Came here for our Valentine's Day dinner and could not be happier. The food, service, ambiance was impeccable. Daniel was our server and he was kind and attentive throughout our dinner. We never felt rushed and every dish was incredible! I highly recommend trying their pastas and seafood dishes. Everything tasted fresh and made with love. The only con was that the drink price of what they charged us did not match the menu price. Staff acknowledged this mistake and apologized, but said they weren't allowed to bother the owner. Not sure how the relationship is there, but it was just a couple dollars, and won't stop us from returning. read more

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Great spot in Hayes Valley for food and drinks. They have a strong selection of vegetarian items which you often don't expect in these types of more upscale spots, this was a pleasant surprise. I ordered the cauliflower to start, and the pappardelle as the main. The cauliflower is a large cauliflower head so they actually serve it with a steak knife haha. It's served with whipped goat cheese and a small bowl tzatziki that compliments the harissa sauce that covers the cauliflower nicely. Also liked the creamy but not too creamy miso sauce on the pappardelle pasta which was served with brocollini and plenty of mushrooms. For dessert we tried the Halawet El-Jiben, which is a Lebanese dessert that literally translates to "sweetness of cheese". Really liked the soft, chewy, doughy exterior and the sweet cheese filling. Fair warning though it's a bit heavy! The drinks were also well made - I think I liked the soothing "Flowers not Fists" cocktail the most. Service was excellent. Everyone was helpful, friendly, had lots of knowledge about the menu offerings, and all round great to talk to. Ambiance is swanky with dim lighting with light classical music playing in the background. A really nice spot we'll definitely come back to! read more

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A great experience from start to finish! Xebec is a little hidden gem in Hayes Valley. Reservations are available on OpenTable. Upon entering the beautiful venue, the hostess immediately checked us in for our reservation and walked us over to a nice table by the window. The room was bustling with positive vibes. Everything on the menu looked delicious. We decided to try the following items: - Fresh Uni Risotto Arancini (Very tasty and well-balanced flavors) - A5 Wagyu Bruschetta (So good that I was tempted to order another) - One dozen oysters (So fresh!!) - Chilean Sea Bass (Buttery soft and cooked to perfection) - Chocolate mousse (Absolutely delicious) - House-made apple tart (Yum. Not too sweet.) Every dish was delightful. Nothing felt too heavy, and all the flavors were very well balanced. Service was great. Our waitress checked on us regularly throughout the evening. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone seeking quality food paired with great service. read more

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We went for dinner - really nice place- warm and friendly and great food. They actually close their front door like a propert restaurant, unlike the majority of sf restaurants. The chef came and gave us our fries - I think they are baked and not fried - so not crispy- but they did have real truffle on them. My only gripe is their bar chairs are pretty not comfortable - but the food, staff and restaurant was great read more

Xebec - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Gee, I guess Jamie W and I had a date night. He bought tickets to a student concert at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, so I made a reservation here since it was less than ten minutes by foot. It's newish and occupies the space Sauce had a while ago. They bill themselves as a hybrid Mediterranean / Japanese restaurant though the former was more evident than the latter except for the presence of familiar ingredients like uni and hamachi. We were happy we got here on time. It took the hostess a while to find my name. She confirmed that we chose bar seating to which I simply responded that I didn't see any other choice online. When I asked if a table was possible, she made me feel ridiculous for asking. The bar was fine at first, though when people started to get seated next to us, I got the feeling our presence was offensive to the new diners. They shoved their stools away as maximally as possible and sat with their backs fully against us. At least the bartender was friendly. He provided a lot of details behind the making of the food and cocktails. I decided we could use espresso martinis, so he made a house specialty, the $17 Tsundere Espresso Martini, which effectively underlined the coffee flavor with cardamom and cinnamon (Photo 6). We decided to share a couple of appetizers, both decidedly Mediterranean. The first were the $7 Marinated Spanish & Greek Olives, quite tasty though hard to maneuver with a cocktail fork (Photo 8). The other was the $21 Grilled Octopus. It was set on top of escarole mixed with lemon tabasco vinaigrette and kale powder. Dollops of edamame porridge and Meyer lemon gel were added quite adroitly, but our one complaint was the somewhat paltry size of the tentacle (Photo 10). Our entrees turned out to be a mixed bag. I ordered the $42 Skirt Steak Mi-Sancho, a simple rub execution, served sliced with fingerling potatoes, shiitake mushrooms, and wasabi balsamic. With a petite salade, it was fairly basic but tender enough to enjoy (Photo 7). Jamie's entree, however, missed the mark. With prosciutto, fontina, sage, spouting cauliflower, and kabocha puree, the $32 Chicken Fontinella was marred by dried-out poultry (Photo 4). We shared the two $12 desserts on the menu. The Chocolate Mousse was rich with a topping of Italian meringue, lemon curd, and sumac (Photo 9). Our favorite was the Housemade Apple Tart with matcha ice cream and cardamom gastrique (Photo 5). Overall the presentation was nice, but the flavor profile and portions were erratic. FOOD - 3 stars...a mixed bag of delights and disappointments AMBIANCE - 3.5 stars...nice vibe though the bar felt overly crowded SERVICE - 4 stars...pretty attentive once the plates started arriving TOTAL - 3 stars...fix the chicken and buy larger tentacles RELATED - Exploring Hayes Valley? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/n2YclhTIn7 read more

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Items ordered: Fresh Uni Risotto Arancini, Shiitake Mint Sauce P.E.I Mussels, Sake, Cilantro-Shiso Oil, Arak-Miso Broth, Za'atar Focaccia Ravioli, Prawns, Herbs, Warm Dashi Ponzu Dipping Sauce The Fattoush, Chicken, Petite Lettuce, Pita, Olives, Quinoa, Puffed Wild Rice, Pickled kumquats, Cucumber, Yuzu Vinaigrette My wife and I had tickets to the San Francisco Symphony, and we tried out this place as the dinner prior to the event. The menu promises a fusion of Mediterranean and Japanese, which is certainly an intriguing combination. The food was interesting, but ultimately just ok. Every traditional item had a small twist, but I felt like the twists either felt out of place, or it almost just like eating two separate things together, instead of one cohesive whole. The twist for the risotto arancini was the addition of fresh uni. Again, it was interesting, and we could definitely taste the uni, but the flavors didn't blend well together. The twist for the mussels was the addition of a sake broth, along with za'atar focaccia. We could hardly taste the sake, but the broth was interesting nonetheless. That dish probably was our favorite. For the ravioli, there was an entire shrimp inside with some ponzu sauce. Again, it kind of just felt like eating two items that didn't belong together in one bite. The shrimp was good, but I felt it would've been better on its own, and I didn't feel like it belonged well with the ravioli (which was also well made). Finally, we got a pretty traditional Tuna Nicoise Fattoush salad. This was nice and light, but nothing special. read more

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Had dinner here before meeting friends for holiday drinks. We were able to find a last minute reservation through open table. When we got there, we were seated right away. Our server Paulette offered water and gave us time to look at the menu A few mins later Paulette came back to take our order. We got a couple cocktails (I forgot the names) and both were pretty good. We shared all the food and got the ceviche, cauliflower and the steak. It was the right amount of food for 2 people. The ceviche came w rice crackers that were delicious. The cauliflower was very tasty and the tzatziki is perfect combo. The steak was cooked perfectly. The potatoes that came w the steak were delicious but the star of that plate are the mushrooms!! Super delicious! The ambiance was very romantic, def good date night spot. We would come back! (Food was devoured before photos were taken, sadly) read more

We absolutely loved our experience here! Staff, especially our waitress Paulette, were incredibly welcoming, kind, and exceptional at making guests feel at home immediately. The owner-chef, George, described each menu item and its inception with passion and intentionality. Cocktails were perfectly balanced and equally as creative and flavorful as each menu item. We thoroughly enjoyed the fragrant seasoning and masterful preparation of everything we ordered, and we appreciated the extensive vegetarian options as well. You can tell that this restaurant and its staff take great pride in delivering a masterful experience and that this restaurant is a rising star of SF. We greatly look forward to returning and trying more of the menu options! Thank you Xebec team for a wonderful date night! read more

We had a wonderful meal here before watching the Opera. The food and drinks were uniformly good, and the sea bass in particular was exceptional. Service was a little slow but that's a nit. read more

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4.5 stars. Xebec is a gorgeous spot for a romantic date night in the Hayes Valley. FOOD [4.5/5] =========== + Ceviche (6/5) -- WOULD RECOMMEND! The ceviche is SO delicious-- simply a must-try. The sauce is uniquely creamy and flavorful, and the cuts of fish (especially the sea bass) are really fresh and tender. + Mushroom Pappardelle (4.5/5) Really delicious flavor with the mushrooms and creamy sauce. The pasta was cooked perfectly al dente. + Spicy Tuna Handroll (4/5) This handroll was pretty good. I don't think I would order it again considering the price, but it was enjoyable to eat. The fish was pretty average but the handroll had some unique additions of veggies. SERVICE & AMBIANCE (5/5) ====================== Service was pretty friendly and very attentive throughout the night! We had no trouble asking for the check, the waiters were kind in answering our questions, and our water was always topped off. Hats off to them! read more

Xebec - Mushroom Pappardelle - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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They sat us early, they had amazingly comfy cushioned chairs. They had very good service that was friendly and helpful.The best of all, they had some flavor bomb food that blew me away from the first to last bite. I had no idea what to expect but I was very pleased with our meal and would definitely recommend! read more

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My friend and I came in for drinks the other night. This is a new Japanese/Mediterranean fusion spot in Hayes. Right off the bat I noticed the beautiful interior decor. Appreciate the thought that was put into it. Such a cozy and chic vibe. We ordered the flowers not fists and the return of the sumac for our cocktails. Shoutout to our amazing bartender, Amir, who did not disappoint with making our cocktails. They were amazing! We also ordered the ceviche which was delicious. We really liked the Japanese crackers that came with it. I will definitely have to come back and try more of their food items next time. read more

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Amazing fusion delicacies, lovely service and cute space. The only complaint was the size of the table which was a tad small for four. Our server was knowledgeable and the staff was very attentive. My favorite appetizer was the shrimp ravioli and the eggplant roll, so delicious. The beef lamb burger was really delicious and whatever they put on the potatoes should be bottled and sold. Alas, the dessert was hit and miss, apparently you are into it or not. I loved the honey pistachio rose flavors, but the actual delicacy's texture was a no for me. I recommend going with a group of people to taste a variety of dishes. read more

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Food: A very unique menu with a selection of Japanese and Mediterranean fusion. All the dishes we ordered tasted great. Menu has a wide selection of small plates and a decent amount of entree options. Place: Waitstaff was helpful and attentive. The inside of the place was nice and pretty open. We sat against the front window and the seats had some decorative pillows which was kinda nice. Price: Dishes are mostly mid-ranged pricing. Small plates range from $15-22. Entrees were $22 - 42. Small plates felt they would be perfect to share for 2 or get just a bite or two when shared with 4. Entrees were all decent sized and worth the value. Overall, food was good and selection was unique. read more

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Xebec came highly recommended, but my experience didn't live up to the hype. For a 7pm reservation, they were already out of oysters, which was the first red flag. We pivoted to a selection of appetizers and shared plates since none of the entrées looked particularly appealing. The Wagyu Bruschetta was underwhelming--while it's supposed to highlight high-end ingredients, the beef was sliced so thinly it was nearly flavorless, and the supplement overpowered what little Wagyu was there. The Uni Risotto didn't deliver either--I couldn't detect any uni flavor at all. The hand roll tasted like a plain veggie roll, with no trace of seafood. The octopus lacked any seasoning or texture that would make it stand out, and the ceviche was a low point: stale rice crackers and indistinguishable seafood that made it hard to even tell what I was eating. The only dish that landed was the sashimi, which was decent, though nothing exceptional. My advice? Don't take "Japanese-Mexican-Mediterranean fusion" too literally. Japanese cuisine shines in its clarity and restraint, allowing quality ingredients to speak for themselves. At Xebec, competing flavors and overly fussy concepts ended up drowning out what should have been the stars of the plate. Service was good. read more

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Rounding up from a 3.5~ I came here with a few friends on a thursday night and it was super busy! We arrived a few minutes before our reservation but had to wait about 15-20 minutes before we could be seated. I think my favorite part about the restaurant was the modern chic interior and the vibe! We ordered a few dishes to try and though presentation was great, we felt the flavors were just okay and not necessarily impressive. read more

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Xebec was a great restaurant find! My friend and I came here for Friday dinner and we were both very impressed by the food and the service. We went with our waiter's recommendations - Xeviche, mussels, roasted cauliflower and Uni Arancini as appetizers, split lamb burgers with patatas bravas and sea bass as our entrees and the halawet el-jiben as our dessert. The sea bass was just outstanding and was the highlight of the meal for me. The halawet was a very unique dessert and i highly recommend that as well. The restaurant is nice and modern. With tax and tip, this was around $110 per person which is tremendous value for what we got. Highly, highly recommended!!! read more

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Creative, delicious and beautifully plated food, great drinks and fantastic service. After coming here several times for great meals we decided to rent their basement for a party. They could not have been nicer and more accommodating. If you haven't been here, get going! Private room in the back and bonus space downstairs if you want to get big groups in. read more

Thoroughly enjoyed dinner at Xebec. Made a reservation for Friday night and was seated right away. We ordered the ceviche, grilled octopus, house made linguine with mussels and catch of the day, and the skirt steak. Service was really good and attentive although our server kept reaching over me to pick up / drop off items versus going to the other side of the table to avoid having to reach over me. The food all came out as requested and was timed well between starters and mains. The restaurant is a cozy and inviting, lively space. Overall we really enjoyed our dinner and plan to go back to try other dishes. read more

Xebec - Skirt steak with fingerling potatoes - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Delicious food, very interesting flavors. I love how attentive the service is. The ambience is great too, absolutely lovely living room feel, cosy and chic space. We liked the eggplant, the burger with potato, the ceviche, not quite into the cauliflower. read more

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Super MID If you're looking for spectacular you're not gonna find it. Poor service to decent at best. For some reason my dirty martini had a green bean in it? The oysters are tiny but delicious and when serving the hamachi there were no chopsticks. Overall not impressed. read more

We went to the Valentine's prix fixe; the food was good but the service was very poor. We were seated quickly but did not see a server for 20 minutes; it was 45 minutes before our first dish came out. Of the five dishes on the menu, the first three then came within 10 minutes of each other (out of order, and we had to grab a waiter to let them know we were missing a dish). Then there was another drought of about 45 minutes until our last two dishes arrived. Our waiter/server never checked in with us, and honestly we barely saw him on the floor the entire night. Foodwise, everything but the dessert was very tasty. The grilled sea bass and miso short ribs were particularly good. Service was terrible, though, especially for a night like Valentine's when you are hoping for something a little nicer. read more

Xebec has so much potential but unfortunately really struggled with execution. Food wise the fusion of Mediterranean and Japanese was super interesting and produced great flavors! Unfortunately both the arancini and fried cheese were served lukewarm versus hot. Service wise there were multiple stumbles including forgetting two dishes we ordered, bringing all of the appetizers at once and thus overloading our table, trying to rapidly clear plates before we were finished with them, and having two servers who weren't communicating resulting in one bringing the bill before the other even offered us the desert menus. Hopefully the team can really fix their execution so that the potential behind the food comes through! read more

George and his team are top notch. The setting, service, creative cocktails and fusion food blended so nicely together that made for a wonderful evening. I have been to Xebec to dine with a few folks as well as for a private event and the team is consistent and above all expectations. Thank You, George and the entire Xebec Team read more

Feeling generous and rounding up to 4 stars. Nice new Mediterranean fusion place in busy Hayes Valley that makes you feel like you're in someone's cozy home. Service was warm and bartenders were friendly and on top of it. The food had some hits and misses. It started out strong with the Italian Eggplant Parcel appetizer, which was a warm appetizer and was very delicious! I'd definitely order again. For the main course, we tried the lamb/beef burger that came with choice of salad or potato bravas and the pasta with miso cream. The burger was quite tasty, very juicy and good portion. The potato bravas was a standout and you can order that on the appetizer menu too. Now, the pasta on the other hand might have been THE worst and most tasteless pasta I have ever had, including what I make myself! You couldn't taste the miso or cream and it was rather watery. There was also no flavor or salt. The only thing I can think of is that there are a lot of older patrons dining here before/after opera and symphony that they have this no-sodium option? I don't know, I'm trying to think of why it could be this tasteless. You know it's bad when the bartender brings you salt/pepper when they bring you the dish! Anyways, wish the waiter would have warned us and now consider yourself warned. Dinner for 2 with 2 drinks will run to $150-$200. Not sure I'll be looking to come back anytime soon. read more

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Great attentive service. Explained everything, super nice. Quiet atmosphere. Food very yummy, especially grilled octopus. read more

Xebec - Grilled Octopus - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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We had tons of small plates and really yummy drinks! I would definitely recommend this spot, it's small and has a modern but cozy vibe to it! read more

Xebec - Uni - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Great find for the middle of the week! A twist of modern Japanese. Tastes were exquisitely surprising. Small portions that fill you up just right. Service is nice and friendly. Our server made the right suggestions for us. So many to choose from so we def have to come back. The feel of the place is very cozy with a home feel but classy. Loved it! What an amazing experience. read more

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Pros: food, cocktails, ambiance Had the opportunity to have a fun dinner as a group of 4 here. The restaurant is still pretty new but the service was on point and attentive. Cocktails were excellent. Food was fun and inventive, with an interesting combination of Mediterranean and Japanese flavors. We ended up just eating a bunch of tapas dishes and didn't even have to order an entree. A few tips: parking is a nightmare in the area so just take a ride. The restaurant is small so ideally don't go over 4 in your group. The restaurant also gets noisy so keep that in mind when you're choosing your dining companion(s) and the ambiance you're going for. All in all, it's perfect for a fun night out and just a short walk from Hayes Valley. Recommended! read more

every dish felt distinct and thoughtfully crafted. The food was absolutely delicious, with unique combinations that worked perfectly together. And the desserts - we tried the chocolate and some pistachio, both were very very delicious. Our server was super nice and knowledgeable. Overall great service and ambiance read more

We had a nice dinner here. The service was spectacular. Beautiful room. And the food was really nice.

Yum! Came here for dinner and could not decide what to order, everything sounded phenomenal. Our server Allen was helpful and we started with the uni arancini bites, the ceviche and the fried brie. The ceviche was special. I highly recommend that. It was very flavorful and delicious. The Brie was good but a tiny portion. The arancini were small but tasty. We ordered the spicy tuna rolls and the lamb burger as mains. The apple tart with matcha to finish read more

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Dined here with my girlfriend last Wednesday for her birthday and everything was SO good! All the dishes exceeded my expectations - everything was incredibly fresh and prepared with care. You could taste the quality and the dishes were flavorful, cooked perfectly and unique. My favorite was the ceviche with handmade crackers which was super fresh and bright. All the ingredients are prepared separately and only put together to order. The uni risotto with peach sauce was perfectly complimentary and the cauliflower with harissa was perfectly balanced. The homemade apple tart was not overly sweet and was also so good! The chef who I believe is the owner came out to talk to all the tables several times and even got us a round of drinks to thank us for coming when he found out it was my friend's birthday. Not to mention the drinks are delicious!! I was also pleasantly surprised at the prices here compared to other places in the city. It is a great addition to Hayes and truly a gem for the quality. Can't wait to go back! Service - 5/5 Ambiance - 5/5 Food - 5/5 read more

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Had a really pleasant early dinner here the other night. The place was easy to find and very accessible by public transport. We were warmly and enthusiastically welcomed. Interior was bright and airy. And although tables were closer together, it did not feel cramped. The food was solid. A few standouts were the oysters, and the octopus which both had impressive and unexpected touches that elevated them. The pastas were also a hit. We had the ravioli, pappardelle, and linguine. I would happily order any one of those again. Service was extremely friendly and attentive. Although we as diners did not feel cramped, the close tables did make it a little difficult for servers to serve and clear plates. There were several odd reaches and dropped silverware. read more

The food here was quite good, though the service was inconsistent and a bit disappointing. The space was pleasant, but cozy. I would point out that this restaurant is *not* very welcoming of children. Our family of 3 shared the following: 1) Ceviche - quite flavorful 2) Sashimi - tasty 3) Mussels - average (the weak link) 4) Ravioli - delicious 5) Chicken wrap - very good 6) Skirt steak - great 7) Apple tart with matcha ice cream - excellent We also enjoyed our cocktails and mocktails. The service was not the greatest. Our waitress was not very welcoming of our child (an articulate, well-behaved 6 year old with a sophisticated palate), even though we had an early reservation (5:45pm). In addition, our mains took a while to come out. The space was pleasant, though our table felt tight, and we kept running out of space for everything we ordered. Overall, while I really enjoyed the food, I didn't have the most positive overall experience, because I didn't feel very welcome and I found our waitress cold and unfriendly. This place is definitely *not* kid-friendly. read more

I recommend this spot. Flavors from the cocktails to apps always have a twist to the unexpected, in a great way. We stopped in for a cocktail (Xebec and Chill). The layers were on point as a very thoughtfully crafted drink. We followed with the uni and hamachi- the flavors complemented themselves perfectly. Honestly I can't remember when I've had such attention spent on a drink or course- very much appreciated. read more

Xebec - Uni and hamachi - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

This place is a hidden gem. A beautiful space, warm and inviting ambiance and service. But the highlight is the food! I was blown away by how good the food was. Flavors I wouldn't expect and I didn't want to stop eating. We licked our plates clean. The highlight for me was the sea bass. The food was 'fine dining' level, without the fine dining price tag. read more

Ceviche is yummy Great Nicoise salad Good seabass and linguini Please remove the pits from olives in the salad read more

Xebec - Great salad! But please remove the pits from the Nicoise olives? - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Incredible food and cocktails! Got lucky to get the private room which was a great place to chat! Enjoyed all the food we got, the recommendations were on point! Even though we were in the private room, the service was great! read more

Xebec - Entrees - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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How refreshing to experience a new and inspired restaurant. The cocktails are incredibly original, with the garnishes made-in house. Try the Rumble on Gough if you want to be transported to a chaise lounge in Bali. We sat at the bar and enjoyed the hamachi sashimi, the patatas bravas (a new spin on the traditional Spanish version, much more saucy and full of flavor), and, a happy surprise, the eggplant parcels. Good texture and a touch of sweetness. A completely new take on a vegetable that I don't usually eat. Can't wait to return and try even more of the menu here! read more