When I originally reviewed Basqueria, I had gone for breakfast, well this time our Camino group when on St. James Day for tapas. There were about 35 of us, and we were all very happy! This remains 5 stars for me! Great service, and we loved our tapas from pulpo, to salmon, mussels and frites, to paella and sangrias! We were served quickly and without a hitch! We were the only ones in the restaurant on a hot Sunday afternoon in Tucson! My only small complaint was the fact that it was a tab bit warm - the temp. was set at 82 eek. We all said we would be back to try different menu options! read more

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Having been to Madrid, Spain in 2025, the dishes here took us back. Items here are more tapas style. Here is what my son ordered: - Paella Del Mar (Seafood) We got the $28 which is good for 2 people. $98 is available for a larger group. I was so happy to find a paella where the yellow rice is fluffy versus one that is baked and burnt. My son pretty much ate it all himself. One of the staff members patted him on the back and said...hearty appetite you got there. Lol. - Galician Octopus (my son loved this dish) - Basque Sausage Stew with mixed greens, onions, tomatoes and large white beans that comes with a side of rice. I was all about that rice, I could just eat this and be happy. To end the meal we could not say no to their Old World Style "Burnt" Cheesecake. So yummy. Service was 100/10!! Staff goes above and beyond. Gosh, I know I keep saying this but people in Tucson are just so darn friendly. 10% discount for UofA students (must show I.D.). Parking structure across the street is your best bet if you are in downtown Tucson. read more

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Service was odd and standoffish. It feels like it wants to be a Miami club for young bros? We spent $200+ trying many tapas and paella. The patatas bravas was cooked well but understated in flavor. The lamb chops with whipped chimichurri were very smoky, which I like, but the chimichurri flavor was hardly noticeable. Tuna on toast tasted canned. Paella rice was very good but you could tell the sea food had been frozen a long time--no flavor. Overall the food and the atmosphere fell far short of our hopes, not to mention our standards. read more

My hair with friends after seeing a movie and was so excited for the tapas style dinning. The server was really personable, however, it did not make up for the food we tried, unfortunately. We got a lot of the dishes, and I personally felt that the flavor was very minimal. The only dish I really enjoyed, was the patatas bravas. The rest are as follows: - Iberico Jamón board ($27) : I would have enjoyed the bread toasted, and a better assortment of items on the board that may have paired better. I didn't enjoy the jelly with the apples and the olives. I also feel that the board is not filling enough for the price tag. I tried an array of their dishes, but only really liked the potatas bravas ($11). I also got the croquette ($14), the sautéed chicken ($13), and the bacalao pil pil ($15). I thought the chicken and then croquette were just okay, and could've used more flavor. I really didn't like the fish, as I had a fishy flavor to it that was really pronounced. A couple at my table did like it, so we were split with me and 2 others that also felt as I did. The staff here was really friendly and I wish I enjoyed more of my meal. My friend and I still had a great time. read more

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Service was cool. Every single dish came with raw bread. The server mentioned that's the chef's recommendation. The serve brought out "toasted" bread but it was still white and soft. The dishes needed seasoning and were too mild and underseasoned for my taste. I expected bold unforgettable flavors since it's small bites and plates. I shared a few different plates like the patas bravas that are marinated in a buffalo-like sauce and the lemon herb chicken which were underwhelming. The cod pil pil was fishy for my taste. I personally ordered the lamb chops which were grilled okay. A little over and needed more seasoning. The sauce it came with didn't really add anything. I would not come back. read more

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Difficult review. Cocktail was amazing. Their version of an old fashioned, very nice. The octopus tapas was delicious. Totally worth going back for. The paella was a fail. We ordered their Del Mar and sausage and chicken. The sausage was a slice of sausage. Like a salami. Weird. A very thin slice. The chicken was dried out. The rice lacked that oomph. A disappointment. The Del Mar fish was cooked well. But again the rice failed. Staff were very nice. The atmosphere lacks. The seating is uncomfortable. read more

Basqueria - Sausage and Chicken Paella - Spanish Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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Friendly service, cozy and casual atmosphere and delicious food. Wish the portions were a bit larger, but still great. I recommend trying them. We will be back to try other dishes. read more

Basqueria - Flan - Spanish Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Food was meh and expensive for what you got. Service was bad, god forbid you ask for something. Music was so loud I couldn't hear myself think. But the french musician later was good. My extra star is for him. read more

From the moment we walked in we were welcomed and seated immediately. The staff were so friendly they had great suggestions. We sat at an amazing table half inside half outside perfect for people watching. The food was great! I can't say enough good things about it. Except that we will definitely be eating there again! Don't skip this place, we need more like this in Tucson! read more

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Sunday Brunch ~ 11AM ~ Empty inside. Excellent Service for Family of 7. Just enough recommendation but also let us make our own choices. We did the Paella and 5 Plates. Plenty of food but it is a little pricey. read more

Basqueria - Paella - Spanish Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

If your looking for a European feel, this is your spot! Great location, in downtown Tucson! Lots of hot or cold tapas to choose from and also paella! We were looking for something quick and light this time so we didn't get the paella but it looked amazing and will go back with friends for the paella. They also have a full bar! We didn't have to wait for a table and the service was quick and stress-free! read more

Basqueria - Meat board and galician octopus - Spanish Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

I had lunch here for the 1st time yesterday. Martin, my server, was personable & efficient; he gave me a sample of their French onion soup & their gazpacho, both tasty. I had the paella del Mar which consisted of squid, cod, shrimp &mussels on bed of saffron rice w/peas & scallions - ample portion and delicious, altho the squid was a little rubbery. $28 For dessert I chose the Basque cheesecake which I enjoyed, but pricey @$11. I'll definitly go back to sample some of their hot & cold tapas. They'r the only Spanish restaurant in Tucson. 350 E. Congress read more

Very good food and Sangria. We stopped by here on Friday and had an amazing meal and a craft of the red sangria, it was strong (to me), which is why the meat board is not pictured. LOL. We had a few hot tapas, the Spanish tortilla and the shrimp skewers. They were both really good, the sauces that came with them were so yummy too. Love the location right next to Obon, and the roll up windows , it was 90 out but felt nice in side with the bar and the patio windows rolled up. read more

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Went here over the weekend since we were tired of our usual spots and I remembered this place from driving by a few days ago. We sat at the bar and customer service was on point 100 percent. Everyone checked in on us constantly, maybe ten times, making sure we were okay. Seriously, if you do not like great service, do not come here. I had the three lamb shanks and they were solid. Keep in mind lamb shanks are small, so if you are very hungry, this might not fill you up. The French onion soup was the highlight for me. It was huge, probably bigger than my hand, and delicious. Definitely a must try. My fiancé got the seafood paella and honestly, neither of us enjoyed it. Very bland, like seafood with no sauce at all. Not for us, but that is just our opinion. All in all, the French onion soup steals the show and the staff makes the experience excellent. Great job. read more

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please note part 2 is a reaponse to the owner/manger who responded to my first comment. Please see picture. My wife and I stopped by BASQUERIA for a night out and were excited to try some Spanish food. We were only the second table in the restaurant and were seated immediately. I ordered the sangria, and it was fine. Nothing bad about it, but nothing memorable either. We ordered the tortilla española, calamari, croquettes, and patatas bravas. The first thing that stood out was watching the tortilla being heated in a microwave. About 8 to 10 minutes later it came to the table, and after a few bites it tasted exactly like reheated eggs and potatoes. About 15 minutes after ordering, the calamari arrived with brava sauce and was honestly the best dish of the night. A few minutes later the croquettes came out, except they weren't really croquettes. They were more like Italian arancini, which was strange at a Spanish restaurant. The patatas bravas finally arrived nearly 20 minutes after we ordered. They were fine, but it felt odd that one of the simplest dishes came out last. Later, the restaurant brought us another tortilla and told us it had been freshly made. Unfortunately, the outside was crispy while the middle was literally cold. I even asked the server to touch the center because I didn't want to complain unnecessarily. In the end, our bill was around $50. For that price, I expected better execution and more authentic Spanish food. Unfortunately, this was $50 we could have spent on a much better meal elsewhere. Part 2: Response to the Owner, please see pictures first before reading this. Thank you for responding. Since you decided to make this personal and sarcastic, I'll respond directly. No, I'm not a food critic. I'm simply a paying customer sharing my experience. You stated that microwaving is essential in tapas bars in Spain. That's the way you want it served just changed it from baked to microwaved. The issue was the result. The first tortilla was microwave hot and soggy. The second tortilla was crispy on the outside and cold in the center. If that's your standard for a "fresh" tortilla? Your cook was standing in the kitchen on his phone/earpiece while heating the tortilla. I could hear his entire conversation from the dining room. Maybe that's acceptable in your kitchen, but it certainly didn't create a great environment. You said the tortilla was made fresh nightly. That's exactly my point. Making something in a batch the night before and reheating it the next day is not fresh the next day. That's like saying the soup of the day is yesterday's soup. You also mention that you comped items. I never asked for a refund. In fact, I didn't even realize one had been given. We were disappointed, finished our meal, and went to the register and paid our bill with out seeing an itemized bills. I was planning on paying for what I ordered. I am not in the business of demanding discounts. I believe I left a 18-20% tip for the server because none of this was his fault. I wasn't given an itemized receipt, so if I'm mistaken, feel free to correct me. But make sure you respond after the credit card was posted. You also still haven't addressed the croquette. Traditional Spanish croquettes are not Italian risotto balls. Maybe there are regional variations I'm unfamiliar with, but what I received resembled arancini. Question, isn't chimichurri Argentinian rather than Spanish? Argentina is in Latin America while Spain is in Europe. So I'm genuinely confused: is this a Spanish restaurant serving Italian inspired croquettes with Argentinian sauces? As for Olive Garden, you should read that review more carefully. I specifically stated that I don't enjoy Olive Garden and that the review was based on a rare positive experience. A good experience deserves praise just as a disappointing one deserves honesty. At the end of the day, I wasn't rude to your staff. I didn't demand a refund. I didn't make a scene. I simply shared my experience as a customer. Your response confirms my original concern: instead of addressing criticism, you chose sarcasm and personal attacks. Cheers. read more

Basqueria - Response from company - Spanish Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Service was great very attentive,but the food was good as well but very sm portions ,sm shrimp not enough to share . Usually we eaten large shrimp of 4 u can actually share one each for 4 n the lamb 2 sm portions . But overall nice place . read more

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Tried this place for the first time. We were impressed! The tapas were fantastic. The drinks were great. The service was awesome. Just a really cool place in downtown Tucson if you want to try something totally different from any restaurant in town. read more

So glad we tried this place. Really good food and great sangria. Got here early on a Friday (5:30-ish) before we were headed to a show, so no wait. We had the tomato spread, seafood paella, Patatas Bravas, Lamb Pintxo and Shrimp Al Ajillo. And then they talked us into the flan for dessert because they had not steared us wrong yet. Three of us shared - while they were tapas sized (except for the paella), there was a good amount of food and we left extremely full! All of it was excellent. My fav was the shrimp al ajillo - so flavorful - just not enough bread because all that flavor in the dish should not be left!! And I couldn't stop eating the patatas. Warning - if you hate garlic, I'm not sure this is the right place for you - they use a lot of garlic in everything! Great in our opinion! Shared a carafe of the white sangria - really good!! Although the apples had salt on them and I'm still not sure why. Maybe to balance the sweet - not mad about it, but I just haven't seen that before. Service was really great. They were all very nice and helpful. Loved that the chef came out and asked us how everything was. Parking is typical downtown - in a parking garage or if you can find street parking. Highly recommend and we will definitely go back. read more

Went to Basqueria for the first time. It is located right next to Obon on Congress street. I ordered the house sangria with Lamb chops, octopus, and patatas bravas tapas. The house sangria was very good and refreshing. The octopus and lamb chops were also fabulous. Would not necessarily recommend the bravas. Good definitely a good restaurant overall for sangria and solid tapas. read more

Basqueria - House White sangria - Spanish Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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Oh how I love Spanish tapas! I had been waiting for this place to open ever since someone on Reddit told me about it. Now that they are open, I am writing this review after my second visit. Service is good and I love that their chef/owner(?) come to the table to greet us and asks how everything is. I think it's such a nice touch. I've tried around 5-6 tapas and they are all delicious. The only thing I'm not a big fan of is their paella. I ordered their seafood paella the first time I went and I felt it was lacking flavor and needed some more work. I also wish they had arros negre as well! Anyways, that won't prevent me from going there. I do love their tapas! Oh and can't forget their sangria! It's so good! read more

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Oh yeah!!!! I was in the Basque region this summer and I loved filling up on the Penchas. I had them morning noon and night. The paella was really great filled with seafood and only a 20 minute wait. The cheese board was so much we had to take some home, fresh and delicious. The side salad with artichoke was a perfect blend. The salmon perncha was just heaven. This is a great add to the downtown mix, I go down for events all the time. So I will be a frequent flyer here! read more

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I was torn on what to rate this place. Service was great, the owners were there and kept checking on us. The layout of the restaurant is a little strange. The music coming from the speakers was really good but very loud. We ordered the patatas bravas which were so good, crispy outside, soft inside, and coated in a delicious slightly spicy sauce. We shared the salad basquez and loved it. The paella Del Mar was somewhat disappointing. The seafood had no seasoning and the dish lacked salt. For the price it needed more seafood. I see several similar reviews about the paella so it's disappointing the owners don't read the feedback and make some adjustments. Not sure I'd go back but overall it's not a bad place. read more

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We had a lovely leisurely dinner at Basqueria, and were already discussing our next visit before we'd even left the table! We had a lovely spread of tapas, sangria, and two kinds of paella. The stars of the meal were definitely the tapas and the red sangria. The red sangria was sweet and light, served with orange and watermelon, and Basqueria gets extra points for making the sharable carafe of sangria an easy and ideal experience by putting the fruit in the cups (rather than the carafe) so that everyone gets the same amount of fruit and you don't have to try to cleanly pour while fruit is threatening to splash out of the pitcher at any moment. (Can you tell I've lived that struggle before? Haha!) We got three different tapas to start: the Veggie Board, the Tomato Spread, and the Patatas Bravas. All were stellar home runs! The Veggie Board was a lovely selection of pickled and marinated veggies, as well as savory and sweet spreads, and bread. I loved the contrasting bites on the board, ranging from rich umami to acidic to sweet to spicy. It's a must-get, in my opinion! The Tomato Spread is also delicious; it comes with very garlicky bread. The Patatas Bravas were perfectly-cooked, crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. We got the Paella Basqueria (chicken & chorizo) and the family-sized Paella del Mar (assorted seafood) as well. It was a LOT of food! Both paellas were delicious, but didn't quite live up to the excellence of the tapas. The paella is good, for sure, but it lacked socarrat -- the crispy layer of rice that caramelizes on the bottom and edges of the dish -- and the flavor felt a bit one-note. It was crowded and fairly loud in the restaurant while we were there, but we were still able to talk and we enjoyed the music. Service was very friendly and the atmosphere was relaxed. I would definitely recommend Basqueria for a meal of tapas and sangria! read more

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Nothing but great things to be said about Baqueria. We were greeted before we walked inside the building. Martin waited on us and he was very helpful with the menu being our first time visit with many tapas to choose from. Both the white and red sangria were delightful and cocktails were good. We didn't have one bad tapa! All were so tasty making our tastebuds dance. We'll be back. read more

Basqueria - Spanish Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Bask in all that Basqueria has to offer! Their small plates are inspired in flavor and beautifully presented. Accompanying sauces are complex. Who knew a deviled egg could be so elevated? The French onion soup is not only delicious but adds playfulness as you navigate the gooey cheese. You can build your own paella. I don't know how we had room for the churros but I'm thrilled we did as it was a beautiful and light finish. Service was quick and professional, the gregarious chef came to check on the table. Many seating options: inside tables, open-window-street-facing counter dining, street side patio, and a side patio with small fire pits. Perfect for parties or intimate dining. read more

I'm Basque, grew up with Basque home cooking, and lived in the Basque Country. I was SO excited for this place to open! That said, the owners are not Basque and this place is loosely Basque-inspired at best. Shrimp al ajillo was good, but much of the rest of the menu was bizarre. Kroketas with rice inside? Ropa Vieja? Dry, flavorless paella with thin, dry slices of chorizo Pamplona on top? Dry tortilla de patata with aioli for some reason? Deviled eggs? Green onions covering everything? Cheap, artificial syrup on Basque cheesecake? My Amuma would be disappointed in me coming here, and especially for spending $150 to not even be full. If you want homestyle Basque cooking in the U.S., I hope you get the chance to visit authentic family-run spots like Ansots Basque Chorizos or The Basque Market in Boise, Idaho, a city with a huge Basque community. Unfortunately, this place is gimmicky and overpriced. *Edited to acknowledge the restaurant's response saying an owner and the chef are Basque. I thought I heard differently when we came on opening night. My mistake. read more

We came here for dinner Sunday night and love all the windows and natural light. They are open really late for dinner which is awesome. Cocktails: Aperol Spritz was my favorite here. Rose Spritz was dry, not sweet at all. Red Sangria was too sweet. White kalimotxo just tastes like white wine. Not bad. Tapas: Smoked Salmon Pintxo was really good. Next time I would ask for honey sauce on the side though. Patatas Bravas were the best I've ever had. They were moist and not at all like every other one I've tried in the past at other restaurants which were too dry. Bacalao Pil Pil was delicious but cod was a little dry. Lamb Chops were too well done and the meat was plain without the sauce. The sauce was delicious though so this was still a good dish. Before I knew the Russian Salad had ham, I tried it and it was really good. Tortilla Espanola was plain. Both the sautéed chicken and shrimp pinto would have been perfect if they had less salt. Tomato spread had so much salt, we couldn't eat it. read more

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It's a good concept for light tapas and sangria with a parking garage nearby. The service was attentive. It was not too busy around 5 pm on a Saturday night. We tried the tomato spread which had a little kick and the Patatas Bravas which was my favorite. We also shared a Paella Basqueria, which is smaller but is fine if you ordered tapas. read more

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Tucson needed a Spanish tapas location snd now it has one! And I am excited! Tried several tapas and each one was unique and savory. Whole these are meant to be shareable small plates... it was so good I almost didn't want to share. Diff D may get the chance to try the paella... next time for sure. The cocktails were okay. Indoor and outdoor seating and a parking garage across the street. Good service. read more

Basqueria - Spanish Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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Cool concept offering tapas/pintxos. The food was well prepared and the space is cool, but in the old Fired Pie location. The service was good. They seemed to all support each other so we talked to about 4 folks helping us with the meal. Definitely check them out. read more

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4 of us enjoyed paella ( seafood) and it was flavorful and delicious. The basque salad was delicious and our friends loved the sangria. It's so close to the Rialto we went because of proximity. It's so was a wonderful surprise, great food... friendly owner Jeff talked with us and he knows the hospitality business! I'll be back . Open late on weekends and weeknight! read more

Excellent white bean salad, deviled eggs, smoked salmon & sautéed chicken. Desserts were Basque cheesecake and 2 flavors of gelato. Super nice way to end the meal. Waitress was very good. Restaurant is comfortable but modern. read more

Service was very good which saved the way the food tasted. The food tastes like it was pre-packaged

Kaixo! I'm a part of the Basque diaspora so I was very excited to finally try Basqueria. I will say that I had reservations off the bat because the restaurant seems to have more Spanish influence than its branding and namesake suggest. When we walked in, it felt a bit more like a hotel restaurant than anything and was pretty stripped of any culture that comes with the cuisine--Spanish or Basque. We were seated pretty quickly and I started off with a kalimotxo which was good, though it would've seriously benefited from a lime wedge. From there, our waiter suggested we do one main dish with a few pintxos to share--the servers were lovely, no complains there!--so we ordered the chicken basquez, lamb pintxo, and chorizo and cheese. The chicken basquez was good, though the sauce had a bit of a tinny taste. The lamb pintxo was decent. However, whatever flavors were in the marinade didn't really come through and the chimmichurri wasn't any more flavorful. I was also disappointed that the three listed skewer-style pintxos (lamb, shrimp, chicken) all had the same whipped chummichirri accompaniment. The lamb skewers came with a slice of lemon and were placed on top of a single thin slice of bread which felt random and got kinda soggy. It just didn't feel like there was much intention in the plating or flavors. With a pintxo I expect complexity--it's only a few bites so you really have to make them count! The chorizo and cheese tapas were okay as well. The bread was still pretty thin and soft so it heavily drooped as you ate it. The manchego was tastey, though it felt a little thick, and the chorizo was pretty good. The gherkin on top was whole and there was a generous drizzle of olive oil. I would've liked to see some more interesting presentation for the ingredients so you could get a taste of everything in a bite. For dessert we got the Basque cheesecake, which came with a (surprising) raspberry syrup/glaze, dusting of powdered sugar, and whipped cream. It didn't have that caramel taste that the burnt top often lends or an extra custardy center and the height was pretty shallow. But my biggest gripe was the dense texture and eggy taste toward the back edge. Overall, and especially at this price point, it feels like this place is half-assing the menu. I really wanted to bring my very proud-to-be-Basque gramma here, but after testing it out myself, I unfortunately just can't. read more

I was here with two friends. We shared the food. We had a cheese pintxo ($7), lamb chops ($18), shrimp al ajillo ($12), deviled egg ($8), patatas bravas ($9), and Basque cheesecake ($10). Service was good. We enjoyed the food; I think my favorite was the patatas bravas. The atmosphere is upscale but not formal. read more

All the food here is so delicious! We drove down from Phoenix for a concert at the Fox Theatre and walked around looking for a place to have dinner before. The small plates were just the right size. The oysters were perfectly prepared; I could almost taste the ocean. The shrimp Al Ajillo was out of this world. Be sure you say yes when you are offered extra bread to dip up the sauce. Husband had the Ropa Vieja and thoroughly enjoyed it. We shared the Patatas Bravas and ordered extra garlic aïoli because it was so good. The space is pleasant with outdoor seating and indoor seating with a huge rollup window that lets in the fresh air. The staff is very friendly. This will definitely be a must return spot when we come to Tucson. read more

This was our first time trying this place out. It's downtown and it was nice to get in on a Saturday night with no reservations! The restaurant itself is small, which means the tables are very close together. Not ideal when you're trying to have conversation, but manageable. The service was amazing! Several people checked on us several times. Our waitress was fine, but everyone seemed to be working as a team. The service being so great is why I gave it three stars. Now....lets get down to the food. As appetizers we had the lamb chops and a croquet. The lamb chops were probably the best I've ever had! This was the second reason why I gave it three stars. I've I would have just had like five orders of this I would have given it five stars! The croquet was fine, but I didn't realize it was just one ball on one piece of bread. For the price of it, I would have expected at least two or three. For the main course we tried the mar and chicken paella. We were really disappointed with these two dishes. The sea food was very dry and the rice was very mushy. My wife decided not to eat her chicken because it was so dry. I expected more for almost $30 per dish. I've had seafood paella many times (mostly at Contigo) and this was by far the worst one. I'm glad we tried it, but I would not go back. I don't mind paying a good amount when I feel like I'm getting value, so for almost $120 (including tip and a drink my wife had) I expected better. I will say though, the whole time we were there it was busy and people came coming in through out the night, so maybe we just picked the wrong things. read more

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As always, the Croquette was melt in your mouth amazing and the chimichurra is phenomenal. great service and ambiance!!!!!!!!!

This is a tapas place. A small but neat sitting area and nice patio. Service is fast and pleasant. The sangria is good. But remember this is a tapas place so each dish is good for one person. And it adds up. Every thing was tasty but was hoping for more options. The paella wasn't really paella, but rice with ingredients added that lacked the cooked together taste of paella and lacked salt. Now for desert, the sampler plate isn't the best according to the owner, the best options are from what they make in-house, the basque cheesecake was good but the pistachio cake was bland. It is an interesting place that is worth a try. read more

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Went here on a Thursday night because I thought the vibe here was the best on Congress street. Probably right about that. Ordered a combination of happy hour menu items and regular menu. All very good. Paella was freshly made and just the right size for two. It could have used some more salt/seasoning and more protein but whatever. Service was extremely attentive and knowledgeable. Ambiance was fine with options for indoor or outdoor seating, heaters, and great people watching. Parking is impacted but there is the very nice street car (station Centro Plaza) right across the street which will take you from Mercado SA or to points north on 4th Ave. read more