You get what you pay for. Come on. Cough up some coin, and peel the cash from your cold, pale hands! This place is worth it! An open kitchen design, there is no hiding behind a wall and making 'kitchen magic'. The chef runs a good line, and I saw four line cooks, a pastry cook, and a prep guy. Part of enjoying my dinner was seeing them work as a great team with a solid leader. My dish was the garlic shrimp with saffron fried rice. Everything about it was excellent. So many layers of flavor! The shrimp was a good size too. The focal point, when sitting at the chefs bar, is the wood/charcoal grill. It had me looking up indoor grills to get in my home! I really don't think my husband would mind us refinancing the house for one of these. It really is the only way to get that kind of flavor year-round. So what, the fire department would get called every time I cook. I'll feed them too! We will be back to try the octopus. I saw them grill it and they did it right. I can see how it would be tender on the inside and I love that charred taste on the outside! For dessert, I had the crème fraiche ice cream. It had a quince jam and walnut crumbles. Very nice. Next time, we will try the churros. Because there is nothing like a fried dessert à la minute! read more

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We stayed at the Hilton so naturally this looked appealing as it was say downstairs and required no looking for a new parking spot. I always wonder with restaurants in hotels, are they going to phone it in because they know they've got customers regardless? This place does not phone it in but they do take phone orders. I placed 2 to go orders during my stay, one from the bar (friendly, awesome bartender) and once via phone, person was also friendly. Restaurant interior is very open, warm and has nods to Spanish flair as does the menu. I ordered a few tapas and a burger both times. The standouts for me: grass fed burger, street corn, tuna tartare. The tartare was light and I loved the delivery on a crisp pita. genius. Street corn! Reminded me of home. You can find this everywhere in Texas but this was delicious with perfect char and light crema. The just ok/ eh: papas fritas with rosemary, they were so far fried it reminded me of a saltine challenge I braved in high school. Like no moisture and unpleasant overcooked starch mouthfeel. The calamari were ok, a little over nothing special. I did not care for the shrimp and pasta shells with cheese, I got a lot of oil, little cheese or seasoning. Would I go back? Yes. Even if I wasn't staying at the hotel. Free parking and I love the concept. Prices are pretty high but it is in a Hilton and I would love a happy hour as a cocktail was $13 I think. read more

Matadora - grass fed burger (to go) - Spanish Near Me - Woburn, Massachusetts

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I had the best experience with Mary and Dan! They are the best. I also love bianca and tori, they are so sweet and friendly. This place has the BEST drinks!!! And Service, i will be coming back read more

I had higher expectations based on the reviews here but I am still glad I came. I was looking forward to trying the almonds and cheese people recommended but there was a new menu and it had been taken off. I was dining with a pescatarian and we decided to share appetizers and entrees. The lobster arancini was my favorite. We also had the shrimp toast and bacalao croquettes. We also both tried the branzino (first time for both of us) and vegetarian paella. But they brought us the seafood paella. We recognized the mussels and shrimps of course but Chris didn't say anything until I took a closer look and saw sausage. So Chris mentioned something and they replaced it. Chris was not a big fan. Since she hadn't tasted the seafood version, she didn't know that the rice in this version had more kick to it than the seafood version. But none of spices I expected and the rice was not the crunchy on the bottom texture you expect. But the staff was awesome. And I would go back to try other dishes. read more

Matadora - Welcomed! - Spanish Near Me - Woburn, Massachusetts

There was only one table when we arrived at 1:30 pm. And no waiter or waitress to host us and there was one staff at the bar. She was not greeting us but just staring. We asked if there is any waiter or waitress and she said she is the one. Well this is not a takeout place, right? And we even made a reservation. We decided just to takeout basque street corn and ordered it and paid. After 5 minutes she came to us saying the cook refused to cook it because it is not a lunch menu. We asked when it is available and she said from 4 pm. We requested for refund and she came back saying her manager voided the transaction. We asked a receipt then she called her manager but no answering. We just said it is fine and left. read more

Service was great and food was delivered promptly and hot! The interior was sleek and modern, and you almost forgot you were in a hotel lobby. We ordered 5 tapas for the two of us. The shishito peppers were interesting, they came with cheese and a balsamic glaze but would order again! Patas Bravas were lackluster and not crispy. The butternut squash salad was fine and the tortilla espanola wasn't great, very overwhelming cumin flavor. And the short ribs were cooked well but could've used more seasoning. Probably doesn't need to be as expensive as it is but overall it exceeded our expectations for a hotel restaurant! read more

Newly renovated modern looking restaurant inside Hilton hotel that serves excellent food! Made a last minute decision and took mom there for Mother's Day dinner. We did not made reservation but was about to get seated at the chef's table aka the best table! Reason being: 1. You get real close on chefs prepare each dish and drool long enough until you finally get to taste them! 2. All the dishes are made right in front of you, most likely you don't even need to look at the menu to know which one to order! read more

Matadora - Spanish Near Me - Woburn, Massachusetts

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We went in around 7PM on a Friday and sat at the Chef's bar where we got to watch them cook. I highly recommend making reservations because it filled up so fast from the time we arrived to about 9PM with reserved parties. I love getting to watch the cooking process! The employees were all very diligent with their work and the manager who was directing the orders to each station was on top of his game. The food was absolutely delicious. If you're an adventurous eater who likes raw fish and sea creatures with tentacles then you NEED to try the octopus. It was seriously so good! The tuna tartare was a different take than I'd had in the past and I very much enjoyed that too. The other thing I got was the mac 'n' cheese which was so cheesy and delicious. The restaurant was surprisingly inside of a hotel (we didn't know this when looking for it) and it is tucked back off a quiet street. It's a good location for travelers coming to the Northshore! The decor is really nice; I spent a good deal of time admiring their design elements. The service was a tad bit slow which is the only reason I gave the location 4 stars instead of 5. 100% worth the trip in. read more

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Date night or family night. Good sound track playing. Felt like I was on vacation because it's in a hotel open air environment. Off the beaten path, you'll probably miss Forbes St off of Washington St. We had the mussels, tuna tartar, and Taste of Matadora which was sliced cured meats, soft cheese, 2 types of hard cheese, and fig jam. The tuna tartar and taste of Matadora were stand outs. The mussels were ok, nothing to right home about. I would enjoyed the broth to be more spicy and 2 more pieces of bread would have been better. No crackers or bread served with the taste of Matadora. It needed them. We asked for extra bread and were served. 2 desserts, the chocolate tort and churros. The Churros either didn't have cinnamon or coated so lightly we both couldn't taste it. We felt they were underwhelming and we had high hopes. The chocolate tort was decent but small. We'd come back as a date night place, not sure about bringing the kids though. read more

Please do not waste your time or money by eating at this restaurant. The food was really mediocre, bland, and over priced. You will regret your decision to eat here, just don't do it. Drive up the street to Chick fil A. read more

Unfortunately we were disappointed, again. We had been to Matadora before Covid, and weren't impressed, but read the recent reviews and wanted to try it again. Met some friends from the area, so the location was perfect, and the place is quite beautiful. Really well designed and attractive. However, we were so disappointed. We had a few things, including the Moroccan chicken which was not like we had in Morocco. Not much flavor. The olives were fine. The lobster arancini was fair, but the paella was the biggest disappointment of the night. Paella is a staple and a Spanish restaurant should have this down pat. No flavor. The peas and rice tasted like frozen peas from the grocery store. Not much chicken or chorizo, and frankly for $36 I should have said something to the manager. Service was fine and attentive. So for $85 for a couple, we walked out hungry and unsatisfied. I do not understand how others find the food great here. Sorry... So, no, this place does not deserve 5 stars. 3 would be pushing it. read more

Beautiful restaurant inside the Hilton. Great ambience. Expect hotel prices, but not exorbitant. I came here for dinner and found the portion sizes to be rather generous - large enough for sharing. read more

This review is for their churros. Do yourself a favor and don't get them! My husband and I are repeat customers and have, for the most part, enjoyed the food here (despite the occasional saltttyyy tapas). That said, it amazes me that the chef would serve such poorly prepared churros to his guests. We were at the restaurant last night and ordered the churros as we always do; they were soggy, limp and practically crumbled. Imagine that?!! And no I'm not exaggerating. They definitely appeared pre-made, god knows when, and then warmed up in the microwave. $10 of inedible c*** is what they were. Left the chef a note on the check. Hope he got it! Very very VERY disappointing! read more

Matadora - Soggy and limp churros. So disappointing. They used to make them fresh. Don't waste your $10 on these pre-made c***! - Spanish Near Me - Woburn, Massachusetts

This place is WONDERFUL! Usually, I have no love for restaurants in hotels...I travel a lot, and I'm usually disappointed by them. Matadora has really good food. We had three tapas, pork chops paiaea and pineapple sangria.You have to have the flaming chorizo.You know the food is fresh and great when the bar garnishes are beautifully displayed and freshly sliced and not hidden behind a dirty bar towel! Kudos to our waiter Rose, who was attentive, knowledgable, and personable--a great conversationalist! read more

Terrible! Sat down by hostess, served water, that was it! Watched server after server pass right by us without even an acknowledgment. 15 plus minutes! Love that I'm also staying on the premises. When I went down to garage to retrieve my car to head elsewhere, one of the servers having a cigarette break. Awesome! read more

Another visit to Matadora and I was so excited to bring my friend from out of town. WE arrived and immediately are seated and then ignored for over 10 minutes. Just as we made the decision to leave for not being acknowledged, the hostess walks by and notices that our waitress Adrienne had never come over to our table, I can tell you that she passed our table making eye contact, huffing and puffing on several occasions tending to the 3 tables beside us but never heard a peep out of her, after witnessing her struggle and attitude with the other tables we can tell you we were happy not to have her. As soon as our feet hit the ground to leave, to our wondering eyes appears the host and beside her is ANGELA happy, bubbly with a personality bigger than life. "Going somewhere she says"??? "Give me a chance to make this right". ANGELA to the rescue, Needless to say a yelp Review that was going to a 1 from a 5 will remain, and we will also return. Not everyone is cut out for this job and I can tell you that it is challenging but when you have a waitress serving 6 tables and can include my table and still give 5 star service, bottomless drinks and perfect suggestions there is something to be said about the type of service she can deliver verses one bad server that could of sent us out the door never to return. ANGELA is a compliment to MATADORA and based on how many times her name is mentioned in the reviews I take it I'm not the only one who agrees. Not sure who management of Matadora is now but I would love to have some feedback from him or her read more

We ate the matadora last night for a delayed Mother's Day. The food was good although pricey and the service and atmosphere was wonderful . If you go ask for Oliver from Wakefield! He was the best server we ever had and such a joy. He was the best part Of the whole night read more

Great tapas in a very nice setting. Service was OK. Only note, if you don't eat shellfish or pork you will be limited on your choices. Will be back in the near future. read more

As a vegetarian I was a little nervous to come here with the giant bull fighting pictures and leather menu. But they actually had a lot of vegetarian options. I looked at my moms menu over her shoulder since I didn't want to touch the leather. There was great live music and our bartender Mary was so nice, funny and sweet. Will def be coming back! read more

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Brilliant brilliant brilliant!!! I highly rate this tapas place as one of the best. Great service and just superb tapas

Ambience and good food choices even for someone following keto. This could be a destination restaurant even if you are not staying at the hotel. It's that good! read more

Matadora - Tapas menu - Spanish Near Me - Woburn, Massachusetts

Good tapas selection even for vegetarians, not so good desserts. Dulche de leche gelato is essentially caramel hard-serve ice cream. Nice ambience, good destination for group hangouts read more

Food was excellent. So yummy. We are here on Sunday night. I cant understand why service is so slow. Waitress never checks up on us. Water glasses are empty. We would like another round of drinks and she evaporated. read more

Food is amazing but obscenely pricey. That's ok because if you sit at the bar you will save on gratuity. I'm sitting here currently waiting for the drink I had to flag the bartender down for. There are 4 others around me that have also waited far too long for service with empty glasses in front of them. During past trips I've waited 10 min to even be acknowledged to begin with. Terrible, no, abysmal service. If you come, be prepared to spend money and do yourself a favor: sit at a table. read more

Not willing to accommodate quest requests. The manager was unpleasant to deal with ..

Great atmosphere, unique and unbelievable food. And all around great time. Our server was amazing as well!

As long as you don't go during Restaurant Week, which I've been promised the restaurant won't be participating in next time, this is probably a great place to go. However, we went last week during Dine Out Boston, and although our drink came quickly after we ordered it, the salad and soup on the Dine Out Boston menu took over 40 minutes to reach our table after we ordered. The waitress and manager were both very apologetic, and even comped me two drinks and invited me back to try again when it wasn't restaurant week. We probably will try this place again, since the food was all around quite tasty... except the paella. It had a ton of thick tomato-based sauce on it, and seemed more like an Italian dish than a paella... which was confusing since the waitress said lots of people enjoy it. I can't speak for others, but compared to the many paella I've had, this was the worst. But everything else on the menu? Fantastic! As were the drinks. I think the biggest thing is beware a busy night for them. We got there at around 8:30 pm on a Friday, and the place was almost full but we saw maybe one or two empty tables. Waitresses were waiting at the kitchen for food, and the kitchen simply couldn't keep up. We wee told by the manager that it's a scratch kitchen - that's neat, but then it seems like the maximum number of diners they can serve should be far less than the number of tables they have out. As long as you call and are told it's not too busy of a night, I think you can have a great experience here. read more

Located in a local Hilton hotel, abutting the hotel pool and lobby, it is reminiscent of a bad cruise line restaurant....in short, Noisy-Humid and bad music , the food was institutional at best ...Matadora literally should be renamed to "Diarrhea". Now pass the Pepto, I'm done read more

Went here to pre-celebrate my 45th birthday (yikes) with my cousin and sister and cannot say enough good things about this place and the staff. The menu was full of yummy sounding dishes, but we selected the Cheese and meat plate, the shishito peppers, kale salad, lime flavored almonds and a manchengo cheese dish... OMG all were so delicious. The wait staff is super friendly and attentive, especially the adorable Alex (Allie). The chef, I believe his name is Bobby, personally came over to our table as well as the manager Chris. The entire staff, including the bartender (don't remember his name) was great! I visited on Saturday 9/22/18. I would definitely recommend this place and cannot wait to go back! read more

I loved the 2 dishwashéd specials paired with the Costco hotdogs, soooo worth the 80 dollars for 600 calories worth of food

Stayed at the Hilton/Woburn and tried to order room service from Matadora. The front desk told us that we had to go down to the restaurant and order in person. When we went down, no one was there to take an order, so we went back to the room and called the front desk again and were instructed to come down and try again. Although I know that things are difficult during the Covid period, the experience was disappointing on several levels. They were out of items on the menu and the servings were very small. When we went down for breakfast the next day, they told us that the only breakfast option was the $20 buffet, even though they advertised a full menu. When we pressed them, they asked the chef to make us both one of the menu items and they obliged. It was the avocado toast, which was good, but this restaurant was not at all what we expected (for a place that appears to be so nice). read more

Had a great meal at matadora, our third time here. We enjoyed the taste of matadora board, short ribs, shishito peppers, bacalao cakes, beet salad and the seafood paella. I'm not remembering the names of our dishes correctly but everything was hot, fresh and delicious. Our waitress was attentive but not overbearing. We also shared a pitcher of red sangria which was refreshing. The food is pricey but worth it for a special night out. read more

Matadora love the name and love this restaurant this is located inside a really beautiful Hilton hotel. The restaurant opened back in October, its located in the lobby open space and open kitchen, it didn't even feel when dining here that we were in a hotel. That part was pretty cool..The ambiance is chill mode, lights dim, music not too loud. It was just right. For starters we got two differenf olive plates both were ok to go with our aged manchego and mahon cheese these two cheeses I was introduced to when visiting madrid way back in the day and if its on the menu its a must order. Now let's talk about food, what caught my attention was the spicy tuna tartar hummus, with green olive, espelette mayo, sesame, on a rosemary torta. I never thought in my life I would eat tuna with hummus this tapa was seriously one to remember. Than to make it better shrimp toast? Wtf never heard of such thing so it's a must order, nice thick pc of garlic bread with spicy saffron butter topped with shrimp it was phenomenal. The spicy catalan mussels is a dish to share it was huge and the chickpea fries that came with it was ridiculous. I was just so intrigued with the combination of each dish. The charred grilled octopus was another winner with eggplant puree, smoked paprika and yougurt seriously who the hell is the chef of matadora??. It was one amazing dish after another and we kept on ordering. The desserts only 3 on the menu we got one of each to share, the best was the riccota pie it was heavenly. I can keep writing more but if you want a city style restaurant with plenty of free parking this is your place, prices are a little higher but it's worth every penny. Matadora is here to stay! read more

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We had a little difficulty finding the place. I blame it on our GPS, as it took us through an apartment complex and we had almost given up. We liked the ambiance and the staff was friendly. The sampler plate of various prosciutto and salamis with olives and the cheese was very good. My disappointment was with the hamburger which came beyond over cooked...more like burned. The patty actually crunched when I bit into it. I pointed it out to the manager and wait staff, they were all courteous and understanding. They apologized, offered extra wine, or dessert. The hamburger was taken off the bill. In conclusion, I might give the place another chance since they treated us well. read more

Matadora - Overcooked medium/well hamburger. - Spanish Near Me - Woburn, Massachusetts

I have been excited to go here since they opened and we just went for dinner on Mother's Day. The food was great, but the service was soooo bad. I wish I could have given it 2.5 stars, but I didn't think it deserved 3. My husband and I started at the bar while we were waiting for his brother and mother to arrive. We got a pitcher of sangria and it was really good sangria, so we were off to a good start. Once everyone was there we were seated. They put us in a booth that was in the bar area even though we had a reservation. This made me a little nervous since bar tables tend to get forgotten about, but figured you never know, it might be fine. We started ordering and as for the food, we ordered 8 tapas which were all delicious. First up we had the Matadora Platter, which has Serrano Ham, Iberico, a couple of types of olives and a couple of peppers (one stuffed). Then we had the Gazpacho special topped with crispy shallots. It was light, refreshing, and tasty! Next up was the Flaming Chorizo; with the fun presentation and tons of flavor it was one of the favorites at the table (we actually ordered this again at the end). The Wood Charred Shishito Peppers had some nice acidity to balance the pepper and were topped with manchego cheese and garlic crunchy bits. This was followed by Wild Seared Mushrooms that were so savory with a garlicky sauce and lemon (we also ordered these again at the end). Then came the Charred Galician Octopus which was very tender and paired well with the eggplant puree, lemon, olive oil, and yogurt. The Wood Grilled Broccoli was good, but probably my least favorite if I had to pick one. Last, but not least, the Shrimp Toast had a saffron butter and garlic toast that was delicious. So as you can see all of the food was spot on! The issue was the service. We ordered the Matadora Platter from our waiter and he never came to see how everything was. We had to flag him over after to order more. We then ordered the other 7 tapas and didn't see him again the entire time we were eating. There was another girl who would come drop off the tapas as they were ready, but she never asked how anything was either and didn't clear the plates. I finally had to ask her to take some of the empty plates. We also wanted more drinks, but the waiter never came by to check in. He kept going to the bar, and as you remember, we were sitting in a booth right there, but he wouldn't come by our table. After we were done eating we waited for 15 min before flagging him down again. When he came over I asked if he could take the dirty plate. He laughed and said "you don't have to be shy". I wasn't at all since I had asked, but I shouldn't have have to ask at all. He then asked us if we were ready to order more. My husband expressed that we had been waiting and his displeasure with the service. All the waiter said was that they were busy, he didn't apologize or seem to get it. We then ordered round two of the Flaming Chorizo and Wild Seared Mushrooms. When we were done we again ended up having to flag him over to clear the plates and get the check. You shouldn't have to flag down your waiter and you shouldn't have to ask multiple time to have plates cleared. The terrible service was extremely disappointing! The food was luckily very good, enough that I would give it another try, but I can't say my husband feels the same. Hopefully they can step it up because they have food that I would like to keep eating and a great looking outdoor area with a fire pit I would like to use throughout the summer. read more

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This place is WONDERFUL! Usually, I have no love for restaurants in hotels...I travel a lot, and I'm usually disappointed by them. Matadora is now my #1 favorite restaurant for tapas in my area. It was Restaurant Week, so I had the $38 tasting menu (an app, choice of 3 tapas, a dessert) and a few excellent cocktails (unique & flavorful). You have to have the flaming chorizo (wish my video could be uploaded). You know the food is fresh and great when the bar garnishes are beautifully displayed and freshly sliced and not hidden behind a dirty bar towel! When I go out for tapas, I'm usually starving upon leaving the restaurant, no matter how many or few are in the group. At Matadora, I felt the portions were larger than typical tapas places, and I was stuffed when I left! The food prices were reasonable, which made up for cocktails that were on average $2-3 higher than other places. But so worth it for the unique flavors and additions! (star anise and citrus in the gin & tonic, and try the FANCY PANTS martini, made with gin). Kudos to our waiter (Jose Sanchez), who was attentive, knowledgable, and personable--a great conversationalist! (ask him about his German accent!). Move over Tahpas 529 (Melrose) and Pincho Pintxo (Woburn)...there's a new hombre in town! read more

Ordered several items from the menu which were ok and smothered with salt. Loved the atmosphere and the decor with the open space inside Hilton hotel and our waitress was nice! read more

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Fun ambiance, good cocktails and authentic Spanish tapas, what could be bad? Some of our tapas were less good than others but the scallops and octopus gave places like Toro a run for the money. Recommended! read more

Cool atmosphere, has so much potential. I have visited this spot twice. Most recently I met one of my friends out for dinner. We usually meet and grab seats at the bar where we choose to go on our weekly girls night out. This particular night was a Thursday evening, and was rather slow. We sat and waited for a solid 15 minutes before anyone greeted us or handed us a menu; or offered something to drink. After we said "excuse me, could we see and menu"? We were also forced to call out and ask for our drinks, and then to order food. The girl literally seemed annoyed to help us. And the male was clearly concerned with the other end of the bar only. The only time she said thank you or showed any type of concern toward us was when she handed us our check. This place could be so much more with better staff. The menu is OK, but also could use some improvement. More than likely will not be back because of these experiences. Yvonne's is a better option for when you don't mind trip to the city. read more

Was so excited to try this place...I know it is new so they are probably still figuring things out but what a disappointment. We sat at the bar and were informed that all the tap beers were not working. Then we just never got waited on?? The bartender served others that came in after and spent 10 minutes trying to pour from the tap our for someone else!!?? The prices were quite expensive $10 for a can of Lord Hobo beer..crazy.. We ended up leaving...bummer read more