I cannot get enough of this restaurant. The drinks are amazing, the food is outstanding, and the service is impeccable. The cheese board? The creme brûlé? Musts! read more

5 stars every time. Apparently I somehow like drinking straight rum at this place. Must get the gnocchi and meatballs. Always great service and know you'll have a great experience. read more

What a wonderful find in the charming downtown Wake Forest area. This place is a must for an exciting date night. Love their gnocchi, shrimp, and seared tuna but you really can't go wrong with any of their small plates. The place is a bit echoey so if you're hard of hearing be prepared. The noise level is certainly a sign that it's a popular spot! read more

This is the perfect place to unwind and enjoy the best tapas around! It is where I go on Friday to simply unwind and enjoy the beauty of downtown Wake Forest, tapas (cooked phenomenally) and choice of wine. 5 stars! read more

Amazing! got 7 different dishes and every one was more amazing than the next. Not only my favorite local restaurant but probably my favorite restaurant period. Get a babysitter and bring an appetite! read more

We recently had a great experience at Bodega in Wake Forest. Food was delicious and very high quality. Highly recommend this place.

Bodega Tapas is a quaint hidden gem in Wake Forest. Ok so first off, yes it's definitely a loud restaurant. This isn't a place for date night due to the noise levels but I would definitely recommend for groups of 3 or more. The ambiance makes it a great place to go and socialize with friends. We ordered a few items off the menu and everything tasted great. I also recommend ordering at 3 or 4 tapas due to the portions. Overall, we were pleased with the service we received and the food! I highly recommend any of the following menu items: Caribbean Jerk ribs Rigatoni Mezze Empanadas Lamb meatballs I will definitely go back. Enjoy! read more

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My husband and I dined at Bodega tonight and enjoyed our dinner very much. The servers were quite attentive and came back to refill our drinks several times. Admittedly, the service was pretty slow, but part of it may have had to do with some power issues their street was having. Not sure, since we've never dined there before. However, the food was delicious and they were quite accommodating so I would still return. I asked them what items I could have, considering I have a dairy allergy. They kindly came back with the menu, having struck out the dishes that couldn't be modified and circling what would have to be removed for some of the others. It was very much appreciated. I hope to come back and try some of their other dishes another day! read more

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This is the first time I've gone to a restaurant five times, loved the food every time, and given a 3 star review. The food is very good, sometimes transcendent, service reasonably good, and the restaurant is attractive and inviting. I'd particularly recommend the NC Shrimp, the Brussels Sprouts, fingerling potatoes, seared tuna... there are many. The Rum Old Fashioned is delicious! There's a good selection of wines by the glass, and about 8-10 craft cocktails, with rum as a focal point. On our most recent visit, our party of four had a round of drinks and about 8 small plates, and the bill was $115 excluding tip, which seemed very reasonable. Why 3 stars, then? The noise level at Bodega is excruciatingly high - to the point where it's practically painful. The floor is a hard surface, the walls are brick, and the ceiling is wood: there's virtually no sound absorbing material in the restaurant, and the result is like something out of Gitmo. The people who run this restaurant know they have a problem, yet have done nothing since it opened to address it. ...and for this reason, we won't be returning. My only advice is to go really early or at 9pm if you don't want to damage your hearing: from 6:00 to 9:00, it's a horror show. read more

Last night was my first visit to Bodega. My girlfriend and I went for a late, lite dinner after 8pm. It was a great experience. They have a robust wine, cocktails, and small plates menu. We ordered the cheese plate, lamb meatballs, beef empanada, and shrimp. The food was fresh and delicious- and our waitress spaced out their bringing our tapas so we could slowly enjoy each one. Kudos to our waitress on her ability to choose a nice Spanish red wine based on our preferences. The vibe is fun yet quiet so you can enjoy conversation. PS, I love the brick walls...I highly recommend and will return soon. read more

Bodega Tapas & Wine is located at the end of white street in downtown Wake Forest. They took over where Back fins used to be. Love the renovations they did. This was actually our plan B when Friday night on white got rained out. They quickly filled up so I'd recommend making reservations. Our server, I think his name was Benton, was fantastic and very patient with us being first timers. Four of us shared a plethora of tapas plates. I enjoyed my drink. Painkiller-need I say more? We started with a cheese board and what a great way to start. Now they are tapas so that means small plates, made for sharing. With 4 people, you basically get a few bites in. 3 types of cheese, manchego, and 2 others. One tasted like goat cheese and the other similar to gruyere with fig jam and quince, served with crostini. Needed a few more crostini as everything on this was delicious! Everything I tasted was enjoyable. The crab filled peppers were memorable but very small. It actually was quite a bit of food in total and yes, it can get pricey. With drinks, it averaged about $60 per couple, not including tip. But Hey, you deserve something different now and again. read more

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Bodega is a hidden gem in downtown Wake Forest! It's perfect for a romantic date night, dinner with friends, or a neighborhood drink They specialize in rum cocktails, a huge wine list and tapas! I recommend ordering 2-3 plates per person to share with the table. The service was amazing - a great resource for recommending dishes Specials: Wednesday- 1/2 price Wine Thursday- 1/2 off Cocktails My favorites: - Autumn salad w Grapes, Apples & Blue Cheese - Scallop Ceviche - Fried Mediterranean Potatoes (a MUST order!) - Tender Grilled Octopus - Seared Tuna - Warm Blueberry Polenta Cake (not too sweet and SO satisfying) read more

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Seriously the best meal. Everything about this dinner experience was exceptional (except for an air conditioning issue - hopefully that gets resolved soon?) - even with this minor issue the food and service far outweighed any slight uncomfortably warm temperature. Our server was Bennett, he was great. Attentive, offered great recommendations and we never waited any time our glasses neared empty or we wanted to order more food. The food: oh my. Be prepared to order 2-3 plates per person. Tapas style. I guess it also depends on how hungry you are. We tried the following: the empanada, the bacon wrapped dates, the goat cheese dip, crab stuffed peppers, pork belly, corn salad. The gnocchi and a special of the evening - mussels in a tallow coconut curry. All fantastic. We (4 of us) ended up ordering 2 more orders of the dates. The crab stuffed peppers were also a personal fav. The drinks: a wonderful drink selection of craft rum cocktails, extensive wine list and maybe the best white sangria I've ever had. I ordered a floral type cocktail with elderflower liquor to start but it was a little too sweet for my taste buds so I switched to the white sangria. Very refreshing. I liked this place so much that I just want to go up there by myself and become a regular the food and atmosphere was so good. Can't wait to go back. read more

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So my #FoodieFriday shout out goes to the newly opened Bodega Tapas, Wine and Rum in Wake Forest. This restaurant is the place to go for eclectic cold and hot small plates, amazing cocktails, and delicious desserts. It is in historic downtown Wake Forest on the south end of White Street. There is parking in a lot steps away from it. Go for a date night or a girls night and unwind with a glass of wine, share some NC shrimp and save room for the white chocolate bread pudding (it was so good, I ordered one to go for the hubby at home) !! I enjoyed the creative cuisine with influences from around the world by Chef Nunzio and look forward to dining there again! Pictured Here : Brussel Sprouts | Lamb Ribs | Pork Belly | Strawberry Caipirinha | White Chocolate Bread Pudding | NC Shrimp Tip: I went on a Thursday Night and discovered it is half off cocktails! read more

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A fresh and delicious new spot in Wake Forest by the talented chef-owner Nunzio Scordo, who definitely knows his tapas and how to pair them with tasty sippables. The small plates are generously loaded, affordably priced and genuinely delicious. The octopus dish - my favorite - had a meltingly tender texture with a magnificently charred exterior. The lamb was tender and flavorful, and the bacon wrapped dates with blue cheese were a palate pleasing umami bomb of sweet, sticky, caramelized toffee-like fruit with salty crisp bacon and pungent cheese. The staff are very friendly and happy to be of service. Expect a cheerful welcome and very good care taken of your palate. Bring your friends and get the whole menu to share! read more

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Very happy to see this new restaurant in Wake Forest! The renovation of the space was done very well, and the food and atmosphere are first rate. Lamb ribs, awesome! Mild tasting lamb with a very nice sauce. Seared tuna, baked goat cheese, scallop ceviche, all delicious. The chef makes very good use of seasonings and doesn't overpower his dishes with any one flavor. They also have an extensive wine list and a number of rums and rum based drinks. Our server, Five, did a fantastic job! read more

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Fun and trendy! A great addition to downtown Wake Forest. Cocktails are excellently made and the tapas were delicious and larger than I expected. Great for sharing! Definitely a place I will take visitors and go for drinks with the girls or date night. Things I've tried and liked: Cocktails = The Empress and The Jungle Tapas = Bacon wrapped dates and fingerling potatoes read more

Bodega Tapas & Wine - Painkiller, Really Dark and Stormy, The Jungle - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Wake Forest, North Carolina

So excited to have a tapas style restaurant that we don't have to drive to Durham for! Service was fantastic (very personable) and the pace of the meal was on point. As you can see, we sampled just about everything on the menu! Everything was well prepared and had good flavor, though we had some clear front runners. Winners in order: Scallop Ceviche - sweet, sour, crunchy, smooth Pork Belly - delicious cider reduction with the charred belly fat was on point Gnocchi - creamy, toasted, ooyey, gooey Dates - filled with Spanish blue cheese and baked with crispy bacon All of these are must haves! Very uniquely flavored, complex, and delicious! We also both loved the goat cheese dip, shrimp, and crispy potatoes! We were torn on dessert. Hubby loved the rice and I loved the chocolate! The octopus was good, but Mateo still reigns supreme. We didn't care for the bed of chickpeas it was served on and think it would be better with more char and more vinaigrette. The sausage was also tasty, but we didn't love the cold "relish". Probably would skip that one next time. Drinks and wine list are of good size and variety! I loved my sparkling rose! We will be back! read more

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Food and service were great but a little pricey for my tastes. Seems like they don't rotate the menu much.

We had empanadas, escargot, Brussel sprouts, cheese plate, burrata, and the foie gras creme brûlée. All were super tasty and the wine pairing was also delicious. We loved the interesting dish choices and the feel of the restaurant as well. We will be back! read more

One of the best tapas places in town! Place was super crowded even in covid times. We ordered variety of entries and every one of them was delicious. Best was there grilled octopus, lamb meat balls and the scallops! Did not try any of their cocktails. It was worth the long drive from Apex! We will defenitly go back. read more

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Immediately when you walk into this place you're instantly relaxed. The decor is stunning. The wait staff? Friendly and knowledgeable. The food? Exquisite! A woman at a table next to ours mentioned she was on an autoimmune paleo diet ( my ears perked up as I'm on that very same protocol) Get this: THE CHEF CAME TO HER TABLE TO DISCUSS OPTIONS! No joke! How fabulous is that! I cannot wait to return. That wine list needs sampling! read more

This was my first visit and I was blown away! The food was a work of art and the service was so personal I would have thought I was a regular customer. What a treasure to find such a wonderful dining experience in downtown Wake Forest. I will be back for sure!! P.S. Don't forget to ask for the dessert menu when your meal is finished. You won't be sorry. read more

I would give bodega a 3.5. Maybe a 4 just because Wake Forest has no other options like this but it does fall short for me in some areas. I have been twice so far and here are my recommendations: Parisienne gnocchi (!!) Fingerling potatoes Grilled flat iron steak Cheese platter Spiced chocolate tart White chocolate bread pudding Skip- Brussel sprouts. They will try to sell them but they are cold and boring despite them telling you they are cooked. I would prefer a juicy melt in your mouth deep fried version of this personally. I like the bacon wrapped dates but I won't lie the blue cheese throws me off a little, I do not think it was the correct choice here (and I do like blue cheese). The duck pasta looked good but I didn't eat it. I will order the warm goat cheese dip and the strawberry and arugula salad (which a friend had, looked good) next time. The gnocchi was a highlight, such a lovely texture. That, the steak, and some olives to compliment with a Malbec would be a lovely meal for me. read more

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My husband and I have been to this place twice. They have excellent service. The servers are always kind friendly and quick with a smile. As far as the food goes, Absolutely delicious. I would recommend that you make a reservation at the place is kind of small and fills up quickly. Perfect for date night. read more

Absolutely wonderful from start to finish. It's a really lovely and inviting space and every person on the staff that we interacted with was so gracious, welcoming and helpful. The drinks were very creative and satisfying. Love the amazing variety of runs they have. We had the scallops (double order since it was just a single scallop), the chicken, olives and Brussels. Each one was prepared perfectly, was delicious and the presentation was lovely. We cannot wait to go back! read more

AMAZING FOOD! This is one of my top 5 restaurants in the Raleigh area. The food is always amazing and the service is great. It can get a little loud in the restaurant, but that is the only negative! read more

We stopped in today for an early dinner (4:45pm) and it was empty and clean. Everyone was wearing a mask and the waitress was very kind. We got the Gnocchi for the 4 year olds (and an order for the adults, its AMAZING). We also got the Lamb Meatballs, also tasty; Shrimp good but doesn't have a ton of flavor; Beef Empanada was good and the cilantro creme is super yummy; Peruvian Chicken was a alright but I won't be getting it again; Brussel Sprouts had good flavor but I wasn't crazy about the texture. I prefer them crispy and these were mushy in my opinion by my friend loved them. The last time I was there I had the Octopus and it was phenomenal (if you've never had it, Try it!). Cocktail: Tried the Ship Down and it was very good, so good that I never got a picture. lol. Overall great service, Clean tables, They were on top of Covid issues so they deserve 5 stars. read more

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This is a wonderful restaurant. Absolutely incredible food. We ordered the Arancini, Spanish Serrano Ham, and Parisienne Gnocchi to share between my wife and I. Here, it is all about quality over quantity. Very rich and extremely rewarding. I'm a big guy with a big appetite and this place very much satisfied it. I also enjoyed the meal with an Old Fashioned with Makers Mark. The service was also excellent. Our server, Bailey, was very relational and charming. She had a sweet smile and spirit that was contagious for us and the entire experience. The interior is dimly lit ideal for our date night. We absolutely loved coming here and will certainly return. read more

What I loved - the atmosphere; they did an outstanding job of renovating and tastefully decorating the space from the previous establishments. You definitely get European vibes, and I think this place complements Wake Forest nicely. Our server was attentive and pleasant. What I didn't love - it is really noisy. I was there on a Tuesday around 6:00 PM, and there were only two other tables for the first hour. But it was still incredibly difficult to carry on a conversation due to the acoustics, and unbearable by the time we left. The four plates we tried were good with the exception of the Brussel sprouts, which were overcooked. But pricey for the amount of food you get. I'm glad I tried it, but will probably only return if someone else really wants to go. Mainly due to the noise levels. read more

I treated my daughter for her 20th birthday. It is a cool spot. Overpriced tapas that left us just wanting. That was the fastest $100+ I spent on food. Sadly, we left hungry and ended up getting a pizza after. Fancy menu and seasonal foods that are just meh, at best. read more

Very nice atmosphere. Nice staff and very involved owner. Personally greatest each table. But the food was spectacular!!! We tried 5 different small plates and each was better than the last. I HIGHLY recommend you give them a try. read more

This was a great find in the old part of Wake Forest. We got there real early on a Saturday (about 5-5:15pm) and no one was there. But then it soon started to fill up. The ambience is really nice, the service was excellent. We ordered about six tapas dishes to share. Every single one was fabulous. They have very interesting flavor profiles for the dishes--things you wouldn't think to put together. They really tickled our tongues. We will definitely be back. read more

Great from beginning to end! Friendly and knowledgeable service, and amazing food! One of the best crème brûlée's I've had. Can't wait to go back for more read more

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100 percent just like Sapin. Owner is French !ND his goal is to make you feel "like you are in grandmother's kitchen: Good food, good wine, friendly people and relaxed". He does the best job! Love love love this place read more

Beautiful atmosphere, albeit on the louder side as the evening went on. Excellent food. Pricey, though. Excellent customer service and table service. It was nice to be able to get a reservation two nights before, and Bodega accommodated one extra person by pulling another table up after we got there. Most places you can't get a reservation the same week and certainly not have extra people. Thanks, Bodega staff! I'll be back to try some more menu items! read more

Bodega Tapas and Wine in Downtown Wake Forest is a must visit. Their menu is fulled with delicious small plates, larger plates, desserts, special rum based cocktails and a vast wine list. The tapas we had were their cider braised pork belly, lamb ribs, lamb meatballs and the grilled octopus. Each dish was savory and delicious and full of flavor. The presentation of each dish was so picturesque. For dessert, their warm blueberry polenta cake, was the perfect sweet end to an amazing meal. The ambiance is perfect for a nice, perfectly lit, quiet dinner for you and your guest and their service is top notch. Will definitely be back to try more of their tapas! read more

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Have you ever been to a restaurant where your first visit was so bad that you were given a gift certificate to come back...and then the second time is almost as bad we'll let me tell you where the experience can be had...yep that's right Bodega. Well you already knew that because you are reading this review. Next thing to get past is, Why did you give it 2 stars? The answer is because a few of the menu items are great like the fingerling potatoes, the scallop ceviche and the NC shrimp. Here in lies the problems though. After asking the waiter/bartender "Is there goat cheese on the cheese plate?" And the response being "NO", not let me check or I don't know. Take a wild guess what arrives? Yep Goat cheese! Good thing I just can't stand it and don't have a serious Allergy. Then ordering a drink a drink that the recipe allegedly differs from the description written in the menu. Which of course added so much fresh lime rendering it undrinkable. Next step is the manager speaking to me and me explaining the history we have with the restaurant, really trying to give it another shot since it is a local place. But just the usual apology. How about a whole lot less "Sorry" stop being sorry and start being better. Or be another former restaurant owner that drives down a street saying I used to have a place there, not sure what happened but it was there. The answer is menu/ recipe training plus the word sorry killed it. read more

I cannot even. My husband and I do not eat out very often, because we are both quite accomplished cooks, but I have to give Bodega a shout out. I had dinner tonight with a dear friend of mine, after far too long, because Covid. We ate ALL OF THE THINGS. Lamb meatballs, gnocchi, shrimp, french onion soup, the salad, probably so much more. The cocktails are fabulous, the wine selection is great, and DO NOT forget to cap off your night with a chocolate martini (or two). Is it a nightcap or some nightcaps? You decide. Honestly, I'm rarely impressed with restaurants, but this one? Pure gold. Give it a shot. read more

Been twice now and it's quickly become a favorite! The first time we came, had a really wonderful experience but did give some feedback about the food, and the next visit we ordered the same things and it was AMAZING! Love that the owners took the time to visit us and listen to our feedback with open minds. The truffled beef tartar, lamb meatballs, warm goat cheese dip and gnocchi are all to die for! And the pork belly, don't forget to order that! The wine and drink list is great! You can tell a lot of consideration, love and care was dedicated to it. There's a little something for everyone! Try the Empress... Yum!!! The space itself is gorgeous. Perfect for a date night or a girl's night out. The seats are comfortable and there's plenty of space between tables to freely and easily chat with your company. And last, but not least, the service is incredible! Super friendly, helpful, and attentive without being overbearing. Thank you, Bodega, for a great night out! read more