Cannot figure out why this place doesn't have all 5 stars. We stumbled onto this place on a weekday and were completely blown away! First of all, love that they take COVID-19 precautions seriously; they checked our documentation and IDs so we felt safe. Tables are well-spaced. Service is excellent. Food was AMAZING! We had the octopus, smoked oysters, lamb, bacon-wrapped dates and multiple desserts, and it was all delicious. Highly recommend. Lovely place. read more

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The food was quite delicious. We ordered the seafood paella, black pork, bacon wrapped dates, soup, and the Brussel sprouts. The Brussel sprouts were nice and crispy. The paella has a nice fragrance, some sweet char on the bottom of the rice with the prawns, muscles, and fish inside. The atmosphere has a homely festive feel with mood lighting and candles at every table. Even my kid who is very picky enjoyed her meal and orange juice. The service was exceptional and very friendly. Enjoyed the whole time immensely. Will be back! read more

Bota - Leftovers lol - Spanish Near Me - San Francisco, California

Dio was our server and he was amazing ....he gave us some recommendations that were spot on ... this place has great atmosphere and we would highly recommend... Nic and John - Melbourne read more

The food was delicious. Service spectacular and ambiance was beautiful. Thank you!!! Everything we ordered was great. Including the dessert! read more

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I'm BOTA leave my job and travel the world after this pandemic is over (NO ITS NOT OVER YET, YALL. STOP. STAY SAFE). Been 1.5 years since I last travelled due to COVID *cries*. Closest to Spain I can get to is Bota. .:: Food::. Grilled Octopus $26: chorizo, potato confit, lemon air, chili oil, smoke paprika. Presentation on point, the octopus was much better than anticipated. Come with about 3-4 pieces of octopus. Ox Tail $19: tempranillo braised, prawns. Juicy oxtail, can never go wrong. Shrimp was a bit overcooked and dry. Meat Paella $47 Regular: chicken, spicy chorizo pork, piquillo peppers. Overall pretty good. I wish it was a bit more seasoned though. Secreto Iberico $23: Organic black pork, tomatoes, marbled potatoes, garlic, thyme. Pretty good, SLIGHTLY tough, but overall a good flavor Chocolate Ganache $9: chocolate ganache balls, olive oil, sea salt and sugar baghette. IDK why, the picture made it look like mini lava cakes haha.. whoops. But its basically chocolate pieces .:: Service/ Ambiance/ Parking ::. Our server was nice! Hard to flag down though throughout our dining experience. They took about 10-14min for the food to start staggering out. The place is located inside a hotel. Smaller place but very modern feels. Well lit. Parking was hard as it is located in DTSF. My friend parked in a garage a couple blocks away. .::COVID::. -staff wore masks -paper menu -paper receipts/signing check with pen still not contactless read more

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Yummy seafood paella and great service! We'll def be back. And our server, Dio was so helpful.

Still awesome! Wonderful food, great service, and a nice vibe. Happy to dine here any time. read more

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Fabulous seafood paella, to-die-for Brussels sprouts and crispy potatoes bravas! Our Dio was fantastic! Highly recommend!

Adequate but uninspired. Boring hotel lobby decor, brightly lit at dinner time. Food ok but not amazing. Cocktails looked nice but boring. Spanish food should be a celebration! Color! Flavor! Variety! Passion! Decor should reflect the cuisine region and lighting should be more suitable for dinner time date night. This restaurant is in an amazing location right across from the curran and should have been PACKED before the show. Meatballs--tough and overworked, "sauce" flavorless tomato puree Bacon wrapped Dates with cheese. Made with thick undercooked bacon. (I prefer thin cut bacon wrapped tightly and baked till it's like a bacon-y shell around the date) Octopus was tender and good, but potatoes with were not seasoned and lemon "air" was foam that did not taste like lemons. Brussels sprouts--fried but not anything special Chicken cannelloni--hardly any chicken, slathered in bland bechamel. Not sure why this is on the menu. I recommend the owner and chefs visit several other Spanish/tapas restaurants and maybe book a trip to Spain. The food seemed like it was prepared from an American cookbook, by someone who doesn't really enjoy eating. Big lost opportunity. This place could be busy, fun, tasty and a memorable dinner spot for special theater nights. read more

The lamb chops was DELICIOUS and Nicholas provided great service. Don't forget to order dessert! read more

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Perfect location to Masonic Center right up the hill. Food is fabulous. Had the amazing squid ink paella with many tapas. Most portion of the tapas is 3-4 pieces. Highly recommend the Oxtail and Mussels. Smoke oysters are delicious but only 4. Will come back! read more

Bota - Oxtail tapas - Spanish Near Me - San Francisco, California

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We got the seafood paella, steamed mussels, and ox-tail. Seafood paella - not the best, I had better. The seafood was over cooked, the mussels had sand inside of it. The rice was perfectly seasoned. Steam mussels - cooked perfectly. Highly recommend getting this. Ox-tail - it came with 3 pieces of ox-tail and 2 pieces of shrimp. The ox-tail came off the bone very easily. The shrimp was over cooked. read more

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We came here on a Friday evening, and it seemed pretty empty. While it was empty, we had to wait a about 15 minutes to order; it just seemed they forgot about us. Their food was fine for tapas, some of the stuff was hit or miss. For instance, the peppers, the brussel sprouts, the chicken strips, all delicious. The sangria was just okay. The meatballs were a little dry, the garlic shrimp were uninspired. The food came out quickly though and the bathroom is on the lower level which was a little odd. I always judge these ratings of, "would I go here again if I had a chance?" I think the answer is a soft maybe. read more

We could not speak more highly of Rob! R-o-b! From seating us, to taking our order, to serving the food, he was an absolute gem! He was respectful, welcoming, and accommodating! And the food was delish! 10/10 would recommend. read more

Restaurant is dated and has an odd smell at the entryway. Menu is limited and the paella options start at $49 with no samples available to try. Decided to opt for tapas as I wasn't ordering a $49 dish without knowing if I'd like it. Patatas bravas is my go to for tapas. Potatoes were heavily seasoned and the sauces were overpowering. Fried chicken was overcooked and again the sauce on the side was overpowering. Meatballs were good if a little dry. This is also yet another place that hits you with a 6% surcharges for California mandates and back of house rather than just price their items correctly. Overall average at best and not worth every hefty prices. read more

Best lamb chops I've ever had. The blend of cool marscapone with crushed pistachios was such an enjoyable texture. The charcuterie and cheese combination was perfect for two. Make sure to ask them to do that for you! Speedy and friendly service. Not too loud or crowded. Really chill vibes. read more

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The food was really high quality. I loved the fact they had chicken sausage which was so inclusive. The service was efficient, warm and friendly. Id certainly come back again. I also apprexiated the flexibility of the staff for my needs. Great place read more

This place is wonderful! Food is great and Keith was top class service. Will definitely return.

A great place to dine before hopping over to the Curran Theater. The tapas were amazing and well portioned for two. Sergio took good care of us, from food to drinks to answering our questions. Modern atmosphere and while noisy, it is easily possible to hold conversations read more

Really great service! Keith was quick and attentive. He also recommended the Secreto Iberico and it was deliciously salty with fried garlic. The bacon wrapped dates and the Garlic prawns were also a good pick. read more

Bota - Chocolate Ganache - Spanish Near Me - San Francisco, California

paella was okay but bacon wrapped dates were delicious and oxtail was so tender. chicken strips were moist and churros were fire

Loved the tapas. Sangria was delicious and Rob my server was fantastic. Excellent service. Only one thing I was not happy and was dessert. I was not a fun of the texture and needed more caramel top crust in my opinion. read more

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The service was top notch, great explanation on what the dishes are assorted, and gapped the plates out perfectly. The paella was delicious and had a great after taste. Would recommend this to anyone looking for some great tapas and paellla. read more

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The service was pleasant. The lovely music playing in the background was nice and not too loud that we can still hold a conversation. The star of the show was the Squid ink Paella and patatas braves was delicious. read more

Bota - Squid Ink Paella - Spanish Near Me - San Francisco, California

The food came out fast and was DELICIOUS! I wanted to order everything on the menu. The service was quick and friendly we will certainly return. read more

I have been at this location many of times, but at this particular time it's a long time to bring my food out and I don't like it. Now normally when I come in the food takes 5 to 20 minutes to come out with no problem it comes out fine nice and hot but today it's a little different. and the ambience is nicest. Cool it's for a settling night outing with the The wife. read more

Honestly I wasn't impressed. The mussels were very large and lacking in flavor. The ambiance was terrible, we were the only people in the restaurant and the lighting was ver bright. The service was great and our server was really friendly but the food sucked. We had meatballs, mussels, oysters, ox, patatas bravas, brussel sprouts, and the creme brûléeish dessert. The brussel sprouts and potatoes were the only thing I enjoyed. The creme brûlée was not cooked all the way, and the ox had more fat and bone on it than edible meat. Just not a fan of this place read more

The food presentation is very pretty. The serving size is in the FDA guidelines of daily intake (so not supersize portions which is fine by me). The Valenciana paella with shrimp in a cast iron skillet is extremely salty. Flavor is reminiscent of Denny's chicken skillet dinner, but with 5 prawns. The Pera (pear) Confit is tasty, but a little too much blue cheese for my taste. The server not real friendly, and didn't offer dessert (maybe thought that it's early afternoon, so why would anyone want something sweet), and didn't give a pen to pay the meal. read more

The food was amazing. I would definitely come back for the grilled octopus tapa. Overall, staff was so professional and the ambiance is great. read more

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Shishito peppers and steamed mussels were delicious - the seafood paella was terrific

The best item we ordered were the bacon wrapped dates. They were so flavorful, that everything else seemed bland. The lamb were so so - they came with mascarpone and crushed pistachios on the side, which didn't really go with the lamb. The octopus had an interesting, jiggly lemon foam, but it wasn't as lemony as one would expect and the octopus was chewy. Paella was okay. Chicken fingers were moist on the inside and crunchy on the outside. The chocolate dessert was rich and fudgy, so if you like chocolate, this dessert is for you. The crema is like crème brûlée but nothing special. So...the bacon wrapped dates were memorable, but everything else was so so. read more

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Came here on New Year's Eve - surprisingly was able to make reservations the day of. Restaurant wasn't terribly busy and a high top table was ready upon arriving. The host, whom I believe was actually the manager, was very accommodating and asked if we would prefer to have a low top table but would have to wait for cleaning. The light fixtures within the entry way of the restaurant created a nice ambience. Appetizer Pear Confit salad: was fresh with a tasty vinaigrette dressing of some sort Heirloom Tomato: I didn't taste but my date stated that it was just okay Tapas Lamb chop with pistachio mascarpone cheese was delicious. Chops were seasoned to perfection Paella Vegetarian paella Sooo good. The rice was properly cooked and the vegetables kept their unique flavors. Brussel sprouts were an included vegetable in the dish, not listed on menu. The peppers created just the right amount of kick (spiciness) to the dish without be overwhelming. read more

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Overall great food! We loved the secreto iberico, octopus and paella, on top of that our server Keith was great. We'll come back again. read more

Bota - Spanish Near Me - San Francisco, California

The only thing that was good in Bota was the service and attention that the waiter showed. Probably it's not a good thing that a place that has "paella" in its title makes such a terrible paella. I had a standard seafood one for $49 and it was overcooked, shrimp was terribly salty and mussels just did not taste good. I don't plan to come back and will not recommend this place to my friends. To be completely honest I see my dinner there as a waste of time and money. read more

Love their paella! Every tapa we ordered was delicious, drinks are beautiful as well as great. Must to try smoked oysters! Very calms, cozy and rustic environment. Love the music selection ;) read more

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Everything was awesome! Plus the server was so nice and welcoming. Definitely recommend. The paella was delicious.

Visit May 2024, Stepping into the restaurant you find a spacious mildly lit space with fantastic music to accompany. We opted out of drinks and dove right into the tapas menu. We wanted the biggest array of dishes to paella simply wasn't going to work for us. Course 1: the croquettes of the day (octopus) served with a romesco sauce. Plating was beautiful and the fry had a delicate crunch. Texture was fantastic, and the presence of octopus was happily noted. The raw oysters came in an order of 6 with the proper accompaniments. Flavor was clean and slightly briny and the shuck was well executed Course 2: Bacon wrapped dates. Stuffed with manchengo cheese and wrapped in a sauced bacon. A solid choice of a decent size, though the manchengo left a bit of "funk" to be desired Iberico meatballs. The meatballs were definitely the low point of the meal for us. The recipe could use a rework. We found the meatballs themselves dry and the sauce watery. It is a shame they don't use that beautiful romesco for this dish. Course 3: The smoked oysters. Presentation was absolutely stunning served with cold smoke under a glass bell. The oysters were once again shucked wonderfully. The Chorizo served as a welcome compliment. The only down side was the distribution of the lemon air sitting mostly on the top two oysters. The Grilled Octopus. The main standout of the meal. Perfectly cooked and tender. Served with the lemon "air" and a generous serving of potatoes. In our opinion this is a must hit. Dessert: Full disclosure, posting a yelp review earned us the chocolate ganache free of cost. The chocolate carried a good shine and was well salted. The bread/strawberry was well proportioned. That being said you'd have to be a real chocoholic to take down the full dish on your own. To summarize; this restaurant pulls off Octopus wonderfully. The Oysters are fresh. I might venture to say that this is truly a Spanish seafood restaurant above anything else. read more

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Is not many times that you get to enjoy a delicious plate that is form a diferente country, I am more impress with the service than the food, but please keep in mind the food is phenomenal, sitting at this small restaurant and bar surrounded by amazing service people has been the reason why I keep coming back, I dare you to try their food and even more their service. read more

The service was excellent, start to finish. The prawn tapas were the highlight of the meal, but the Brussels were a close second, and the Patatas certainly held their own in the mix. You can't come here without enjoying the paella though.. two of us ( my boo amd I) split a small portion, and the size and flavor were excellent. Top it off with either the white or red Sangria (we preferred the red) and you'll think you're in a sidewalk bar in San Sebastian. read more

We came to celebrate a birthday and all was fabulous! Our server was amazing!!! Drinks were festive and yummy! We had all Tapas, passed on the Paella this time around! Olives were plenty; not just a few like lots of places offer!!! Shrimp was full of garlic, great sauce! Not fishy! Meatballs were cooked well and tomato sauce was delightful! Octopus Croquets so yummy! Pork shoulder amazing; great potatoes and tomatoes served with it! Tomato salad was light and crisp! Ganache dessert was amazing!! Rich but not too filling!! Churros had a cream inside of them! Lively but not too noisy!!! Great gem! Will be back! read more