I went to Tapas Valencia without having read any reviews so, like a movie that you walk into without expectations one way or the other, I was happily surprised. Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba and Iberico still rank at the top of the list for me in terms of quality of food and definitely great sangria but Valencia was pretty good. I enjoyed the evening as well as the fact that it is not as noisy as Iberico which I love but sometimes need a break from. We started with sangria which was much needed after a long work day and then began ordering... tried the White Anchovy special which was actually really good but the salad with Butter Lettuce, weird white and very limp (canned looking) Asparagus, Beets, Egg slices, and sweet Vinaigrette was horrible. Also tried the... Grilled Brochette of Beef Tenderloin (6.50) Salmon Curado (7.95) Marinated Artichoke with a Creamy Tomato Vinaigrette (5.95) Baked Goat Cheese in Tomato Sauce with Garlic Bread (7.95) Roasted Dates Wrapped in Bacon (5.95). Everything but the salad was very good. The tenderloin skewer was by far my favorite dish. The meat was tender, juicy, and grilled perfectly. The salmon dish was good. It was similar to smoked salmon and the dill sauce was tasty but a little heavier than I was hoping for. The marinated artichokes were excellent. They were full and absolutely delicious. The baked goat cheese, a tapas standard, was good but didn't stand out. The dates, on the other hand, were spectacular although I prefer them almost burn-your-tongue hot and they were probably a more appropriate temperature for most people's taste. Overall, the meal was good and the only dish I would really steer anyone away from was the salad. Service was pretty good. They were relatively empty so it definitely wasn't like the waiter was under pressure but he gave us the proper amount of attention and didn't mess anything up. All-in-all, he did a good job. i definitely would recommend Tapas Valencia if you're in the area but don't feel strongly enough to suggest that anyone go too far out of their way since there are plenty of comparable tapas restaurants in Chicago. If you go, the red sangria was great!!! read more

One Sunday evening, a friend and I were craving for some tapas. His initial suggestion was Cafe Iberico, but the weather was terrible (snow storm) so I looked on yelp and found Tapas Valencia, which was a lot closer. Needless to say the restaurant wasn't too busy due to the weather. We sat down and our waiter came to assist us within 10 minutes. He took our drink order, and then was off with promises to return. Another 15 minutes went by and still no sight of our waiter. Another wait staff, who was walking around assisting his customers, came to our rescue. We placed our order with him, and shortly after our waiter returned. Our fist dish came out, and it didn't look like anything we ordered. However, we thought maybe they make it differently here. We tried the bacon wrapped dates. At first bite the flavors were perfect, but as we kept eating it, the sweetness of the dates overwhelmed the bacon and made the sauce taste bland. My friend couldn't eat another after his 2nd one. Still, definitely a dish to try. We had several other plates that came along later. The grilled calamari is excellent, but that was about it. Everything else is mediocre. I'm not wow'd by it, nor do I dislike it. Our waiter came by later after noticing that the bacon wrapped dates were erroneously brought to our table. We apologized as we also thought it was something we ordered. He didn't charge us for the dish. We then proceeded to order another grilled calamari, which our waiter also forgot ~ maybe he brought it to another table. At the end there was no extra order of calamaris on our bill. The decor ... it looks fun! However, my experience with Spanish restaurant is that it's fun, friendly, and cozy. This restaurant lacks the cozyness, but definitely has the "fun" in tact with its use of colors. The atmosphere, itself, seemed kind of cold. Perhaps it's the size. Maybe it's too big, or maybe because it was just slow that evening. Cafe Iberico definitely does not give off that kind of vibe for me. All in all, the place was ok, decor is fun, wait staff is lacking, but .... I'll go back again. It's close, and I love the grilled calamaris. read more

Dined here for the first time with my husband on Valentine's Day. Large space, tasteful decor, and even with a full house the noise level was acceptable (unlike our experience at Cafe Iberico). Valet parking was only $6. Wait service was efficient...so much so that they kept taking our bread basket away without asking if we were done! Appetizer: Tostadas con Piquillo (cold): EXCELLENT; a must try for seafood lovers! Berenjena con Queso (cold): Too acidic; skip it Entrees: Cazuelita de Pollo (hot, chicken casserole): spicy, chicken was overcooked; skip it Champinones (hot, stuffed mushrooms): EXCELLENT Cordero al Pastor (hot, grilled lamb medallions): EXCELLENT; hands down our favorite dish Datiles con Tocino (hot, bacon wrapped dates): good; bacon needed a little crisping; the bacon wrapped dates at Tapas Barcelona in Evanston are better Montaditos de Cerdo (hot, pork medallions): EXCELLENT; loved the sauce and the pork was seasoned well Dessert: Platano con Helado (sauteed banana, caramel sauce, vanilla ice cream): very good; wished the banana was a bit warmer though. Mousse de Avellanas: skip it. Hazelnut mousse is very good but the chocolate cake underneath was much too dry/cardboard-like. Drinks: Pitcher of Pomogranate Sangria - very tasty; would recommend. If a couple dishes tasted better, I would have given this place 5 stars! We'll definitely be back to check out the rest of the menu! read more

Made a reservation for a quick dinner here last night, pre-Beyonce/Jay Z, knowing that it would be busy. It was about 80% full, but we experience horrible service (and I say this knowing what it's like to work in the service industry for 10+ years). Waited nearly 40 minutes for our third round of drinks. Another server who was helping out with our table told us he would get the manager to come over because he could sense our frustration, while our own waiter was oblivious. I had to hunt down the manager after 10 minutes of waiting to request that we receive our drinks immediately so we could cash out and leave. He took the final round of drinks off the bill but didn't seem too apologetic that we were neglected for about 40 minutes. Instead, I saw our server running around filling up waters instead of leaving that job to the busboys, which is the norm at most restaurants. The food was good, nothing incredible, but solid tapas food. And I really really enjoyed my mojitos (only $5 on Thursdays along with martinis and margaritas) but I really can't imagine ever coming back to deal with terrible service. read more

Only sat at bar, 2 people total. $3 tapas menu was great (but only available at the bar) ordered 4 glasses of sangria total, about $8.50 each. Spent about $60 total for both people. Nice atmosphere, the chorizo slider and goat cheese on toast were especially good. read more

Just like the suggestion says "A-OK". The portions warranted 4 hungry people sharing all the plates. Everything was tasty. The bacon wrapped dates were delicious, highly recommended for good reason. The food came out in a timely manner. The sangria wasn't that great, but good enough, the other cocktails were delicious. Price, just right for 4 people and several rounds of booze. The space and decor are amazing. Honestly, don't go here to be a yelpy snob, go here to catch up with friends, share plates, and relax. read more

Being so in love with tapas I am surprised it took me until now to try Tapas Valencia. Located in the South Loop (sort of near Chinatown) I was surprised to find a tapas restaurant there, but I really am glad I did. This might be my favorite tapas place in Chicago for now. I highly recommend the $35/person prix fixe menu because you get to taste so many of the best dishes they have to offer. Here are some of the highlights: - Jamon Serrano: Just how I had it in Barcelona! - Tostadas de Centollo: My favorite cold tapa. The crab was delicious. - Vieiras al Albariño: By far my favorite warm tapa. Perfect scallops and great flavor. Ambiance: Fun, decorated with some tiles that seem to be Gaudi inspired. I would say Cafe Babareeba is a little more girls-night-out and fancy atmosphere than Tapas Valencia, but I would definitely pick here for the food. Drinks: Sangria was a little bit of a let down compared to some others that I've had, but the food really makes up for it. Definitely will be back! read more

On Sundays they have all day $3 tapas menu at the bar. AWESOME DEAL! The scallop dish so good we ordered a second one. They give you FIVE scallops - what a steal for $3! They were super tender and yummy. I also got seconds of the steak with potato and mushrooms. Chicken skewers came with a yummy sauce. Mussels were very fresh and had BIG bites in every shell - also a steal for the price. Toast points with cured meats and cheese was nothing unique - exactly what I expected but gotta love it. Two things I would NOT get again: Mushroom salad was mediocre and a bit too oily for my taste. Grilled portobello mushroom served in a roll was a disappointment. I love mushrooms too so these two were a bit of a bummer. But the seafood and steak dishes more than makes up for it. Looking forward to the next visit! read more

A good tapas restaurant in South Loop with large dining area and great service. Staff is very welcoming. I rarely drink and do not like sangrias so can't provide an opinion on their sangria. I really like the grilled octopus, eggplant and seafood paella. We sampled a variety of dishes and it was all quite flavorful. Happy hour prices are reasonable. I'm excited at my upcoming 13 day trip to Spain in May. read more

Fav Tapas place! The food was amazing! We ended up trying bunch of things on the menu. The garlic bread was amazing! The dessert was good too! read more

Tapas Valencia - Spanish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place deserves four stars. It really does. The food is great as everyone else has said. The service, though. Not so much. After enthusiastic welcomes and drink orders, the food arrives seemingly at its own pace. The waiter checked on us very rarely; more times than not I had to flag him down to order more drinks and food. That alone doesn't warrant a crappy review, but only enough for 3 stars. Here's my problem. The thingee on that table said that teachers got 30% off their entire bill. I am a teacher. My companion that night was a teacher. We told the waiter we were teachers. The manager asked for our CPS IDs (mine is on a lanyard I take off as soon as I get home and only take with me to school, same for my colleague). We obviously couldn't produce them but instead offered to show him the school's website for verification or our CPS email accounts. Nope. It had to be the ID. During TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK. Our IDs aren't like drivers licenses or credit cards. They serve no purpose other than for school use, or now for restaurant verification. Anyway, we spent $175 that night which should have been $122.50 if Tapas Valencia really appreciated Chicago teachers. I filled out the comment card with plenty of contact information, including phone number, email address (my school one of course), but no word from the restaurant. read more

This place has amazing food, service and ambiance. I reserved a table for 15. We had 3 servers and they kept delicious food coming. We had a variety of food including steak and chicken kabobs, tender skirt steak, bacon-wrapped dates, butter-tender melt-in-your-mouth octopus, and sautéed and seasoned-to-perfection Tilapia, and the deserts were beautifully displayed. Everything was delicious. Thank you so much for helping our team have a great evening. I will definitely be back. Everyone kept raving about the delicious food and good time. Oh and we visited during restaurant week and they had bottles of wine at half price. Great overall experience read more

We had a great dinner at the bar here due to it being very busy upon arrival. The staff was great and all of our food was very tasty. The sangria was pretty good. The atmosphere was good and comfortable for chatting and having a good meal. read more

Went there for the first time with my boyfriend and we loved it! Super reasonable prices for great quality food. The menu is large so it's hard to pick, but our server, Antonio, was very knowledgeable regarding the menu and gave great recommendations. Good ambiance for a date night. Will absolutely be returning here shortly. A south loop gem! read more

The staff here is great! The tapas are not authentic "tapas" as they are meant for sharing with a couple of people and not authentic. At least that was my experience with the pulpo a la gallega.. but I guess that's to be expected outside of Spain ...? Overall the food isn't bad- just not what I was in the mood for. The name led me to believe it would be more traditional.. but everyone has their own take on things.. just not my cup of tea. read more

I love this place! So cute and everything on menu is delicious. U can not go wrong. There is a happy hour make sure to try the mango margarita and if u check in on yelp a free dessert this is a staple Latin restaurant in my book! read more

Delicious food. Attentive service. Higly recommend for Tapas fans. Try Prefix 4 course menu. Damn Barcelona beer is a must. They have daily cocktails specials and daily tapas specials. read more

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We had a great experience here. Cocktails are pretty good here. Spanish Martini in particular... Also the hot Tapas were delicious. Escargot, grilled Octopus and sausage selection were some of the best ones. read more

After all the advertisements in the South Loop - finally decided to try this place out. They have outdoor seating and a warehouse type feel inside. The hostess was extremely nice and it wasn't crowded and waiter service was attentive. Food was "A-OK" 3 stars... Vegetarian selection was on par. Cheesecake I would probably take a pass on... the almond pound cake infused with pear I felt was slightly better than store bought pound cake but not the quality/consistency of a homemade pound cake - mixed feelings about it. read more

I love tapas and Tapas Valencia made the experience great! My boyfriend and I went in on Friday for their Chicago restaurant week pre-fix menu, which offered a really good selection of different tapas. I absolutely love queso de cabra (tomato sauce with goat cheese) and theirs didn't disappoint! the menu included a shrimp tapa and a beef tapa, and then we were also given a large dish of seafood paella. Everything was delicious! Their plátano con helado for dessert was also really delicious! Overall, I'm glad we tried Tapas Valencia, I can't wait to go back and try some other items off their menu. read more

Standard Tapas joint. Food is ok. Drinks are also. I'd recommend going here to satisfy your craving for queso de cabra, patatas bravas, etc. - again, the staple tapas dishes. Ambiance is pretty chill (mosaic tiles on the back walls are pretty cool) and service was good. read more

I LOVE tapas. I've made it my goal to try all of the tapas places in the city. I especially enjoyed the bacon wrapped dates from here. The servings are generous. There was only two of us so we had some leftover which was nice. The prices were average for a tapas restaurant​. They had live music at 7pm which added to the atmosphere. read more

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Ordered an array of tapas for dinner and thoroughly enjoyed every dish. Everything came out in a timely fashion and all plates were prepared with generous tapas portions. Everything was tasty and delicious. The Pomegrante sangria was yummy and definitely kicked in as we were waiting! :) I'm not sure I will be back but I will recommend it to friends. read more

I have been here 5 times. Clearly I keep coming back! Most of the servers are incredible. We have only had one instance in which service was very poor. That was certainly the exception. Each time we have gone the food has been very consistent. The tasting menu is wonderful to get an idea of which plates you enjoy and is reasonably priced. Our favorite dishes are the Tostadas de Centollo (toast points with crab and avocado) and Tarta de Chocolate y Caramelo for dessert. read more

I am always delighted with the taste, quality and consistency of the food. Recently had mango sangria and it is amazing!

Loved the non-alcohol sangria!! The paella was just ok. Asked for more bread and brought out garlic bread and charged me. Tapas without free bread, really???? Why garlic I want the flavor from the sauces not garlic. Food is good so I recommend just be aware of the paella and bread situation. Oh and the banana dessert was delicious!!!! read more

I was also steered to Tapas Valencia via Yelp - thanks, Colleen C. For the curious and uninitiated to the world of tapas, here's a little history: A 'tapa' is Spanish for 'lid' or 'cover'. In the early days, a tapa was usually a bit of cheese or meat served on a small plate that was placed over your glass to keep flies out of your wine. Traditionally, a tapa is neither an appetizer nor a main dish, but a way of eating it. At a typical tapas bar in Spain you eat standing up while enjoying drinks and conversation with friends (If you're in Barcelona, Txapela is a must). Okay, so much for the history lesson. Tapas Valencia's decor is colorful and tastefully modern. The high ceilings lend a sense of spaciousness but it also takes away the traditional cozy warmth of an old school tapas bar, but my wife thought it was pretty cool - 'nuff said. The good stuff: The 'salmon curado' (served cold) of flavorable salmon, sour cream with a dash of dill was excellent . Also the 'aceitunas alinadas', a simple tradional tapas of marinated olives and the 'ternera asada' with veal and sun-dried tomato (also served cold) was very good. We also sampled a few hot tapas including the 'pollo al ajillo' sauteed chicken, which was decent, but the sauce had a bit too much garlic for my taste. The 'vieras al albarino' scallops with cous cous was good and well presented but nothing to write home about. However, the grilled lamb medallions ('cordero al pastor') and the roasted dates wrapped in bacon ('datiles con tocino') were taste bud dancing sensational. Usually I'm not one to order hybrid drinks but the Sangriatini was very tasty. Also, the Pomegranate martini (both of them) were outstanding. Tapas Valencia is not your grandfather's tapas bar by any means but it's a good tapas restaurant on its own merit. We'll be back. There are still some curiosities on the menu we're hungry to taste. read more

Loved this place!!! The must try are the patatas bravas and skirt steak. The patatas have a little twist to it, they add manchego cheese and garlic. The skirt steak was full of flavor and very soft. I was not too thrilled with the pincho de pollo, I bit bland in my opinion. Very happy to have tried this place. Can't wait to go back and try other items. read more

I've traveled extensively in Spain and know my way around excellent tapas y pintxos. I had heard much good about this S. Loop spot so decided to give it a visit. I had fairly high expectations and was hoping I could make this a regular tapas destination. It fell short unfortunately. The first impression is good. The valet / door man, hostess, owner, bartender and wait staff were all friendly and very service oriented. The owner is also very socially responsible and supports many charities. That says much good in my book. The red sangria was tasty. The food though had as many misses as hits. And let's face it, the food is where ratings are earned. I started with Patatas con Alioli (garlic potato salad). The presentation was boring and lacking - a dull scoop on an iceberg lettuce leaf. The potato salad itself was reminiscent of what was served at a typical grocery store deli. Solid miss. Next was Pulpo a la Feira (Spanish marinated baby octopus). This is a hard dish to get right as octopus can easily be rubbery and chewy. I was very impressed here as they nailed it. Very flavorful and the octopus was delightfully melt in your mouth tender. Solid hit. The Pincho de Pollo (Grilled chicken skewers) was good. The chicken was tender and properly seasoned. It just didn't wow me especially at $7 a skewer. Last course was the Calamares a la Plancha (Grilled squid with garlic olive oil). This was the hit of the evening from a flavor standpoint. Very tasty and a solid hit. That said, I could replicate this recipe easily at home for a fraction of the cost. I have no problem paying for an excellent meal but I just didn't feel the price tag reflected what I got. At the end of the night, I think I could have gotten much better for my $45 tab. I would have been much happier at about a $25-$30 price point. They do have a $3 tapas menu daily. I have no problem returning for this as I think that is a fair price point for the food quality offered. read more

The food is a good at this brunch, enough of a variety to satisfy the most basic foodophile to those willing to push the boundaries. Can I suggest something...how about variable brunch pricing? I get basic economics, I'm no Keynes or Friedman. I get that my two plate maximum subsidizes the table of spandex clad grazers next to me, but $24.95, really? I would have given this place a 4 star rating if it weren't for the spotty service. Had a prior visit not been punctuated by a an absent waiter this one finished with one who like his predecessor disappeared when it came time to grab the check. I don't know about you but when I ask for the check....bring me the check, don't go explaining the tapas menu to a table to of 6 and then offer to take them on a tour. Arggghhh This location has seen several restaurants meet their demise, with this newest establishment the basics are here, but a great menu goes for naught when it's wrapped in poor service. read more

A friend and I went here last night after her arguing against dimsum. Neither of us had ever had tapas before, but we're both adventurous eaters, and she'd been driving past this place for a while, wanting to visit more and more each time she passed. So, we both put down the bottle of vodka we'd been drinking, walked the dog before leaving, packed a road beer, and drove from bridgeport to this place. Yelp said it was casual attire, i was a bit skeptical, but both she and i were wearing tshirts and blue jeans, so if it was dressy, at least I wouldn't be alone. We arrived, and it had a nice mix of fancy & casual. A bar in the first section of the restaurant, and a dining area on the other side. We opted for the dining half, promising ourselves that we'd get several drinks regardless. The food & drink here are both ridiculously good. I'd never really experienced that whole 'explosion of flavor' thing people talk about, but I definitely found it here. Everything that they cooked for us was fuckin' ridiculously delicious. The food was so good that I didn't even care what the price tag was going to be, i just wanted to taste all of it. I can't remember all of what I ate, because of all the drinks that we had last night. I remember eating a really juicy skirt steak with onions at some point, at another point I had this delicious salmon, some time before that I had this dish which was like artichokes and other vegetables in this creamy tomato sauce. The drinks, with the exception of the 1st and the last are a complete mystery. The first one was this cucumber martini, which was just insanely good. Skip ahead like 4 or 5 drinks, I had this delicious horchata martini for desert. I would have gotten desert, but we were both full. So, we paid the bill, and took off down archer avenue. I was pretty worried that we were going to be pulled over, but we made it home safely. read more

Nicely decorated interior with a modern Spanish feel. The Brunch was great and their Spanish cheeses are the magic ingredient. Extremely friendly and courteous staff. We came early for brunch on a Sunday and there was no wait. A very nice treat. read more

I just finished an amazing dinner First off I turned up at 10.44 and got seated and had an amazing meal thank you The Valencia paella was amazing great mixture of flavors Value for money in Chicago is gr8 Really fun date restaurant Lola of small tables lots going on so conversation is easy but servings are small an tasty so you are not to full to fool around read more

My Fiance' and I came here for National Margarita Day (2-22, btw). We ended up having a few mango martinis because it was the Monday night special, they were great. If you sit at the bar you get to pick from the discounted appetizer menu and you get so full. We spent like $80. I love this place. Awesome food, drinks and staff. read more

We tried the tasting menu for dinner. Alaskan king crab and chilled shrimp on toast! Grilled scallops and calamari with fresh salmon topped with goat cheese!!!! Holy Cow! That was mouth watering and cooked just right. But the white sangria was lacking flavor and skirt steak was okay. But Definitely I would come back and try something different with my friends! read more

Wow - everything at this place was amazing! We came here with 7 people and we were able to call and get a reservation for a Friday night the day of. TIP - there was more availability for reservations if you called than online. The service during our meal was great. There are so many options on this menu so you can really please everyone in the group. Our group chose to order by couple, so each couple ordered for themselves as opposed to sharing a lot of things amongst 7 people. It made sense in some ways because a lot of the meats were best shared amongst two, but things like potatoes were big enough portions to share amongst the whole table so it's up to you how to order. I usually don't like Sangria because it's too sweet. Their sangria was not nearly as sweet but I still wouldn't order it again. If you like Sangria, you'll like theirs. Normally, I review each item that we ordered but everything was just so tasty that it's easiest to just say order whatever sounds good to you and know that it will be delicious! We ordered 4 items between two people and that seemed like an appropriate amount of food (no leftovers). read more

Service: The best I've seen so far in the parade of restaurants at this address. Knowledgeable, attentive, and the right fit for a tapas place where you're often wading through numerous options for a meal. Most importantly, a nice change of pace over the usual tapas tourist traps in midtown and up north... Value here is a question mark - I still thought this came in a bit high for what we got, but far from outrageous. I guess if I come back, the equation must be working for them, right? read more

Happy Hour is da bomb! $3 tapas and $5 mojitos! Great mojitos and I love the patatas bravas. If you don't eat pork like me, then options are somewhat limited but there is plenty of seafood. I had mussels for the first time and enjoyed it! The patio is open in the summer. read more

Tapas Valencia - Ohhhh weee! Cazuelita de Chocolate...delish! - Spanish Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Tapas Valencia didn't usurp the crown held by Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba as my favorite tapas place, but it's another solid tapas option for Chicago. The bacon-wrapped dates are phenomenal and the grilled squid was some of the best I've ever had. Our other choices included the sausages (I'm not a big sausage fan but others liked them), crab fritters (these were fine), jamon serrano (great!) and some mushroom dish (can't remember the name, nothing special). For dessert they had an orange flan of the day and a banana dish. The flavored sangrias were also fabulous. The atmosphere is a little industrial/corporate for my taste; I prefer the coziness of its Halsted rival. And our waiter was a bit intense and maybe a tad upset that I never asked him for his suggestions after he repeatedly offered to. Sorry buddy! I know my way around a menu. read more

The food here is amazing. We were full after ordering only four things, so we intend to come back here to try other tapas. Our server Jessica was also very nice, we hope to see her agin next time. The short ribs, grilled squid, and seafood combo were very well executed. We also got the seafood paella (you can order a single serving, which is large enough for 2), it was good, but I could do without the green peas in it. This place is pretty large, located at the ground floor of a large condo building. There's a bar area if you're just looking for a quick visit. It wasn't too packed when we came here on a Saturday night. Parking isn't terribly difficult, and they have valet service. This place would've gotten four stars from me if the pitcher of sangria isn't that expensive ($27 for a small pitcher), and for some reason, there were also a couple of flies buzzing around our table. read more