I absolutely love this place. I've been here several times and have come away satisfied and happy every time (read: semi-drunk from delicious wine and garlic-intense food). The atmosphere is warm and cozy inside and a wonderful place to eat outside in the summer. I'm not a wine expert but the list is pretty impressive and the manager will recommend some good, affordable picks. Also, definitely try the quail if you go, it's life altering. Some downsides: There is often a wait when it is busy but the waitstaff is attentive and offers you a wine list while you wait. Once I waited quite a while here but was given some free tapas as consolation :). Also, had a seriously salty salad once that I really just couldn't handle. Note: I don't think they take "official" reservations, but if you call ahead that day you can get on the list to avoid waiting (someone correct me if my understanding is wrong here...). read more

My favorite restaurant in Boston... Absolutely great wine list. If you like tapas, none of the other familiar names (all of which have their strengths and weaknesses) have as good a selection or as knowledgable a staff to make recommendations. This is a place built on the notion of a small neighborhood place - not a party / fun spot, not a club - for small plates and a lovely glass of wine. It's not a 'watering hole' or appropriate for large (meaning over 10) groups. There are only a few tables; in the summer, there are a few tables outside. The point is quality, not quantity, Love their spinach, peppers, olives, rabbit, squid, artichokes, chicken, ham, oxtail, cheeses, potato, sausage...and frankly, anything on special. It's tough, because tapas is hard to enjoy unless you're with a large enough group to be able to sample a significant variety of options, which gets expensive, of course...but Spanish food is just so...mmmmm...romantic. Taberna's oil and bread is head and shoulders above Dali's (though Dali has a number of especially yummy protein dishes). Tapeo's sangria is better, but, frankly, their food isn't even in the same neighborhood. read more

This place is good. Authentic and good. [NOTE ( off subject)- the real question is ....Does AUTHENTIC always equal good? Thats right ...i'm getting DEEP....http://www.chowhound.com/topics/364142] anywayz. Its really tiny inside so be prepared to wait. The black ink paella is awesome as well as the steak and blue cheese tapas. mmmmm you can take me here anytime. portions are filling. i always leave with a doggy bag full of goodness. read more

For my money, this is by far the best tapas bar in Boston; I've been going there for years and frequently bring out of town guests there. The food is consistently exceptional, the sangria is delicious. Compared to Dali, Tapeo, and Cuchi Cuchi, I think there's really no contest. The only downsides are that it's small, and it can be a long wait. But what great places don't? I would love to see them bring back the larger lamb chops, the chuletas. That was my all time fave there but they went to the rib chops. They're very tasty, but smaller. Other great dishes: Gambas, croquetas, that potato salad, the chorizo, asparagus blancos. You can't lose at this place. read more

My girlfriend and I went the other day for dinner, we are both college students. We ordered the Black paella with ali oil and were very disappointed with what we received. We asked the waitress to explain the dish and and got a description along the lines of "it is rice and has some calamari and shrimp in it". We were thinking that the rice was black because it was a different type of rice and that there would be other items in the dish as well. When the dish got to the table it was completely black with two scoops of mayonnaise and a few strips of red pepper in the middle. We realized the rice was black from the squid ink, a fact that would have made us order something else. The taste was bland and was overall very unappetizing. When we expressed dissatisfaction with the dish to the hostess and cited poor explanation on the waitress's part, she got very defensive and defended the waitress. We both felt like the hostess just brushed our opinions off because we were students and made us out to be the ones at fault. The other dishes were decent, though overpriced. Would say the restaurant is not worth it though. read more

Romantic, authentic, delicious. Romthenicious. The tapas are perfect for sharing. The sauteed mushrooms are heavenly, drizzled in a light garlicky sauce. Eat a chunk of garlic, I dare you. It's so tender, and cooked so well, it's more of a sweet morsel than a weapon of breath destruction. Wine list? Extensive, almost overwhelming in detail. The waitress (who let me in a hair before they were officially open @ 5:29 p.m.) offered helpful suggestions. Get the goat cheese. Don't expect to leave this place hungry. read more

Absolutely delicious! Always better with a few friends to maximize your menu options. Our waiter Peter was very very nice and was marvelous when it came to recommending a sherry or cocktail. Service was attentive and the kitchen was quick. Will most definitely be making my way back to conquer the entire menu. Bon appetite! read more

Shucks - took two lovely friends out for a night in my neighborhood - Taberna is usually pretty busy - so I figured it'd be alright - it was - but mostly disappointing. Portions were tiny - alright for tapas, but only when they're delicious & they weren't - $15 for a cheese plate - tiny pieces of so so cheese - mushy eggplant with saffron honey - tiny cod balls - actually pretty good - paella actually pretty good - a pitcher of sangria $34 - 4 small glasses worth and meh. Lackadaisical service was the final kick in the pants - a table covered in empty plates and a wait for pieces of bread. Meh. Wouldn't go back for the quality and cost. Hopefully they'll up their game - did not meet expectations. read more

I have been to this place around 5 times now. I have never had a bad experience. Yes it is a bit pricey - if you are STARVING and you want a full stomach, you will rack up a hefty bill, especially if you are drinking too. But, to be fair, one should know that tapas isn't meant to be consumed in that way in the first place. I find that this place is PERFECT for cocktails and light fare to accompany them. I have had great drinks here several times now. Great for post-dinner late evening. The atmosphere is ideal, in my opinion, for this. The bar is extensive, and the bartender is more than willing to whip up something random for the indecisive and openminded. Get the Gambas al Ajillo and bread. The sauce is delicious for dipping (it's garlicky-butter and spices - can't really get any better than that). I should also not that I have had probably around 10 different plates from their menu, all have been delicious. I've never had any problems with the service - everyone has always been smiling and efficient. read more

My wife and I came here for date night this past weekend and had an absolutely fantastic experience. The food was delicious (gambas al ajillo was our favorite), the ambience cozy, and the drinks spot on. What's more, the kind staff went above and beyond treating us to champagne "because it's date night." Special thanks to Chiara our server, who made sure we were well taken care of. We will certainly be coming back for more! De 10! read more

It had been a while since I had tapas for dinner, and I wanted to try some new restaurant instead of the usual Toro or Tapeo. And so I did what everyone else does- asked Siri the list of tapas places in the neighborhood and she replies ' There are 18 strip clubs in this area'! Tapas=Topless?! Blame my Indian accent. Anyhoo, after multiple attempts, Taberna de Haro seemed like a good suggestion and we (the husband and I) promptly headed over. The restaurant is fairly spacious, low lit but was surprisingly empty considering we were there on a Friday night at 7. We didn't have reservations but got a table right away. The wine menu is extensive and runs to 15 pages or more! The restaurant does not have a hard liquor license therefore no fancy cocktails. One star down. I got a cava and the husband got a sherry. Drinks promptly delivered we were ready to devour little plates of yummy food. We started with patatas bravas-potatoes in spicy sauce. It was delicious, the sauce nice and spicy and served as a dipping sauce for the crusty bread. The ahumados (smoked salmon, bluefish, mackerel and trout) was definitely interesting. They were fairly big chunks of smoked fish served with grilled bread and the most amazing herb compound butter. Until I tried this dish, I was not a huge fan of smoked fish and now I'm a total convert! Our last dish was the Pollito (Grilled baby rock hen) which was served with fries and a delicious ali-oli (garlic mayo) . Seriously, how long before garlic mayo takes the place of ketchup? The hen was juicy, succulent, well marinated and four huge pieces were very filling. I'm glad I got to try Taberna de Haro. I'm definitely a fan and will be back to try more. read more

Taberna De Haro - Ahumados - Tapas Bars Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

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Slightly overpriced tapas option. But location is really convenient. Great selection of wines and their own unique drink, though

The food is phenomenal. If you're looking for a Spanish experience, this is it. That said, there are differences between a Spanish experience and an American experience of Spanish cuisine. The food is in smaller portions; the prices are a little higher; the wine is more expensive. I went to the Taberna with a friend with whom I had studied in Spain. We ordered the ensalada de tomate y queso de cabra (tomato and goat cheese salad) which came with an onion marmalade - unexpectedly delicious. We also got the tortilla española and las espinacas a la catalana (Catalan-style spinach). Dishes like these are in smaller portions and do not fit with American expectations. The ensalada was a bed of sliced tomatoes, over which the goat cheese was crumbled, and in the center was the onion marmalade. The flavors were a wonderful combination; the tomato was cooked to perfection; and the goat cheese was delicious. (It's hard to mess up goat cheese.) Tortilla española is not tortilla as we envision it; it is more of an egg dish, like a quiche, with potato and cheese, and sometimes with sausage and/or onion, though the Taberna does not serve theirs this way. This is one of my favorite Spanish foods, and the Taberna does it very well. The spinach dish was, as we say, fenomenal. Well-cooked and flavorful with garlic, tossed with golden raisins and pine nuts, this dish made me like spinach as I had never liked it before. We perused the wine list for Riojan wine but the prices were a bit steep for a late afternoon meal of tapas, so we stuck with the water that our server obligingly and frequently refilled. The house provided bread for the table and gave us an additional half loaf when we requested it; all those delicious sauces and juices couldn't go to waste! All in all, I would come back here. That tortilla española is too good to resist. read more

One of my friends LOVES spanish food so when she recommended Taberna de Haro, I was expecting to blown away. Boy, was I wrong! It was so pricey for such bad food! The only good tapas we had were the olives, mainly because there was some garlic on them. We had the Tortilla con pimiento verde frito (potato omelet) which I didn't think was fabulous, a chicken tapas and a vegetable (Can't remember which one). Nothing outstanding. Service was very sporadic. I had to get up 2 times to get water, as our server was too busy with take out orders to attend to us (we waited a good 10 mins to order, and it wasn't crowded inside or outside). Glad I tried it, but won't go back. read more

Great tapas restaurant with friendly owner. Experience: The spot is tight, but the wait wasn't too long. The owner is super friendly and accommodating. I love the intimacy of the spot and the decor with individual pieces. Food: The food was great. I ordered the following: 1. Mejillones en Salsa Romescu (mussles)-the sauce was amazing 2. Magret de Pato (duck breast)- absolutely amazing! It was very tender and not too fatty 3. Conejo Guisado (rabbit)- it was ok, a bit dry 4. Rabo de Toro (oxtail)- perfect! It was tender, flavorful, and absolutely the best dish we had 5. Patatas Bravas (potatoes)- great sauce and the right amount of spice 6. Trufas Porreras (chocolate truffles)- the group liked it, but I wasn't a fan. Chocolate garnished in salt tasted weird to me. Overall: I definitely recommend this place for tapas and an intimate dinning. This is not a good place for large groups or if you're starving, there will be a wait. read more

I tried this place a very long time ago and didn't have much of a memory of it, so figured I'd try it again. Our server was really nice--super friendly and accommodating. I ordered a glass of sangria, which was brought out in a soda glass, with ice and no straw. When I asked the server for the straw, since I am not a big fan of sipping sangria out of glass through the ice, I was told that they didn't have straws. Wait, what? Oh, ok, you're out of straws today or you don't have straws period? No, apparently, Taberno de Haro does not carry straws. At. All. That's right. I was told that the owner thinks that "it looks bad". Really? Here's what looks bad--that sangria served in a crappy soda glass with no straw. But, moving on. We ordered quite a few dishes. The portions were decent, but none of it was really good. In fact, the chicken thigh dish was outright bad. To be honest, I can't even remember what else we got, it was all very mediocre at best. I paid the bill with a distinct feeling of dissatisfaction, realizing that I was now not only out of $100, but also an hour of my life. read more

Hola. I'm a fan of tapas so I was a little excited to try this place. Heard big things - now I'm ready. Service was friendly, kinda cramped and mediocre food. Antipasto was good but only if I didn't have my grandma's antipasto which was excellent. Dishes were uninteresting and lacked the justification of its prices. Not terrible but not worth the C-note in these financially questionable times. Cuchi Cuchi is a lot more fun and the same price. Wurd. read more

I went to Taberna on a warm Sat night around 8:30 with my hubby. The hostess was lovely, and we were seated quickly. I like white, dry wine, but I wasn't familiar with the Spanish choices -- the one the bartender recommended for me was perfect. We started with the charcuterie. Our waiter didn't bring it, but the person who did just dropped it off and scurried away -- no explanation of what each offering was at all. There were 4 odd pates (so, 2 too many pates), but the dried meats were nice, as were the pickled veggies. We were served bread with no oil, butter, etc. We spotted a oil dispenser with 2 shakers in a wire carrying-thing on another table, so we asked the hostess (since our waiter had gone awol for 15 minutes) if we could have the oil. She brought it. When our waiter noticed, he said, "Who brought this to you!? This is for dessert! It's truffled oil -- not for bread." We said, ok -- we just wanted some oil for the bread, but we're fine now. So he took it away and brought us a ridiculously large bowl of oil, which we didn't want. Lo and behold, when we received the bill, we were charged $4 for the oil vat. Whatever -- I didn't complain, but it was stupid. The fried haddock was excellent, as were the ham and cheese croquettes. The whole oil-thing cheapened the experience for me -- such a nice place shouldn't do that to its guests. Otherwise, it was a nice night with good food and wine. read more

The main problem here is that it's just too pricey. At Dali, at Tasca, at Tapeo...all the tapas are under $10 a plate. Here, that's where they start and many of them are closer to (or more than!) $20. This is a crazy price for tapas. A tiny plate of food meant for sharing should not cost as much as an entree. Also, the tapas weren't that amazing. The frog's legs were drowning in garlic, the spicy sauce with the Canary Island potatoes just tasted like barbeque sauce. Other random annoyances--they don't take reservations, they are very strict about two people sitting only at two-person tables, and the prices and wine list on the website are not up to date. However, despite these considerable criticisms, I still have to give it three stars. The wine list is awesome and the wines themselves are priced much more reasonably. The owner--who is also a trained sommelier--helped us pick out our white wine and it was gorgeous. Perfect tapas wine--honey and almond notes but still dry. Also, the atmosphere--very cozy, very romantic and very Spanish. It's earthy, bold and inviting. The outdoor patio seats are pretty excellent but sitting inside is just as pleasant. Lastly, the service was fantastic. Everyone was smiling and friendly. It was an easy place to relax. I don't think the the price to food quality to atmosphere ratios quite add up, in the end. It was a nice night but not $45/person (for two tapas each and a bottle of wine, including a 20% tip) nice. I can spend the same at Petit Robert and get better (and more) food and better atmosphere. Or I can spend less at several area tapas places and get the same or better overall. read more

Pros: 1. The Menu is interesting and diverse. 2. They have an extensive wine list. And I mean an entire 15 page book dedicated to wine with a table of contents. 3. The food is delicious. We had artichoke hearts (yum!), fiesty potatoes (double yum!), and lamb - which was ok. Two lamb skewers and some fries. Cons: 1. The service was ok. Everyone was flustered and running around and it didnt seem that busy. 2. We had a pitcher of sangria that was $28 and really, really weak. It was loaded with bits of fruit which was great, but I don't even think it had alcohol in it. I would definately go back to this place with a group of friends and spend more time reading over the wine list. One of the great things about this place is you can sit outside and Beacon St (even before a red sox game) is not overly crowded with pedestrians. So you can have a nice leisurely dinner outside, drink wine and have some bread. YAY! read more

This place lingered on my "to try" list for far too long. But then Reserve* put together their Reserve Week promotion, and Taberna De Haro offered a sherry tasting dinner (five courses and five glasses of sherry for $55). I'd heard that sherry is a specialty at this place, and tapas are always a favorite, so I made reservations for a date with my wife. (* In a world where everyone is trying to be "the Uber of", Reserve is trying to be the Uber of restaurant reservations.) I'm used to restaurants being a bit half-hearted about Restaurant-Week-like promotional things. But this place clearly put quite a bit of thought and effort into their offering. The menu paired each dish with a different type of sherry: Codfish cakes with fino Fried haddock with manzanilla Oyster mushrooms with amontillado Ham and anchovy on tomato toasts with palo cortado Country pate with oloroso In general, each dish was more impressive than the last. I was skeptical about both of the first two dishes being fried fish, but the haddock was light and fluffy and lemony and an excellent pairing with the chosen sherry, so I thought it ultimately justified the repetition. The mushrooms and pate were stand-out favorites. Owner / sommelier / chef de cuisine Deborah Hansen introduced several of the courses, and lived up to her outstanding reputation as an excellent chef and host and one of the area's foremost experts on Spanish wine and sherry. When I inquired, she also answered that she'd arranged the pairings and personally prepared the (really excellent) pate. More evidence that the restaurant really put their all into the occasion. After the meal, we decided split some dessert: Compote with cream, paired with another glass of sweet sherry (also split) and cafe con leche (one each). Fantastic conclusion to a great meal. I was greatly impressed and will arrange to be back sooner rather than later. read more

I am from Spain and I have to say Taberna is, with Tasca, the most authentic, tastes-like-home place in Boston. I will concede that not everything in the menu is spectacular in a gourmet kind of way, but that is because they are true to the originals so if you want chorizo a la parrilla that is just that, the way I would eat it in any bar de la esquina in Spain, then that is what you get. I personally find it difficult to compare Taberna with a place like Tapeo, where they fancy up a lot of their stuff. I am not saying it is not good (I like it too) but is not what I go for when I want to have a taste of mis madriles. That being said, I avoid whatever I can easily put together at home and go for the rest. They have the best croquetas, and I also love the sepia, txistorra or piquillos con brandada, pinchos morunos, escalibada... A word of advice: do leave some of bread (or order more if you could not help yourself) to dip in the sauces and juices. Very much acceptable and highly recommended. We usually get carried away with pinchos y raciones, so we never get to order "real" entrees, but if we ever get to those, I'll let you know. Y para los postres... mi significant other is a flan person, I am a natillas gal and we both really like the ones at Taberna. Abuela, they put una galleta maria on top of the natillas, like you used to do!! Wines are bountiful and well chosen as far as I can tell, not being quite the wine expert, but I wish they had more by-the-glass choices. So one less star because of that and the fact that service can be a bit slow and a bit abrupt. Now, if you have eaten in Madrid enough, you could argue this is just another layer of authenticity... read more

I don't even live in Boston anymore and I still feel the need to yelp about this place. I love spanish food, and these guys know what they're doing. My friends and I are planning out next trip to Boston around eating here. Everything is good, from chorizo to the sauteed spinach with rasins and pine nuts. Their wines are awesome. The best meail I've ever had was a buttery trout & french fries dish they had as a special. To this day nobody has come close. read more

From the menu, to the ambience, to the laid back feel of this place (yet with superior service) this was a Spanish food restaurant. If you are used to the American take of Spanish food, prepare to be surprised. First the wine menu is not a mere list but a collection of brief odes extolling the virtues of each wine and it's region. We started with the stuffed peppers with potatoes and cod, a delightful little quail with chocolate sauce over garlicky white beans, and calamari. All delicious with contrasting flavors. We also had the spinach sautéed with pine nuts and golden raisins and rounded it out with a fish roasted with hazelnuts with olive oil. All of the above recommended. The EVOO throughout is really delicious! As we finished the bottle (a light Glorioso from Rioja) we had the wonderfully presented dessert of homemade chocolate truffles dressed in cocoa and rock salt next to some little toasts, all doused in olive oil. Ahh it was delicious! Two very important qualities that add greatly to my restaurant experience are ambience and not being rushed through your meal. Taberna de Haro has both of these qualities, even on a busy Sunday night. A note for folks who might expect the cleaned up American version of Spanish food: cod fish is present directly or indirectly in many foods. read more

FANTASTIC. GREAT ambiance. Decor & music are great. Nice outdoor seating. Highly recommend: veal sausage, rock hen, spinach with raisins & pine nuts, tortilla (it's like a potato omelet). Consistently fresh and delicious. Great wine selection too. Have been going here for seven years and consistently great. As for the service....lots of people diss it but I've never had an issue. The bottom line is that they are very busy here and the waitstaff can get rushed. They're not there to entertain you--quite frankly I don't want my server telling my stories about his/her life. All the servers are highly knowledgeable about the food and have never steered us in the wrong direction. read more

I hate to do it to this place, but my company and our conversation was a 5 star, and being able to sit on the patio was a 4 star, but the food was just - OK. I'm basing this on the fact that I lived in Spain for a summer back in 2002 and had an opportunity to have plentiful tapas style dishes. But again, I'm a value and service guy, because I think I can cook just as well as most of the sous chefs at these restaurants. that said, the dishes I ordered I could have easily made my self from the fresh ingredients I keep in my own refrigerator. I can usually gauge the entire menu based on one dish - and that dish is fried calamari. And their dish is neither unique or tasty and actually quite dry. To put it into perspective, I had a pitcher of Sangria, a calamari app, spinach dish, a crispy spicy potato dish (cuz I was still hungry) and a very good tortilla. This is common fare at any bar you go to in Spain, but I dropped $72 for very average food for 2 people. I surprised my friend and told her it was my treat for her belated birthday ...I think she felt a little embarrassed of the bill and what we ate so she picked up the tip. I walked her to her car, gave her a nice peck on the cheek and then biked to the half priced sushi down the street that started at 10pm. This was the second time I went here. The last time I went was back in 2003...the reason I never came back in between was because of its mediocrity. Very nice ambiance, above average wait staff, extensive wine list, close enough for me to bike to. Food, eh.. read more

Fantastic spanish cuisine, warm atmosphere and mind blowing flavors. The waitress Giselle was phenomenal, friendly and helpful. She knew the menu forwards and backwards and gave us superb recommendations. The entire staff was friendly and attentive. We were never missing anything and they always knew what to bring next on the table. We had he pig ears, shrimp with garlic, cuttlefish, and balls of dried cod. We paid $4 for delicious olive oil to go with the bread and it was well worth it! We finished with the chocolate truffles for dessert and the combination of chocolate, sea salt, cocoa powder and olive oil blew our tastebuds away!! The food and service were top notch- way better than Barcelona! read more

Was very pleased. Service was right on and food was excellent, Wine list had a few very attractive glasses of both red and white wines indigenous to Spain. We had a few tapas , each one better than the next, and then shared a Paella of the day with local vegetables that was a total winner. I've been to Barcelona and this place, is every bit as good as the local fare. read more

One of the best dinners I have ever had! I used to live in Philly, and had many favorite tapas restaurants there. After trying a different tapas restaurant in Boston, that came highly recommended, I was really disappointed. I should have gone to Taberna de Haro instead. It is excellent! The service, atmosphere, food and wine were all incredible! read more

Wait, really? I don't see what all the hype is about. I would say that my first experience at this local tapas spot will be my last. So here's my story... I live in brookline, right down the street from this joint and I've walked by a thousand times. I finally made the time with some friends to check it out cause I've heard so many great things. When we first walked in, we sat at the bar and waited for our table to be prepared. We sat at the bar for about 15 minutes before we were asked if we wanted anything to drink. Now i have no big qualms, about waiting to be served on if the spot, I'm at is super busy. However the waitress behind the bar was texting during our wait at the bar. Wait a second, are you serious? You're going to let people sit at the bar with out a drink in they're hand while you text away? Strike one... Ok, we finally split a pitcher of sangria and it was not that great. it was far to fizzy for my tastes. But hey, to each his own. We then sat at our table and began to order some of the more expensive tapas I've ever had. Strike two The food for the most part was average. In my opinion the food did not justify the price. Strike three Even though this is the closest tapas spot to my house, I would much rather go the extra distance to Bar Lola in the back bay. read more

Taberna is a very cute little place with cozy decor and a friendly waitstaff. The food is tasty but not outstanding, the prices are high but many of the dishes are larger than you'd expect. Comparing this place to my favorite tapas venue, Dali in Somerville, just confirms my personal philosophy that Cambridge and Somerville offer better bang for your buck when it comes to truly delicious food in unpretentious neighborhood places. While everything here tasted good, a lot of it also seemed like something I could make in my own kitchen, and for much cheaper. We ended up spending about $40/person including a glass of sangria each, a bit too steep in my opinion for the meal we had. That said, some favorites: -the paella negro, made with squid ink. Really large enough to be a full entree, and a little heavy for my taste, but worth ordering to share with a large group -the goat cheese on toast: sounds really simple, and it's just one piece of toast, but the cheese was REALLY good. -the artichokes: a simple dish, really well made. Definitely get these. -the fresh ricotta cheese dessert with orange honey-- yummy and refreshing after a salty, garlicky meal. In closing, I'd definitely come back for a meal if I were in the area, but for me, not worth the trip across the river otherwise when I have Dali so close by! read more

I love this place! It's a little pricey like most tapas places but definitely worth the splurge! I also love the new renovation. Sitting on the patio is always nice but it also has a very romantic feel inside. It was the perfect date night last weekend. We split a nice bottle of red wine and shared some great tapas. My favorites are the croquetas de jamon, feisty potatoes, and the special we tried that day, which was smoked blue fish on toast. Sooo good!! read more

Taberna De Haro - Very romantic atmosphere - Tapas Bars Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

Went here with a friend to grab a bite to eat for dinner. It was a nice, late summer night so we were able to grab a table by the open windows. For my meal, I decided to go with the swordfish. While I normally love swordfish--this version of it was super oily and fishy and was not really enjoyable. It was also served with potatoes, which were decent, but couldn't make up for the fish. Luckily, there was a part of the fish that was edible, but almost half of it just could not be eaten. Overall, despite the food, the service was friendly and it came out quickly, but for the price and the low quality--it was not an enjoyable meal. read more

Not the most attentive staff. I arrived, spoke to the hostess while waiting for my dining companion to park the car. She assured me it'd be only a few minutes for our table outside to be ready (we'd called ahead). She then disappeared. A half hour later we were still waiting. During this time all the other staffers ignored us. I finally wrangled a server to ask what was happening. He was pretty rude and uninterested. Another server took pity on us and offered a table outside that was going to be ready "in a minute or two." 10 minutes later we opted for a table inside. Big mistake. it was like sitting in the middle of a runway, with the servers as airplanes. We debated walking out, since we'd been sitting INSIDE for 5 minutes and no one had yet brought us water. This is inexcusable when you're essentially sitting next to the kitchen/serving area (it's a small place). Suddenly, the hostess appeared and offered us our promised table outside (note, we'd been there for 40 minutes by this point). Outside the service was slightly more prompt than inside. The food was decent, though I prefer a larger sampling of smaller plates than they offered. Most of the more substantial meat/fish options were larger portions and rather expensive. If you get a small plate that you don't end up loving, you've wasted maybe $6 or $7, not $20. The sangria was really good. read more

i went there w/ my wife for her birthday dinner. so we expect to spend a bit more, so the price wasn't an issue and the food was good and we think they're worth it! we got there early, like 5:50pm-ish. (and we did call ahead as well), so we didnt have to wait for our table. once it get around 6:30pm, the line is starting to form. until we finished our meal by around 8:00pm-ish, the line was still pretty long. so get there early may be the trick. i don't have the menu w/ me, so i can't remember the name of the dishes. i will totally go back : ) good food and decent service!!! read more

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Y'know, I was expecting great things from this place (especially for the price we paid). The bread was hard and cold. We ordered the braised oxtail and it came with two pieces (although I thought there would be more for $17!) which have very little meat on them. Overall, I don't think we'd go back there. The rest of the menu was unimpressive. Not sure I'd go back especially with so many other dining options along the C Line. read more

As far as tapas go, this is the place to be. I live right down the street and go here whenever I've had a long day and need to unwind a bit. I'll go with a companion and sit at the bar drinking a glass of sangria and eating an order of the croquettes. Yes, it's a bit pricy but the sangria is superb and the croquettes are to die for. You get a cold potato salad for the table when you sit down that's perfectly seasoned and refreshing. The espinacas a la catalana are a tapas staple and a must order. The waitstaff is beyond friendly the ambience is quaint and relaxing, with an open kitchen and Spanish posters lining the walls. Strands of garlic heads hang from the ceiling and the lighting is dim and romantic. It's the perfect place to bring a date, or just yourself! read more

I rarely write reviews. And typically, when I do, the review is to showcase an exceptional experience. Unfortunately, that not's the case here. Taberna De Haro no longer cooks quality food - which is unforgivable for the restaurant's price point. There are too many other solid choices in the area to spend good money on bad food. And then when you charge $12 for a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in which to dip your bread, well now you're just adding insult to injury. The really sad thing in all of this is that Taberna De Haro used to be quite good. Not anymore. And I don't think I'll ever go back. Last night was the nail in the coffin. Out of a total of five dishes ordered we had to send two back - they were simply inedible. The tortilla came out severely undercooked. Instead of solid, light and fluffy, it had the consistency of scrambled eggs - before you scramble them. Politely pointed out that it was "slightly" undercooked and asked to send it back. In the meantime, we dug into one of our favorite dishes, the veal sweetbreads. A dish that is supposed to be light, flavorful and almost melt in your mouth was dense, chewy and overly salty. It actually tasted like leftovers that weren't reheated properly. Really disappointing. And then the tortilla came back from the kitchen. Nope, not out of the kitchen - back from the kitchen. Yup, our original tortilla, missing the inedible pieces we had served ourselves and not eaten when we discovered that it was raw - was back. Now restaurant 101 is that food sent back to the kitchen, in most cases, goes straight in the trash. It's not only good service (the diner wants to see a fresh dish - not the reheated mess they sent back to the kitchen) but also a question of hygiene and safety. When we expressed our concerns with this practice, and with the overall quality of the meal (even the dishes we didn't send back we're just o.k.), no one offered to get a manager. No one offered an opportunity to speak with the chef. Nothing. Just a bunch of puzzled looks and half-hearted apologies. The only saving grace to the evening was that Alex, our bartender, was very good and showed the most concern that our meal was subpar. Maybe they were having an off night. It happens. Sometimes even the best restaurants can't get their stuff together on a particular night. I wouldn't fault you if you wanted to give them another chance. But, I'm not going to. read more

It's expensive but very romantic! My girlfriend and I went for V day....It is a perfect date place! We booked it on Open Table (Make a reservation. It was super busy.) The hostess, I believe was/is the owner. The service was outstanding. Everyone was very attentive to our needs/wants. We ordered: Ensalada de endivias con cabrales (Endive and Asturian blue cheese salad) Esparragos verdes a la parrilla ( Grilled green asparagus) Patatas Bravas (Feisty Potatoes - fried with hot sauce ) Yum!!!! Txistorra con brandada (Grilled Basque red sausage with brandada) Quesos artesanales (Five exquisite cheeses imported from Spain ) Yum!!! All of it was fantastic! The wine: delicious! Our hostess helped us choose it. We had no idea where to start with their wine menu. The menu is actually a book. They have an amazing wine selection. This was a big hit with my girlfriend who loves wine and is a wine snob. (This place will win you points with your significant other.) According to my girlfriend, we will definitely go back! read more

If you can deal with paying a pretty penny for worth-while food and unparalleled wine knowledge from each and every staff member, Haro should be your next stop. All amazing dishes aside, I'll give 5 stars to the bar manager alone. My girlfriend and I visited Haro a few weeks back and weren't particularly wild about the cocktails on the menu. We asked for something spicy, and rather than bringing a random cocktail to us, the server let us know that the bartender would be right out. Sean, the bar manager, sat down with us twice throughout the night, first to get an idea of what we liked and then to educate us on the drink we were instantly in love with. The service, food and drinks, and our resulting amazement had the couple next to us scooting over to listen to Sean describe our beverage and tell us how to make it. One-on-one service from the bar manager himself on the restaurant patio just to share his passion and educate us on mezcal liquors... WHAT!?!?!? read more