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    Rioja

    3.7 (18 reviews)
    ModerateTapas Bars
    Open 12:00 pm - 1:00 am (Next day)

    Rioja Photos

    RIOJA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

    Recommended Reviews - Rioja

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    Clem F.

    Rioja looks great from the outside. Black front, cool neon red light. The upstairs inside looks good too. I booked in advance and came in mid week. I was jammed in on a tiny table between a table of 8 and a table of 4. I'd booked well in advance and said I wanted some space. Then the food wasn't great. I ordered some calamari which were ok. The croquettes were crisp, light and fried quick in good clean oil. Mussels were dried out and hidden beneath a mountain of breadcrumbs. The fideua had full salt crystals all over it. I couldn't eat the mussels or fideua which I was having as main. At the point when the table of 8.... (that was so close I was leaning on the back of their chairs and listening unavoidably to 'Deborah's affair with a bloke at work, I don't know why she's marrying Stewart') ....starting breaking glasses, it was time to go. I talked about the mussels and salty fideua and they took the dishes away. At this point I took a trip to the bathroom. I have to say it's a bit bleak down there. It's on the Finnieston strip so I'd expected it to be smart and clean. The upstairs is great. Downstairs and the toilet area isn't great. ....however what was great was the way they dealt with the bill and the problems. He'd taken the food away, they had looked/tasted it in the kitchen and he came back, apologised and wiped most of the bill off. It wasn't the fact that the bill was reduced that was a good outcome, it was the way they dealt swiftly and calmly about it. That's the way to deal with something that's not right. Empowered staff. If you're eating and it's not right, don't be passive aggressive or an arse about it. Just smile and explain in detail what's wrong and ask them to get the kitchen to taste it. Most of the time you'll get a good outcome and the kitchen will get a good outcome because they get the opportunity not to fuck it up for the next customer. Apart from that, not a great overall experience.

    Cool lighting above the bar
    Briony C.

    This Finnieston tapas bar is one of the few spots I hadn't had the pleasure of visiting. We were actually looking to just grab a drink, but figured we could get a couple of bites while we were there. We grabbed a table and looked over the menu - as other reviews have mentioned, there's a modern and classic menu with tasty sounding dishes on each one. I ordered the selection of cured meats (£5.20) and the chicken, ham and bechamel croquettes (£2.90). Graeme had the chupa chupa chicken (£2.90) and chorizo cooked in cider (£4.50). I also tried a glass of the rosé which was very full-bodied and rich. Our food arrived not long after and the cured meats were all tasty and enjoyable, although I don't feel like they were really anything special - just your standard Spanish cured meats. I enjoyed the chupa chup chicken as these had a kind of sweetness to them and were a really generous portion for the price. The croquettes were disappointing - bland apart from the seasoning on the outside. There are two options for croquettes on the menu so perhaps these were the plain one as there was no hint of chicken or ham. Apart from the food being somewhat average, I also wasn't overly impressed with the service. They took a long time to come to take our food/drink order and the place seemed quite unorganised in terms of who was looking after what area. I should note that it wasn't overly busy either, perhaps 1/2 full so I'm not sure why they service was slow. The bill for four dishes, plus a drink each was about £20 which wasn't bad value, but I wouldn't rush back when there's other great offerings so close by.

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    Review Highlights - Rioja

    We ordered calamari, mussels in a white wine sauce, Spanish style bangers and mash, meatballs, patas bravas and king prawns.

    Mentioned in 2 reviews

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    El Gusto - Seafood paella

    El Gusto

    (5 reviews)

    £

    West End

    This place has been open for a little under a year and I finally found an excuse to visit last…read morenight to try it out. It's a lot smaller than I expected - there's a seating area at the front which could fit around 20 diners. But the food is out-of-this world good, which is what really matters. I was meeting a friend here and the owner let me sit at a large table of 4 rather than a tiny table for two, which was nice. You can pop along to the shop and buy your booze to bring - wine corkage is £3 and I think beers are £1. As I was driving I was happy with soft drinks anyway, but it's handy to know for future visits. There's pretty standard offerings on the menu - the usual tapas selection you'd expect, plus paella and some larger dishes. The owner himself is from Madrid and we took his guidance when ordering - a paella to share and three tapas between two. We got the seafood paella with prawn, mussels, fish and squid (£8.95), patatas bravas (£4.50), mushrooms sauteed in garlic (£4.95) and goats cheese salad with chili and rocket (£5.25). The food arrived quickly and as it was ready rather than in any order. At first glance it looks pretty standard but the flavour was immense - the mushrooms in garlic were so flavoursome and delicious, and I loved that there was crunchy slices of garlic at the bottom of the dish to add even more flavour. The goats cheese salad was a whole circle of cheese baked in the dish so it was nice and oozy, and a good amount of chili to give it a kick. The paella was the real stand out dish - a massive portion which easily did two people and a nice amount of seafood mixed through it. There was one large prawn in it too which was easy to split up between us, and overall I thought this was a really tasty dish which I'd head back here just to have. The patatas bravas arrived last and while this is a pretty token Spanish dish, I really enjoyed it and the potatoes were the right amount of crispy. There was nothing I could fault about the food here, and with the bill coming in at just over £25 for dinner for two, it was crazy cheap too. The decor is really casual - think more of a cafe than a classy restaurant, and service is relaxed and friendly. They have some really good lunch deals like £6.50 paella sit-in, they also do takeaway and outside catering. Take yourself on an adventure and head here for a meal - it was an absolute delight.

    ¡Delicioso! NOM NOM!…read more My other half and I have been meaning to try this place for a while and when his mum gave us some money to go out for dinner we decided to go here. I love Spanish food. Probably more than I love Mexican or Italian. It's my favourite type of cuisine. So we had three tapas, paella and some bread and olive oil to share. We had Ponchos De Ronda which was a kind of chicken breast on a skewer with spicy tomato sauce and chilli. That was wonderful and was grilled to perfection. We also had patatas bravas covered in spicy tomato sauce and albondigas which are meatballs covered on tomato sauce. The tapas were amazing and full of flavour- better than some tapas I've had in Spain. We had the Paella Montaña which had chicken and Chorizo which was flavoursome and tasty- the Chorizo was smoky and very tasty! After food, we had coffee which was excellent. If the owner (who is a bit of a hero, he takes the orders, makes them and then brings them to you whilst simultaneously cooking orders for home deliveries). It was quite quiet, the restaurant is more like a cafe, but that makes it all the more authentic. The bill was reasonable for what was essentially a three course meal for two people. There is no alcohol but you can go to one of the nearby shops and get some wine or beer. Rather than going to La Tasca or Cafe Andaluz, go here.

    Elena's Spanish Bar & Restaurant - Grilled lamb cutlets

    Elena's Spanish Bar & Restaurant

    (11 reviews)

    West End

    Enjoy generous portions with Old World flair at Elena's. They've won a bunch of awards for a…read morereason, maybe due to the unique concept, but they do a nice job combining Scottish pub and Spanish panache. Of course many come for the tapas, and you'll get more than the typical microscope-required dishes at other places. Get your imported beer here on tap as well. It goes well with the diverse choices that should keep everyone happy. Croquettes are sharable but that didn't stop me from eating them all. You get a variety but notice: the chicken ones remain hot! The lamb was tasty and sides filling. A couple drafts later I'm waddling out satisfied. It's a nice alternative to the Argyle area dining scene, and I'll hope to return and try much more.

    This is the best Spanish food to be had in Glasgow by a country mile and then some! Why haven't I…read morefound this place sooner? We'd recently returned from a short break in Malaga and were pining for some Spanish ambience, so I was very pleased to discover Elena's, even more so when we spotted the Paella de Marisco (seafood paella) - I'll be having half of that, yes please! They have a pretty good wine list too, and we soon settled on a nice fragrant Alberino, which was a pefect accompaniment to the seafood. The table was soon very cluttered with dishes, wine cooler and glasses, but we managed. I'm afraid I forgot to take any pictures of the food, it was too yummy not to get stuck in. For dessert, I couldn't resist the chocolate brownie, although I opted for coconut ice cream instead of the lemon. I probably shouldn't have had either given my lactose intolerance, but sometimes you have to be prepared to suffer. It did almost finish me off, it was so chocolatey, but wow, it was worth it. I'm only giving four stars as I thought the service was a little lacklustre in places. They didn't offer to pour or let us taste the wine, didn't provide a finger bowl or any wipes for the sticky fingers, and - more importantly - didn't tell us about the menu specials when we were ordering. We only found out about those when I spotted the specials board on the way out. I don't know if it would have made much difference actually, as we were pretty committed to the paella before we arrived, but it would have been nice to have had the choice. Annnd.... I've just spotted that they have Caipirinhas on the cocktail menu - now I'll definitely have to go back!

    Cubatas Tapas Bar - Dessert platter

    Cubatas Tapas Bar

    (33 reviews)

    ££

    Charing Cross, West End

    A wee review update and still a very strong 5 stars from me!…read more Cubatas is definitely one of my favourite restaurants in Glasgow, I've now had countless meals here and enjoyed exceptional food and friendly, attentive service each time. We often take our little boy with us and they are so lovely to him, I order him a couple of dishes as soon as we arrive and these are brought out not long after we have him settled in his highchair and our drinks have arrived. It's brilliant as food keeps him occupied and we can relax and enjoy our food too. I force myself to order some dishes I haven't tried before - it's so easy to stick with the ones I have tried and I LOVE - and each time I discover another mouth watering dish. One of my new favourites is the pork cheek, melt in the mouth, jam packed full of flavour and so moreish. Added to some regular favourites such as the spicy prawns, paella, patatas bravas and their delicious salad dishes and you get a wonderfully varied meal. My top tip is to order a basket of bread for the table, the sauces and oils that accompany the dishes are divine and I love mopping them up with a chunk of soft fluffy bread. It's great going to Cubatas in a big group, with people who are happy sharing. My ideal would be to go and order one of everything off the menu, heaven :) These guys also do gift vouchers, I know as I bought my mum and dad some for Christmas. We've taken them for dinner here a few times and they love it!

    Well what do you do after working out? Stuff your face uncontrollably until it hurts to breathe! I…read morelove this feeling, I am full equals happiness. Let's start with Bread which couldn't be any fresher. Roasted almonds and nachos. The nachos were different served up with BBQ rather than salsa, this might actually be a new thing for me. The great thing about tapas is that you can order everything and everyone just shares. Pataas Bravas, marrocon kebabs, fired cheese, chorizo in pastry..... Yes pastry! Prawns in garlic, fajitas, A pork dish, chicken with a batter and colorful sauce, meatballs and a massive paella, I'm sure there has been a few dishes I've missed. Feeling full yet? A tapas of deserts oh my goodness. A baileys cheese cake, check! Creme brûlée....check something that tastes of butterscotch. Tiramisu ooofffft! Some other spongy thing and a walnut cake. Man I've just re lived this experience....so good! Staff friendly and great food make this my perfect match!!

    Café Andaluz

    Café Andaluz

    (118 reviews)

    ££

    New Town

    My daughter and I stumbled across this place and we totally fell for the whole experience; the…read moreservers were friendly and efficient, the food was outstanding and the atmosphere welcoming. Our food choices were: TAJINE DE CORDERO Slow-cooked lamb tagine with paprika, cumin, tomatoes, cinnamon, sultanas & apricots ENSALADA ANDALUZA VG GF Asparagus, artichokes, sun blush tomatoes & lemon hinamin dressing

    I'd give Cafe Andaluz a 2.5 stars based on this first time visit. The restaurant is actually quite…read morelarge - it expands far back, which you initially can't tell when you walk in. We arrived after the lunch rush, assuming it would be easy to get a table. We could be seated right away as long as we could finish our meal in 90 minutes. Evidently Cafe Andaluz is very popular even in the afternoon! I took this as a good sign that the food must be good then. Unfortunately more disappointing than I thought. We ordered the patatas bravas, calamari, gambas pil pil (king prawns roasted in olive oil, chilli, paprika and garlic) and pollo y panceta (skewers of chicken, pancetta and red onion marinated in chimichurri, with rocket, pine nuts and chimichurri salsa). I've had patatas bravas many times in Spain so was excited to see this on the menu. Cafe Andaluz's interpretation of patatas bravas is not as authentic. The potatoes were mushier rather than firm. The calamari was lukewarm and tasteless - like I was eating semi fried rubber. The real head scratcher was the pil pil. It looked appealing and promising but the whole dish was tasteless. The shrimp sat in red oil that was tasteless. There was zero garlic flavor. We were perplexed at how something colorful and vibrant would have no taste?! The only thing that truly redeemed this meal was the pollo y panceta. The garnishes and chimichurri helped enhance the dish. So all in all, an overpriced and mostly flavorless tapas late lunch that did **not** meet expectations.

    La Bodega Tapas Bar - Delicious tapas

    La Bodega Tapas Bar

    (8 reviews)

    £

    What a wee hidden gem of a place this is. I have driven past it dozens of times and thought is was…read morejust a workers' caff serving the many industrial units along South Street. It wasn't until I read the reviews on Yelp that I realised what I'd been missing, so we booked a table and made a special trip down there for lunch today. First impressions - we were the only people there and the chef came out of the kitchen to meet us, which didn't bode well I thought. The decor is unassuming and definitely a 'work in progress', but it is clear that they have already put a great deal of effort into getting the place functioning. The bar is near the entrance and there's a line of tables along the window wall, with a larger central area that looks like it could double as a dance floor, and finally there's a stage area at the far end. It all looks delightfully 'hand-knitted' and I loved it immediately. Once the owner returned from upstairs and realised that we were his booking, things picked up. In short order some music was played, menus appeared, and soon we were tucking in to the first of our tapas. As neither of us are carnivores, we picked fishy choices, olives, tortilla, and some papas arrugadas. The boquerones (anchovies) and olives were the first to arrive, and we both wolfed them down like the ravenous dogs we were. Delicious. Then came the tortilla and papas arrugadas. The tortilla is definitely something special, and I wished I'd ordered two portions, it was so tasty. The papas arrugadas turned out to be baby new potatoes with a separate dish of pepper sauce and another of coriander sauce. A fantastic combination of tastes, and the pepper sauce was just right - not too hot at all. Finally, the boquerones frito (whitebait) and the calamares a la romana appeared. The menu jokingly describes the whitebait as 'fishchips', but actually that's a great description of them. They're crispy and full of flavour - yum! I'm not generally a great fan of tapas as a primary meal choice, as I always feel that they're more of an appetizer option whilst sitting at the bar with a drink; but I might be won over by this place. The portions aren't huge, but with the 3 for £9 special offer, it's pretty good value. I will definitely return when the place is a bit more lively and they have some entertainment on. They may not be in a prime location, but it's definitely worth making the pilgrimage to this place. But let's not tell everyone about it - we don't want it to become too popular. Let's just keep it between ourselves, OK?

    I have been meaning to visit La Bodega for a while . The combination of tapas , music and dancing…read moresounded very alluring . What can I say bar the fact that this was a real fun night , great staff , food and music . Linda Jaxson is a real character and was on stage with a new band . She entertained us the whole evening and the crowd really appreciated it . Staff were not flustered by the influx of clients and managed to keep everyone fed and watered throughout the night . There is a good entertainment programme here including salsa and tango classes so get your glad rags on and come down and dance.

    Tinto Tapas Bar - Cute seating bench with belted pillows as cushions.

    Tinto Tapas Bar

    (9 reviews)

    £

    West End, Partick

    I saw this restaurant on my walk home tonight. The kids had plans, so my husband and I tucked in…read morefor a quick bite around 6pm. The place was empty, but we certainly don't mind having the place to ourselves so early in the evening. We got a good seat by the windows. The menu was extensive and the waiter showed us which tapas were included in the 3 for £9.50 promotion. We ordered the sangria, which was delightful, and the waiter brought some bread slices and dip. I didn't care for the dip - as one reviewer said it's vinegar-based and was too strong for my preference. Our tapas were good! We shared 3 plates and both left full. The sangrias probably helped with that full feeling! The staff was attentive and we had a wonderful evening. We'll likely go back.

    It was a Sunday, the 3 for £9.50 offer was calling. I'd heard a number of mixed reviews of this…read moreplace, but decided it was worth a gamble. The decor is weird, I've no idea what Spanish style books they'd consulted, but it was nothing like anywhere I'd ever seen in Spain. There are some nice individual touches, the belts holding the cushions, the pink adobo walls, but there doesn't seem to be a cohesive theme.. When I arrived it was just a little before 7 on a sunny evening, but tellingly there was only one person in the restaurant. The staff at first seemed disinterested, but seemed to perk up after a while. After ordering a glass of the house white, which was good, I looked over the menu and saw a lot of familiar dishes. I was a little bothered by the inclusion of houmous on the menu, it's not Spanish, not Moorish, not needed. Anyway I went for 2 of my Spanish favourites, goat's cheese, aubergine fritters & rolled the dice on the third choice of pan Catalan. The cheese was served on top of caramelised onions & was garnished with (a lot of) rocket. The cheese was soft, both in texture and taste, just the way it should be, but the onions were really tangy (sauce?) & the taste was strong, especially when served with the rocket. The aubergine fritters were crunchy & a bit overcooked. They weren't served dressed with honey, instead I got a comically large pot of honey set on the table to spoon it on myself. I honestly felt a little like Winnie the Pooh & was tempted to just stick my whole hand in. The pan Catalan was really just two slices of cut french loaf with tomato paste & little garlic chunks. I'd give the experience two, two and a half stars, but I enjoyed the wine, the staff warmed up by the end and I have to give the place the benefit of the doubt / food snob bonus points. I think I'd be happy to sit in with a glass of wine or a bottle (or ten) of Cruzcampo (yaaaas!) if not go back for the food. One of the benefits of it being quiet is that you could go in for a glass of wine & a chat (or read) without it getting too loud.

    Ibérica - Tarta de la Abuela.

    Ibérica

    (10 reviews)

    ££

    City Centre

    Amazing. We tried about 5 dishes and they were all delicious. The grilled octopus was among my…read morefavorites. I will need to return to try the Paella.

    I give 5* because 10 or even 15 is not available!…read more Best Spanish meal in Glasgow by far!!! OMG! I can't describe here how good and real it is. Let's start from the beggining, the restaurant deco is similar to my favourite restaurants in Madrid, modern, a little dark at night and full of typical products (cheese, wine, garlic, ham's leg). We were invited to wait at the bar to wait for a better table , and a super nice Spanish guy gave us recommendations about the wine and the ham. Just 5 minutes later we had our table ready. We ordered a verdejo wine, d.o rueda, a porron pot. As starter we ordered the Presa de lomo iberico and bread with olive oil. All of them was amaZing, the wine was perfect and the lomo was super tasty!! After that we ordered the tapas, difficult choice! The selection was: black rice with alioli, aubergine with honey, chorizo lolipops with alioli and ham croquetas. I can't say which one was the best, absolutely incredible, but the croquetas was same as the best in Spain!! Even the rice... To be honest it was like beign in Spain! Furthermore the Staff invited us to try the 3 hams selections and cheese with mojama. No words!! After that for sure it was dessert time: tarta de la abuela (chocolate, crumble...) another 5* The staff and service was excellent as well. To be honest, and not because I'm Spanish is the best restaurant I've tried in Glasgow! And the price was only £52 !!!! I want to go every single month!!!!!!!!

    Rioja - tapas - Updated May 2026

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