Amazing food....everything is delicious. Waiter was extremely friendly and attentive. Highly recommend read more

T'ahpas 529 - Paella Alicante (allow an extra 30 min) - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Melrose, Massachusetts

See all

Gone way down hill over the past year. Tapas arrived cold and paella rice was hard and undercooked. It's sad, the food used to be consistently spot on. Will have to find another spot for good Spanish food. read more

Was excited for this place and just wasn't impressed by the food. The fried goat cheese balls were good we also got the tuna tar tar which was good. The calamari was chewy and fishy the manager removed them from our check and wanted to let us know they are super fresh and wasn't sure why we thought it was fishy. Which I personally thought was rude as we ordered a lot of food and tried ordering dessert but they ran out which was upsetting. The decor and atmosphere were lovely. My mom got the passion fruit mojito which she really enjoyed. read more

Really weird experience with the staff. Got our order wrong, couldn't tell me the name of the mezcal she brought me, misquoted the price, told us she couldn't bring a desert menu until we finished eating and got all snippy when we told her "no thanks, just the check" They kept clearing my water glass and people who would stop by to ask if we wanted bread disappeared never to be seen again. The mezcal pour was embarrassing for $13 (even for the quoted $10) and the food was uninteresting and sloppy. The dates were burnt, charcuterie chintzy for $29.00, Shinto peppers unblistered and generic supermarket meats and cheeses. Two people $120 pre-tip. When I pointed out the errors on the bill, the waitstaff comped the last dish we ordered, a spicy chorizo ($9) which would have been really nice with the offered bread had it ever materialized... I hate leaving a bad review because I know it's hard to get it right all the time. Maybe it's a one-off particularly given the other reviews. read more

Good food but a bit to overpriced. Tapas in general tend to be a bit pricey for such small plates of food, but I found many of their dishes to be just "good" and not amazing and the cocktails were just ok. The staff is friendly and the restaurant has a nice atmosphere, so I still recommend it, but it's not quite there for it to be a top "must go" for me. If you are in the mood for tapas, it's still the best choice in the area from what I've found. read more

I took a cousin from out of town here and the service and food was great! While all of the tapas we tried were great, I highly recommend the arroz negro. read more

Food- Amazing Service- Always Fantastic Ambiance- depends on the night, when they have live music it's always great. When they don't they always have great tunes coming through the sound system!! read more

We traveled to Melrose to brunch! While this was a very close walk from the Melrose Highlands commuter rail train station, there was also a lot of parking in the area for those with a car. Inside they have a huge bar space! The dining area is a bit on the smaller side, but there is some room for large parties. They served us a bowl of bread with delicious cinnamon butter in addition to a fresh almond crossiant. We were very pleased with the brunch drink menu! They had custom Bloody Marys, in addition to other delicious drinks. The brunch menu was large, with about half of the options as small plates. They had another larGe section of brunch entrees. We opted for the brunch entreess, but aafger had wish we split some of the tapas style plates after seeing other tables get them! We got two versions of eggs Benedict - the eggs were cooked perfectly, but the sauce was not traditional hollandaise for either dish. The food was good, but I had buyers remorse, wishing I would have gonna less traditional with my choice! We enjoyed the live music and will definitely be back to try out Monday dollar oysters! read more

See all

I found this place by asking if I could use the restroom one day. They were just so nice that I wanted to go back to give them business. Well I did! I stopped in for a drink and had such a nice time chatting with Patty & Engie that I decided to order a couple appetizers. The food was tasty and the presentation was lovely. I definitely want to go back to try some other things I saw coming out! read more

Visited this place on a Friday night, managed to get same day reservations earlier in the day. They have a nicely lit, spacious tent out back in the parking lot for outdoor dining which was very COVID-friendly. Heads up, they now automatically charge 20% gratuity. As much as I support service workers getting paid, shouldn't tip be based on the level of service? And not imposed on customers? Luckily, the service was very attentive and friendly, and they totally deserved the 20%. But the food in general, was very meh. The paella was a huge disappointment. It did not have a crispy crust at the bottom, and was kinda mushy. The seafood was not the freshest, and the seasoning was lacking. The lamb chops were puny and well done, the sauce was lackluster. Short ribs were tender, but I was not a fan of the sauce and polenta. In general, I was not a of the seasoning in most dishes. Decent dishes: Crispy cauliflower Brussel sprouts Croquet read more

From the start our hostess Sarah, was awesome and Louis (a newly hired server) was very attentive and wonderful. The greeting by owner, Emily, was quite the bonus! Dining on FANTASTICALLY Delicious food equaled an Excellent experience! Bonus FREE MUSIC by Raphael was great! We had a little of everything for food and the watermelon smash drink equally as wonderful! read more

T'ahpas 529 - Watermelon Smash - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Melrose, Massachusetts

I never knew I could be such a fan of Sherry... the rainwater was very sweet but something I was pleasantly surprised with. We had the meatball, octopus, crab cake and the wild carrots. Incredible atmosphere- very open with Picasso, Dali, and a large bull silhouette across the back wall. We will definitely be back with more friends to explore this menu! read more

T'ahpas 529 - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Melrose, Massachusetts

Came here yesterday and WOW - this place exceeded all expectations from start to finish. We didn't have reservations but were seated instantly regardless. Our waitress checked in on us promptly and brought us bread with olive oil and olives (all very authentic). I can tell whoever curated the menu has a real understanding of Spanish cuisine/geography. To drink, I ordered a caipirinha. No complaints there, it was well-made. I enjoyed every tapa we ordered. The portions were on the small side, but the prices seemed to reflect that (most were $6 - 8 each). Here's a breakdown of what we tried: Gambas al ajillo - Delicious. Shrimp were generously sized and perfectly garlicky. Best I've tried in the Boston area so far. Burrata - Heaven. But then again, can you really mess up burrata? Came with tomatoes, oil, and basil leaves. Croquetas de jamon - Very solid. Brown, crunchy exterior. Maybe doused in a little too much chili mayo. Patatas bravas - Not as crispy as I expected but still soo good. Potatoes were perfectly cooked. Chorizo a la sidra - Probably least impressive of the bunch but still good. Cider added a nice tang, but the chorizo itself wasn't packed with enough flavor to taste authentic. Overall, fantastic dining experience. If I'm ever back in the Melrose area, I'll be here. read more

See all

We decided to give T'ahpas 529 a 2nd chance after a sub-par first experience...and it was actually worse. We made a 7pm reservation for Valentine's Day, almost a year to the day of our first visit. We again had to wait 15-20 minutes after our reservation time to be seated. I would have chalked this up to the holiday, but based on our first experience, this is just par for the course here. This is where it gets stupid.... We went to the bar to grab some drinks while we waited - there were two chairs open, so we ordered drinks and then sat down. After sitting for about 5 minutes, the bartender came over and said, "Are you two waiting for a table? Yeah, these seat are actually reserved. Sorry!" We were kicked out of the bar for ordering and paying for drinks while waiting for our delayed reservation -- and the people who were given our seats were two guy friends of the bartender we saw her talking to at the other end of the bar. These two guys actually came and stood at the seats where we had been sitting, had a drink, and then appeared to leave 20 minutes later. I've seen reserved bar seating before, but have never seen paying customers kicked out of seats that they were already sitting in. We asked to speak with a manager, and unbelievably, the manager told us that this was actually all OK - that they occasionally will give reservations at the bar to "regulars". Even if this was accurate, that you'll remove paying customers so your regulars can sit and eat dinner, this didn't fit with what we had witnessed. To put a point on it - if you want to have a policy like this, that's your prerogative as a manager, but just know that it is a shitty and insulting policy, and we will judge it accordingly. For what it's worth, our waitress was great, the food was really good (hence the 2 stars instead of 1), and the manager sent over two glasses of champagne for our troubles, but the damage was done. read more

Had a terrific meal and great service last night at T'ahpas in Melrose. Definitely believe all the hype you've been hearing about this place. I had a group of 7 and we must've ordered about 10 different items including the abondigas, stuffed dates, chimchurry beef, and seared scallops. Everything was absolutely delicious. To boot, their desserts are also fantastic. Who'd a thunk that the best key lime pie I've ever had outside of Florida would be in Melrose, MA!! Lastly, T' ahpas has a great draft beer list and all of their taps are extremely fresh. We had a few Maine Lunch beers and they tasted like they were straight from the brewery. We will definitely be back for sure. read more

Excellent new restaurant in Melrose! Luis, our waiter, provided us with an amazing experience! He was extremely professional and knew the menu and drink selections. We started with the toasted bread w fig spread and manchego cheese, Maiz grilled corn w yummy ness all over, and Hongos Rellenos, stuffed mushrooms w Brie on top!! Then moved onto the warm dishes like the Churrasquito, skirt steak w chimichurri sauce & Brussels, so wicked good and good for you, see pic. Some lamb chops, tiny and the short rib. I'm glad we didn't listen to some of the reviews on the short ribs but it was fork tender and delicious!!! The LARGEST plate was the Churros de chocolate, AMEN!! I can't even begin on the impressive cocktail menu!! Amazing! Love the small plates!! MUST TRY FOR YOURSELF!! read more

T'ahpas 529 - Skirt steak w chimichurra sauce and Brussels. FANtastic!! Steak may appear larger in photo. Lol - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Melrose, Massachusetts

See all

Order the mushrooms strudel and queso de cabra!!! Omg I dream of them. This place is slept on!

Randomly stopped by because it's near my house and was pleasantly surprised. The food is really good, never have I tried ceviche with mango ice cream on it. We came on a night that they had a wine tasting, looked like a lot of fun. We split the Bistec 529 because we weren't too hungry and the chimichurri sauce made the meal, topped with a few glasses a wine. Overall the service was good and the atmosphere felt cozy, good for a date night. read more

See all

T'ahpas 529 is one of the best restaurants in Melrose. The potatoes and other dishes are delicious! Outdoor seating is a must in the summertime, the lighting and ambience is amazing read more

T'ahpas 529 - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Melrose, Massachusetts

See all

We just had our Cheer banquet brunch here and it was amazing. The food, ambiance and staff were amazing! The mimosas were excellent as well! Highly recommend for any occasion! read more

Engie was an incredible server. A+++. She was pleasant, kind and professional. She was well versed in the menu. She gave us outstanding recommendations both on the main dishes and drinks. Food and service was 10x better than our experience at Barcelona. While it lacks the city location it makes up by having incredible service and equally outstanding food. If your looking for a real tapas experience, this gem is your spot. read more

T'ahpas 529 - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Melrose, Massachusetts

We looked at the online information and decided to give it a try. Please know - the website did not say anything about reservations except if you have a party of 7 or more. We went with another couple around 5:30. We were asked, "do you have a reservation?" We were confused. We said no and were told there was no availability for the entire evening. The restaurant was empty except for a couple of tables. The bar was empty. We were told all spots including the bar chairs were taken. I told the hostess about the website. She said there was a glitch and that she couldn't accommodate us. This was handled so poorly we have no interest in going back. read more

Portions were super small for the price. Nice atmosphere but food was just okay. 6/10 read more

Everyone at T'ahpas is super friendly. Food and drinks are very well served and delicious. Paella is amazing, with lots of seafood. read more

Went here on a Friday evening for dinner with friends. Place was pretty lively and a bit loud. This is what we ordered: -Patatas bravas (crispy potatoes w/aioli) -Burrata capresa (caprese salad) -Iberico ham -Bruselas (crispy brussel sprouts w/bacon in a balsamic glaze) ***Highly recommend*** -Crispy cauliflower -Costillas (sweet braised short ribs w/polenta) -Escalivada (assortment of grilled seasonal veggies) -Dessert: affogato and chocolate cake Everything was delicious! We devoured everything. Cocktails were also great as well. The dishes came out pretty quickly and piping hot. Prices were pretty average compared to other tapas spots I've been to. Will def. be back! read more

My sibs and I came here last minute bc one of our other restaurants was closed. My sis lives in Melrose and none of us ever ate here. so I'm glad we came. Everything was Delicious. All the meat dishes came out perfect and had a nice wonderful Spanish accent. My brother got the squid ink mini paella,, he loved it. All our cocktails were perfect. I got the Hot Lips and really recommend it if you like jalapeño drinks! We'll be back!!! read more

Food was great. Service was good. Drinks were solid. Came here on a Monday afternoon and it was happy hour (half priced tapas)! $1 oysters you can't go wrong! Ordered an array of food - definitely recommend oysters, maiz, queso de cabra, lobster croquets, brussels, and pan de higo. Would definitely come back to try more tapas (especially hongos rellenos since they were out and dessert) read more

See all

Great service, solid food, and an all around great place to have dinner. We'll be back. Get the papas bravas....

T'ahpas has delicious bites and is so food allergy-aware! It means a lot to find a neighborhood spot that is safe. Their service is impeccable! Highly recommend! read more

I was looking to get out of my recent brew pub rut and wanted to try something new. It needed to be close to the Greater Boston Stage Company in Stoneham as we had play reservations. My wife suggested we try this tapas place in nearby Melrose. I'm so glad I made reservations for 5:30 to allow time to get to the play because when we arrived the place was empty! Daunting. We sat at the bar because we heard there were some half priced tapas available- which we didn't select. Mariana was super helpful explaining the menu and making informed recommendations on what to try. The broad menu includes Pintxos which are small snacks, Tapas Frias or cold appetizers , Tapas Calientes which are hot tapas and then Large Plates which are more like entrees. Of course sharing tapas requires serious negotiations. Everything we ordered were Tapas Calientes. We started with the Camerones Salteados- a yummy sauteed shrimp dish served over thin slices of crostini soaked in a mildly spicy sauce. I devoured this before remembering to take a picture. We also shared a Churrasquito a nicely cooked thinly sliced skirt steak with an interesting chimichurri sauce. The grilled asparagus dish lightly is coated with panko-parmesan. And finally for me the Mejillones Fra Diablo recommended by Mariani. I like spicy and this was VERY spicy- mussels in a hot pepper, tomato sauce. After finishing the mussels I kept soaking up that sauce with the table bread. The opportunity to sample so many different tastes at one sitting was fantastic. The external awning- aptly describes this as Spanish Mediterranean cuisine. I appreciated the attention to detail in the preparation, the use of fresh ingredients and the warm and knowledgeable service. Will be back for sure. read more

See all

My first time on the patio at my favorite neighborhood restaurant. The food and drinks are still excellent. We arrived a little early for our 6pm reservation with my inlaws and they were able to accommodate us. We ordered the chicken empanadas, skirt steak, maiz, queso de cabeza, and the special prawn dish for the night. All were excellent. The setup allows for social distancing and all staff and customers observed the physical distancing and masking policies. And the folks loved it as well! read more

The to go bundles are so smart! Everything was so flavorful I enjoyed every bite! A little of this a little of that, so many containers lol. Fresh and tasty read more

Had a great meal and experience at this place. The tapas selection was great with most dishes being gluten and soy free, which were dietary limitations of my guest. The service was very pleasant and accommodating, and we even received a free beer since they made a bar mistake. The decor reminded me of a city restaurant with exposed brick nice art. I recommend this place!! read more

Great little place for tapas in the suburbs. Food was five stars. Goat cheese croquettes, stuffed dates, mushroom strudel, chimichurri steak were all terrific. Server was very good. The only thing I didn't love was the kitchen staff surcharge of 4%. Would much rather they just increase each menu items price than add an extra fee on the bill. Felt a little underhanded and definitely left a bad taste in my mouth read more

Loved it. Great food, amazing staff. Our server was incredible. I had an amazing time. Look forward to returning read more

T'ahpas 529 - Tomahawk Steak - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Melrose, Massachusetts

Wish we came here sooner as I live about two minutes up the road. We had a fabulous dinner tonight. Food came out super fast. Our waitress was attentive and polite. We had a wide variety of T'ahpas throughout the evening. Fried goats cheese and honey, sweet and savory perfection. Patatas Bravas, amazingly crispy and served with a spiced sauce. Also got the burrata/tomatoes, fresh and also great. Also had the stuffed mushrooms which were good. The ham croquettes were lovely and crisp. Churros were the highlight. Sweet and crunchy. Served with a good chocolate dipping sauce. Had some good beer. Atmosphere was lively but not too loud. Overall recommended! read more

T'ahpas 529 - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Melrose, Massachusetts

Came for dinner just my fiancé and I and we're charged a 20% gratuity charge on a bill. I asked the blonde waitress about it and she said they automatically added to all bills, not sure how true that is because I understand some restaurants will do it for larger parties of up to 5 or more, mind you it was just my fiancé and for dinner, there was no need to do it. The experience was completely ruined. Do not recommend and will not return. read more

T'ahpas 529 - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Melrose, Massachusetts

This place is so cute - not too fancy, not too casual, juuuuust right. We made a reservation for a Sunday night at 7:30pm - it was quiet (we were literally the only ones there at first), but that might have been because NFL playoffs were going on. I saw some of the other reviewers talk about small portions (well, yes... it's a tapas restaurant, that's the whole point!), but I was pleasantly surprised to find that we came away VERY full for what we spent. Our total bill came to around ~$80-90 (including a couple glasses of wine) and we tried 7 different dishes: Patatas Bravas (potatoes with aioli sauce): Pretty basic, but hot & fresh. A nice compliment to some of the other dishes we got. Butternut Squash Soup (daily special): I didn't try it, but my husband enjoyed it. The portion size was HUGE! Chorizo & Queso: Again, lots of food! This was basically a cold sausage & cheese plate (with bread) - it was a nice thing to munch on to get started. Manchego Cheese, Fig Jam, & Scallions on Baguette: I forget the name of this dish, but it was the A+ winner of the night in my book. I may try to make something like this at home - the flavor combinations were truly perfection! Empanadas de Pollo: So flavorful - I would get this again for sure. Chicken with Almond Cream Sauce: Can't remember the exact Spanish name for this dish either, but it was basically cubed chicken & veggies in a rich reddish sauce (almost reminded me of an Indian butter chicken). It was tasty, but I liked some of our other dishes better. Beef Short Ribs with Polenta: One of my favorites. Sauce was perfectly sweet & tangy and the meat was exceptionally tender. The menu was so huge that I'm already ready to come back and sample more! Our server was pleasant - the only thing I might change was that it would have been nice to be asked if we wanted a general overview of the menu categories, their recommended number of dishes per person, etc. (I feel like this type of introduction has been the norm at other tapas places I've been to). To be fair, we could have asked questions and I'm sure our server would have happily obliged, but a bit more of an intro to the menu would have been nice. The only other kinda-weird thing was that they called us twice to confirm our reservation (once at noon... "yup we're coming!" - and then again about an hour before our reservation... "yup... STILL coming..."). Not a big deal, just a little strange. We'll be back! read more

T'ahpas 529 - Round 1! (Everything was so delicious that I forgot to take pictures of the subsequent rounds - I guess that's a good sign!) - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Melrose, Massachusetts

We arrived as they unlocked the door, so we got super service! All the dishes we ordered were done well and delicious. With 4 drinks the price was reasonable. I hadn't been there in quite a while and was SO disappointed that the dish I craved above all else (the mango covered calamari) was no longer even on the menu! I understand there is a new chef involved and would sincerely hope he watch the Phantom Gourmet's review touted on his own website and bring back a few of the highly praised items that seem to be missing. read more

I've been coming here for years and always loved the food and service. Last night I was extremely excited to get some of my favorites off the menu and found out that they changed them completely. The food was hardly edible, the service for one person at the bar was sad, they forgot to place all my items and after over an hour I got an item that was basically reheated. They were empty on a saturday night and now I know why. Unless they change the menu back I won't be returning. Also, they add the 20% tip without mentioning it to you until they hand you the check. I tip well over 20% when it's good, but this was a slap on the face, so so disappointed. Try paying your staff accordingly instead of passing the buck to the customer for mediocre service. Ridiculous. read more