I drive by the place all the time, as it's right down the street from my home and had to try it. BEAUTIFUL rustic decor. Exposed wood beams and wood floors. The walls are filled with amazing art to admire while you dine. The restaurant is very clean and it's one of the first things I notice when I sat down. Lots of appetizers/tapas to choose from separated into hot tapas and cold tapas. The Mejillones (mussels) were finger licking good!! We also got the oxtail empanadas. They did not meet my expectation but still good. Lots of paella options to choose from: meat, seafood, classic...etc. We ordered the classic paella and it was delicious!! Full of flavor. One waitress running the show, who I assume to be the owner and she was a pleasure to talk to and quick. There is a lot next door you can park at but it's small. However, the street it's located on has plenty of street parking. read more

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We have been to Paella a few times but before I was a more avid Yelp reviewer. Haven't been back in awhile and was craving some authentic paella. This restaurant immediately came to my mind and we were off! Happy to report it is still what I remembered it to be- wonderful food, great drinks, relaxing atmosphere, and friendly service. I did not take photos of everything we got for the table. One of my favorite appetizers here is the codfish croquettes and they were melt in your mouth good- highly recommend these! We came for paella and went with the classic version..... it definitely hit the spot. The rice was perfectly cooked and crunchy in the right spots. Seafood was cooked beautifully and the spices with the chorizo made it all a balanced and delicious dish. So happy we were able to come back to Paella and we will be back (hopefully) more regularly! read more

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Extraordinary tapas and excellent cooked dishes as well. It is my favorite place for tapas in Fairfield County. Friendly service and reasonable prices. (Added note: if you are making a reservation and planning to order octopus, let them know as it often sells out.). Also: try the sardine tapas. They bear not the slightest relationship to what comes in tins. read more

Came here on a snowy day so we had the place pretty much to ourselves. Food was great and prices were reasonable. Service was very good as well. Definitely would recommend! read more

Paella - Chickpea puree with grilled shrimp! - Spanish Near Me - Norwalk, Connecticut

First time trying the food here, definitely will come back for the squid ink seafood pallela. Very fresh seafood and love the squid ink. Baby scallops in the pallela are so fresh! Rabit snails pallela also a great hit, rabbit meat are tender (imagine chicken leg if you never had it) snails are very soft. It taste great even to eat it next day. Pork sausage with bean is something to die for!!! I can't eat five orders alone ..... Grill squids are fresh, soft.. love it Oxtail Empanadas so yummy strong flavor of oxtails, soft and moist inside... I imagine to eat it with any cheese dips for game night.... Thin & Crispy outside, not heavy or greasy at all. All fresh ingredients and natural flavors of the food. Highly recommend everything. It takes 45mins wait but it was well worth it. read more

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Difficult one. I'd give a 3 1/2 but not an option PARKING - this area in Norwalk is tough for parking. ENTRANCE - no host and no organization for parties pre scheduled SEATING - someone who knew about our group got us situated yeah. DECOR- very spacious with 12+ tables upstairs and a private room downstairs TAPAS - they have quite a few to chose from so nice. These are basically appetizers. The scallop tapas came with risotto it was ok for me. Peas were under cooked and flavor was too light The vegetable taps was good. Had zucchini and eggplant and onion with a good balsamic The shrimp and garlic appetizer was excellent ENTREES - I had the pork tenderloin that was just good. A little over cooked and a bit salty. Wife had chicken dish that she said was good. Others in our group shared a per person paella ($25 per person). They liked it. VINO - the best Spanish ganache vino was decent. The marques on the menu they did not have and they served me something else's but after a ordered a bottle they told me it was a vineyard close. And it was DESSERT- ordering now so will review later most went for the rice pudding PRICE - didn't pay but I'd say it is $$$ or $$$$ after the tire hits the road read more

Paella - Looking to the front - Spanish Near Me - Norwalk, Connecticut

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I ended up coming here because we had a Groupon. We didn't hear anything about the place beforehand so we were excited! As soon as you walk in it's clean and open. The decor is very authentic and warm feeling. We sat in the back room away from the bar. We started off with a pitcher of their red sangria which was nicely strong and not too sweet. We ordered 5 different tapas and my absolute favorite was the empanadas. I was tempted to order another plate they were so juicy and flavorful. Had a hint of cinnamon or something sweet that was a nice touch. The last tapa we ate was the ceviche and that was the perfect (almost) ending. It was light and refreshing. Nice big pieces of shrimp and crispy plantain chips, so delicious! We finished off our dinner with their flan and I was speechless after the first bite. I have never had a flan like this and it was absolutely amazing! 11/10!! Already have been telling friends about this place. It was way too quiet for being this good. read more

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Perhaps we shouldn't have gone so early, especially on the first day after the weekend. We went for the Paella, and specifically asked that the crust, or SOCARRAT be made extra crispy. We were promised, and disappointed. The rice was tasty, but mostly soggy. The shrimps were mealy with no bounce, and some of the mussels had an off flavor. The cod croquet was okay, and the tostada with pork loin was tasty and moist. We wish we could finally find a genuine good Spanish restaurant without having to travel to NYC, but it was not to be. read more

The dishes quality more than my expectations, not salty but favors very well!! Especially love the blood sausage! Its definitely the best I had so far! The squid ink seafood is very fresh too! Delicious read more

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This is probably my 3rd review since 2005 for La Paella and it's still 5 stars. First indoor dining experience since being fully vaccinated and we wanted to go somewhere we could not replicate the food. That is La Paella - the food is still amazing. We had the oxtail empanadas and the octopus tapas. This was the most tender octopus I've ever had. The paella negra was just delicious. Each kind of seafood was perfectly cooked. My blackberry margarita was wonderful and the Paella Cosmo too. Jaime and his team are so welcoming and took great care of us. We are already dreaming of going back and thinking of what to order. read more

I'm giving it 3 stars for its atrocious spotty service with only 2 camareros to serve 2 dining rooms , both playing t role of bar tenders. Please don't have specialty drinks that you cannot mix!! The food was very good with unusual flavors. Ordered the gambas al ajillo, mussels and charcuterie plate. We typically order a few items to start then order more items! We wanted to try the tortilla and salads but it was an difficult to get eye contact and we were sitting and only couple at the bar! It was our anniversary and we were looking to eat to our heats content and be served. I asked the waitress for another piece of bread and she told me to flag down the other waiter who had the break basket, but he disappeared into the adjacent room. Enjoyed the music playing but just a let down! I don't understand the whole mix here if it's family or they can't get workers or what! Would love to return and order the paellas, b/c the dishes are very good! read more

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My wife and I took my 85 yr old mom out for her first dinner of Spanish tapas. We went to Paella in Norwalk. It is one of our favorite restaurants. The service is always attentive and friendly. We had the octopus with sliced potatoes, codfish fritters, shrimp in garlic sauce, and oxtail empanadas to start. My mom enjoyed it all. She had never had octopus or oxtail before and didn't know it was so delicious. The seafood is always cooked perfectly here. We enjoyed our tapas so much that we ordered 2 more. First was the cebolla rice with bay scallops and peas. I have never had such tender bay scallops. And because we enjoyed it so much the first time, we had another order of the octopus. We were so anxious to have my mother taste the food that we forgot to take pictures of it. I can't recommend Paella enough. I can't wait to go back. read more

Paella - The main dining room. - Spanish Near Me - Norwalk, Connecticut

What a great find. We truly enjoyed our dining experience. The restaurant is nicely decorated with romantic lighting. They play some really good music which is not overpowering. We enjoyed a pitcher of sangria with several small plates which really filled us up at a reasonable price. We started with a selection of Spanish cured meats which were delicious along with a plate of various Spanish cheeses which were divine. Next we ordered the grilled squid which was plated with a wonderfully dressed salad. Also we had the croquetas which were so silky smooth. Loved them!! Last but definitely not least we had the Chorizo and morcilla. Loved the chorizo but not too crazy about the morcilla. Overall we had an excellent dining experience. The staff was great, very attentive and helpful, ask for Stella. We will definitely come back and next time I will be trying the paella. read more

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The seafood paella is delicious. They do not hold off on the seafood. There are generous portions of lobster and mussels. The rice is moist and well seasoned. Croquetas of jamón serrano delicious. And the service , well Jaime the owner just so Pleasant. Thank you. read more

Two tapas were fine. Sangria was mediocre. Two types of paella tasted old and prepared long in advance. Service was almost nonexistent, and then there is that pesky service fee. Clean the place up and serve fresh food... read more

Food is top notch. IMO best Spanish food in the area....by far, not even close. Paella is top touch. Rice is moist but still fried at bottom. Chicken delicious as are claims, muscles, shrimp, chorizo and lobster. Good selection of Spanish wines and all taste good. If this place was in a better location it would be mobbed. Have tried shrimp, pasta/meatballs, empanadas, croquettes, potatoes brava all have been great so far. Can't say enough good things. read more

Great fresh food, everything was authentic. The staff here are very warm and friendly and the ambience is great!

Pretty awful. Service was slow but as near as we could tell only one woman working there on a Friday night. Took 30 minutes to get a drink and over 90 minutes to get food. Pan Catalonia is described on the menu as grilled bread topped with Serrano ham and cheese. Came out as cold not toasted bread. When I asked the waitress shouldn't this be grilled bread she said sometimes. The paella was watery and undercooked. All in all a terrible experience that left us all wondering why this place is still open. read more

The paella is excellent and loaded with seafood. Portions are generous and prices reasonable. Our server made great recommendations so far we've never been disappointed. the place is adorable read more

Yummo! One of my dearest friends had a surprise birthday party hosted here for her a few weeks back. Her parents organized the party for about 30 people, and it was a good fit for the space. It was held downstairs in a wine-cellar type space with a beautiful fresco of a Spanish landscape painted on the back wall. Since there were so many of us, lots of main dishes and tapas alike were ordered. I sampled quite a few, and overall found the food to be really, really good. It's been several years since I've had actual paella in Madrid, but the dish I had seemed to live up to my memories! I had the classic Valenciana paella, which came with saffron rice, sausage, chicken, and seafood (to include shrimp, mussels, etc). It easy fed two of us gals, so for $22, that is a steal. I also had the crab cake, which didn't really make much of an impression on me taste-wise (although it was MASSIVE in size!). My favorite tapas was probably the goat cheese - an enormous serving, all hot and gooey, served in a thick tomato and garlic coulis, paired with some crunchy garlic crostinis. I could have used a few more crostinis to polish off the cheese - there was just so much! I had glasses of both the white and red sangria and found it to be pretty decent, but certainly not strong (if that's what you're after). Could be perhaps because we were served en masse in pitchers, so an individual drink might be made with a little more kick to it. Considering the size of the group and the number of orders, the staff did a good job. We were all pretty hungry by the time the food finally arrived, but I understand feeding a crowd that size takes a lot of coordination! Overall, a really great (and tasty!) experience. read more

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Appetizers were very good a bit small though. Desserts where very good. Bread was the best I've had. They serve these rolls with tongs because they come out good and hot. The olive oil you dip the bread into very good. We had the seafood Paella. Huge disappointment. Rice was like glue and seafood was all way over cooked. Dried up and chewy. No seasoning and very bland. I know bay scallops are on the small side but, these where tiny and flavorless. Like they where sprinkled on the dish frozen then over cooked in oven. For a restaurant that's called Paella I'd expect a much better Paella. I would go back again though. Just not order the Paella. To be fair I am picky when it comes to food but, there was 5 of us and we all where saying the same. read more

Paella - Spanish Near Me - Norwalk, Connecticut

We're big fans of Spanish food, and there are certainly plenty of options in Fairfield County, which makes Paella all the more impressive for standing the test of time and delivering a dining experience right up there with the best of them. When we walked in, we were immediately impressed with the decor -- classy, modern and understated. The owner told us he had just remodeled and expanded 8 months ago. He did an excellent job. I think he said he'd been in business for over 15 years. The servers took very good care of us. They were all warm, friendly and attentive without being intrusive. The sangria at Paella was much better than Barcelona's though the bread could not compete. We especially liked the grilled calamari, the pulpo gallego and the stuffed piquillo pepers. Overall, I'd say the food was better than Barcelona's -- less salty and more artfully presented. The ceviche was good, though we would have preferred it spicier and crunchier (the menu said they prepare it Ecuadorian style; I guess I'm partial to Peruvian style). We look forward to our next visit to Paella! read more

Dinner last night was great. The food was delicious and tasty. We ordered 3 different tapas to start with and our group liked the Croquetas the best. The garlic shrimp was also delicious and so was the crabcake. For our entrees, I had the seafood risotto, and they shared a classic paella and pork loin. They were all great. It's definitely better than the food at Barcelona. When we got the bill, I think they made a little error about the pricing since we came during the "early bird special" that they have - half off dinner menu. We pointed it out and they fixed it but when we were paying, they said that their credit card machine is not working and if we could just leave the number, they will charge our bill later. I thought that was a little sketchy. Good thing that we had enough cash. Hopefully this was just an off night because I loved the food and can't wait to go back and try their other dishes. read more

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This Spanish Tapas restaurant in Norwalk has a surprising menu and blend of flavors in their cuisine. Generally I'm not a fan of Spanish cuisine as I find it too salty and lacking depth of flavor. "La Paella" exceeded my expectations :) Before ordering, they brought warm crusty dinner rolls that we ate with olive oil. For tapas, we ordered "Gambas al ajillo" shrimp marinated in a garlic parsley sauce and baked, "Cazuelita de queso" warm goat cheese served with a fresh tomato sauce and garlic bread, and a daily special- portuguese octopus with smoked paprika and sea salt. The warm goat cheese was my favorite since it was a mild variety, and I highly recommend all three. For an entree we shared a seafood paella dish with shrimp, baby scallops, mussels, and clams, short grain rice and green peas. The paella was delicious although pricey, $50 for a two person serving. Service was good but could have been better. Until I visit Espana, this place will do! read more

Paella - Spanish Near Me - Norwalk, Connecticut

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Reasonable prices, some of the best wine from Spain available in lower Fairfield County, excellent service, an understanding and knowledgeable wait staff, socially distanced tables, and an overall positive vibe. Regarding the food, even the classics are presented in a thoughtful manner, and the higher quality of the ingredients is noticeable. Thanks for a great experience! read more

We are foodies and had a restaurant from 2013. The food here is outrageous and deserves 5 stars It's clean on point and the owner Jaime is so accommodating ...the price point $$ is amazing fir the quality .. please come and see this wonderful appointed establishment that is clean and delicious. ... We highly recommend it logo and I read more

We had the best dinner here recently! We shared 5 or 6 tapas and each one was so delicious we couldn't choose a favorite. The service was excellent and the food came out slowly and not all at once which is how we liked it. The waitress was funny, personable and nice. The drinks were delicious too. We can't wait to go back again. read more

Definitely a #dope tapas. Ideal low key date spot and this spot hands down has the best flan ive ever had #truth read more

Paella - Best flan ive ever had #truth IG: Flirta2012 - Spanish Near Me - Norwalk, Connecticut

Disappointing meal. A few factors- Service: Atrocious. Two servers for the entire restaurant. I'm not sure how long is too long to wait for one's order but our dining experience clocked in at slightly over two hours. I feel obliged to note that our server did give us a free dessert to make up for the wait. We appreciated that very much. I felt badly for her as I could see how slammed she was due to under-staffing. Food: Maybe I'm spoiled by NYC restaurants but we chose this place based on great reviews and were underwhelmed. Our appetizer- Serrano ham and Manchego was good but tiny. The dinner rolls tasted pre-packaged/frozen and then baked. Our paella was bland, REALLY bland. I've never salted paella before but I had to just to get through the meal. Price: The quality of the food simply didn't match the price point. $50 for paella for two seems fairly standard but this particular paella just wasn't good. read more

My favorite dish at Paella is their duck, although the overall quality of their food is very good. The duck breast was cooked very tender and it was juicy. The presentation was also nice. I also had their paella and they gave a generous serving of seafood such as mussels. The paella was similar to what I had in Spain. Overall, this is a great place to have wine and tapas but it is a bit pricey because you have to order several dishes. I would recommend this place. Their sangria is also deliciously sweet and very refreshing. read more

Tapas are usually an underwhelming experience and I'm afraid this is the case with Paella. Positives: Beautiful and airy interior. Truly, a gorgeous space Wine was stellar (Rioja) and very reasonable at $8 a glass Parking lot right outside Negatives: The area is straight up scary. Pretty certain there was a drug deal going down when we pulled in to park Food was mediocre...mostly deep fried and small portions. I just are there yesterday and can't tell you anything memorable I ate. Service wasn't great. Barely saw our server, and got off to a lousy start when I mentioned yelp ((which according to their Yelp page entitles you to a free glass of wine), and she curtly replied "we don't do that anymore." Um ok? The worst, which it why I'm giving it a rate one star, was the dessert. My husband and I split a creme brûlée and it immediately caused him to run sick to the bathroom. I got sick an hour later. I have had this dessert many times, and never had suck an awful outcome. I'd only ever go back for a quick glass of wine at the bar. The rest if their establishment needs work. read more

Extremely disappointed with this place. The decor is great looks nice and fancy. Been waiting for our food for about an hour still hasn't come out. Mind you, it isn't packed at all and out of the few people here, I believe my party of 6(only 4 of is ordered entrees) were the only ones who ordered entrees everyone else Ive seen have been ordering tapas. I think about 2 tables who got here after us ordered entrees and they received their meal before us. Its a restaurant in Connecticut and they have midtown Manhattan prices. Would not recommend it to anyone! Update!!!! Our food just came out and my mother's paella(were here for her birthday) is extremely raw. The rice is hard and uncooked. I definitely complained to the owner. read more

This place would be 5 stars even if they served garbage on the plate, the service is that good! I've been here dozens of times and have had nearly every tapas on the menu, as well as the paella and man oh man are they good! Perfect size to sample, and the bar is extensive. The owner Jaime knows most by name and more times than not will offer complimentary tapas/drinks on the house! If you are looking for good Spanish food, forget the stuffiness of Barcelona and go to Paella! Tip: If you are looking to throw a party, they have an entire wine cellar that can be converted in the basement to a banquet room for 20+ people. Check it out. read more

Great wine great food owner is always there to help with wine selection the food is tapas they never rush you it comes out of the kitchen at the perfect pace. the wait staff is has great timing they swoop in and set up for the next course I have been here several times always a great place to take a date read more

Paella - Spanish Near Me - Norwalk, Connecticut

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This is my second visit to Paella during COVID and restaurant does follow all recommended precautions with no issues. First time I visited I loved everything about the place; the food, the ambiance and the friendliness of workers. This made me decide to go there for a second time. Second time was a totally different experience because I was very unfortunate to be there during a party they were holding downstairs in the wine room. It was so noisy to the point that we couldn't hear each other since we were sitting on a table near the stairs. The noise totally ruined the night for us since the description says "moderate noise" which was the case when I visited first time when they were playing nice Spanish music with moderate volume. The other thing that I have to bring up is the rudeness of one of the waiters. She was totally unbearable in comparison the much nicer younger waitress and a gentleman named Jamie who came up when serving the main dishes and both were very friendly. Finally food was good in general. Appetizers were excellent; batata bravas, shrimp with garlic and ceviche. The seafood paella was very good while the rabbit and snail paella was so-so. Right now I have mixed feelings about the place since my second time ruined my first good impressions and this is why I am giving it 3 stars. read more

For Spanish food, I would take Paella over Meigas or Barcelona every time. I've never had their namesake but I've had a bunch of their tapas. My favorites are the croquetas de bacalo (codfish croquettes), the sauteed mussels in green sauce, and the chorizo and white beans. The bacalao comes hot with rich aioli, the mussels with a great garlic and cilantro green sauce that is perfect for sopping up with bread and the chorizo in a savory red wine sauce and beans that are perfectly al dente. Yum! Beyond favorites, everything is good. Last time we were there the server recommended the Pan Catalan - garlic bread with jamon serrano, fresh moz, tomato and tapenade - which was a good addition. The pork tenderloin medallions were a little greasy because of the melted cheese, but they were very flavorful. I loved the shrimp in garlic sauce.The salad with beet dressing was also really good, without being too sweet. My one complaint is that the dessert menu is uninspiring if you don't like flan. And don't order the tortilla espanola. It's not worth taking the place of a better dish. The staff is very friendly. My last visit offers two examples. First, two of our bacalao croquettes were shells without filling. The kitchen sent out replacements for everyone at our table. Second, Two of the servers kept me company while I waited for the rest of my party. We have experienced some snafus about when things have arrived at the table, but all in all I've found the servers to be kind and they patiently corrected mistakes. Solid find. I hope their weekend business is enough to sustain them! read more

Upon entering, we were seated at our reserved table. It was a Saturday night and every table was taken in the restaurant area. The place is split into two rooms - a long, slightly narrow bar and wider restaurant area. We were the second largest table and waited over 20 minutes before someone took our order. Fortunately the tapas came out in a timely manner and were superb. Paella was pricey but very flavorful. We tried the classic, lobster and seafood paellas. We also had dessert items which were all amazing. Our only complaint was the service. We were neglected at various times throughout the night. I don't know if they were short staffed or haven't been open long enough to work out the kinks. Hence the three stars because I can't give 3.5 stars. read more

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The first thing I noted on my visit to Paella was that my party was the ONLY one there. Yes on a Friday night during prime time, 6-8, we were the ONLY table. And I cannot understand why! We were a large party and therefore decided to go to the bar. We all ordered drinks an tapas for our dinners. The best options were the shrimp over the cumin laced chickpea mash and the pork and manchego over crostini. I also enjoyed the calamari which was perfectly grilled! I would definitely go back but I am worried this place is not long for that spot on Main Ave. If you want authentic tapas, Paella Tapas Wine Bar is a much less pricey option than Barcelona and a quiet little oasis in Norwalk! read more

Paella - Shrimp over Chickpeas - Spanish Near Me - Norwalk, Connecticut

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Our group (American Marketing Association of Fairfield County) holds board meetings here. The graciousness of our host (Jaime) and quality of food and service are well above area standard. Wholeheartedly recommended. read more

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Went here last night for new year's Eve dinner.. Horrible mistake. First we had 3 different servers. Second when asked for bread he put mine on my plate and my girlfriends on the actual table and walked away. Third when he came back I asked for parmesan cheese. When he brought it there was mold on it. When I placed my order I asked for every plate to come out one after another so they wouldn't be smothering the table, and still hot when we where ready to eat. They messed that up too. Mussels came out which where ok. Once we're where done we waited 10 mins for our next plate. Their was only 2 other tables in the restaurant. Next we where supposed to get the ceviche. Instead we got the chorizo which was not that great. As soon as that hit the table the same guy turned around and brought the empanadas. I explained to him that the guy who took our order was going to have everything come out one by one. So clearly they made everything at once anyway. I asked him if he was going to be giving me the same empanadas or new ones he said new ones and started to walk away. When he turned around he put it on another table and told them it was a mistake and on the house. I laughed. As he was walking away from that table the second guy brought or the ceviche, so at this point we only took like one bite of the chorizo. They argued in the middle of the dining room for a brief second then returned to the kitchen. When we finished the chorizo we waited another 10 mins. The guy came over to upsell us on wine which we already said we were ok with at the moment. I asked where are other plate was, he said "ohhh are you done" very sarcastically.. Now he brings out the ceviche again. It looked promising until my girlfriend found out the Shrimp was completely raw... I got up and told her let's go. When we went to the front to pay for our wine. He got pissed and took the ceviche said don't worry about it happy new year. Our visit was not good at all... read more

Paella - Raw shrimp - Spanish Near Me - Norwalk, Connecticut