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Arpa - CLOSED
Categories: Restaurants Spanish Restaurants Tapas Bars Spanish, Tapas Bars [Edit]
129-100 West Trade StreetCharlotte, NC 28202
Neighborhood: Fourth Ward
(704) 372-7792
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Valet
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
19 reviews for Arpa
19 reviews in English
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Review from Stephen K.
1/27/2010
Until it closed, this was my favorite restaurant in Charlotte. Yes, it was pricey, but the food was fantastic and the service was always excellent. From time to time, if the maître d' sensed romance, he would sit us in the back room where we would have a first class private dinning experience. The waitresses were knowledgeable and attentive but not intrusive. And those wine flights! Mmmmm.
Their menu changed every month as the chefs tested new creations, so it would never get old. I can't remember not enjoying something from any of their menus.
I couldn't believe it when out of business - I had thought of them as the most successful restaurant in uptown. And then the Harper's Restaurant Group replaced it with a burger joint. Ouch. -
Review from Mike M.
Charlotte, NC
3/8/2008
I had a decent meal here. Not the best tapas I have ever had, but decent. I had 2 solid martinis though :)
It's typical tapas fare in a trendy space. Nothing more or less to say.
*** Update on 3/28/2008 ***
Two words: Small portions
I ate here again last night with my girlfriend and her best friend.
I must admit, I didn't pay last time I went here (and actually, I didn't pay this time... but since the GF paid, I was more apt to look at the price).
What we got:
Started off with martinis again. They continue to be good. The bar gets a check. Ordered a bottle of wine later. it was decent.
First course: Make your own antipasto and a goat cheese mushroom flat bread. The flat bread was actually pretty good. The antipasto was 1) Small 2) the meats lacked a lot of flavor 3) the roasted peppers were bland and tasted sauteed rather than roasted. Avoid this unless you get a lot of cheeses. And - the course was tiny. two pieces of cheese and 3 slices of each meat. booooo.
Next round: $6.50 empanadas. There were two small ones. If there were 2 inches wide I would be amazed. Rip-off. Ham croquettes. They were OK. Beef something (I forget the actual name). They were grilled chunks of meat on a stick. olive oil/salt/pepper. Not a very good cut of meat and they were over cooked and tough to eat. And we got the tuna. It was $14 for two pieces of seared tuna. It was probably about 2 inches by 1 inch by 1 inch. it was insulting that it cost $14. Are they kidding me?
Finally, dessert. We got churros. They were slightly over cooked and a little heavy handed on the cinnamon sugar, but when you shake off the excess, they weren't too bad. I would get that again if I go there again.
Will I go back? I probably will not go on my own dime. There is just no value there. I would rather drop the same amount of money somewhere else and get a meal that I really enjoy. Sorry if this sounds harsh, but I felt like a rube walking out for paying that much for so little and such low quality. -
Review from William S.
Charlotte, NC
10/21/2008
I very much enjoy the food here, but can't make it a regular stopping ground. It is all about the food and I just have to be in the mood for it. It is not a menu you would have daily.
Now with that said, I recommend going! Go experience it. Have a wine flight. Stay away from entrees and play with all the Tapas.
It is the best tapas house in Charlotte -
Review from Megan V.
Charlotte, NC
5/25/2008
My husband and I have been to Arpa three times now, and all times I've been pleased with the selection of food we've gotten. I love tapas because of the variety you get at one meal without stuffing yourself. We've had good tapas in Spain, and found that Arpa came pretty close, though not exactly on point. As several reviews have already stated, it can get pretty pricey if you want to leave stuffed, but to hit your comfort zone, there are a few dishes that will satisfy without emptying your pockets.
First, they do have some wine special nights, which can get you half-priced bottles, so do some research before you go. I would recommend reservations on those nights, because it can get pretty crowded. Also, the first Wednesday of every month (I believe) they have wine and tapas tasting for $12 a person. Pretty sweet deal.
In terms of 'good buys' on the menu, the flatbreads are pretty cheap and it's a fair amount of food. They are also very tasty. The chick peas under the vegetarian section, are fairly cheap, and come in broth--like a soup almost--which will fill you up. We also had a lamb-meatball dish (I don't remember the exact name), that was really tasty.
The atmosphere is nice. We've always sat in the front bar area on the sofas/stools because we've never called for reservations. As I mentioned, it can get pretty crowded, but still easy to have a conversation, and listen in on others :) The waitstaff is attentive, since the whole point of tapas is to keep the food coming. Overall, we have enjoyed our visits here, and plan on returning soon. -
Review from Meck L.
Charlotte, NC
4/29/2008
I was a little disappointed with Arpa. I've had tapas plenty of times in a lot of different places (including Spain), so I knew what to expect - tapas = small plates = small portions. But at Arpa, it was just a little too easy to run up a big tab and leave hungry.
"Large" pitchers of sangria run $20 and are heavy on fruit, but light on wine. Baskets of bread are $3.50 each, and the create-your-own antipasto had larger servings of "accessories" than meats or cheeses.
All of the food was solid - the albondigas (lamb meatballs) were large and good and the bread wasn't bad - and it's cool to be able to relax outside and check the scenery. But when you spend $40-50/person, you wouldn't expect to leave feeling like you need to hit up Taco Bell on the way home.
I'm rooting for Arpa to find its niche, but Press (just down the street) wins the Trade Street tapas/small plates game hands down. -
Review from Tim B.
Charlotte, NC
10/15/2008 1 photo
Arpa's OK. It's a little over-done as far as the artwork and set-up of the place; it's not the most comfortable place and can get pretty crowded and loud with banker types. But it's a big space, so it can house larger groups and parties, which is nice. I went there recently with about 12 people, and we got a nice big circular table, which worked out great.
The food at Arpa is actually pretty good, although I can't say I was all that into the portion sizes (then again, i never am at Tapas places). You're paying a lot, it seems, for not a lot of food, but like I said, that might not be specific to Arpa.
Arpa does have a great selection of wines (all types) and some good drinks, too, and it definitely seemed like a hotspot as far as post-work drinks/early evening partying.
I ordered a special tasting menu, which was pretty good. Four different wines paired with 4 small dishes, so you really get, well, a taste for what the restaurant offers. I plan on going back in the future to check it more in-depth. -
Review from Troy R.
Charlotte, NC
8/6/2007
Charlotte's best Tapas spot and has a pretty good wine selection, to boot! Great bar to sit back and relax with friends. I will say that years ago, Arpa was located a block East on Trade and Tryon and I honestly liked the menu and food quite a bit better. It could just be me...but they have changed things up a bit since then and I'm just not quite as bit of a fan.
Either way, if you are looking for some good Tapas...do NOT go any further than Arpa -
Review from Ryan B.
11/19/2008
Had a wonderful time at Arpa, solid service and the wine list is great. In fact, the bottle I ordered was sold out and the bartender recommended an amazing bottle in the same price range, which is cool as it's a pet peeve of mine when they are "out of that wine, but we have another just like that sells for $95 a bottle".
Also, the rosemary olives - yum! -
Review from Eric K.
11/26/2008
I passed by Arpa a few times and always admired the atmosphere that I saw through the windows. It looked so mellow and a great place for conversation over a glass of wine. I finally took some out-of-town guests to Arpa, mainly because a couple of other places we tried to go were too crowded on a weekend night. We were seated right away and ordered some wine.
I had heard from a couple of different sources that the lamb meatballs were delicious, so they had to be one of our tapas choices. We followed that choice with the three-dip combo, a cheesy flatbread, calamari, chicken croquettas, and a salad for the three of us. Yes, it sounds like a lot of food, but the portions are small (they're tapas, silly!). Every item we ordered was delicious and the sizes were enough to feed our hunger, but it's more of a "light meal" type of place. It's good if you're planning to go out someplace afterwards and don't want that really "full" feeling. Plus, once you start ordering tapas after tapas, the bills sure adds up!
I definitely enjoyed my experience at Arpa, but it's not a place I'd go to often. It's more of a special occasion restaurant when you have a small group of friends that you want to catch up with. -
Review from Joy S.
Charlotte, NC
9/16/2008
I can't believe Arpa got such low reviews! It's a little expensive, and you sometimes have to keep ordering, but the food is fantastic. One of the best things I've ever eaten is the goat cheese with honey. Who would have thought of mixing goat cheese and honey?
So if you're going to Arpa, be prepared to spend money and order everything you want in doubles. It's part of the fun of tapas.
The service and presentation is definitely fine-dining, although the atmosphere is a little more casual. I think it's a great place for girls' night out...like the kind of girls' night out where you're dressing up and pretending to be the Sex in the City chics...or for date night. -
Review from Jon P.
Cockeysville, MD
5/25/2008
Speed week in Charlotte was a CRAZY place to be so when I came across Arpa I was curious as to what I would find. Across the street from the Marriot in downtown Charlotte right on Trade Street this very chic restaurant turned out to be a gem.
The bar area is very nice. There is plenty of inside seating both in the bar area, the rear of the restaurant as well as outdoor cafe seating. I chose the bar on both visits.
Friday night the first big night of speed week was a complete trip. Some little German dude who was drunk off his butt wanted to use the bathroom and pretended to speak German. I asked the host if she spoke drunk and the short little dud hissed.
He then headed for the bathroom where he started some trouble with a local and had his phone snapped in half and tossed out the door!
This is not indicative of a normal night at the bar. I had a great flat bread with figs, truffle oil and Chrizo. Yummy. The next night I had a flat bread with Soprasatta, Han and some other Italian mean with a marmalade. I know I am not getting it right but it was great food.
The most expensive part were the drinks. I had the classic red sangria, 2-3 classes in a pitcher for $12.00. Then I switched to white Russians with Sky Vodka.
I suggest the Flan (Caramel) dessert with a reduction of minced orange marmalade. To die for.
Look to spend 50-60 bux a person with booze but it is well worth it. The staff is extremely friendly and then make a mean White Russian. -
Review from Laur T.
New York, NY
1/19/2009
3.5 stars
We came here for a team dinner one night and ordered a bunch of tapas and a whole lot of sangria.
Among others, here are some of the stuff we had
- Hummus
- Eggplant dip
- Garlic shrimp
- Lamb meatballs
- Croquetta
- Calamari
- Shellfish paella (not a fan - and it's their signature???)
Good fun times...
2nd time around, I'd already had dinner prior to coming so only had drinks while the rest of the group ordered. I think I may have ordered a light salad so as not to be rude. -
Review from David P.
Munster, IN
3/23/2009
Spend lots of money, eat fresh, well-crafted food and leave hungrier than when you arrived.
That pretty much sums it up. I've eaten at tapas restaurants that charge less and offer a larger selection of dishes at more cost-related portions.
I know tapas are supposed to be small, and that for a person to derive a complete meal, you have to buy 2 or 3 a piece. But when each dish averages a price that's equal to or greater than a full meal at equally enjoyable restaurants, it's simply not worth it.
The wine, honey comb, cheese and fish were all fantastic. I won't be back unless it's on someone else's dime. -
Review from Megan C.
Charlotte, NC
4/30/2009
I not only wasted $20 but I also wasted two hours of my life. I think the idea of tapas is a great one but Arpa lacks severely on execution. The place itself is really cool and the service is great but you are only paying for atmosphere. The goat cheese balls are good but that's where the buck stops. I went with a large group, there were eight of us, so I got to sample a good portion of the menu. I would not recommend it to anyone I actually consider a friend. It is a poor sampling of Spanish influenced food. I left starving and aggravated.
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Review from Alice R.
2/28/2007
This is the place to go for wine and tapas in Charlotte. The menu is varied and well-priced. Great selection on the wine list, too.
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Review from elyse M.
Sausalito, CA
4/2/2010
I know you closed, but the memories will live on. You came to charlotte too early... they didn't know what they had. RIP ARPA :)
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Review from Chelsea J.
New York, NY
1/2/2007
My favorite restaurant in Charlotte. Absolutely delicious. Fantastic sangria, some of the most amazing food I've ever eaten. Friendly wait-staff, but I'm based in NY these days so maybe it's just because all NCers seem unnaturally friendly to me. ;) My only complaint is that the desserts aren't all that great, but everything else is, so who cares? Not I!
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Review from Alessandra S.
Charlotte, NC
7/25/2008
Went over to Arpa for dinner last night. I have had tapas before, and although the plates are small, they usually pack a nice flavor and you leave feeling not stuffed, but satisfied. The food was not bad, but we left feeling pretty hungry still. To start we ordered the goat cheese balls in the truffle honey, which were very good, but there were literally only 2 and they were sooooo small! Definitely felt ripped off here. We also ordered the roasted eggplant dip with pita and that was pretty good. We then ordered the salmon, sea bass and a side of asparagus, heeding the waitresses warning about how small the servings were. We couldn't really taste the asparagus because they were pretty burnt, and the salmon came out pretty raw (I ordered it medium). The seabass seemed okay. I would probably go back here for drinks because the bar area looked pretty cool, and in the outside area where we ate they had couches and it was a cool lounge area. I liked the decor and general feel of the place and our server was super friendly and attentive. But I definitely would not order the sangria again, tasted kind of funky and lacked flavor, and the strawberry inside looked kind of scary.
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Review from Nancy S.
Charlotte, NC
8/22/2005
Tapas Wine Bar. Huge wine cellar. Great beer variety. Excellent food, good atmosphere, good service.
