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Lalola Bar De Tapas
Categories: Spanish, Tapas Bars
Neighborhood: Nob Hill1358 Mason St
(between John St & Pacific Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 981-5652
$3 Sangria and $3 Stella Beer every day from 5:30-7:00pm.
- Hours:
Tue-Thu. 5:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 5:30 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Validated
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good for:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
Gitane
- 334 reviews
- Neighborhood:
- Nob Hill
"Gitane is a much needed addition to the San Francisco restaurant scene. This restaurant is not something that you would not expect to…" read more »
128 reviews for Lalola Bar De Tapas
Review Highlights
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We checked out Lalola as ever since a Spain vacation, we've been a bit obessed by tapas and Spanish cuisine. We popped in there on Tuesday night around 9:30pm. It was the perfect place to have a relaxed evening and enjoy some tasty and quick food. Our sever was totally friendly, knowledgeable and did well adding the Catalan lisp to "choritho" in a way that was totally unpretentious.
We enjoyed the patatas bravas (a must try at each place in order to set a basline expectation), piquillo pepper stuffed w/ tuna and the paella. All were very tasty. Finished dinner w manchego and membrillo.
Love tapas, really liked Lalola.
Yay! Another fabulous Spanish tapas bar to add to my list! The bf and I went a lil overboard on the food (as we tend to do) but everything was great. Tried the white and red sangria (white's better if you ask me), the patatas bravas, the cod croquettes (my favorite!!) x 2, the pork loin with brie x 2, the breaded zucchini, the cheese plate and finally, the chocolate croissant bread pudding. The breaded zucchini was good but nothing special and I was a little bummed that the cheese plate only had hard cheeses but they were still good. But the best part, of course, was how inexpensive everything was! We got all of this for just $45! Fyi, we followed up with a wine bar from there and spent nearly the same amount on 2 glasses of wine!
Lalola, now that's what I'm talkin 'bout!
We came here for happy hour for my hubby's b-day. The location is quite unusual; the restaurant is located in a very residential part of the Nob Hill area. As many yelpers have already mentioned, parking is a b*tch! Having grown up in the area, I knew how utterly difficult it was to find street parking (literally, the parking deity must be with you at that very moment). For those not in the know, there is a reasonably priced garage on Vallejo Street that is approximately 3 blocks from the restaurant.
The thing that lured us to this obscurely located tapas restaurant was the happy hour deals the restaurant had on Sangria. Who can beat $2/$3 sangrias? By the end of the night, we had ordered about 25 glasses of Sangria along with at least 12 tapa dishes. The total damage? $125!!!! Oh my god!
The tapas were pretty good as well...
I will be back!
Pretty yummy, nice people. We went on a Friday night and it was very slow.
So um, yeah.
An hour and a half. 5 people. 17 drinks & 2 orders of the patatas bravas. Total bill (including tax): $41.61.
What. Up. Lalola.
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
-
10/11/2009
Visited again and this time, actually ordered off the regular, non-cheap-happy hour menu. (Total for… Read more »
The food were ok but a very reasonable price and I love the Sangria. Came here on a Sunday night around 8pm and there were plenty of seats. My favorite items were the fries and the croquette. However I did not enjoy the seafood Paella too much because it was bland compared to any Paella I have had before.
Overall this place is good for happy hour but not a perfect dinner place due to the lack of varieties on the menu. This place is also really hard to find parking!
3.5 stars. The half added star because of the food/drink menu. I came here to sample the tapas during Happy Hour. The place is quaint and neighborly. Small but cozy space (maybe allows less than 50 people total). Parking was very difficult, so carpool, public transit or walk. The food was really good and the $2 sangrias you might love, but the service was suffering in certain areas.
There was a group of 10 us. One person in our dinner party asked for two tables to be put together as they are small, and he got some dissonant response- a little fuss. Maybe they expected us to stand around the table like an HH dive bar? Which btw, this is not, the image at least, portrayed here. You'd think they would be more pleasing to a larger group. Which means more orders and bigger tab. Eventually wait server came around and conceded.
The Sangrias are the catch. The Food was tasty but very small portions (yes, I understand these are tiny tapa plates so order big or a lot). Or maybe, don't come too hungry and just order pre-dinner appetizers before you dine elsewhere. The bartender was not attentive even though it was not a busy time. While he was having casual conversations with his buddy, who was not dining or drinking there, we had to wait 15 minutes for his attention. We actually wanted to order food and drink. Subtle differences in a lasting impression, is all I can say. That attitude is too snobby for a small casual restaurant like this where they depend on locals. Service is everything, at a price, I suppose? It's the one thing that makes an experience a little less, than remarkable, but maybe he feels justified to behave that way. The waiter who finally agreed to put the tables together though, was working very hard bringing out the plates. Great food, but felt as though it was pulling teeth to have a relaxed and comfortable time regarding service.
Went here for some dinner with the bf, parking was a bitch an a half, we finally decided on a parking lot...which i guess isn't that bad had we done it in the beginning. We were then greeted graciously by the staff...The restaurant is located on a cute little corner...surrounded by houses...it's a small restaurant with all high-top seatings, so probably won't be too comfortable for older people with back problems...but i love high stools..all in all the atmosphere is fun and inviting.
We started off with white wine sangria...very very tasty!
Then we had the ham croquetas- it was creamy...but I think it could have used some kick to it..a little on the bland side for me personally.
marinated anchovies- my bf really likes anchovies me on the otherhand not so much....however, these anchovies were amazing, packed with flavor, not fishy at all.
Seafood Paella- pretty good, nothing to ooww or aww about thou.
Spanish beans and sausages- basically chick peas and sausage pieces...this dish was a bit disappointing for us.. it was quite bland and repetitive tasting...sausage was good thou, but i wouldn't order it again.
Last but not least, a recommendation from our server, the pork loin with brie-- so so tasty, the pork was cooked very well and the brie complemented it very well...flavorful!
Cool spot for happy hour- $2 sangria, beer, and Spanish fries (good). We tried more of their tapas as well: anchovies marinated in garlic and vinegar (good), tuna stuffed piquillo pepper (very tasty), serrano ham croquettes (not much ham). The spicy garlic shrimp came sizzling to the table, but were only okay.
They have a nice Spanish wine list, and we had a tasty rioja. The sangrias (red and white) tend to be on the light side.
YUMM! Estoy enamorada con Lalola! I finally found a friend to drag out to this place - it was worth it! You can't beat sangria for $2, patatas bravas for $2, and even the spanish tortilla is delicious. The best part: the chocolate croissant bread pudding. I can't say it enough: YUMM!!! Ok, maybe the sangria was a tad on the flavorless side compared to others, but overall you can't go wrong here.
One time I went on vacation, came back, walked down Russian Hill to work and this place had turned into a salon. NOOOOOOOO! I had just discovered Lalola a few weeks before. And I liked it! I need a cool tapas bar more than I need another salon. On closer inspection, I realized that it was just being used as a film set for a week. Phew. P.S., if anyone sees a movie set in San Francisco with scenes at the "Karma Salon," let me know. I'm curious.
Lalola is perfect for happy hour. $2 sangria, and it's tasty sangria. The red is decent but the white is particularly refreshing.
Everything I've tried there has been at least good. The patatas bravas and paella are alright but nothing special. I'm a big fan of the garlic shrimp, pork loin with brie and the lamb chops which were sooooo tender. My friends once ordered the octopop which is not a potential suitor for Nadya Suleman, rather a tiny octopus on a skewer. It looked a little questionable, but friends loved it.
It's usually the same folks working and they're all very nice. The space is cute, you get to hear fun Spanish pop music and wave to the tourists on the cable car that swings right by. Overall, very nice neighborhood joint if you're in the Russian Hill area.
I enjoyed my experience at Lalola, the highlight being the $2 sangria during happy hour and the chocolate croissant bread pudding for dessert.
The white sangria is delicious! The accompanying food items were of moderate quality, closer to 3.5 stars than to 4. The crochette with ham/cheese was tasty as were the garlic mushrooms. The lamb burger was overcooked and the seafood paella didn't have much kick. If you are a real foodie and not much for sangria, then this place probably wouldn't be your 1st pick - on the other hand, if you love sangria but don't care much about the food then this place is perfect!
The staff are also very friendly and the location was easy to get to (on a motorcycle).
What makes Lalola an excellent happy hour spot is the opportunity to wave to other tourists passing by on the cable cars while enjoying the sangria and tapas. A neighborhood bar in the best sense of the place, the menu combined with the atmosphere made it easy to have conversations and a genuinely fun time.
The tapas themselves are good. While nothing blockbuster, it was as satisfying as the sangria, which complemented all of the dishes. It was a shame that I was only able to fit just one dessert when I visited, but their excellent version of bread pudding, my favorite dessert, made me feel less guilty.
Overall, it should be no wonder that I enjoyed being the tourist that waved to those that didn't know any better.
Best happy hour in SF! The Sangrias are great, and go well with the food. If possible, ask for Juan to be your waiter. He has been working at restaurants for the past 10 years in 8 different countries and knows this food so well. I would suggest don't even use the menu, just ask Juan to bring out food and drinks. Went in a group of 7 which was very enjoyable. Can't wait to be in SF again to eat here!
This place is a lot of fun for a date or a group. You can't beat the $2 sangrias and the fun of ordering random new things for very cheap. You can basically choose how much money you want to spend, and each dish is unique and pretty satisfying.
The service is accommodating and atmosphere is relaxing. I'll be going back, for sure.
The only thing better than a happy hour?
A happy hour and a HALF.
The only thing better than a happy hour and a half?
A happy hour and a half with TWO DOLLAR SANGRIA!
At Lalola, from 5:30pm - 7pm every day, you can have as much delicious $2 sangria (red or white) as you need to unwind from the long workday.
To go with your sangria, you have a bevy of authentic and well cooked pintxos to choose from. (One for $3 or two for $5.) Our favorites were the Patatas Bravas (because really you can't go wrong with fries, spicy tomato sauce, and aioli) and the Octopops. Seriously, octopus on a stick! It was beautifully presented, delicious, and much better than any octopus that I had in Spain. We also enjoyed the Tortilla Espanola, always a classic.
They have some larger tapas for $7 and $9 and among these I recommend the Spicy Garlic Shrimp. It had the right amount of garlic for me (read: a lot) and olive oil for dipping your bread. And don't forget to try their housemade Chorizo which goes really well with the Manchego cheese.
And you're not allowed to leave without dessert! ($7 each). The creamy, smooth Tarta de Cuajad (Goat Milk Cheesecake) is one of my favorites but if you're craving chocolate, nothing will kill the craving quicker than their oh so good warm Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding.
Gracias Lalola!
The drinks are just okay but hey for two bucks you can't really complain. This is really a wine bar and we had a pretty good bottle.
Food is decent and right priced. Lovely anchovies, croquettes, stuffed piquillo peppers etc..
Location is great with the cable car running right outside and plenty of sun streaming into a comfortable well-furnished dining room.
We'll definitely be back.
Cute, romantic, quaint, and not overly done. And for a unique twist on the normal tapas we're used to here in SF, it's Spanish...not Cuban. So we got a different variety of things to try. The octopod w/the aoli...yum. The ham and cream croquettes...yum. The chicken stewed in tomatoes, the garlic shrimp, the grilled garbanzo beans w/sausage, mushrooms....yum, yum, yum and yum. Oh, and the sangria...YUUUUUUM! All was good, and the server/owner was also super nice. Great experience. Would go again.
Wonderful tapas bar, delicious $2 sangria (good portion too!).
What we had:
spanish fries
pork loin with brie
mushrooms in white wine sauce
beef skewers
lentils and sausage
3 meat plate (special for the night)
SANGRIA!!!
all the food came out piping hot and sooo delicious! i want to say it was yummy, but its more than that! the flavors really dance on your tongue and everything was flavorful without being overpowering that you think its too much. amazing service (dunno his name, but I guess he's the owner) was very informative and helpful with describing all the dishes (cause it was mostly in spanish with short english description). would have stayed for the dessert, but we planned for bi-rite ice cream (which was sooo worth it!)
Chocolate croissant bread pudding! Yummm!!!
=)
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
3/25/2009
Wow, parking is indeed a murder here!
Overall, the tapas spread was interesting and tasty. The… Read more »
One of the best happy hour prices with good service. Not too loud/crowded. 3 sangrias is enough to make sure I'm happily buzzed.
Ok so it was Sunday afternoon in the city and i was craving Tapas. I love love love Spanish food, and after doing a google map searched for tapas bars and found Lalolas. After a few very steep hills which further increase my appetite i was there. I was greeted warmly by the wait staff and was excited to see Sangria's were only 2 bucks for happy hour. (5:30 to 7:00) I order the Croquettes which were very good, the pork with brie which was killer, the beef skewers which were simple yet delicious, the "octopop" which was perfectly cooked maybe a tad on the salty side but still very good and not chewy at all. For dessert i had the Manchego cheer and Membrillo. Overall i had a great experience. One of the best parts for me is that they have actual Spaniards working there. I love that in a place it gives it authenticty in my opinion and since I've been to Spain it was fun talking about the country with them. Over all i would not hesitate to go back there in a heart beat.
Tapas = solid.
Service = fine.
Sangria = possibly Kool-aid instead of wine? Not good. Even for $2 at happy hour.
Let me start by saying I wanted to give Lalola one less star for the parking, but it is San Francisco and hardly their fault. So I entered the doors of Lalola a bit bent from the parking hassels, but that faded quickly as the evening was a great pleasure once inside. In total we tried 5 plates, and each from the potato tortilla to the Lalola house paella was excellent. The service with one to three servers helping us at a time was uniformly outstanding. The bill was reasonable for the amount of food, excellent food at that, that was put before us. The only issue I can find with Lalola is that the room is very charming but VERY small. Perfect for a couple but not a group. Overall Lalola is the stand-out of the San Francisco tapas scene.
My sis and I finally had a girls night out...and this was the perfect place! It was a Wednesday night so it wasn't crowded at all. It got busy later on the night but we got there about 6.30 and we sat at the bar (my sis wanted to so she can get the drinks right away ~ her excuse) anyway, service was really prompt (considering it wasn't a packed house).
We got the white and red sangria (she liked the white, while I preferred the red) and we ordered a bunch of stuff...to name a few the I remember:
* Croqueta de Jamon ~ really tasty and one of my fave from the menu
* Cinta de Lomo con Brie ~ new combo for me, not really a fan but it was tasty...
* Beef Skewers with Piquillo/Almond Sauce ~ this is both our favorite! Really tender beef and it was so tasty! Just cooked right and the sauce, good combo! (we ordered 2 of this!)
* Mushrooms cooked in white wine ~ tasted like mushrooms! Good to just munch on while waiting for other stuff to come
* red peppers with filet minon ~ this was their special for the night and indeed, it was special! I had 2 and my sis was slow so she only had 1! You snooze you lose =P
We ordered a couple of more things that I don't remember the names but they were both good, since my sis was the only one who ate it. I did try their chocolate pudding it was good...tasty but I think it was hyped up but good thing I tried.
Overall, I don't understand how other reviewers say that they didn't get full from eating here. I mean it is a tapas restaurant so their servings are tiny but my sis and I were full half-way down our date!
Nonetheless, definitely a fan! Good price and killer sangria! We'll be back!
I generally don't write reviews if it's been more than a couple of days since I visited. The memory fades and one's description is vague and unhelpful.
However, I'm going to make an exception for Lalola. Only because they were true champions as I hauled my ever demanding Indian parents there fulfilling a wish expressed by my Dad, only minutes before, to eat some tapas before he headed out of San Francisco.
After trying and failing to park in the mission (Andalu had been my first choice), I began to panic as my parents became restless and frantically searched on Google Mobile Search for "tapas san francisco". It guided me to Lalola.
Taking my parents to any restaurant is an "adventure" - they snap their fingers at the wait staff, generally neglect to say please and thank you, and often try and get attention from the servers by saying "hello". I'm generally mortified and often try and do all the interaction with anyone that works for the restaurant. But the hosts at Lalola were extraordinarily gracious. They smiled and made us feel genuinely welcome. The restaurant was full - it being a Friday evening but they got us a great table in a couple of minutes. The food was fantastic and reasonably priced. The sangria eased the mood. I enjoyed the Paella and Croqueta. The chances of my parents giving a compliment to someone is about as high as me sleeping with Scarlett Johansson i.e. it never happens. As we left though, I heard them distinctivel say "Nice people that work here". All was well with the world.
The white wine sangria came in a tall thin glass with a tiny orange triangle and a piece of apple. It was decent.
Stellas are Stellas.
The pulled pork with brie was good. The sauce they drizzle on top was tasty. An overall good combination.
The croquettes were kind of like balls of fried with really thick clam chowder filling. Tasty but not anything special.
Cheap $2 sangria and $2 Stellas on a Sunday afternoon = 5 Stars.
That's a no brainer.
Minus half a star for awkward waiter.
Minus another half star for not having fucking straws. How the fuck do you not have straws?
If I like a place generally I start thinking about what I'd order next time in the middle of the current meal and I definitely did that here at Lalola. I love tapas and having all those choices but unfortunately my stomach could only handle trying so many. The best ones were the pork and Brie and the octopops. The skip next times were the paella (way too salty) and the omelet (too starchy, no flavor). Definitely save room for the croissant bread pudding but it's so rich that I'd get a cup of coffee to go with it. Oh and the $2 white sangria is wonderful!
6:40pm: Three girlfriends and I get off the 30 Bus at Pacific. To Lalola or not to Lalola? We decided to trek up our butts up Pacific street as fast as our little legs could take us to check out happy hour. Hey, in this economy, where are you going to find $2 Sangria? We tried the red and white sangria and both were refreshing. The white one tasted like juice! We also ordered Patatas Bravas, which is also on the happy hour menu. The potatoes were delicious!!
I really liked this place up until the point we ordered more food. We tried the Pork Loin with Brie, Tortilla Espanola, Piquillo Relleno, and the Octopop. Every dish came as a single serving so we literally had to take one bite each. None of them were particularly bad but not good either. We also imagined the piquillo relleno to be stuffed with sushi-grade tuna but instead it was canned tuna. That was a disappointment. Oh well. We knew it would be a "linner" (after lunch before dinner) meal. My friends and I left and got pizza in North Beach after this =]
I can't complain. The service was great and Happy hour was worth it!
This place is great.
My boyfriend and I went here on Friday, we didn't have reservation and it was a bit late at night.
The server came and got us a great place to sit by the window. The enviroment was nice and intimate.
We love love love the food and theprice is good.
We'll be back
It seems this weekend was a treat for my taste buds.
After we arrived in the city and met up with a friend, we headed to Lalola. We ordered the white sangria (which was light, refreshing and only $2 during happy hour), the Patatas Bravas (potatoes, aka thick short french fries with garlic-y mayo and ketchup), Paella, Pork Loin with Brie, Garlic Shrimp and the Manchego. My favorite dish was the Pork Loin with Brie. My least favorite dish was the Patatas Bravas.
Our waiter was super super friendly and it was altogether a great tapas experience. Lalola is located on a corner, which was great for people watching. I'll never forget that guy we saw walk by who seemed to be trying to communicate something that his dog just could not understand... and the lady who stopped to stare at him. You had to be there.
I really wanted to enjoy my dining experience here.
I gave it 3 stars for 2 reasons - I thought the interior/atmosphere was very pleasant, and I enjoyed the sangria.
Three of us went for dinner and tried many many dishes. They were either fine or not good. The same sauce seemed to appear on too many things, and just wasn't very tasty.
This is a cute little tapas place that I could see coming to if I lived nearby, but it's not really worth going out of your way for.
The decor is nice, but the place is really tiny. To the point where there wasn't really a table that could seat our group of 4 comfortably. The table was way too small and the chairs were not very comfortable. I would recommend only coming in pairs.
Things I remember getting are the patatas bravas, croqueta, garlic shrimp, some lamb dish, and the paella. Most of the things tasted good, but be prepared for the pintxos (small size tapas) being extremely small. As in the croqueta being a single tiny croquette.
The paella was a big disappointment. Aside from also being a very small serving (hey, it's $9), it tasted completely bland. We had to add salt to just even be able to eat it. Doesn't seem like they use real saffron or any spice really.
The sangria was ok. Easy to drink and cheap during HH, but not particularly good. There are definitely better tapas places in SF - Thirsty Bear, Ramblas, and Andalu, to name three off the top of my head. Though it must be noted that they are more fusion-y and not as authentically Spanish, but Ramblas comes the closest.
I have had writers block for some time, but Lalola has allowed my creative juices to flow again.
The place is intimate (meaning small), charming (meaning friendly), and has great energy (meaning I loved it).
When you walk in to Lalola, you see the cable car line, china town, and/or the financial district depending on what way you come from. What could be more San Francisco than this ambiance?
The food is wonderful. I love to eat. If you want a drink and a snack, you can do that, especially with a nice cheese place, some garlic shrimp, and a carafe of sangria.
If you are having so much fun and you want dinner, you can easily extend your date or evening with friends with the addition of beef skewers, chicken over zucchini, and Octopops (one per person minimum).
As your evening continues to strengthen friendships and relationship, complete your meal with a chocolate croissant bread pudding and you will establish yourself as a person (in the know).
When you walk in, leave San Francisco behind, as you are entering the world of Spanish tapas and a different culture.
hey
I understand, its the economy, stupid.
but man, seriously....why skimp on certain spices?
I really wanted to like this place. It's cute, intimate, and our servers were super nice and attentive. However, the food just didn't quite live up to the reviews/reputation. Here's the breakdown:
Patatas Bravas - obviously a tapas staple. This was probably my favorite dish of the night.
Mushrooms in garlic and olive oil - I think they were shiitake mushrooms, and the dish overall was very oily. I could barely eat it and I love mushrooms!
Seafood paella - so-so. I'm not a big paella fan so perhaps I'm not the best judge.
Lamb chops - good flavors but I think they were a bit overcooked - barely any pink in the middle and kinda chewy.
Shrimp in garlic/olive oil - standard, not that flavorful.
Overall pretty underwhelming but a nice spot and good service. They did kind of rush us out after we paid the bill because people were waiting for a table, but they were very nice about it and even waved to us as we walked past the windows outside!
Are you supposed to eat the head of the octopus? Well, I did. A bit salty.
The octopus lolly pop, or "Octopop," is just one of the many fine treats you'll find on the tapas menu at Lalola. We sampled the pork tenderloin with brie, a lamb chop special, manchego, and some delicious mushrooms. We really enjoyed the variety of different tastes.
We got some great suggestions from our server on some half-glasses of Spanish whites and reds, which really complemented the menu nicely.
The atmosphere is very casual, laid back. We got out with more than enough food and wine tastes for about $60. Will definitely be back to taste the rest of the menu!
I love the idea of tapas - trying little bites of many different items is my favorite way to work my way through a menu. Unfortunately, the tapas menu at LaLola is full of hits and misses.
Hits:
Patatas Bravas - came out crispy and warm with two different sauces.
Spanish style Beans with Sausage - a nice portion with crispy pieces of blood sausage.
Jamón Serrano - a bit meatier than your average Jamón, portion on the smaller side though.
Rice Pudding - nice dessert but a small portion for $7.
Misses:
Tomato and Serrano Ham on Garlic Toast - One small piece of toast with one small slice of ham.
Serrano Ham Croquette - nice but again, one lonely croquette on a plate. I know it's only $3 but it still seemed a bit on the small side. (how many times can I say 'small' in one review?)
Frisee Salad - $7 for a handful of flavorless lettuce with a couple of carrot shavings.
My main complaint with our meal at LaLola was that everything came out within minutes of each other - there was no sense of pacing to the meal at all. Seeing as though LaLola is in my neighborhood I was really hoping to love my meal. And even though the menu seems reasonable, the small portions can add up if you go hungry or are a big eater. Execution for the most part was good, though, with interesting flavors and fresh ingredients. My advice would be check it out if you're not starving or if you're a light eater.
Nice little spot. Enjoyed the drinks during happy hour, but the food was so-so.
Great place to bring a couple friends
I really wanted to like but I agree with Susie T;
First the good, decor is very authentic with nice ambiance and they have excellent Patatas Bravas but that's it.
I can't actually remeber anything else that we ate because it all lacked taste except for the Sangria which was your typical sweet syrupy Hawaiian punch that caters to America's sweet tooth.
Let me just say that as a Spaniard I was INSULTED that a so-called Tapas restaurant which is apparently run by people who claim to either be from or have lived in Spain would DARE to serve Paella first as a single serving/individual portion (which came out in like 5 minutes-bad sign) and which was made using CALIFORNIA short grain rice and NOT with Bomba or any type of arroz Valenciano.
When I asked our server about it he said "Oh no we couldn't possibly use real Spanish rice (Uh-duh-the rice that MAKES paella) because it would be too expensive".
Excuse me??? Right now they're just serving over priced yellow rice that you can get better at any Mexican or Puerto Rican restaurant for 1/2 the price!
Oh and they don't use 100% pure Olive oil from Spain but some Canola or safflower blend.
We already have enough lousy wanna-be tapas restaurants in the Bay area and unfortunately Lalola does nothing except exploit the tapas trend and reinforce the mediocrity of tapas in California.
By not using authentic ingredients or traditional cooking methods (sorry if they can do it in Spain it can be done here) but the owners at Lalola are doing themselves and their heritage a disservice by cutting corners.
I'm sure my review won't dissuade diners though (it was packed) as there is no standard for authentic Spanish tapas in the Bay area-By the way authentic/good tapas are not found at Zarzuela nor do Spanish tapas contain avocado or guacamole.


