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Saint Marys Street (Green)
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Taberna is all about atmosphere - compared with other local tapas joints it can't stack up in terms of value or taste (with some dishes causing exception)...but it blows others out of the water with it's cozy and rustic atmosphere. It's small, sure, but that's all part of the charm. It feels more quaint and authentic than larger (louder) tapas restaurants.
My last visit here, we ordered four dishes...Queso de cabra (warm goat cheese on bread), Croquetas de jamon (deep fried bechamel with ham), Feisty potatoes (they had a much longer name but I can't remember it), and a garlic chicken dish. Every table gets a complimentary plate of the best gosh-darn potato salad I've ever had and we devoured it. Our first plate was the croquetas...which are so darn filling that I almost wish they had come out last. They are by far one of the best dishes on the menu - absolutely delicious. My boyfriend recently returned from a trip to Spain and he rated the croquetas as good or better than what he had there...! The goat cheese on bread could have used a little more bread, but the cheese itself was warm and absolutely delicious. The potatoes were pretty good and the spicy sauce has a nice flavor...until your lips feel like they are burning off when the hot factor kicks in. Unfortunately, the heat of the sauce makes it far less enjoyable than it could have been. Finally, the garlic chicken was very tasty. The waiter brought us extra bread to dip into the broth (equally delish). By meals end, we were stuffed and tipsy from our bottle of $30 wine (honestly, the wine list is vast and definitely cheaper than one would imagine given the high price of the individual tapas dishes).
Two thumbs up. Order the croquetas. It'll be worth it!
The main problem here is that it's just too pricey. At Dali, at Tasca, at Tapeo...all the tapas are under $10 a plate. Here, that's where they start and many of them are closer to (or more than!) $20. This is a crazy price for tapas. A tiny plate of food meant for sharing should not cost as much as an entree.
Also, the tapas weren't that amazing. The frog's legs were drowning in garlic, the spicy sauce with the Canary Island potatoes just tasted like barbeque sauce.
Other random annoyances--they don't take reservations, they are very strict about two people sitting only at two-person tables, and the prices and wine list on the website are not up to date.
However, despite these considerable criticisms, I still have to give it three stars. The wine list is awesome and the wines themselves are priced much more reasonably. The owner--who is also a trained sommelier--helped us pick out our white wine and it was gorgeous. Perfect tapas wine--honey and almond notes but still dry.
Also, the atmosphere--very cozy, very romantic and very Spanish. It's earthy, bold and inviting. The outdoor patio seats are pretty excellent but sitting inside is just as pleasant.
Lastly, the service was fantastic. Everyone was smiling and friendly. It was an easy place to relax.
I don't think the the price to food quality to atmosphere ratios quite add up, in the end. It was a nice night but not $45/person (for two tapas each and a bottle of wine, including a 20% tip) nice. I can spend the same at Petit Robert and get better (and more) food and better atmosphere. Or I can spend less at several area tapas places and get the same or better overall.
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i went there w/ my wife for her birthday dinner.
so we expect to spend a bit more, so the price wasn't an issue and the food was good and we think they're worth it!
we got there early, like 5:50pm-ish.
(and we did call ahead as well), so we didnt have to wait for our table.
once it get around 6:30pm, the line is starting to form.
until we finished our meal by around 8:00pm-ish, the line was still pretty long.
so get there early may be the trick.
i don't have the menu w/ me, so i can't remember the name of the dishes. i will totally go back : )
good food and decent service!!!
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Okay, so my review is some what biased. I went for a friend's birthday and it turns out, one of our friends works there who was also our waitress. So I won't comment on price or quantity (but from what I saw, the price is a relatively high compared to other tapas places in Boston and Cambridge). As for the food, it was absolutely amazing. We tried probably 15 different dishes and they were all great. When I walked in earlier in the day to make a reservation, I found out that the owner is actually from Spain. As for the atmosphere, it is cozy and warm. Classy and sophisticated. Good place for a date or couple. However, if you were going on a date, trust me and go to Dali instead. You'll be blown away by the decor there. It's a much better experience in my opinion (that is the only reason I gave Dali 5 stars and this place 4 stars). Also, there is outdoor seating here.
Good food, good service but small place and expensive. I felt silly paying $7 for asparagus but I wanted something green. Try the steak, its so yummy!
I have NO positive things to mention about my dining experience here. We found this place on http://Wheretoeatbosto... because we are new to the area and loved a tapas place in Chicago. The prices are unreasonable for the quality of food they serve. We ordered the marinated pork loin served with fried eggs , and french fries($16), fried haddock($13), roasted shrimp ($13), and a beef dish($18). The fried haddock was ok, the pork was bland served with fries that were soggy and cold. The shirmp had no flavor. The bill came to $75 with no drinks after tax and tip. The free potato salad wasn't enough to off-set the mediocrity of the "tapas." The atmosphere was casual yet unremarkable. Serve seemed slow, but mainly because we wanted to get out of there. Total disappointment. Wish I could give it less then 1 star. I would NOT RECOMMEND to anyone.
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I think Tapeo is better for tapas. I haven't been to Toro yet but heard it's a really place for tapas.
Sangria here was good. Nice ambiance - not as loud as Tapeo.
WOW 2 THUMBS WAYYYY DOWN... My boyfriend and I went one night and were ignored by the waitress for TWENTY minutes as she helped everyone else around it... I seriously have never felt more disrespected in my life! I would not recommend this place to anyone.
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I don't know what's with all the negative reviews--this place won me over at "croquettes."
Came here on a fantastic dinner date. The place is tiny but comfortable, with nice romantic lighting. The waitstaff were extremely friendly. The woman who made the winelist came over and asked if we had any questions about the wines. In general, we were certainly not ignored. It actually made me a little uncomfortable, all the attention we were getting...but I'm just a small-town gal not used to fancy dinin'.
The food was absolutely divine. I don't know anything about Spanish food really, but my date sure as hell did. We tried everything: squid, blood sausage sandwich, spanish olives, cheese croquettes (AMAZING), tortilla, and some other things I can't remember anymore.
It's probably not a great idea to come here if no one in your party knows anything about tapas. I actually let my date do most of the ordering because I had no freakin' clue...
People thought this was:
Delicious food in a cozy setting. This time, we had the grilled asparagus, gambas al ajillo and queso de cabra and all were great. Our waiter was fantastic and did not rush us, even though the restaurant was full. Oh yes, their flan is excellent!
The top reasons I go to Taberna de Haro are:
1. The outstanding, well selected, well priced, interesting, and original all Spanish wine list. The sommelier (also the owner) is very helpful and will help you select a wine that fits your budget and your taste. We have tried many different styles of wines at varying costs over the years here and have always enjoyed them and always learned something in the process. It is one of the best wine lists in Boston.
2. Great taberna atmosphere -- cozy and romantic but also fit for a big family meal. We have celebrated various occasions at Taberna de Haro -- birthdays, family reunions, and romantic dinners for two. It's one of those places, that while it's comfortable for a romantic dinner, can easily accommodate a large group. In the summer, sit outside where it is comfortable and celebrates the season on Beacon Street. In the winter, this is a cozy place to spend an evening warming up with great wines (including sherry) and straightforward Spanish food.
3. Authentic Spanish food -- best I've had outside of Spain. The food is really authentic and good. Spanish food is not the fine-dining experience you would find in a 5-star French restaurant but it is really delicious and satisfying. Everything we've had here is good but the real crowd pleasers are: Bienmesabe -- fried fish so light and lemony flavored, Albondigas -- tasty and delicious lamb meatballs and the Valencia salad -- blood oranges, salted cod, olive oil, sweet onions -- so good! For dessert, Natillas (vanilla pudding) is a big hit, as is the flan, but our favorites are the homemade chocolate truffles served with olive oil, sea salt, cocoa powder, and toast -- yumm!
So As my rating may indicate, I love taberna! It's a really wonderfully rustic traditional spanish tapas place with a staff that is not only knowledgeable but attentive. Our waiter helped us pick out a fantastic traditional rioja that was a reserva for under 40 dollars which was absolutely amazing! Once we ordered he then brought us over some complimentary potato salad which was creamy and garlicky and good. We then started with the queso de cabra which was creamy goat cheese and toasted bread which was amazing then we got the tortilla espanola (traditional spanish omelet with potatoes and onion) the potato flavor was light and flaky and beautiful. We then got a house salad with a red wine vin and tuna which was light and refreshing. We then continued on with artichokes in garlic and olive oil, Mussels in a tomato broth and Pollito which is marinated hen grilled and served with fries which was absolutely amazing so moist and packed with flavor i was practically sucking on the bone. What i love about this place over some of the other tapas plates is that there is a nice range in price from about 4$ to 20$ and they all differ in size based on that price but we got six dishes a dessert and a bottle of win for a 100 i don't think that's all too bad, albeit we were going for an anniversary dinner so i was expecting to spend a little more. All in all though this is a wonderfully authentic place with a beautiful atmosphere which is a lot quieter than Tapeo with good service and food and an amazing wine selection. I recommend this place to anyone who loves spanish cuisine.
A friend and I went tonight for dinner, and the food and service were both incredible. We shared:
-Txistorra con brandada (chorizo-esque sausage with salt-cod mashed potatoes)
-Habas con jamón (lima beans with serrano ham)
-Empanada de atún (puff pastry filled with traditional tuna and sofrito)
-Croquetas de jamón
-Potato tortilla
-Piquillos con brandada
Everything was just outstanding. Having lived in Spain and eaten in most Spanish restaurants in Boston, this was by far the most authentic. The best tortilla and croquetas I've had in a US restaurant. Everything tasted almost exactly as it would in a Spanish taberna in Madrid. For dining "al aire libre," head to Tapeo, for nouveau cuisine, head to Toro, for romance head to Dalí, and for traditional delicious tapas, come here. A couple of things that could be a little better (but overall didn't affect the dining experience):
-Easy on the nutmeg in the croquetas' béchamel sauce. It should be "that mysterious ingredient" and nothing more.
-The brandada, made with salt cod was, well, just a tad too salty... but had great flavor nonetheless.
-It's soooo tiny, so the wait was a little long, and there's really no good place to stand without being in the way of the staff.
Our server, Bridget, was fantastic. All of our tapas were paced perfectly, the table was very well-maintained, and everything ran smoothly and quickly.
Can't wait to come back to this gem!
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Great Spot for an authentic tapas night!
Sipping wine outside on their patio was like being transported back to Madrid for the evening. The tapas they have here are far better than the ones at Tapeo (which USED to be my favorite spot). The menu is far more extensive than any other tapas place in Boston with the best:
Gambas al ajillo - not too overwhelming with garlic and juicy succulent shrimp.
Arroz negro - Squid ink paella was the BEST thing on the menu along with the rice not being too soft and bite size of seafood in it.
Mejillones en salsa romescu - mussels in red sauce made the bread disappear with it's dipping appeal.
Chuletas de cordero a la parrilla - lampchop wasn't overly cook and was still tender.. just made me want more.
Pollo al ajillo - chicken thighs fried with garlic was a bit too done and perhaps I was too full but I only had a bite of it.
There were so much more that I wanted to order, the seabass, anchovies, octopus and pate... but I guess that's for another trip. I now found my new favorite spot.
People thought this was:
Okay... I finally went to Taberna de Haro since there seems to be many decent to good reviews.In general, I find tapas to be an overpriced version of dim sum but with different ingredients. Don't get me wrong, but when the price is that high, I expect tasty food. It wasn't, except maybe for a couple of dishes.
A friend and I had the pate $10 (tastes like cardboard), the Octopus with olive oil and Spanish paprika $12 (were they out of octopus? the plated were presented in small cut out medallions instead of whole tentacles, etc. and tastes like rubber with lots of oil), the Imported cured Spanish ham $13 (Seems like a glorified prosciutto --meh), Free-range chicken with jamon and roasted red peppers $16 (the best dish of the night -- very juicy and tender with the right touch of spices), free potato salad when we were waiting for our order (this was a nice touch served to everyone).
The wine was good. The desert was nice. I had Dried apricot, plum, and cherry compote made with red wine, brandy, and served with crème anglaise $7 (tasted like Flambé -- nice!)
The service was nice decent, but the waiter keep staring at my friend even when I was doing the ordering. They did not rush us at all, but then again there were not many people there on Wednesday eve. However, the check did came to us before we ask for it which in my view is a no, no. Therefore I gave the minimum tip of 15%.
Maybe if I have loads of mula I can go back and order everything on the menu and check off the only dishes I likey and then I know what to order next time? What da ya think...no? NOT -- not with my budget! :(
For Tapas I recommend Cuchi Cuchi, they're overpriced as well, but tastey!
Fantastic, authentic tapas and an unbelievable wine list make me a big fan of this place. Things that I normally don't like, taste amazing here. The bill adds up quickly (as it does at many tapas places in/around the city) but I thought it was worth it. It's pretty difficult to get a table. The patio is awesome in the warmer months especially since there isn't much outdoor dining in Brookline.
People thought this was:
This is one of my favorite tapas restaurants in Boston. I always have a great meal here. Very authentic Spanish food. You have to try the potatas bravas and the frog legs! The complimentary potato salad is soooo good. The garlic shrimp are a must try as well (then dip you bread in the leftover oil -- very healthy, i know, but it's ok once in a while). The waitresses are very knowledgeable and friendly. They have a great wine selection as well. Definitely try this place if you like tapas!
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I absolutely love this place. I've been here several times and have come away satisfied and happy every time (read: semi-drunk from delicious wine and garlic-intense food). The atmosphere is warm and cozy inside and a wonderful place to eat outside in the summer. I'm not a wine expert but the list is pretty impressive and the manager will recommend some good, affordable picks. Also, definitely try the quail if you go, it's life altering.
Some downsides: There is often a wait when it is busy but the waitstaff is attentive and offers you a wine list while you wait. Once I waited quite a while here but was given some free tapas as consolation :). Also, had a seriously salty salad once that I really just couldn't handle.
Note: I don't think they take "official" reservations, but if you call ahead that day you can get on the list to avoid waiting (someone correct me if my understanding is wrong here...).
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This place is amazing just for its wine list. All good tapas bars focus on the wine. You're not supposed to stuff your face like you were eating some big meal. Eat an hour ahead of time so that you can drink a lot and eat only a few tapas to appreciate the flavor of the food and most especially the wine.
My rant: if you're at a restaurant that has as a good wine list as they have here, don't drink sangria for God's sake. It's like ordering PB&J from the kids meal when you should be ordering the skate. Instead, order a bottle of wine like a proper adult.
It's food is also authentic, but that doesn't mean it'll meet the taste of all people particularly those in the US who don't expect their food to be heavy. This is the sort of food derived from what people ate when they were peasant fisherman or farmers; they ate hearty food with melted pork fat, butter, and oil. This goes back to ordering food not to have as a meal but to eat as you drink some wine, and this is why the tapas are expensive; they are higher qualty and they are rich in fat. You're not supposed to eat ten million tapas. You're supposed to have a bottle of wine and just eat very few of the tapas, like a higher class version of drinking a beer while eating some snacks.
Notably, this restaurant also offers some Basque fare. It's hard to find good Basque food in the US outside of California (the Central Valley of all places). That doesn't necessarily mean their offerings here are all that good, but its nice to have it. Badass.
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Hola. I'm a fan of tapas so I was a little excited to try this place. Heard big things - now I'm ready.
Service was friendly, kinda cramped and mediocre food. Antipasto was good but only if I didn't have my grandma's antipasto which was excellent.
Dishes were uninteresting and lacked the justification of its prices.
Not terrible but not worth the C-note in these financially questionable times. Cuchi Cuchi is a lot more fun and the same price. Wurd.
It's with a heavy heart that I actually write a poor review for a Spanish restaurant. I've been to Taberna de Haro at least three times in the last year, with my delay between visits extended only by the memory of a disappointing experience from the time before. My most recent visit may now be my last. On each occasion I have found the staff to be rude and abrasive, and the setting uncomfortable; all of which is still very forgivable. What has finally ended the appeal of this restaurant for me is that the food is just not that good: our croquetas were over fried, my salad was unbearably salty, and the queso cabrales on my solomillo looked and tasted more like an overdone wasabi paste. Add in the fact that the espresso machine was and had been broken for at least two days, and the lack any hint of sherry in my "Pudin de chocolate al jerez", and for the first time I found myself wanting la cuenta just so I could end the misery.
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Figured I'd write a review between trips to the can. Should have given 'em the $100 bucks, saved some time and tossed dinner in the toilet. Way too heavy on the butter, olive oil, and garlic, and I love all of those things.
I've always found that Spanish food generally sucks, especially in Spain. However, this was pitched to me as the tapas restaurant for people who hate spanish food, yet not so good on service, price, or food. If you speak Spanish, go there show off your skills, so we can all be proud of you. Ahh, my stomach again.
The most authentic recreation of a Madrid tapa joint in Greater Boston, with the best all-Spanish wine list in town.
Given a few more years, flashy Spanish upstarts like Toro may yet match the warmth and consistency of this small Brookline stalwart. Deborah Hansen's kitchen turns out gorgeous pinchos, four-bite tapas on bread, and raciones, larger, sharable plates served with more good bread for sauce-mopping. Deborah's also the wine director; last year she expanded the all-Spanish program to nearly 200 bottles, with dozens under $30, wandering through regions well-known (Rioja, Ribera del Duero) and obscure (Tarragona, Yecla).
I've eaten my way through this menu several times over many dozens of visits over the years. Some favorite pinchos: anchoas (anchovies with hardboiled eggs), Cabrales con sidra (a blindingly-fierce Asturian blue cheese blended with hard cider). These insistent flavors call for sturdy wines like the 2003 Casa Castillo ($25), a beefy, hot, pure-Monastrell red from Jumilla.
Some of my preferred raciones: gambas al ajillo (garlic-heavy shrimp in oil), pisto (stewed eggplant into which a poached egg is stirred tableside), papas arrugadas (Canary Island-style red potatoes in oily paprika sauce -- simple-sounding but stunning), albondigas (veal meatballs in a rich, ground-almond-thickened gravy), and lacon con grelos (an extraordinary Galician stew of pork shoulder, smoked-pork sausage, collard greens and potatoes). Complementing these sunny tastes is a 2004 Capanes Mas Dons ($28), a gently-oaked Garnacha/Syrah blend from Monstant, emulating costlier reds from the adjacent and newly-fashionable Priorat region.
Silky desserts of flan classico and pudin de chocolate disappear with glasses of Lustau sherry: syrupy, raisin-y Pedro Ximenez, and the little-seen Tintilla de Rota, a garnet solera made outside of Jerez from tiny red grapes. The sidewalk patio is very pleasant in wamer weather. Underscoring the elegant simplicity of the cuisine is brisk (occasionally brusque) but attentive service, and the impeccable hospitality of the ever-present Sra. Hansen herself.
People thought this was:
I'm on a tapas kick, partially because I lived in Spain for a few months last year & am feeling nostalgic and wish I was going back.
Wish I could say better about this place, because the atmosphere was great & the staff was really nice, but the food was just not good. Boyfriend went to order a beer & found they only offer one - a 12-oz. bottle of Estrella for $5.50. Seriously? You can buy a six pack of the stuff for less than $7! My vino tinto was good, but VERY warm (slightly less than room temperature, people!).
The light, herb-y potato salad they brought as kind of an amuse bouche was great - sadly, though, this was probably the best part of the meal. The grilled asparagus came in a close second - bright green, charred, smoky, and just the right texture. Tortilla espanola - blah. Barely any flavor. I kept expecting to hit a piece of melted American cheese. Stuffed squid looked great on the plate, but when we cut it open, the stuffing turned out to be mostly chopped vegetables, and they fell out all over the plate. It was vinegary, and really needed something to hold it together. Pollo al ajillo was the bomb of the night, though - it was described as "chicken thighs," but was chopped into small chunks of chicken on the bone. Honestly, I think there was more bone than meat in the dish, and the garlic in it had no flavor at all. I gave up after a few pieces, especially since it was oily, oily, oily and hard to pull apart. Boyfriend finished it off, but had a stomachache afterward; he swears the meat tasted freezer burned.
I was really surprised, given all of the good reviews, that it went so wrong, but that's the way it goes sometimes... Given the fact that this is the most expensive of the local tapas places, we probably won't be back anytime soon.
Food was fine more like 3 stars - overall experience 2 stars.
I agree with the reviews noting the heavy olive oil.
Had asparagus grilled with nice sea salt on top - good portion and freshly grilled.
Stuffed squid was really fresh and not over cooked!
Cod balls ( hee, hee) were really great strong fresh cod taste not too much of the bread.
The positives the food comes fast - the food was fresh and cooked to order, they have outdoor seating, portions good. The cons the hostess is annoying and caters to locals ( told to move my bag because she was going to " crush it" ?)- pushing wine on them etc..., the tables are small and uncomfortable, the price of the food does not equal the atmosphere/ experience ( crowded and lower budget). I would have stayed longer and ordered more if it was cozier and candle lit and schmoop it up with the BF.
People thought this was:
This place is good.
Authentic and good.
[NOTE ( off subject)-
the real question is ....Does AUTHENTIC always equal good? Thats right ...i'm getting DEEP....http://www.chowhound.c...]
anywayz.
Its really tiny inside so be prepared to wait.
The black ink paella is awesome as well as the steak and blue cheese tapas.
mmmmm
you can take me here anytime.
portions are filling. i always leave with a doggy bag full of goodness.
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In a new found purpose to be useful I'm going to tell you some useful things about Taberna...
1. Splurge on the appetizers - these little delicacies on bread are what tapas is really about: decorated 'tops' for your wine glass. Go adventurous and get many
2. Wine list - yes yes yes, it's amazing. but don't get lost. The wines per glass are simply at the back and are mostly great Riojas. OMD I love Riojas.
3. Main dishes - think 1.5 per person. Choose the dish you'd like most / want to show-off the most plus half of a filling 'side' dish like potatos or salad.
4. Desert - don't get too full. The cinammon vanilla soup (custard) is the most divine desert I've touched in New England (suck on it L'Espalier!)
5. Staff - yeah, our waiter was keen but a bit of a dick. He was very good at everything except knowing the menu. Truthfully, he started only a week before, but it might as well have been a day.
6. Money - bring it
7. Bathroom - so the decor is pretty sweet in this place (great layout with the lady-chef's cooking in full view) but the bathrooms are even better. For the sit-down crew (AKA you double Xers) there is a framed article about the fearless lady-chef that makes an interesting read. And for the stand-up alliance (the YX-boys) there's a nice painting of a naked lady to peruse.
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Ideally, this place would get 4.5 stars, but since my first visit here was so enjoyable, I will bump it up.
We arrived around 7:30 on a rainy Saturday night and found the place full, but we didn't wait long. And then we totally overdid it.
Garlicky shrimp, lamb, crispy chicken, bread with creamy goat cheese and tomatoes, the most amazing calamari I ever had (ever), flaky and flavorful codfish balls, anchovies and olives, the endive and blue cheese salad, potatoes, a bottle of red, four cafe con leche, the flan and the chocolate pudding. It was a feast for the senses. If I had to choose my favorites, though, it would be the shrimp, the calamari (that breading was ethereal) and the codfish balls. Josh loves blue cheese, so he raved about the endive, and everyone loved the lamb. Perfect flan and extremely rich pudding. We probably could have done without the potatoes and the chicken, as well as one of the desserts, only because it was just too much food. Tom E. was right in saying 1.5 dishes per person - 2 each is a little much.
The service was good, and I like when you see the owner walking around picking up glasses and wiping down tables. The open kitchen adds to the laid back atmosphere. This is great place for a small group or date - but larger groups beware (they don't take reservations).
At fifty dollars a person, it is steep, but we had wine, coffee and dessert, so not completely ridiculous.
People thought this was:
I don't even live in Boston anymore and I still feel the need to yelp about this place. I love spanish food, and these guys know what they're doing. My friends and I are planning out next trip to Boston around eating here.
Everything is good, from chorizo to the sauteed spinach with rasins and pine nuts. Their wines are awesome. The best meail I've ever had was a buttery trout & french fries dish they had as a special. To this day nobody has come close.
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Ever since I traveled to Spain, I have been a great lover of Spanish food and I've tried several other tapas bars in Boston, but I must say that this is the best.
The main problem is that it is a very small restaurant and always crowded and they don't take reservations, but the staff is still very nice and friendly.
As for the food, it is very authentic and absolutely stunning. My favorite dish is the alcachofas salteadas (sauteed artichoke hearts) and it is amazing. Also delicious is the queso de cabra (warm goat cheese with EVOO and oregano on bread), espinacas a la catalana (sauteed spinach w/ garlic, pine nuts, and golden raisins), setas salteadas (sauteed cremini mushrooms w/ garlic), the bocatin de morcilla (black sausage on grilled bread w/ roasted red peppers, and many others. Aside from those, the best dish I ever had here was a special of scallops in a saffron cream sauce.
As far as drink goes, this restaurant has an amazing wine list, but I can never decide if I chose one from it or if I should drink their delicious sangria.
This place has a very Spanish atmosphere and you can see the kitchen so it feels very casual, as it would in a Spanish tapa bar. All in all, I plan to come back more often.
Romantic, authentic, delicious.
Romthenicious.
The tapas are perfect for sharing. The sauteed mushrooms are heavenly, drizzled in a light garlicky sauce. Eat a chunk of garlic, I dare you. It's so tender, and cooked so well, it's more of a sweet morsel than a weapon of breath destruction.
Wine list? Extensive, almost overwhelming in detail. The waitress (who let me in a hair before they were officially open @ 5:29 p.m.) offered helpful suggestions.
Get the goat cheese.
Don't expect to leave this place hungry.
People thought this was:
Most authentic tapas in town - you can't go wrong with the Hamon Serrano and Tortilla Espanola.
Wait was long and service inconsistent (really depends on who you get). One time the owner herself took my drink order (after an excrutiating 45 minute wait), embarassed me in front of my coworkers by asking for ID and completely forgot to bring me my drink! As for wait staff....college students who aren't very attentive.
Despite the hiccups, I still frequent this place on weeknights but stay away during fridays and weekends.
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Hmm, I just don't get it. Maybe I tried the wrong things, but this place is so eh, it hurts. I hit this place up on a pretty hot day this summer right after work for some girl talk with a friend. I totally dug that it was A.) Right across from the St. Mary's T Stop B.) Cute outdoor seating C.) Awesome Sangria
However, the staff wasn't very helpful with helping me out with the menu, I had a few questions and she just seemed to sort of stare at both of us a long time before answering half heartedly--she wasn't rude exactly, just not quite with it.
The food was really expensive, we didn't really order much since the place was pretty empty I had no guilt about that--just a few things to tie us over--mushrooms, a ham and cheese dish and between that and our Sangria pitcher we ended up paying a lot. I enjoyed the potatoe salad we got for free--it was cool and good on the hot summer day and like I said--the Sangria hit the spot. I just can't imagine this place being fufilling under any circumstance...
If it wasn't on the T, I might never go again, but I would go just to sit on a hot day and drink some Sangria with a friend and maybe grab one Tapas, max.
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The thing that one has to keep in mind when going to this place, is that true Spanish cuisine is in fact very simple...no frills kinda food....
Most of the "tapas" places in the area are really updated American tapas, and although very tasty--not the real deal.
I will agree that is on the pricey side for simple food, but I am sure that has a lot to do with the fact that food products cost a hell of a lot more here than they do in the Spanish countryside!!
Anyway, some of my favorite staples here are the octopus salad, the chicken and fries dish and the garlic shrimp....and the sangria es MUY BUENO!!!!!!!!!
I will admit that there is a nasty staff member that works here ...so if you get her--- just take deep breaths, close you eyes...click your heels together and say "there's no place like Madrid, there's no place like Madrid."
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Wait, really?
I don't see what all the hype is about. I would say that my first experience at this local tapas spot will be my last. So here's my story...
I live in brookline, right down the street from this joint and I've walked by a thousand times. I finally made the time with some friends to check it out cause I've heard so many great things.
When we first walked in, we sat at the bar and waited for our table to be prepared. We sat at the bar for about 15 minutes before we were asked if we wanted anything to drink. Now i have no big qualms, about waiting to be served on if the spot, I'm at is super busy. However the waitress behind the bar was texting during our wait at the bar. Wait a second, are you serious? You're going to let people sit at the bar with out a drink in they're hand while you text away? Strike one...
Ok, we finally split a pitcher of sangria and it was not that great. it was far to fizzy for my tastes. But hey, to each his own. We then sat at our table and began to order some of the more expensive tapas I've ever had. Strike two
The food for the most part was average. In my opinion the food did not justify the price. Strike three
Even though this is the closest tapas spot to my house, I would much rather go the extra distance to Bar Lola in the back bay.
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The best tapas I've had in Boston. The croquetas were amazing. Good wine list too. The patio is great on a summer night.
The artichoke hearts are amazing, boffo! for the bluefish, the cheese plate is choice and the other pinchos are, well, really good too.
They have outdoor space (FAB!), they let our dogs join us outside (SUPER FAB!), and the servers are very nice. I would like to eat here every night... only problem is that I'd have to start selling my shoe collection to make it happen.
If you see a bunch of Blahniks show up on Craigslist, come join me at Taberna!
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The atmosphere is SO COZY - warm and inviting and lovely in every way. I walk past it every night on my way home and everyone inside always looks like they are having so much fun. I stare in the windows and suddenly feel lonely, hungry, and cold. Like the proverbial beggar gazing in on a Thanksgiving feast.
However, "feast" is hardly an appropriate word. As far as I'm concerned - their fare is not a meal. I really go to this place for a glass of wine, the food is secondary. And if you will allow me a moment for a vegetarian rant: I hate places like this where everyone orders a little plate and everyone shares - because I can't eat what everyone else has and my meal is really boring. Would it kill them to make a vegetarian sampler plate?
Despite its shortcomings, I really enjoy the place. It is a great place for a casual date or to kick back with some wine. Did I mention how cozy it is? There are pillows.
Funny/ of note: I live near this place and I try to use it as a landmark when giving people directions to my house - but they always think I'm saying turn at the "topless bar" instead of the "tapas bar." So, enunciation is key if you are inviting a date to this place... ha ha.
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The only really truly authentic Spanish food in Boston, no frills, no fancy stylized creations. This is what you would get if really eating in Spain. Ingredients are always fresh, and unusual choices include sepia and frog legs (both excellent); typical dishes like lamb Chuletillas and solomillo with blue cheese are also great. Plus, he gets rare imports of Spanish hams and cured meats and cheeses. Of course, the wine list is like a bible, given Julio's vocation in his past life.
But here is the thing... The last few times I went, I noted, with discontent, they've changed the menu away from raciones and more towards large simple and more expensive entree dishes (I'm guessing, for sharing?), and raised their prices too. The waitresses sometimes have a real attitude, so you almost feel guilty ordering and taking your time...
We still go cause it's fun there and we miss Spanish food.
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FANTASTIC. GREAT ambiance. Decor & music are great. Nice outdoor seating.
Highly recommend: veal sausage, rock hen, spinach with raisins & pine nuts, tortilla (it's like a potato omelet). Consistently fresh and delicious. Great wine selection too. Have been going here for seven years and consistently great.
As for the service....lots of people diss it but I've never had an issue. The bottom line is that they are very busy here and the waitstaff can get rushed. They're not there to entertain you--quite frankly I don't want my server telling my stories about his/her life. All the servers are highly knowledgeable about the food and have never steered us in the wrong direction.
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Brighton, MA
Category: Spanish
Neighborhood: South End
Category: Tapas Bars
Waltham, MA
Category: Tapas Bars
Neighborhood: South End
Category: Tapas Bars
Neighborhood: Brookline Village
Category: Latin American
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