Varied small plates menu and a comfortable atmosphere made for a great dinner... --BIBB LETTUCE & FINGERLING SALAD: roasted cauliflower, red onion, spring peas, sweet drop peppers, green onion parmesan dressing --BRÓCOLINI A LA PARRILLA: This unique combination of flavors was our favorite with grilled broccolini, roasted garlic red pepper hummus, tahini chili sauce, toasted sesame seed, fried garlic. --GAMBAS AL AJILLO: sautéed shrimp, garlic, parsley, olive oil, red pepper flakes, sliced baguette --PECHO DE RES COCIDO: 5 hour braised beef brisket, bbq braise sauce, Yukon mashed, Aleppo crema. I had read this was outstanding, but we thought it was just okay. (Maybe because I make the best smoked brisket!) Often, tapas restaurant portions leave you hungry, but here they are more than ample. read more

See all

Service was great- even though we sat outside, server was very attentive and would check on us at the right times. Food was good but a little light on seasoning, so all the flavors were fairly mild. Restaurant is chic without being uptight. Overall good experience. read more

See all

Good food, better people. Have gone here on a date with my wife several times. Try what they suggest.

One of our absolute favorites. Awesome tapas - seasonal specials that are consistently amazing - and one of the best paellas ever. Gorgeous restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating. The brisket tapa rocks as do the shrimp and lamb chops. read more

Absolutely love this tapas spot! I visited with three of my cousins for a little celebration and we got a bunch of dishes for the table. I enjoyed everything I tried. The atmosphere and service were good, but the food was what would bring me back! Grilled Eggplant (8/10) Japanese eggplant, grilled peach salsa, charred shallot whipped goat cheese, and hot honey...this was such a great marriage of flavors! The eggplant was very soft so I felt the slices could have been a bit thicker to prevent mushiness but overall it was lovely. Lamb Stroganoff (10/10): This dish featured braised lamb shank, mushroom gravy, peas, pappardelle pasta, and parsley sour cream. It was very rich and SO tasty. Probably my favorite dish of the night. Pulpo a Feira (8/10): This dish had grilled Spanish octopus, roasted potato, olive oil, smoked Spanish paprika, and sea salt. The flavor was excellent but a couple of the pieces of octopus were very burnt. Queso de cabra con Miel: (8/10) Absolutely delicious fried goat cheese with honey & almonds! Gambas Al Ajillo (8/10): The garlic flavor was fantastic and the shrimp was cooked perfectly! Patatas Asadas (8/10): These were super tasty and I loved the saffron. I only wish the potatoes were a bit crispier. Paella de Carne (7/10): This dish was tasty and I loved the onion rings on top but it definitely didnt have that authentic paella flavor. It mostly just tasted like bbq meats. Mango Habanero Margarita (10/10): Loved this cocktail! The flavor and spice were amazing and I loved the tajin rim. read more

See all

Stopped in to socialize with friends after eating somewhere nearby! My partner and I are participating in dry January so we didn't drink, but our friends each had different wine flights that they really enjoyed! The bartender helped them decide which flight to try based on their preferences, which can really be appreciated by someone who feels intimidated trying new things at a bar! The restaurant started filling up at 7:30 on a Saturday and the energy stayed lively while we were there. I'd love to come back and try their food! read more

Bocado Tapas Wine Bar - View from bar - Tapas Bars Near Me - Wellesley, Massachusetts

See all

My friend and I came in on a Saturday night without a reservation and were seated within 5 minutes which was a nice surprise because the place was quite crowded. It was mostly a young lively crowd and had a good energy. We ordered 4 different tapas: beet salad, crispy rice balls, buffalo cauliflower and sautéed mushrooms on polenta. The sautéed mushrooms came out first. That was our favorite. The polenta was silky smooth and the mushrooms had a lovely flavor. Highly recommend this dish! The Buffalo cauliflower was decent. Our server said it was a bit spicy for her so I requested the sauce on the side. The cauliflower was lightly breaded and arrived with hot sauce and a ranch dressing on the side as well. I would have preferred a buffalo sauce which is creamy and buttery to cut the spiciness of the hot sauce. I just combined the ranch and hot sauce on my plate to tone down the hot sauce. The beet salad was presented beautifully with red and yellow beets with slices of avocado, microgreens, pistachios and a bit of feta. It tasted unremarkable. Not sure what could have given this dish more life. Now for the really bad news... the crispy rice balls left us confused. Although they were crispy on the outside, the inside was mushy and tasteless. We asked the server what was in the crispy rice balls. She told us just rice and cheese. We both looked at each other and tried to guess what could have improved this dish... a stronger flavored cheese, a firmer rice, garlic, dill, rosemary... something was desperately needed. Overall we enjoyed the energy of this place. The hostesses and our server were wonderful. The food was uninspired but I would still love to come back and see if this was just an off night or if our experience was the norm. read more

Bocado Tapas Wine Bar - Crispy rice balls - Tapas Bars Near Me - Wellesley, Massachusetts

See all

This is really 2.5 stars... I booked and quadruple confirmed a large dinner party with the owner of this restaurant. I literally confirmed multiple times only to arrive and the staff have no idea that we were coming. We were a group of colleagues that had gotten together from around the world to have dinner as a team and it was very embarrassing to walk in and be told they had no idea. They tried to say we could just pull some tables together even though their function room was not being used. They eventually let us use the function room and scrambled together a very sad charcuterie setup that was not vegan friendly as requested. The veggies we had requested were served as raw carrot and celery sticks in a cup - unacceptable. The food we received was plentiful but just OK - you could tell it was rushed and not their normal quality. Our 1 server tried his best but was overwhelmed and things were missed or wrong. The owner did respond to me after the event and said sorry that their system glitched but it was too little too late for us. read more

Michelle again was warm, welcoming and friendly, great experience. Also the octopus was delicious, everything was good, went with 7 different tapas plates, but the octopus was a standout for sure. read more

My husband and I made reservations. We got to the restaurant. Three people looked at us, and never said a word, such as "we will be right with you." Then a waiter was taking care of dishes at the bar. My husband, a brown man, said, "excuse me, hi, we had a reservation." The jackass waiter snapped (yes snapped) saying, "I just told you one minute," which neither of us heard at all, so he must have been talking to the dishes. At that point, we left as I am not spending my money at an establishment that doesn't respect their customers and, quite possibly, is racist. We did go to Juniper and spent over $200 and had an excellent meal and service. read more

AMAZING tapas bar. We had business dinner here and the host ordered a crazy amount of tapas. They have fantastic serving staff and exquisite food! SANGRIA - We enjoyed pitchers of white and red sangria. The red sangria was really good, retaining the red wine character while bringing fruit goodness. The white sangria was good but more of an adult punch. Both good, but I prefer the red. PAELLA - You need to order some paella. So good! The vegetarian paella had stronger savory flavors than the seafood paella. Both were loaded with saffron bliss! The charcuterie was top notch. Quality cheese. Quality meat. Quality nuts. Quality fruit paste. The chicken sausage was a standout meat! The fries rice balls (not sure if that is what they were called) were also super delicious. I love me some grilled octopus, however it was a little tough here. For desert, be sure to order the Dulce de Leche cheesecake. It's to die for! A nice dense cheesecake with craveable flavor. I would come here just for this chesecake! read more

I ordered takeout around 6:15pm and the confirmation said it would be ready in about 30 minutes. When I arrived around 6:50 PM, the hostess went in search of my order, only to have someone else let me know that they never received the order in the kitchen. I sat at the bar and had a drink and only got my order at 7:45 PM. I waited for an hour. The least they could've done was comped some of my dinner. I hope the food is good at least. read more

The service was amazing. Our server was like a ninja! Appearing just at the right time. Very friendly and well trained. Mai Tai cocktail was tasty. Red wine sangria was a perfect balance of sweetness. The tuna poke was truly a treat. Brisket was also a highlight. Don't over order or many doggy bags will be in your car on the way home. read more

A nice find in Wellesley. Phenomenal tapas with a good array of varied heat. The prices are very reasonable. This place is very loud, crowded after 6, but worth your time. Speaking of time, if you need to use the head, be prepared to wait. They have one single occupancy head per sex, including for the staff. Decor is classic Dali-sequel Madridian. My question is, why is bullfighting so romanticized? It is costumed barbarism, unabated cruelty. read more

See all

Second time coming here and both times have been fantastic!!! My new go-to restaurant in Wellesley. For food get make sure to get the braised beef brisket, calamari, and bacon wrapped scallops. ESPECIALLY the brisket... For drinks the passionfruit mai tai and rosa sangria are very refreshing. The house special blend sangria has a very overpowering honey flavor which I wasn't a fan of. I also got the caipirinha at the server's recommendation and did not expect it to be SUPERR SOUR. She was kind enough to add more agave but it did not help much. Overall the service is excellent. The servers are so personable and friendly, will definitely be back many more times. read more

See all

Actually 4.4 stars. This was my first visit to Bocado and I was quite impressed. We had an early reservation (5:00 pm on a Friday evening). The restaurants positive energy had already begun. Our party of 4 was greeted and seated immediately at a nice table and our waiter was super accommodating to my 4 year old grandson. Started with a nice bottle of wine (Clio) and an assortment of cheeses, the fried goat cheese and cold shaved duck. Everything was delicious, but the duck was AMAZING! It was the best duck I ever had. Next up, mussels, the gnocchi special, lamb ravioli special and another order of the duck (yes, it was that good. A truly wonderful gastronomical experience. Bill was quite reasonable. Including a $100 bottle of wine the total was only $200. I live in Florida, but will definitely be back when visiting next so I can try some of the other offerings. read more

I ate here with 2 other people. We ordered the fried goat cheese charcuterie board, 2 Wagyu sliders, the seafood paella, and the beef paella. The charcuterie board was delicious!! The sliders were tasty and tender, though they could have had more flavor. The paella was pretty good, though I would say the same about the flavor. Overall though, the food was good! I honestly didn't expect that from a restaurant in the little town of Wellesley. read more

I went here with my friend and had tapas for the first time ever it was everything and more than I expected. We had 3 tapas and a seafood paella that were all very good. The ambiance was very nice they had a very cool chalk painting on the wall and the chandeliers were made of utensils. We had a great server he taught us all about how tapas are ordered and gave great recommendations. This was a great place to eat and a wonderful experience over all! read more

See all

Great dinner. So fun. Service was really good. Drinks were great too. I can't remember the names of all the dishes but all of them were great. Highlights includes rice balls, beet salad, pork schnitzel, shrimp, cauliflower, and potatoes. read more

Dissapointing the paella was dry and tasted like clay , I think it might have been siting awhile . It was my Son's Birthday and the staff was lackluster there was no candles or any effort just dry charros The shrimp dish and goat cheese was amazing !!! Most of the dishes were good stay away from the papaya read more

This is a great experience for Tapas and well worth a trip, if you are near any of the surrounding areas to Wellesley, MA. For a group of 4 or more, I would highly recommend their "Experience" platters, as you get to try a good variety of Tapas. They offer these for two, four and 6 guests. We had the 6 guest Experience and ended up taking food home, as it was impossible to go through everything. Then you are also offered Flan and their chocolate churros for desert. The dishes were well scattered throughout the evening, and we also ordered some white sangria, which was great! Have a look at the photos. The cheese and fig platter was exceptionally spot on! We were all very happy with the food and the variety of tapas offered! read more

See all

Positives were that the staff were very friendly and it's a nice ambiance inside. The food however was unfortunately not good. We started with the avocado and fried goat cheese which were fine. Nothing to write home about but not awful. We ordered two different paella dishes which should have been the staples at a tapas restaurant however they were both practically inedible. I'm pretty sure mine was made with something that had gone bad as it was rancid. The other had zero flavor. We also ordered a pitcher of sangria which had zero alcohol in it. Super stingy. read more

Loved it! Visited for dinner on a Friday night and I definitely recommend making a reservation because all of the tables were full. We got the limoncello sangria which was delicious. Then for small plates we got... the potatoes, asparagus, bolas de arroz, and manchego. They were all delicious! Staff was so friendly. We brought a cake and they were so nice to hold it and bring it out and everything. A great spot for dinner ... highly recommend visiting. Also there's a parking lot across the street so parking is easy. read more

See all

I just DONT get the bad reviews. The food is spot on, and service is killer. Killer professional and passionate. True dat Christine is a gem of bartender/service professional that knocks it out of Wellesley EVERY SINGLE TIME. To the point where 5 stars are dumbing down the quality of service. She and the team will break Yelp beyond the 5 stars. And I'm a paella super snob. I don't call theirs paella. But I call it damn good rice dishes. Croquettas to make your fried food cravings cry. Like a baby. Waiting on nursing time. That intense. On this visit, as we dreamt dreams of lollipop chops, croquetas, queso... CARNE. Camarones... Cassandra, the juice meister, THE wine head for the company, took off with flights and history of the wines of Portugal and Spain, in a way that took our sommalier BFF and turned his socks inside out. THAT memorable, outstanding, intense, passionate, fun, crazy, delicious. INSANE. Really? you are going to listen to a reviewer with 2 experiences? or a world traveling mommy who can rock paella and tapas in her kitchen like its no one's business (yes, I rock octopus and chorizos en jerez like a boss). I get it. Sometimes service or food can be "off". Not for us. Not this time. Not last time. Or the time after that. Or... um, you get it. If Christine was the multi-tier cake with mousse filling, Cassandra was the sparkle and flame topper! Food. Ambiance. Wines. Flavor. Passion. Yep. They have it all! GREAT JOB! Have lamb chops. Croquetes. Coca con jamon and manchego. Octopus. OMG THOSE MUSSELS. Just have it. read more

Another delicious meal from Bocado! We recently moved back to the area, but had been eating at the Bocado Worcester location for years prior to our move. I was excited to be close to a Bocado location again, even if the best option to enjoy their food is takeout given current COVID limitations. One day we'll get to enjoy the bar area in person at Bocado Wellesley!!! Bocado has really stepped up their takeout game. I was somewhat skeptical of takeout Sangria, but their drinks came packaged in sealed jugs with perfectly portioned Sangrias for our meal. They were just as good as when you order in the restaurant. We picked up takeout on NYE and opted for their NYE Experience- a multi course tapas extravaganza that left me full and happy. Salad, charcuterie, chorizo shrimp, maple brussel sprouts, bbq braised beef, lobster paella, and churros were a filling and flavor-filled way to end 2020. Our favorites were the bbq braised beef and chorizo shrimp. Both dishes were spectacular and items that I would love to see on the regular Bocado menu (hint hint, nudge nudge). Additionally, I have a gluten allergy and Bocado was great about making a couple of switches to keep everything gluten free (no fried goat cheese or baguette, but tons of serrano ham and manchego filled out the charcuterie nicely). They even threw in a flan for dessert which I enjoyed while my husband happily munched down the gluten-filled churros. On a night where a restaurant is super busy and with ordering off of a pre-set menu (which stipulates that no substitutions can be made to the menu), it is so nice to see a restaurant step up for someone with dietary restrictions (because believe me- I want to eat that fried goat cheese, that stuff is amazing! Eat one for me if you can!) Bocado takeout is a fun way to enjoy the company of your family a home and it's an experience that we'll be sure to repeat soon! read more

Bocado Tapas Wine Bar - NYE Experience- Lobster paella, brussel sprouts, chorizo shrimp, bbq braised beef, ensalada de madalena, and charcuterie. Plus Sangria! - Tapas Bars Near Me - Wellesley, Massachusetts

Amazing! Kyle, thank you so much for the great service on our first night out in Boston. We found this spot on a whim and are more than happy that we did. Such a great place for dinner. Each of us got a drink and all the drinks were very good and strong. All the food were so flavorful and the size of the tapas were the perfect portions to share. We did the menu for 4, which included charcuterie, 8 tapas, 1 large paella, and dessert - so much food! We really enjoyed every single item but our favorites were the fried goat cheese on the charcuterie, the braised brisket, and bacon wrapped scallops. But honestly they were all so good.. We were literally at such a good full after the tapas and forgot about the paella and dessert that came out after. We took a few bites of it and then had to togo the rest because it was so much food. There were plenty of options for desserts as well and we ended up choosing the meringue and cheesecake. So tasty and Kyle was so sweet to give a plate of candies and cherries for our little girl who enjoyed them dearly. We had such a great time and were so glad we stumbled upon dining here. Being from Orange County, California we have so many options for food and we all agreed that Bocado is even better than the tapas we have back home. We'll have to come back every time we're in Boston! read more

See all

Love the tapa here , they constantly have specials Every month. Portions are a bit small but does the job. I do have to complain about the honey goat cheese. What happened to the honey. ? Bring it back the way it was a couple of years ago. A little more honey will just be perfect. read more

Great fun, great variety. Great sangria. Service is exceptional. Nice outdoor dining when the season is right.

Overall I'd say 3-3.5. Waitress was nice, friendly. Atmosphere was lively. Wine glass was not clean, had smudges -- but I drank from it anyway (ehhhh). Food was decent overall but nothing special that would make me want to come back to try again/more. Have to order calamari every time I see it on the menu! It was good. Paella is more of a rice dish wish toppings -- didn't have the crispy bottom. Flan was dense. read more

See all

Always attentive staff, great paellas, monthly specials, octopus and other apps. Patio/inside seating is ample and private . Drink menu can use an update read more

Salty food great service ambiance nice location easy accessible. I would recommend this place.

This is a great spot! I went on a weeknight evening during the summer in July. We made a reservation just in case. The place was busy but not jammed. This might not be the case on a weeknight during non-summer hours though so I definitely recommend making a reservation. I love how you can order a wine flight! That way you know what to have for your second glass! I ordered the famous grapes white wine flight. It was nice! Our waiter had great recommendations and is really knowledgeable about the food and drinks. Many gluten free (GF) and dairy free (DF) options to choose from. They have a gluten free menu (see pictured). They can put any sauces that include dairy ingredients on the side if you are with a group so they don't miss out. I ordered the tortilla española, patatas asadas and the paella de verduras. We split the paella and the two other plates which was perfect for us two. For dessert, I ordered the delicious oranges & honey. It's oranges drizzled with honey which sounds simple, but its a nice GF DF option to enjoy alongside others having dessert. My aunt got the flan de Bocado. She really liked it! We had a corner table by the window which was perfect! It was a dinner with a loved one who I hadn't seen in over a year! The staff were so hospitable, friendly and gave great recommendations. Perfect setting to meet up we had a wonderful night! ¡Gracias Bocado! read more

See all

We love coming here. We have been to Spain 4 times in the last 4 years and this place doesn't disappoint. Except for one thing, I do not understand why Bocado does not want to make or offers Croquetas! This is such a staple of the Spanish cuisine, and we love them so much. We recently went to Bocado again and had great service by Mark. It was very knowledgeable of the wines that they offer, place can be a little bit loud but the food is worth it.. some people need to open their mind to new experiences... read more

The food is decent some nights there's a few people and others it's busy. I do like that they were open for lunch. Are they still open for lunch? read more

Food was okay. A few things good a few things not so good. But it all came down to the service. Apparently a big gossip meeting in the bar area prevented food and drinks and check ins from happening. Came a few times in the past with great experiences. Having been in the waiting business Just felt like a whole lot of not so good stuff happening behind the scenes. read more

Me and three friends met up for dinner here and had a superb time. Despite the randomness of our different eating regimes (one doesn't eat shellfish, one doesn't eat spicy and one doesn't eat carbs) we managed to plow our way through the Bocado tapas menu. Different options for different tastes, everyone had some things to enjoy. We started off with the fried goat cheese and it was very tasty. Served with their great-looking bread (I'm the "no carbs."), it also had a nice pile of almonds on the side for me to enjoy. And then more plates started showing up. Everything was delicious. Grilled octopus. Lamb chop "lollipops." Shrimp with asparagus and goat cheese. Broiled beef brisket with mashed potatoes. Paella. All of it, plated nicely and served promptly. We killed it. Eight different entrees, one dessert (churros with a chocolate dipping sauce), soft drinks, the total worked out to $41 each. A complete bargain for this quality and quantity of food. [Review 10136 overall, 1722 of 2018.] read more

Very family friendly friendly Since this is a tapas place, it kind of goes without saying to say the menu is great for sharing For starters, the olives and salads were great and started the night off very nicely Among other dishes the paella really goes ham, we went with the seafood paella which admittedly was up there with the best dishes I've ever had. Overall the atmosphere is wonderful and there's a nice quality to the style of the menu and service provided Would recommend if you're a fan of spanish read more

Had a great experience at Bocado! It was our first time out at a restaurant since the start of the pandemic, so our expectations were high, and they were exceeded. The food is absolutely delicious with excellent service all around. We have to give special thanks to our waiter Kyle, who was attentive, knowledgeable, and friendly. We always had food/drink in front of us and were never left waiting. We'll definitely be back! read more

Bocado Tapas Wine Bar - Paella Clasica - Tapas Bars Near Me - Wellesley, Massachusetts

See all

Bocado Tapas Wine Bar is located off the main drag of Wellesley a short distance from Wellesley College. I parked for 2 hours free in a residential area, only to find that the parking lot across the street (the Waban Street Parking Lot) from them offers free parking on Saturdays, Sundays, and Holidays. Oopsie! We could have dined for lunch this Saturday for a reasonable price tag of $11-$12 for a sandwich and side or $12-$16 for one of four combo options, but we wanted variety, and gee did we pay for it. The two of us shared the following: . Camarones y Aguacate fried avocado, spicy shrimp salad, lemon ginger dressing $10 . Carpaccio de Betabel Madera wood roasted beets, goat cheese, orange zest, smoked sea salt, micros, lemon oil $9 . Jerez Panceta de Cerdo a la Brasa crispy braised pork belly, spiced carrot puree, sherry balsamic syrup, crushed pistachio, pickled grilled onion $11 . Foie Gras a la Plancha seared foie, potato crusted fried eggplant, rioja pear jam, pickled shitake, onion crisps $15 . Churros y Chocolate fried dough with chocolate dipping sauce $8 . Budin de Pan Blanco de Chocolate y Frambuesa raspberry & white chocolate bread pudding $8 The fried avocado dish was a bit spicy, but still good and not overwhelming to my tastebuds. The beets was too light portion with more than a hint of orange from the zest. The pork belly was a bit dry on the end further from the fat, while the fatty end wasn't as melty as I like. The duck liver dish was the best of the four, followed strongly by the fried avocado, while the other two lagged behind. As for the desserts, the nicely warmed bread pudding was the surprise winner as the chocolate dipping sauce lacked the luxuriousness normally associated with such ambrosia. The price tag for our weekend lunch: $61 (before tax/tip). I'd willingly come back, but I think next time I'd want to try the sopa y bocadillo combo #3 $15. Their sandwiches looked well portioned, as did the bowl of soup I spied on another table. Their butternut apple soup $6 spiced creme fraiche, candied walnuts did catch my eye, as did their vegetable sandwich (Eggplant Veggie Melt $11 golden fried eggplant, charcoal grilled zucchini and onion, baby spinach, mahon cheese, bravas tomato sauce). read more

See all

I came here for graduation brunch with my family. We were the first to arrive and received excellent service even as the tables around us became crowded. Particularly notable was the octopus, which was cooked to perfection and nicely seasoned. We ordered half a dozen tapas, all of which were phenomenal including the artichokes, the bacon wrapped scallops, the avocado toast, the braised pork, and the octopus. To complement the tapas, we also ordered a salad with salmon. We also ordered the bread pudding and the churros for dessert. I could not have asked for a better meal to celebrate with. My family is Mediterranean and we have high expectations especially for fish. Whoever is in the kitchen knows how to cook fish well. Ps I read another post critiquing the scallops and if you don't like honey then you will not like the scallops but I personally enjoyed them, as did my guests. read more