The food was delicious and served with right temperature, the ambiance was great and the service…read morewas excellent!

"do you remember the... christmas tire?" this was wayne a few years ago. i had met him at a time,…read moredecades later, we termed our missing years... maybe you had some of those? days you can't account for, likely stuck somewhere because you chose wrong, turned down a backstreet and came to a deadend. nothing to do then but hope another bus comes along soon to get you out, and wary that your next move goes wrong, too. at such times, heed the advice given to weekend hikers: "if you get really lost in the woods, stay right where you are and wait... someone will find you". what isn't included in that conventional wisdom is the caveat: "sooner or later". all this came to me as i enjoyed the oxtail stew at the basque cultural center. I'd been curious about it for quite some time and finally decided to check it out. Basque restaurants have been one of my guilty pleasures since i made the wrong choice that lead to those missing years. since then I've sought them out when around Fresno, Bakersfield, Reno and smaller towns like Gardnerville and Los Banos: flat, grassy, agrarian places suited to sheepherding, which as far as I know was originally the main occupation for new immigrants from the Pyrenees where it's something of an artisanal career today. Since the 1800s Basque boarding houses were also in SF and LA, all gone now. Newly arrived Bascos heading to the country for work were advised to get off the train and look around for a place called, usually, the Santa Fe Hotel. The menu at the restaurant was then and is still basic: choose chicken, steak, lamb or pork chops as a main item and the rest is the same regardless (soup, salad, beans with ice cream at the end). There's also a preliminary dish, an "appetizer" that is essentially a separate entree in itself. this varies everyday, often oxtail or lamb stew. That's more or less the offering around today, and would have been all I likely ever knew except for my travels a few years ago to the Basque homeland in the Pyrenees. Basque cuisine is much more diverse there than you'll find at the Cultural Center, but you're closer to here than to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. Everything from the meat department is very good, but I suggest avoiding the fish entree unless it's the daily special. My favorite was the oxtail stew, reminding me of the same dish at the Santa Fe Hotel in Fresno, during the time when I lived nearby during those lost years, longer than I care to remember. In fact, as I enjoyed the meal I recalled my thoughts after wayne mentioned the "christmas tire". at first i completely blanked, what was my old friend talking about? then slowly it came to me, like a dim memory of something said or done during a particularly white and active night before, something so off-axis that the next morning your left eye looks funny and hurts. it was our second christmas in a small farmhouse near madera. i had stupidly purchased it... leave new york to live here forever? ever wanted to grab someone, someone also rootless, and just walk out the door, run away with less than a half-baked plan about what happens next? well that's exactly what we did, my runway model friend of the moment and i. by the end of the 70s we had developed a nasty habit quite common then, not a true physical addiction mind you but a very real psychological dependence. in the end we couldn't pay our "bills" and needed to be somewhere else, like now!, hard to find for awhile. at that moment a portal of change opened, deux ex machina!: a job offer in the middle of nowhere, relo expenses et al. i accepted without ever visiting madera, ca. i suppose after all this you might wonder what that tire thing was about? i, too, wonder. christmas was memorable in my early years but then something unforgettably sad happened, such that i've disrespected religious events since. for a time i took to making odd abstractions of what alternative forms a "christmas tree" might take. that particular year i covered an old truck tire with that canned "snow" you spray on trees to approximate a "white christmas." but this result wasn't a tree at all, instead the remains of one that had been cut down to be decorated elsewhere, leaving a snow-covered hole in the ground where the tree had rooted. That was the concept, merry christmas perhaps you can see from this that my creative energy in this period ran high... wayne and i spent many and regular hours testing various brandy beverages i was hired to develop. but the lovely Dierdre fell back on pricier habits we had vowed to leave behind when we left the apple. soon after she caught the next bus out of town in the form of a wealthy melon farmer. fortunately none of this mattered much after awhile. all that aside, i highly recommend the cultural center for its displays of Basque art and artifacts, a full gymnasium for Basque games, and of course its excellent traditional cuisine.

The Experience: The…read moreback outside area with it's own bar is very nice. For most of the year this should be where you ask for. The Food and Drinks: We "rate" Tapas outfits by ordering Patatas Bravas. Crisp on outside, larger pieces and host and moist inside, one of the bests we have experienced - highly recommended. Others we had were: - Coroquetas: Creamy chicken Croquetas came piping hot and definitely creamy. This is my favorite whether I am in Japanese restaurants or in Tapas places. - Steamed Clams: Great and good serving. Ask for breads to go with this one as you WILL HAVE TO DIP the breads in the broth! Price/ Value: Very reasonable for this class of restaurant for glasses of wine going $14 range, and many cocktail options and many Tapas items not even hitting $20 that means you can order a variety of things. The serving volume was very satisfying sharing between two of us. This will be our new "go to" places when we are back in here which is a lot!

TL:DR - great selection of beverages and food. Come try it!…read more Parking - lots of spots around the area. Service - informed on all the menu options, prompt and efficient Ambiance - Will whisk you away. Back patio is very nice with lots in sun umbrellas. Food - on point Octopus - a ginormous portion; super tender. Patatas Bravas - there is a reason this potato dish is so popular gazpacho - cold starter, delicious on a warm day Tomato salad - lovely and light. Tuna salad - very European style. Peppers - lovely aioli

This place is no longer open for business as a restaurant. I understand they have a food truck that…read morepops up here and there with their amazing food and sangria. I am going to follow them on Instagram so I can be ready ; )

Ficelle has been on our list for quite sometime to try, we were finally in Winters when they were…read moreopen recently. Cute little counter service restaurant serving tapas, we decided to start with the Sangria which was very tasty. For our dinner we ordered the sausage and chickpeas, which was absolutely delicious, the prawns which were tasty, the cheese bread and the cannelloni which was pretty tasty. The food came out fairly quick considering they were quite busy. We sat outside in the patio, which was enjoyable and we like the dishes we ordered, excited to come again and try more items off the menu.

We just hosted a graduation meal in their back patio and we had a wonderful time! Our server Mel…read morewas so attentive and the food was delicious. The price is also very affordable. I would 100% recommend hosting a meal at Picaro!

Easily booked a same day reservation on Yelp and was seated right away…read more We received complimentary bread with sauce that was garlicky and rich. We ordered the grilled trout combo which came with a choice of sides. We opted for the creamed spinach and zucchini. The creamed spinach was on the sweeter side rather than savory. The trout was slightly dry but had good flavor. The patatas bravas were crispy but had the same sauce as the bread. Next time would opt to try a different appetizer or sauce. The salteado de asada was the star dish of the night. The meat was soft and paired nicely with the mushrooms and green onions. Minor compliant was that there were some small flies around the restaurant particularly by the entrance.

Tucked away on Pier 5 along the Embarcadero, Coqueta San Francisco captures a distinct charm that…read moreflirts somewhere between a Barcelona tapas bar and a classic San Francisco waterfront warehouse. Coqueta's Gambas Negras is an absolute showstopper and a culinary masterpiece in how to elevate a Spanish classic. Instead of the standard sizzling garlic oil of traditional gambas al ajillo, Coqueta poaches head-on Gulf prawns in olive oil infused with a deeply savory, umami-rich black garlic and chili sauce. The prawns arrive incredibly soft, snappy, and dripping with flavor. The hidden magic, however, is the sauce left behind in the dish. It is dark, rich, complex, and slightly sweet from the fermented garlic. Make sure you ask for additional grilled country bread just to soak up every single drop of that oil, and last but not least the Pulpo à la Parrilla. The wood-grilled Mediterranean octopus is a flawless execution of texture and smoke. In my experience octopus is notoriously easy to overcook, but here it is charred to perfection on the outside with a light crust, while remaining beautifully tender and meltingly soft on the inside. It's served over a bed of freshly dug pimentón confit potatoes. The potatoes act like sponges, absorbing the rich, smoky pimentón (Spanish paprika) and olive oil. It's a rustic, deeply satisfying dish. The topping for this visit was the staff, Alan was very attentive and made choosing items off the menu easy with his recommendations.

I love their outdoor bar area, so I decided to stop in for some apps and a drink…read more I ordered the heirloom yellowtail crudo, and unfortunately, it wasn't the best. I had a hard time finishing it. There was a lot of sauce and a lot of different flavors going on. Yellowtail is already a very soft fish, and adding the tomatoes just didn't work for my palate. The overall flavor profile was just a little too much for me. I also tried the deviled eggs, which were decent. I'd definitely come back for drinks and to enjoy the outdoor bar, but I probably wouldn't order the food again.

Now that we have a puppy we can't eat in. So we order take-out for special occasions. It's still…read moreDELICIOUS! Our standard order includes the Tortilla Española, Flat Iron Steak, ZuZu Paella for 2 and Sauté of Summer Vegetables or brussels sprouts. I usually can't stomach sprouts, but these are unbelievably great the way they are prepared. We paired our most recent meal with Marty Mathis' 2024 Santa Cruz Mountains Godello from the Guichard Vineyard. This pairing was so incredible words can't express. The combination with the Tortilla Española was darn near a religious experience! There are lots of great restaurants in the Valley. However, there aren't many that offer the combination of complex, delicious flavors at a reasonable price that ZuZu offers. Check it out!

I had another lovely dinner at ZuZu with a group of 3 on a Thursday evening. We checked in to our…read morereservation at 7 and were kindly led to a table in the upstairs seating - this was my first time sitting up there and I definitely appreciated the space being a little more roomy and quieter for conversation. We got the zuzu paella, ceviche del dia, lamb tartare, queso frito, gambas al ajillo and I had a gin & tonic from their extensive gin & tonic menu. Everything was delicious - the gambas al ajillo and zuzu paella are always on our table when I visit, and I'm glad I tried the lamb tartare this time, which has a bit more of a meaty but not gamey taste compared to a beef tartare. The queso frito was fun as well! Always a great spot for dinner, and I'll be back again for sure :)

me and 4 others came in on september 19th at 5pm and we made a reservation but it wasnt necessary…read more we ordered the risotto, a shrimp dish, a lamb dish with saffron rice, and panna cotta, everything was incredibly delicious. i also got the self care and it was soo good. bathrooms were clean, the interior is gorgeous and our server Ig was incredibly attentive and helpful when we were figuring out what to order.

We came here on August 29, 2026 for an end of Summer Celebration with our favorite neighbors. Our…read morereservations were for 5pm. There was only a handful of people already seated so I'm not sure if reservations were really necessary. I'm a reservation kind of girl so if you can make reservations then usually I do. I have learned that not all sit down restaurants offer the opportunity to make reservations. Parking is tricky in midtown. When you do find parking it will be metered. Even on Sundays they charge for parking. We ended up parking down the street at 19th. Not a bad walk. Thankfully my husband dropped us off so we were exactly in time for our reservations and when he parked he joined us. Just a note, make sure you put plenty of money in the meter. For a us a party of 4 eating a leisurely dinner it took us approximately 2.5 hours. We never felt rushed. The menu is vast and there list of specials was as long as the mini menu they gave us. I wish they would write out the specials you can reference them as you decide what to get. A little computer print out would be perfect. We were a party of 4 and we all pitched in when it came to ordering. My two favorite Tapas was the stuffed giant tomato and Pulpo A La Gallegos ($16.95) . Octopus in adobo marinade, scalloped potatoes with pimento. I think I've had Octopus once before, but I can't recall exactly. This one was delicious. I'm glad Ed ordered it. It was tasty, tender, and not chewy. The tomato was stuffed with maybe a ham mixture, it was part of the specials menu so I didn't quite comprehend what it was exactly, but it sounded good so we ordered it. The Watermelon Gazpacho was also very refreshing and tasty. I would order a bowl if it was offered again. It was also one of the specials. We also ordered the Pechaga De Paso ($17.95), duck breast pan seared in a Sherry & fennel sauce with Swiss Chard. The Swiss Chard made a really nice accompaniment. I ordered the Colas De Brusseles (around $10). I am a trusted Brussels sport fan so I liked it, though not very exciting. We also ordered the Pan Y Aioli Julia's Blancas ($3.25) This bread service was a nice filler, but not as good as I remember it. For our Paella selection we ordered the Valenciana ($49.95) My favorite part of it was the tasty saffron rice. I found the chicken thighs and pork spareribs tasty too. The mussels, calamari, and shrimp were plentiful, especially the Calamari. We were worried that we should have ordered two, but with all the tapas we ordered one was plenty. I'd like to try their veggie one next time. We made a dinner plate of sword fish into a tapas for the table. It was also a special. It was virtually flavorless, just like I appreciate fish. I don't like the fishy flavor so many fishes give off so this one was perfect. It came with mini potato and tomato towers and a very tasty mango chutney that I really enjoyed with every bite. For dessert we had the Crema Catalina Con Naranja. ($8) My favorite part was cracking though the sugar and getting the piece of orange. We also had the Pastel Almendaras ($8). I was surprised it was made with almond meal versus almond flower. The almond meal made it meatier. I used to use almond meal to make a gluten free quick bread so I'm familial with the product. The cake was tasty and I enjoyed the honey and orange sauce topped whipped cream too. They offer both indoor and outdoor seating. The out door seating looked very cute, but we were weary of bugs. I'm not a fan of getting eaten alive. We wait indoors and surprisingly it wasn't too cold inside. The restaurant is ornately furnished. The calla lily light fixtures was really nice. The restaurant was well lit and as the sun went over head they opened up the outdoor window coverings. This is a great special occasion restaurant. A great place to take family and friends to celebrate. The bigger the group the better so you have the opportunity to try multiple dishes. We came as a couple and weren't able to try as many dishes compared to the 4 of us dining.

Came here for a girls night and had a wonderful experience. This place is packed so make sure to…read morehave a reservation otherwise you may be waiting a while. The vibes are warm, welcoming, and lively. Our table of four went family style on the following dishes: Patatas bravas - nice and crispy Waygu empanadas - beautiful presentation with a leaf cracker adorned on top Pulpo teleferic (grilled octopus) - tasty, but more for the adventurous eaters - comes as a giant tentacle on a plate that you cut up yourself Paella mixto (pork belly, chicken, and shrimp) - comes in servings of either 2 or 4. we decided to go with the 2 portion serving and that was more than enough for the 4 of us. This is cooked fresh to order so it will take a bit longer to come out, but it's well worth the wait. The protein is cooked perfectly and the flavors on the plate all tie together really well. Burrata bowl - cool creamy cheese El ceviche - fresh and acidic Everything about our meal was spot on. At the end of the meal, a staff member will come to your table and offer you a drink of non-alcoholic sangria, Spanish style, meaning it will be poured directly into your mouth. Completely optional, but a fun experience to partake in.

Good outing - See attached pictures. Didn't like the Veggie…read morePaella (second time :() Drinks and appetizer place for us for sure.

My husband and I celebrated our anniversary at Teleferic. We've eaten at the restaurant multiple…read moretimes and always adore their food. The ambiance is trendy/modern. They offer options of sitting at a table inside, at the bar, or at a table outside on the rooftop. Each has its own vibe. Since we were celebrating our anniversary, we opted to sit at a table inside. Pulpo Teleferic - This is def my fave pulpo dish in the Bay area. We order it every single time. The pulpo has a lovely char on the outside and the inside is as tender as it gets. While the octopus is the star of the show, the potato cream really sets this dish apart. It's so luscious and delicious that I'd order it as a separate dish if that were an option. We scooped up every last drop. Gambas Al Ajillo - The shrimp were jumbo, sweet and super fresh. They're served in a generous amount of garlicky olive oil and topped with garlic chips. Tip: if you're as eager to try bread dipped in the olive oil as we were, cleanse your palate first. Otherwise, it's hard to appreciate the subtle flavors of the garlicky shrimp infused olive oil. Wagyu Empanadas - This is the only dish we wouldn't order again. It was tasty, but for the price, I'd rather try a different dish next time. The wagyu filling was delish, but I didn't care for the oily looking fried wonton wrapper. The manchego chips were pretty, but I'd eat them separately. Otherwise, they fall off the empanada and the manchego flavor gets lost in the bite. Iberico Paella - Mixed feelings about this dish. I was super excited to try it after our waiter removed the cover with a flourish that accentuated its smokey, nutty scent. It was indeed very tasty, but the smokiness overshadowed any nutty flavor of the Iberico, which was the point. Also, the soccarrat we requested was completely missing. I still thought it was a good dish, but my husband would have preferred a paella with a balance of "surf" and "turf". We'll prob order a different paella next time. (We enjoy the Paella Negra more.) Barceloneta Sangria - I rarely drink, but after the manager poured a sample shot of this sangria into my mouth (yes, you read that right), I couldn't resist ordering a full glass. It was fruity, ice cold and a perfect contrast to the richness of the food. At the end of the meal, we were so stuffed that we were ready to take the check, but the waitress surprised us with an anniversary dessert. I couldn't hear what she said it was, but my favorite part was the nutella-like chocolate they wrote "happy anniversary" with. It was a fantastic end to a fantastic meal, and we'll definitely be back again!

Everything it was Amazing. and the food so taste and delicious. I recommend the "papas bravas". and…read morethe manager Jaime I was on tap !!!