least fav dish. The salmon was seared on the outside (I prefer 100% raw) and heavy on the black pepper.

* Anticuchos de Corazón: Beef Heart w/ fingerling potatoes, choclo, rocoto sauce (off the menu - $15)
This was not on the menu but I asked if owner if they had beef hearts. They did! So, they kindly made the anticuchos with beef hearts.

The beef hearts were tender with a nice chew and char. It's served with soft fingerling potatoes, peruvian corn kernels, and a mildly spicy red pepper sauce.

* Seco de Ossobuco w/ cannelini beans, salsa criolla, carrots, peas, rice ($33): https://bit.ly/3DjNx0S
Two huge, meaty and meltingly tender veal shanks...so homey and comforting with the soft beans and salsa criolla for a touch of acid. It's served with white rice served in a mini claypot. It's large enough for a shared entrée so it's a great value.

S E R V I C E
The owner was our server, she was super friendly, warm, and attentive. Offered water to TT and even showed us pics of her doggies.

Food service was prompt (early dinner).

A M B I A N C E
Modern, casual, and cozy. Sat outside (6 tables) which is perfect for people watching.

P A R K I N G
Difficult street parking.

While neighboring restaurants like The Dorian was poppin' and Pacific Catch was pretty busy, we were the only diners at Cancha so they're def under the radar and deserve more business than they're getting. If you're in the area, give this Peruvian restaurant a try!

The location is small but they have maximized the space they have. They have inside and outside seating. Service was very friendly. They sent an a house appetizer Leche de Tigre. The food was delicious. This place is small but the flavors are mighty.

Yucas a la Huancaina (crispy and light with a delicious sauce)
Empanadas De Hongos (nice light crust, delicious filling... I didn't even miss the meat)
Seco De Ossobuco (rich fork tender meat, with a tangy sauce)
Aji De Gallina (rich sauce with chicken so good over rice)

This was a great find courtesy of a friend who lives in the area and wanted to try this place. This is really a great place to have a nice al fresco dinner on a beautiful San Francisco summer evening.

Since they are a Peruvian place, it's almost mandatory to try the ceviche and the empanadas. Instead of the classic ceviche, we opted for the pasion (passion fruit) and that was a great twist to the classic ceviche taste. The sampler empanada included beef, chicken and mushroom. These were fantastic as well - the crust was amazingly flaky and I really loved the beef. For our entree, we skipped the lomo and decided to share the whole fish. That was great - it came with squid and plantains and little chunks of the fish already off the bone. That really hit the spot for me.

Service was great and with tax and tip, this was about $60 per person - a really great value for dinner in SF. Highly recommended!!!

The empanadas are great ... very light dough and rich, succulent filling. Come here for a glass of sangria and an empanada snack.

As for the mains-- the one lamb dish was good; juicy on a bed Of white beans ... the other dishes- steak and chicken were very mediocre (tasteless and overcooked) - for the 30$+ price tag. A little more finesse and technical execution should fix these dishes right up guys!!

Ambiance is great: intimate in the inside w a contemporary polished "woody" feel.

Fix those mains up guys and I'll be back! Probably be back for the empanadas any way.

Phenomenal Peruvian food, making for a memorable experience! Warm empanadas felt like eating art.

Short wait with 8pm Saturday reservation through Yelp, they seated the two of us on comfy corner couches.

Ceviche pasion -- delicious, tangy sauce

Empanada sampler -- eating the empanadas felt like eating art. The crust is multilayered and crispy, the steam from a cut empanada billowing around its triangular edges. Biting it felt warm and fulfilling, such that I haven't expected from an empanada.

Ambience: 4.5/5 -- small, cozy restaurant. Comfy cushioned couches lining the left side. Line of small tables along the right. Good restroom.
Service: 4.5/5 -- fairly fast seating, courteous setup, considerate staff, fast food arrival.
Quality: 5/5 -- delicious, HEARTWARMING Peruvian food
Value: 4.8/5 -- memorable experience
Overall: 4.7/5 -- excellent restaurant, highly recommend!

Settled right next to The Dorian in the Marina, Cancha Boutique Gastrobar is an awesome place to eat at!

Walking in, it's a smaller and more intimate setting. There are spaces at the bar where you can watch the chefs cook in the kitchen (which is awesomeee). The server is attentive and also gave great recommendations.

The food was great as well-- we got the Ceviche Pasion, Octopus, Skewers, and the Lomo Saltado to share.

Ceviche: 5/5- the avocado really complemented the fish in a surprising way!

Skewers: 4/5- all the skewers had great seasoning but the shrimp skewer in particular was perfect, the chicken and beef skewers were also good however a little harder to chew.

Octopus: 5/5- great seasoning and yuca puree(?)

Lomos Saltado: 5/5- beef is so tender and the juices really go well with the fries and rice given!

TLDR: if you liked La Mar (or peruvian food in general) I would highly recommend stopping by!

Had the best Peruvian experience in SF!
Definitely a new little gem hidden in the heart of the nice area of Marina. Near the Palace of fine arts, and moments away from the beach! Definitely worth stopping by for a few bits and drinks!

Been wanting to eat here. Service was great!
Food...some was very good and other needed a little more love. We had ceviche Classico that one needed it some more seasoning and salt then the steak and that one was really good.
Chicken kabob and button mushrooms was okayyyyy
The price is normal for the type of food and location. Ceviche is between $15-$18 and steak was $20 to $25 I think.

Cancha.

Edit: not owned by La Mar :)

Owned by the same people at La Mar?
I'm pretty sure that's what the bartender at La Mar told us. So we came and checked it out.

AMBIENCE:
Located in the Marina District, it's truly a gem of a place since they have authentic Peruvian cuisine.

We didn't have reservations but Fatima, was able to seat us indoors since there was a no-show.

This place is delicious. Nice small restaurant that has an exclusive gritty feel.

You have mellow lights, lively ambient music and the kitchen flames surrounding you as you enjoy your delicious Peruvian meals.

FOOD:
They have an adequate wine selection that pairs well with the dishes.

We had the Ceviche Tasting, and they were all phenomenal. There is a sweet one made with passion fruit that was pleasantly surprising how good it was.

For the main course we had the A Lo Macho and the Churrasco a La Pobre.

Be mindful that the A Lo Macho, priced at $49 is enough for 2-4 people. A cornucopia of seafood steeped in delicious sauce.

The churrasco was presented very well, the flavors you need are all on the plate deconstructed so that you can flavor each bite according to taste.

Overall, we will definitely be frequenting this place for our Peruvian food craving since it's closer to us.


PRICE:
Price is on par with the rest of the restaurants in the area. Actually, you get more than what you pay for because of the quality.

Do check them out and try to make a reservation beforehand.

PARKING:
Street parking is tough during busy hours, but there is a garage down the street.

I was missing these Latin American flavors. That's why I decided to stop by Cancha Boutique Gastrobar. I loved this restaurant, and it is located in one of my fav areas in SF.
I want to start talking about Yucas A La Huancaina. I didn't know that it is "Macaxeira frita" in Brazil. As a Brazilian I felt very happy when I started eating this. It is my favorite appetizer in my hometown, I was raised eating it. Yucas was my favorite dish because it was beautifully presented and absolutely delicious. It also reminded me of a special flavor that I miss from my home country.
I like Ceviche so much, I could eat it every day! I ordered their Ceviche classic and Ceviche callejero. Both were so tasty, they make their ceviche with leche de tigre, which is a famous recipe from Peruvian Cuisine. In a classic ceviche, the mixture of lime juice, salt and flavourings in which the fish is marinated is known as leche de tigre, "milk of the tiger".
The chef and restaurant owner were so friendly. They recommended Conchitas and I tried them. It was so beautiful because it comes on a shell. Conchitas is so delicious, and I would have never thought that cheese would compliment the scallops. I loved this restaurant because this is a kind of place that I love to visit. I tried different dishes and they also have one of my favorite appetizers.
I also had a great wine from Peru. This was my first time having Peruvian beer, and I have to tell you that it is just amazing. I am looking forward to coming back and trying more things from their menu.