After canceling our first reservation of the night because I hadn't been feeling well, I recovered enough to venture out and try and find a spot to eat dinner near where we are staying. Tast Union was one of the spots recommended by the lady at the front desk, so we made our way over there just after it opened - a good idea, it turned out, as by the time we left (close to 8:30 PM), it was jam-packed, with no free tables outside of those with 'reserved' signs on them. There are English-language menus available, although don't expect the waiters or servers to converse with you in English. That said, it does make ordering easy. The menu is pretty straightforward - hot bites, tapas, some meat and salad dishes - that you can pick and choose from, as well as bottles of wine that are very affordable compared to what I am used to seeing at restaurants (the most expensive bottle goes for 27 euros).
In terms of food, Tast Union is what I'd describe as a solid tapas joint but one that didn't stand out in terms of what I have had elsewhere, even in the U.S. Probably my favorite dish was the serrano ham, sliced thinly and served with crispy slices of baguette (or a similar bread, if a tad flatter) that was drizzled with crushed tomatoes and olive oil. The bread really hit the spot, and the ham was light, airy but still very flavorful. I also did enjoy the oxtail, which was served with caramalized onions, giving it a faintly sweet taste in between the strands of savory meat. The rest of the dishes were okay at best - the 'tortilla' (Spanish egg and potato omelet) was very plain, and the cod croquettes were pretty nondescript as well, with the very rich tomato sauce (that didn't have the spice it said it would) being quite nice. The grilled octopus was overcooked, as it was very hard to cut with a fork and equivalent of a steak knife, and while I liked the olive oil and paprika preparation, the paprika was definitely drowned out by the oil.
The meal is quite affordable, and I would come back to have another meal largely on that basis, as well as maybe ordering more of the charcuterie-like bites. But I wouldn't say that this will be the standout tapas spot that you may be looking for here. read more