This place slaps nothing more to say. I am picky about tapas and I think this place is excellent. We made a resy for a Sunday night and glad we did because they were quite busy! We sat out on their covered patio area which super cute and ordered a sangria pitcher to share. Great sangria! We got a bunch to share of course but the first thing was the olives (YUM) and the brussel sprout salad which was surprisingly so yummy! We also tried croquetas which were great, the chicken and chorizo skewers, patatas bravas, the tortilla (which I have had authentic one and this one is great) and same goes for the pulpo which was so good. I really don't think we went wrong with anything we ordered even the chickpea stew was great. My take on the paella is get the seafood one if you can. I didn't tried but we had to get the chicken one because a lot of our table doesn't eat seafood and it was okay to me! Huge serving though so save room post the tapas! And of course we have to get the dessert so we had the cheesecake the chocolate cake and both were fab. Such a cutie place and I will be thinking about these tapas for a while! read more

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Never got around to writing a review for this place after 5+ years of going here but just gotta say this is my favorite restaurant of all time. I no longer live in Chicago but when I did, I'd frequent here at least once every other week. And when I'm in town, I always make it a mission to come here at least once. Dined here this past Monday and had the best service thanks to our waiter Santiago! My favorites to try are: Patatas Pravas Brussel Sprouts Salad Hanger Steak Chicken/Beef empanadas Goat Cheese and Bread The paella is amazing as well, however it's quite filling so I'd recommend getting that if you're not going to get too many tapas plates. Can't wait till I'm back next! Also FYI they sell merch too and it's pretty fire! read more

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - Spanish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

House marinated olives - 3/5 too salty. Sangria flight 3/5 Fruity flavors were not very strong. Catalan style crystal bread 4/5 Yum! Fried shishito peppers 3.5/5 Could use more flavor Gazpacho 5/5 Delicious. Moroccan chickpea stew 3/5 Sweet and flavor was strong. Needs to go with rice to balance it out. Service was okay. Servers just plopped the plates on the table and left without saying anything. read more

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - Spanish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Chill place on a Saturday. Great for friends gathering. Some of the servings are priced adequately. Summer overpriced empanada was OK as well as the potatoes bacon wrapped dates and kale, broccoli salad, I believe. I had a pair of fashion that was pretty good. I don't know if I'll be back though the bathrooms were nice but downstairs. Parking was scarce. Our server was very prompt and nice. Very knowledgeable. Sorry the pictures aren't that great because the lighting was not the best. read more

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We came here for happy hour. We got the bacon wrapped dates, ham croquettes, and patatas bravas, which I all liked equally. I thought we would get more than just 2 ham croquettes so I was disappointed in that portion size. We also got the spanish meatballs which didn't stand out to me, I would recommend skipping them. The place was really cute and service was great. I would love to come back for their paellas and other dishes that sounded enticing. Also would love to sit in their outdoor patio next time too. read more

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - Patatas Bravas and Spanish Meatballs - Spanish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Vibe: so fun! The restaurant is also HUGE! Service: really great, no complaints. Value: of course a bit pricy as a tapas place, but if you're looking for a nice or celebratory spot it feels affordable for that purpose! Iberia jamón croquettes: these were my favorite. The sauce paired perfectly with them. A must-order! Burrata: Good, but we were a bit sad about 3 pieces of bread for 4 people. Not pictured items: Stuffed mushrooms: these were also incredible. I wasn't sure what to expect for stuffed mushrooms at a Spanish restaurant but I'd definitely order these again! Paella Mariscos: delicious! Basically fried rice without eggs but with seafood. All of the seafood was perfectly cooked; nothing was chewy. Fall Fashioned: There was something about it I just didn't love, but maybe I just prefer a plain old fashioned Overall, I enjoyed and would recommend, but I'm not rushing to come back right away. read more

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - Ibérico Ham Croquetas - Spanish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Food was good! Stuffed mushrooms and tomato & goat cheese were very yummy! I feel like our paella could use a bit more flavor? But the chicken was tender which was yum. We were seated in a weird spot hidden away in a little nook separated from everyone else. Literally couldn't see any other tables or enjoy the ambiance which was disappointing as both the outdoor (ish) space and indoor space were very pretty. read more

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I was really excited to try this restaurant, but unfortunately, the experience fell short of expectations. We visited during restaurant week, and while we anticipated it would be busy, the atmosphere made it difficult to enjoy our meal. We were seated near the kitchen, which made our table uncomfortably warm, and the noise level was quite high, making conversation challenging. The service was decent overall, but there were a few issues. We mentioned that we were there for restaurant week, yet our group of five was only given one menu, which was inconvenient to share. After placing our order, the food arrived inconsistently and out of sequence. Dishes were brought out at different times and without explanation, so we weren't sure which plates belonged to whom. It would have been much better if the courses had been served together and in order. The food itself was just okay. The standout dish was the potatoes, especially the sauce, which was delicious. However, the seafood paella was disappointing, it was overly mushy and lacked a substantial amount of seafood. Additionally, the dessert portions were quite small. Considering the $45 price point, plus an additional $13 for the paella, I didn't feel this experience offered good value for restaurant week. Unfortunately, I don't think I would return. read more

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Came here for Chicago Restaurant week! The restaurant week dinner special included two appetizers, first course, second course, and dessert for $45. We upgraded the second course to add +$13 for the seafood paella. This is my third time going to Cafe Babareeba and it hits home for Spanish cuisine. My favorite food to order is of course the Spanish paella. I was pleasantly surprised that our restaurant week menu included sangria. If you come here with 4 people and share all the courses, it's definitely worth it you wanna try a lot from the menu. My new favorite dishes that I tried were the Brussels sprouts salad and patatas bravas. Such a good start for the beginning of restaurant week! read more

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LOVE the indoor outdoor patio. The environment is lively and the staff are very kind. The food was delicious. Really enjoyed the bikini sandwich, shishito pepper and the lamb skewers. Oh and the goat cheese YUM. Very reasonably priced and who doesn't love a shared plate?! read more

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - Spanish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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SOO YUMMY. Most authentic Spanish food I've had outside of Spain. We came for lunch on a beautiful Friday and sat in their indoor patio. So cute loved all the greenery and art. We ordered peach sangria, a bunch of tapas to share, and seafood paella. Everything was delicious. Favs were the Brussels sprouts salad, hanger steak, and paella. Our server was really funny and nice too. read more

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Cannot stop recommending this spot! Super cute inside! Paella was AMAZING, so was the deviled eggs, hanger steak, Brussels sprouts salad, empanadas, goat cheese pesto garlic bread, oh and the homemade tahin (w/margarita) was fantastic! Server was on point with her recommendations! I can't wait to go back to experience this AGAIN! Yum! read more

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Authentic Spanish cuisine. Absolutely loved it! We had shishito peppers, beef empanada and Catalan crystal bread which were all tasty. But the star of the meal was the chicken paella! So good! Chloe was our server and she did an excellent job taking care of us. The only negative was the surcharge for using a credit card but I guess that's becoming more common. Reservations are a must. Don't miss this place! read more

A Chicago legend, anyone who has even the slightest taste for Spanish tapas must make this a stop when in the area. We were fortunate enough to come in just as they opened on a Saturday morning without a reservation and had no problem grabbing a seat, but they did fill up. Metered Street parking is available and can be tight, some lot parking can be found in the area if you're lucky. Recommend an Uber if necessary so you can enjoy some of their full bar or additional sherry experiences with your meal. The restaurant consists of the original section which really has a lot of character. The newer edition appears to be what was a former exterior patio that is now fully enclosed, and has some marvelous artwork. There is a very small exterior patio area for anyone that wants to enjoy the weather. Our server was pleasant and attentive while we tried a variety of tapas specialties. The Spanish ham and manchego was one of our favorites, but by far was the chorizo wrapped dates that was spectacular with a sherry. Not advertised, but available after a request, you can purchase a bottle of Sherry, which turns out to be quite less expensive than by the Glass pricing, and if you don't finish, you can take it with you. For anyone that's familiar with the Chicago food scene you might know of Emilio's tapas restaurants which also offers fabulous selections. Emilio originally trained at this restaurant before branching out on his own. Weekend brunch and happy hour specials during the week are available. Check their website for details. This restaurant is awesome. read more

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First time coming to Chicago and all my friends told me I had to check this place out! Located in Lincoln Park, it is away from the hub-bub of downtown Chicago. The menu features a variety of Spanish tapas, pintxos, small plates, and Paella. You are meant to order plates to share with table. Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba really prides themselves in serving authentic Spanish food and providing guests with a unique experience. The restaurant itself is very cute and has a fun vibe about it. There are plenty of seating options and a gorgeous bar as well. Service was wonderful! Our server did an excellent job checking in on us, refilling waters, and just making sure we were satisfied with everything. We did get a reservation via OpenTable, this is always necessary, but I would recommend doing this, especially on the weekends. We ordered a couple plates to start and the ended up ordering more throughout our meal. I really love that you can do this, it paces the food and allows you to enjoy the experience more. We put in orders for 2 of the goat cheese baked in tomato sauce, a patatas bravas, Spanish olives, and Spanish meatballs (Al Jerez). The food came out in a timely manner and was served made to order. We dove right in! The goat cheese was luscious and perfect on that cold afternoon. It's baked in their old world Spanish oven and served with house garlic bread. This dish was super creamy, with a nice tang from the tomatoes, and just phenomenal. The patatas bravas were just divine! The spicy potato's were cooked to perfection, crispy on the outside and yet soft on the inside. They paired perfectly with sun-dried tomato aioli they were served with as well. The Spanish Meatball were decent as well. They had great texture and I really enjoyed the sherry tomato sauce they were served in. For our next round, we had to order more patatas bravas because they were just that good! We also got some calamari and extra bread for the remaining baked goat cheese. The fried calamari comes with tomato crudo and a jalapeño aioli. It was nice and crispy, nothing too special but still hit the spot nonetheless. Overall, I was so happy my friends and I came here! The food was amazing all around, no complaints at all. The service was great as well. They are very accommodating and do a great job taking care of guests. Loved the interior of the restaurant, it was super cozy! I will definitely have to return next time I'm in the area to try more tapas. Highly recommend! read more

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Planned to stop by for the amazing happy hour specials, however, there was no seating at the bar. The restaurant was also fully booked and the next table was 3hrs from the time we arrived. However, the host was wonderful and was able to accommodate my group at a table while the reservation arrived. We had just enough time for a drink and apps, it was perfect! I ordered the fall fashioned which was a nice take on a traditional old fashioned with some fall spices. We also ordered the potato salad, calamari, mushrooms, and escargot. I was honestly not a fan of the potato salad as the potatoes were grainy and felt undercooked. The escargot was okay (not bad but also not great). My favorite dish was the mushroom. I will be coming back to try different dishes. My group of friends weren't feeling very adventurous with the food options this time around. read more

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - Spanish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We went at Christmas time and it was beautifully decorated. The vibe is warm and energetic. The service was friendly and attentive. OK let's talk about the food...amazing. Who doesn't love small plates where you can taste a bit of everything. It was perfect because all of us had varying tastes. I would highly recommend coming here and I would go back in a heartbeat. read more

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Was looking for a last-minute bite and we stopped by this cute and cozy spot. We were seated fairly quickly, but we only had 2 people in our party. Despite it being rather early, this spot was PACKED so I had high hopes! This place did not disappoint!! Our favorite was the Chorizo wrapped dates with manchego cheese. Everything in that bite was so perfectly balanced. The sweetness of the date with the savoriness of the chorizo and cheese was just top tier. We ended up ordering a few more rounds of just this dish. If you get anything at all - get the dates!! All other foods were delicious as well but the dates were my all time favorite! read more

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Honestly, this will forever remain one of my favorite restaurants in the city. It is always consistently good, the service is always quick. It's genuinely always crowded and the sangria is the best in the city. Like this sangria could change a person life and in fact it has changed my life??? I've been here countless times and I always love it. This time I tried the veggie paella For the first time. Also had the old standbys of the tortilla and pastas braves. Favorite sangrias of the night were the seasonal apple and the peach as always. Obviously, we got a half picture of the peach sangria as well. Overall, it's always such a lovely experience and I will continue to go a few times a year because I love it. The atmosphere is festive, fun and always crowded. In my opinions, it is one of the best lettuce entertain you restaurants and there is a reason why it has been around for so long. read more

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We had booked Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba for lunch on a Saturday afternoon. The restaurant also has a brunch menu for the weekends. We were pleasantly surprised to see how big the space was, and it was beautifully decorated. Service was very good, and food was served very fast. We ordered the Chorizo-wrapped date and chicken stick with a coating of waffle batter from the pintxos section of the menu. For mains, we ordered the patatas bravas (their most popular item), garlic shrimp and Iberico ham croquetas. And paired the food with sangrias. The patatas bravas were marvellous - the most flavourful potatoes I have ever had. We dipped the house bread in the olive oil, and it was brilliant. We were full for the rest of the day after the meal. Cannot wait to go back and try from the rest of the menu. read more

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Great happy hour! Come before 5pm o get a seat. HH is only offered in the bar area, but has a wonderful selection of food and drinks! I hadn't been beach in over 20 years and the tomato and goat cheese was just as good as I remembered! read more

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - Tomato and goat cheese. Still one of my favorites! - Spanish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I came here for a group dinner (17 people) so we ordered a preset menu before coming. We also came during Restaurant Week and the entire place was packed, but our service was great. I have a nut allergy and they were very accommodating to replace some of the preset items with nut-free dishes. All the dishes we tried had good flavor but were way too salty for me, especially their potatoes (patatas bravas) and paella, which is why I took off a star. My favorites were the chickpea stew, tortilla espanola, and ham croquetas. Additionally, it took about 30 minutes per dish to come out. I'm not sure if this was intentional or because they were busy, but we spent 3.5 hours at the restaurant which was too much waiting for me. read more

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Came here for restaurant week 2026 had a reservation for 5 at 7 pm on Saturday February 6th. This place came highly recommended to my friends and I and I'm visiting from out of town. I will start with this restaurant has a great deal for dinner --45$ with a drink Included. The food was honestly mediocre at best. The place is LOUD. We could not hear anyone at the table but it gave me hope to see how busy they were. Lots of wait staff and you could see the kitchen. People were in and out all night. Sangria was fine -- tasted really watered down to me but it was included. The small bites were ok but would never pay full price for each of them. What bothered our table the most was that they dumped the food at our table with no explanation-- you get to choose from two small bites per person (10 items for a party of 5) and we honestly didn't know which was which. It was difficult for some to figure out and remember who got what since it was not given to by person but just by table. I gave them the benefit of doubt since I knew they were super busy but the food was just not worth it. They just started bringing items out whenever they were ready-- not in order which would have been fine if we were told. Just overall confusing start to the meal. First course was also fine-- typical tapas items nothing special but decent portion. We did upgrade to the seafood paella for 13$ for two people but it was honestly the worst part of the meal. Parts were over cooked and parts were undercooked, it was super inconsistent. Seafood was small and rubbery. I'm a huge dessert person and my hopes were already ruined. First place I didn't take home leftovers. Will not be back unfortunately read more

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Second time coming here and this experience was a let down. We came for Happy Hour and had intentions of eating dinner here but the service was poor. We sat in the bar area. I got Sangria of the Day which was not told to me wasn't apart of Happy Hour. It was very clear we were coming for HH. I ordered a sangria and my husband ordered the HH beer, bartender then said that sangria of the day was mango. Ok, I will take that but had I know that no the HH price then would have passed on this and ordered the traditional red sangria. Any hoo, we ordered apps and they came out. My husband ordered another HH beer that never came. When he addressed it with one of the servers they lie and say there isn't HH beer. What the QR payment system shows we have a HH beer which is how I knew they charged me extra for the sangria of the day. Eventually, my husband talked to the Bartender about the HH beer and she had an attitude and disrespectful said she would pay for the beer and walked off. Well it isn't about you paying for the beer, it is about service. The manager ended up coming over but did little to make us feel heard. Paid the bill and even gave the rude bartender an 18% tip. Not sure I would come back here. Bad taste left in my mouth even though the dates and the deviled eggs were good. Tapas didn't convert into dinner. Missed opportunity for this business. read more

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Always love this place. Got most of the same things as I usually do but tried some new things, too! The usuals that are still favorites: ham croquetas, bacon wrapped dates, spinach and manchego stuffed mushrooms, and patatas bravas, in that order. The garlic shrimp was decent, very garlicky and oily. The chicken empanada is a little hard to split more than 2 ways but was pretty decent and creamy. I also tried the Brussels sprout salad for the first time and it's big and a pretty solid veggie option. We also got the beef tenderloin and the meat was good, but I am not a fan of bleu cheese so I stayed away from that one. And finally, that chocolate truffle cake still slaps. It's so thick and fudgy, I love it read more

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One of the best dining spots in chicago! Love the variety of tapas and the paella is always fantastic. I love to take visitors here because they never fail to love it! The sangria is also always a hit read more

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FOOD COLD TAPAS brussels sprouts salad, marcona almonds, manchego cheese - I honestly really like the salad. The cheese is nice and creamy which contrast with the almonds that give a crunch. I didn't know that I was a fan of brussels sprouts, but this salad was really good! seasonal market salad - the seasonal market salad was a little bit more on the basic side with just vegetables and your typical salad vibe. Nothing super special but it was decent. HOT TAPAS spinach & manchego stuffed mushrooms - the stuffed mushrooms were super delicious. It had good flavor and was cheesy, which I really liked. patatas bravas with tomato alioli - I actually love these potatoes. The outside has a nice crispiness while the inside is soft. The sauce is also really good in enhancing the flavor. shrimp with garlic, olive oil & red pepper flakes - I also really like the shrimp. The lime flavor added a nice zest to the meal. There's also a little bit of kick to it from the red pepper flakes. ibérico ham croquetas with sherry alioli - the croquetas were very soft and warm. Great ham and cheese flavor and honestly, I really liked it. PAELLA We got the farmers market vegetable paella and 'paella de mariscos' with shrimp, squid, bay scallop & fennel. The paella was a lot more on the salty side than I would've expected. The seafood one was especially more on the salty side. Also, by the time it came out, we had were already stuffed with all the tapas so it was a bit hard to eat. DESSERT DUO chocolate truffle bite - the dessert was really rich overall and very chocolatey-y marcona almond tart bite - this dessert was a lot more on the nutty side and not as sweet. VIBES The place is nice for a family dinner or even just romantic vibes. Overall, the lighting is on the dimmer side which give that nice comfy feel. The room that we reserved was too long wooden tables with chairs. SERVICE The service is great overall! I went as part of a group that we had reserved a private room, so we had people bring out the food to us and give us as many drinks as we wanted. Overall, all the food came out really quickly and they were quick to fill up drinks when they ran low. I also thought it was pretty cool that we had our own little personalized menu. read more

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Went to this place for a second time, and had a very poor experience. We went on Saturday for their happy hour, and sat in the bar area. The bartender had a very poor attitude. She did not check on our table ,to the point that I had to wave her down when we needed help. By the time she approached our table, it was with an attitude as if we were bothering her. We decided to order one appetizer, one drink and exit the premises. I will give this place two stars only due to the fact that the first time that we visited, there was great service and food. To management : please ensure that patrons have a great experience every time they visit . Management solution: re-train certain staff so they are so that they are attentive and have a good attitude or hiring more staff. read more

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - Spanish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Wow! This place just keeps going and going. This is a large restaurant and has lots of different rooms with seating. The service was great! Our server stopped in here and there once we finished our plates to see if we needed anything else. Different food runners go around clearing plates and bringing new plates. Definitely a fast moving place! We enjoyed the original sangria and the think pink sangria. They also brought out a very nice flourless chocolate cake for a birthday! read more

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V wanted to come here, so of course, here we are. We've dined here before, once together, and each with our respective work-groups in the distant past. Parking is sort of a pain, you have to find street parking, might have to pay, or you can use their $20 vallet parking. V made me drive, and I misjudged how far we'd have to walk. Not a good start. We arrived at 8:20pm on a Sunday, while they close at 9pm, they serve until 9pm, and the place doesn't clear out until 10pm, so we were good. We were greeted and seated quickly in a fairly crowded dining room. My aging eyes found the menu difficult to read with small print on yellowish paper, so I used the light on my phone. It's not pretty, but neither is ordering food when you can't see what it is LOL. Our waiter greeted us promptly, and took our drink order, and offered up a specials menu. As I'm driving, I just got iced tea, V ordered a pitcher of passion fruit Sangria. He said the Sangria wasn't great, I tried some, and I thought is was drinkable. It definitely has a kick as V got a bit giddy as the night progressed. V ordered the Seafood Paella (takes 45 minutes), so as a starter, we ordered the Fried Calamari, which was sadly overcooked. It was half crumbs, though the sauce was tasty. With time to kill, we followed that with Lamb Brouccetta (no seasoning, just lamb), on a bed of French Fries (star of the night), grilled potatoes (yummy dipping sauce), and grilled peppers, which were quite tasty and unique. The Seafood Paella arrived, and it was massive. Food for two and then some. We didn't need all the appetizers except for killing time, so we ended up with a lot of Paella to go. I don't like Paella; it always tastes fishy, although this Paella was at least edible, unlike what I had in Barcelona. The waiter was attentive and had a spark of personality. Vigilio thought the bar area where we were seated was loud, but I didn't have any issues talking. read more

We had such a great experience going out as a group of seven coworkers. Our waiter introduced us to the menu, how tapas and family sharing type meal works, and provided suggestions on how many small plates she recommend per person. We started off with them some delicious sangrias and selected a few bread items to start. We were not pressured to order all of the dishes at once and she just told us to take it easy and order how much ever we need at any given time. It was such a relaxed atmosphere where we got to try 9 or 10 different dishes and we also got their amazing paella to share. The interior decoration and lighting are quite unique and perfectly matches with the food and service at this establishment. read more

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Pretty good. Stuffed mushrooms had a cheese sauce and tbh I expected more cheese but they were good. The service was great, quick and attentive. The rhubarb cheese bite was INCREDIBLE. By far our favorites. Disappointed by the tortilla. Felt slightly overcooked and didn't have that warm subtle spice I expected. Was more like eggs with potatoes I would make for breakfast... Tomato and goat cheese is the best garlic bread I ever had. read more

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Beautiful place! Deceptively large and so lovely. It was an excellent place to meet up with some friends. We started with the sangria flight to share which was so fun to try and all so good. Next we got the bacon wrapped figs, the carpaccio, the patatas bravas, the beef empanadas, and the artichoke salad. Of them all, the patatas bravas stole the show. We ended up ordering another round! I think if we went back we would explore more of the menu but would start with two patatas bravas again! read more

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The ambiance was really cute. I think the biggest hurdle was being able to hear people at the same table as me. It was VERY loud... which I do not like. And that's the reason it's not getting 5 stars. Our server was fantastic and super friendly and helpful. And the food was really good, especially the bacon wrapped dates! We also got sangrias that were very tasty! We went with my friend who has Celiacs and they had decent options for anyone needing gluten free options! read more

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Delicious tapas, lively atmosphere and attentive servers. Especially loved the piquillo peppers stuffed with smoky chorizo, the chorizo wrapped dates and the tenderloin with blue cheese. read more

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I have heard about this place since college, but I never stopped in until recently. The inside is huge, which I did not expect from the street view. The service was great. They were very attentive and came to check on us frequently. For the food, we tried a variety of items. The pork ribs were one of my favorite dishes. I don't know what kind of sauce they used, but it was delicious. The ribs were so tender as well. They were falling off the bone. The patatas bravas and calamari were delicious as well. The mushrooms and the meatballs were not seasoned very well, but when you add salt, they tasted fine. The garlic shrimp is a must have if you are a garlic lover. It was sensational. The Iberico croquettes and the presa were sooo good. I really enjoyed those a lot. I also tried the white peach and passion fruit sangria. They were great choices as well. read more

This place is always a great time! I usually go for just small plates and appetizers but this time, we decided to get the vegetable paella. The paella was good but it lacked some additional flavor/spice. Not bad at all however. The patatas bravas and goat cheese were as delicious as always. The restaurant was still very lively when we got there even though it was around 10pm. The service was good and quick. I'll keep going back to this place forever. If you haven't tried it, let this be your sign to go (or go to their River North location called Lil-Ba-Ba-Reeba)! read more

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My family has raved about Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba for forever but I've never been until restaurant week. It lived up to the hype. We went for dinner on a Friday night and it was packed (as to be expected). As a result, we had to sit in the bar seating by the window. It was extremely high off the ground and awkward to sit sideways but at least you have a private table. Our waiter was Andrew and he was such a delight. We split the cana de cabra cheese crostini, stuffed piquillo pepper (this has red meat in it), deviled egg, patatas bravas, baked goat cheese, garlic shrimp, hanger steak, seasonal sorbet, and the marcona almond caramel bar. Our favorite was the deviled egg but everything was worth ingesting. I saw a sign in the restroom that the pinxtos are $1.50 for happy hour. Best believe I'll be returning for that. You can find parking on the side streets. Definitely recommend making a reservation for this spot instead of just walking in but the bar is also a vibe. read more

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Although I have been to Lil Ba-Ba-Reeba before here, I came to Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! for the first time recently for my friend's birthday, and thoroughly enjoyed my experience and recommend it to all. Café Ba-Ba-Reeba is a must-visit gem in the heart of Chicago for anyone who loves authentic Spanish tapas. From the moment you step in, you're greeted by the warm ambiance, lively energy, and attentive staff. Food wise, they offer small plates that are perfect for sharing, and there are tons of options on the menu that are great for anyone. Two dishes that I personally ordered were the Spinach and Manchego Stuffed Mushrooms ($10.95) and the Brunch Patatas Bravas ($10.95). The stuffed mushrooms were perfection and I was so tempted to buy another round of these because I devoured them so quickly. As for the brunch patatas bravas, the crispy potatoes perfectly paired with the taste of the smoky tomato aioli. Drink wise, I can't forget to mention the Bloody Mary. It was perfectly spiced, with just the right kick, it was the ultimate complement to my brunch. Overall, I can't wait to return and explore more of their menu! My friends and I had a great experience and I highly recommend trying if you haven't already. read more

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Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! Might be my favorite restaurant in town. Every single time I come here the food is outstanding. This time I came for happy hour, and have to say that my experience was phenomenal. The service is fantastic and the vibes inside are great. If you are looking for authentic spanish food, this is the place to come to. read more

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! - Tapas - Spanish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois