Delicious paella and Spanish tapas!…read more The paella was seasoned well with hefty portions of seafood. $59 for two people (minimum) and two tapas plates were plenty. The interior is decorated very casual and homey, it was a fun ambiance with excellent service! The flan dessert was so rich and creamy too. I would come back to try more of the hot tapas plates!

Costa Brava offers an energetic, lively atmosphere with dark woods and soft lighting. Owner Javier…read moreruns a bustling spot with tons of people. It does get a bit loud, including some street noise from car exhausts outside. It makes for a fun experience, especially for a lively group dinner. THE FOOD * Pulpo a la Gallega: Sautéed in olive oil and paprika. Tender, thin slices. The fresh lemon adds a bright acidity that balances the dish. * Gambas al Ajillo: Garlic shrimp treated very well. Tender, juicy, and highly flavorful. * Patatas a la brava: Hot potatoes coated in a creamy ali-oli. * Choricito frito: Delicious sautéed chorizo sausage. * Pinchitos de solomillo: Grilled filet mignon skewers. While the cook made them quite tender, the beef flavor was a bit off. I would recommend sticking to their phenomenal seafood instead. * Paella mixta: A classic presentation of saffron rice, chorizo, chicken, shrimp, and mussels. * Spanish creme brulee: A perfect finish. Wonderfully creamy underneath with a crisp sugar top. THE SERVICE Michael was our server and provided great service. He was attentive, knew the menu details inside and out, and provided excellent recommendations to guide our meal. OVERALL A solid tapas dining experience with great service and standout seafood.

Needed some adventure and I've been missing Spain, so I leashed up my pup and headed to Little…read moreItaly. It's about as close to Madrid (other than Balboa Park) as you're going to get in the county of San Diego...especially if you sit down at Barra Oliba. I literally felt like I was in a café in Madrid or Barcelona and enjoyed not only the familiar salty flavors that I've missed from Spain, but also the pure, rich, olive oil, and quiet ambiance as this is one block from the busiest part of Little Italy. My server, German, (his name) enjoyed helping me create the ideal light supper and allowed me to try a few Spanish wines (they have so many!). I settled on a Verdejo from Rueda. It was the right balance of fruit, acid, and slight floral to perfectly pair to my meal. I had the seasonal fish meuniere - white fish delicious and crispy on top (my favorite), garnished with capers and roe. It was accompanied with a tender lettuce and heirloom tomato salad with saffron dressing. The leftover dressing for the salad was the most amazing vinegar dip for a couple tater tots when I got home. The dressing was something I will go back for! Thank you, Barra Oliba for the perfect Spanish "girl dinner!" Can't wait to come back and try the Paella!

Went here for the first time with my date this past weekend 4/25. We had a reservation but chose to…read moresit at the bar since there were two great seats available. The night started off really well. The gentleman at the front greeted us, and we instantly connected since we're both from Guadalajara. It felt like the experience was going in a great direction. At the bar, things changed. The bartender was friendly toward me but not toward my Middle Eastern date, which made things uncomfortable. When taking our order, he stayed in the middle of the bar while opening a wine bottle instead of coming over, so we could hear him. When my date asked him to come closer, he seemed visibly annoyed. The food, though, was amazing--delicious and great quality. We'll give it another try, but next time we won't sit at the bar.

Best Sangria and beef empanadas. We had great service and…read moregreat food! Decor and ambiance was fantastic and set the tone. Can't wait to go back. Our new favorite restaurant.

Sevilla Valentine's Day Edition:…read more Pardon the delay, amigos! It's been a lengthy week! But I digress! You're here for the deets! Like every boyfriend who wants to show his adoration for his gorgeous girlfriend, I planned this event a few weeks ago. Commitment & dedication are key. Flamenco Show, 3 course dinner for two, AND dancing after?! Yeah, your amigo has it covered! This package is available on their website, and not only on Valentine's. But this day does make it more romantic! A minor 5-10 minute wait as we stepped out of our Uber to the front entrance of the club adjacent to the restaurant. Our lovely hostess greeted us & escorted us downstairs to pick our table. There were no specific table reservations, but all seats are good, as it's a small venue. The Love Gods smiled upon us and granted a table close to the front with an awesome view of the stage. Perfect table for the perfect date! Starters set the tone. What's this? A Welcome Charcuterie Platter?! It appears out of nowhere as our server takes our drink orders. The service here is impeccable! Impressive spread of cheesy, meaty goodness! The Shaved Jamón Serrano Ensalada Sevillana has a wonderfully zesty citrus vinaigrette that makes you clack your castanets! Ole!! Cocktails for the cute couple! A Oaxacan Flower for my Monterrey Mami! My gal loves her some mezcal! I opted for El Matador Margarita, because I know what I want...tequila! Plus the cucumber counts as healthy! I will die on this hill! The Main Course is the star of the show. And in full diva fashion, the Lobster Paella Valenciana stole the spotlight! A masterfully, monstrous mix of meat & seafood, all on top of some bomb-a** Saffron Bomba Rice! There's even a lobster tail in case you're still hungry! Queue the Flamenco show. The two dancers were elegant, the music was powerful, the singer sublime! Enjoy your dinner to a phenomenal 2 part show put on by very talented artists! We got to meet them after the show, as they personally thanked practically every guest! Elegant as their artform! Lest we forget the dessert! The Flourless Chocolate Cake was just the right amount of sweetness to cap off the dinner & show, as we shared our own sweet nothings. Love & Chocolate, a perfect combo, just like my beloved beauty & her humble narrator. As the performers were packing up & saying their final goodbyes, the staff was clearing the space for the last part of our adventure...dancing! A brief 15ish minute wait back outside & back inside we went! Got a great spot up front by the stage, but be aware the only sitting will be done by the VIP section. I believe it's bottle service only, but you can ask. We didn't, as we did not intend to sit at all! We boogied down, baby! The DJ did a great job keeping the vibe alive. Perfect ending to a perfect night. *Caveat - The dinner menu has other options & several a la carte items, if you so choose. Check their website for specific package info. You cannot go wrong. TL:DR - Never give up on love!

Opening during store hours? Waiting for a while, called several times. Place was closed.read more

I love this place came in because I really wanted to have paella for my birthday and I didn't know…read morewhere to get the good local goods from España so I decided to come in here and they had everything I needed and more I was able to walk out with some delicious hormone as well as all of the goods I needed to make a really solid paella highly recommend stopping in the place is so cute. The people are so sweet and the food is so good

TL;DR: Great seafood, great service, great vibes! What an awesome pocket of North Park for whatever…read moreoccasion! Must visit in SD! Stopped by after coming home from a work trip to get a late night meal and was so glad we did! Service was top notch! From the minute we walked up to the door to the dish recommendations, everything was so warm and welcoming. Drinks, both alcoholic and NA, were well-balanced and refreshing. Really opened our appetite to crush a bunch of fresh seafood ...speaking of... Wow. Just wow. Everything was so fresh and you could taste the ocean in each bite. - Oysters were freshly shucked and delicious without any of the add-on sauces/dressings - Carpaccio: not to say that it wasn't delicious. It's just that compared to everything else, this was just good. skippable tbh - Sardines on toast: another banger! such thick whole pieces that just melted away with each bite. yum. - Mussels (MVP app): wowwwww so good. Underrated. So glad our server recommended them. If I had to redo our meal, I'd have ordered 2 and skipped the carpaccio. MUST GET MUSSELS. - Beets were a refreshing change from the seafood. Open to other salads but def order one as a palette refresher from all the ocean - Octopus: perfectly cooked and not chewy at all - Potatoes: too heavy to end with. Not bad in any way but I'd skip this next time. Really only want a half bite. All in all, Mabel's smashed it and we'll be back 100%. Cheers, Mabel's!

On a casual walk around the neighborhood since I had parking which can be tricky. I found myself on…read morea very important mission: dessert. Mabel's has been on my list for a while I just hadn't made it in yet. The soft, intimate lighting and lively crowd pulled me in like a moth to a very chic flame. The hostess was warm and welcoming, and since the place was buzzing, we opted for the makeshift patio seating prime people watching territory. Inside, I noticed the layout has two distinct rooms, with one acting as a waiting area where guests can mingle and sip a drink before being seated. A nice touch if you enjoy a little pre-dinner social hour. Somewhere between scanning the menu and spotting all the seafood options, dessert quietly exited the chat. We decided to lean into the moment and see what the hype was about. After a quick chat with our waiter, we went with the octopus skewer and grilled swordfish. Now, fun fact I completely missed: it's a gin bar. This realization came after I confidently ordered a dirty martini like I knew what I was doing so I pivoted and reordered a glass of wine. Smooth recovery... mostly. The octopus was nicely cooked tender with a good char and the swordfish was... fine. Not bad, just not something I'll be dreaming about at 2 a.m. Overall, the dishes were executed well, but flavor-wise, they could've used a little more personality. A pinch of salt might've gone a long way. That said, I know their menu changes frequently, so I'd absolutely come back and give it another shot. And next time, I might actually stick to my original plan... you know, dessert.

Ordered a bunch of shareables and my favorite was definitely the patatas bravas Finca style its…read morecrispy potatoes with the jalapeño crema and it was so flavorful. The barbecued pork with guava bagna càuda was super tender and cooked perfectly, and the truffle braised lamb ossobuco was also really good. The jamón ibérico had an interesting sweet and savory combo with the goat cheese and date jam on a crispy baguette. Service was great our waiter was really attentive as well as the people bringing our plates. Overall, a great place for shareables and dinner with friends.

My best friend and I visited this "wine bar" on Friday night and were honestly disappointed. We sat…read moreat the bar and were given a very limited food and wine menu. When I asked the bartender if that was the full menu, since it seemed odd there wasn't even a charcuterie option, his response was, "which restaurant has two menus?" Not the best start. Shortly after, when we mentioned we wanted to order a bottle, we were then handed a much more extensive wine list...which also included another small bites menu. That alone was confusing and felt inconsistent. We ordered a rosado from Spain, which we did enjoy, but overall the experience didn't match what you'd expect from a wine bar. The bottle wasn't chilled, and we noticed others in the restaurant had the same issue. Service was also lacking. The bartender never checked back on us, despite us sitting right at the bar. Overall, not the experience we were expecting. I'd recommend saving your money and going elsewhere.

Burger and tartare were my favorites. The polenta was quite good too. They put a lot of pecorino on…read morethe polenta which I liked.

Beautifully located in a quaint little neighborhood not far from a wonderful outdoor area in the…read morePresidio area. A little outdoor seating, a bar top area, and a comfortable indoor area that is very inviting, were a surprise as I approached the location. The food is elegant, is presented amazing, and tastes great. I started with the Sweet Corn and Piñon Soup. I see why it was voted best soup for two years in a row. The thinly sliced corn bread adds an amazing texture in those bites. I had the Apricot salad (sorry I did not note the name and the menu was updated so it is not in any of the pictures) was fresh, crisp, and refreshing. I finished the evening with a Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with sugared dark cherry was very pleasing. I almost forgot the focaccia bread.. made daily, served warm and soft. A must have. The server had a couple of hiccups with an incorrect food order and totally separate billing issue (which by their reaction I would assume was an off night) but other food delivery staff and bussing staff were timely and professional. I would recommend reservations. I was able to secure a seat (due to showing for dinner around 4 pm or so), but the restaurant filled up nicely and hosted about 4 anniversary's and 1 birthday in my time there. Dress attire seemed casual but there is definitely a more elevated clientele so I would recommend a thoughtful outfit for the experience.

We came for dinner after wanting to come for months, and we're so happy we finally checked it out!…read moreDelicious and great authentic Spanish / Basque spot! Our server Josué was SO amazing! He was so friendly and made us feel so comfortable. The shishito peppers, Jamon Iberico, crispy fried rice, patatas bravas, spicy Caesar, and basque cheesecake were all amazing! Meatballs were just ok, would reco trying a different main. Great wines (and they even give you tastings to try first) and they have Vermut on draft! Can't find that anywhere in the US and only in Spain. Such a great authentic spot! Feels like we are back in Spain. Great atmosphere as well with the beautiful design inside and the records playing. We will absolutely be back soon!

Ok spot for coworking. There were a few other people there with laptops. Loved that they have a DJ…read morespinning vinyls. They close at 2pm so keep that in mind if you do decide to work from there. Unsure on the overall taste of the food. Ordered a Turkey BLT and it wasn't a typical version of it. The turkey was chopped up and mixed in with the bacon and dressing vs the traditional sliced option. This made it a little harder to eat, potions of turkey would fall onto the plate with each bite.

As a Colombian who has been craving authentic Colombian cuisine since my last visit to New York in…read moreDecember, I can confidently say this restaurant truly satisfied those cravings. Being nearly eight months pregnant, my expectations were especially high, and it is rare to find a place that meets them so well. From the seasoning of the food to the warm and attentive service, everything about this restaurant stands out. Although I don't recall my server's name, he was incredibly kind and provided excellent service throughout. The ambiance is also worth noting--the space is large, offers plenty of seating options, and even features a large TV, making it a great spot to relax or watch sports. To start, I ordered a watered mango juice along with a beef empanada. The empanada exceeded my expectations--despite being on the smaller side, it was packed with flavor. I enjoyed it so much that I ordered five more to go, which speaks for itself. They were served with fresh ají, a traditional sauce that complemented them perfectly. For my main course, I had the carne asada plate, which included steak, rice, beans, sweet plantains, avocado, tomato slices, and a small arepa. Every component of the dish was well-executed--the beans were flavorful, the meat was well-seasoned, and the overall plate felt authentic. It is often difficult to find truly authentic Colombian food, especially in San Diego, where options are limited or not genuinely Colombian. This restaurant, however, delivers on authenticity and flavor. The portion size was generous, and I ended up taking leftovers home to enjoy later. In addition to the empanadas (two chicken and three beef), I also ordered a buñuelo and a cheese arepa to go. Unfortunately, these items did not meet the same standard. The arepa lacked flavor and was overly greasy, and the buñuelo was dry and similarly oily, even after absorbing excess grease from the bag. Overall, I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for Colombian food, especially given how rare it is to find quality options in this area. Friends of mine visited recently as well and thoroughly enjoyed their bandeja paisa, further confirming the consistency of the food. I will definitely be returning--especially for those empanadas. Como colombiana que ha estado antojándose de comida colombiana auténtica desde mi último viaje a Nueva York en diciembre, puedo decir con confianza que este restaurante realmente cumplió con mis expectativas. Además, estando casi de ocho meses de embarazo, mis expectativas eran aún más altas, y no es fácil encontrar un lugar que las cumpla tan bien. Desde el sazón de la comida hasta el servicio cálido y atento, todo en este restaurante destaca. Aunque no recuerdo el nombre del mesero, fue sumamente amable y atento. un servicio excelente en todo momento. El ambiente también merece mención: el lugar es amplio, y limpio. cuenta con muchas opciones de asientos y tiene una pantalla grande, lo que lo hace ideal para relajarse o ver deportes. Para empezar, pedí un jugo de mango (rebajado con agua) junto con una empanada de carne. La empanada superó mis expectativas; aunque es un poco pequeña, tiene muchísimo sabor. Me gustó tanto que pedí cinco más para llevar, lo cual habla por sí solo. Venían acompañadas de ají fresco, que las complementa perfectamente. Como plato fuerte, pedí la carne asada, que incluía arroz, frijoles, plátano maduro, aguacate, rodajas de tomate y una arepita. Cada componente del plato estaba muy bien logrado: los frijoles tenían un excelente sabor, la carne estaba bien sazonada y jugosa y, en general, el plato se sentía auténtico. Hoy en día es difícil encontrar comida colombiana verdaderamente auténtica, especialmente en San Diego, donde las opciones son limitadas o no lo son del todo. Sin embargo, este restaurante sí cumple con ese nivel de autenticidad y sabor. La porción fue bastante generosa, por lo que terminé llevándome lo que no pude terminar para comer más tarde. Además de las empanadas (dos de pollo y tres de carne), también pedí un buñuelo y una arepa de queso para llevar. Lamentablemente, estos no estuvieron al mismo nivel. La arepa carecía de sabor y estaba grasosa, y el buñuelo estaba seco y también muy aceitoso, incluso después de que la bolsa absorbiera parte de la grasa. En general, recomiendo este restaurante sin duda a cualquiera que esté buscando comida colombiana, especialmente considerando lo difícil que es encontrar buenas opciones en esta área. Unos amigos míos también vinieron recientemente y les encantó su bandeja paisa, lo que confirma la calidad constante del lugar. Definitivamente volveré, especialmente por esas empanadas.

BEST EMPANADAS IN ALL OF SAN DIEGO. I spent my whole day trying to find good empanadas here in san…read morediego that would remind me of new york and this was the only location that didn't disappoint. $1.99 per empanada, they are super filling and can tell are made with love. Service was amazing and quick and the atmosphere is very welcoming i love this place. LAS MEJORES EMPANADAS DE TODO SAN DIEGO. Pasé todo el día buscando buenas empanadas aquí en San Diego que me recordaran a Nueva York, y este fue el único lugar que no decepcionó. $1.99 por empanada, son muy llenadoras y se nota que están hechas con amor. El servicio fue increíble y rápido, y el ambiente es muy acogedor. Me encanta este lugar.

This place is absolutely incredible--we're officially hooked! Every dish has been a hit, from the…read moreappetizers to the paellas to the desserts. It's rare to find a spot where the food is this consistently amazing. What really sets it apart, though, is the atmosphere. You can actually relax and enjoy your meal without feeling rushed, which makes the whole experience even better. The staff is warm, attentive, and genuinely welcoming, and the beautiful indoor-outdoor setting adds such a special touch. Bonus points for being both kid- and dog-friendly--honestly, it checks every box. We're already looking forward to our next visit!

Probably the first and the last time- our waitress is good and that might be the only thing I have…read moreto say here that's positive. We ordered the paellas, it's not like a regular form that we normally have - def not enough for 4, me and my husband pretty much finished everything and I am petit in size. Drink is ordinary, no complaints but no surprises. During our dinner we saw someone eating at the bar with a dog and it's not a service dog - I love dogs and I have two dogs, just don't think having a pet around you while you're eating at a restaurant is a good idea :)