The food is wonderful, and the staff is inviting. The lamb is some of the best in the city!

I should start by saying I didn't even try the food. This review is about costumer Service. I made a reservation for me and my husband on a weekday, we had just come out of the gym and didn't have time to change... this would have been my first time in this restaurant, having said that we have been to the most expensive restaurants, Michelin starred and such, etc around the world and the following has never happened... we get there and not even asking us if we had reservation or not they just immediately sit us at the bar. I complain about not getting a table since I made a reservation... they said: " we have a strict dress code" ... Your restaurant is in a strip mall ! And not a good one! This was the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. Anyhow, I understand when restaurants have dress codes, but be elegant and respectful about it... especially if you are a VERY average or below of what an outstanding, high ranked restaurant is. read more

Paella! This is probably the only good paella you will find in Houston. Delicious! Great service, atmosphere and food. A new favorite. You can also request the paella with any of the meats or seafood to your liking. read more

Classy European feel restaurant in Bellaire. Paella!! $28. Extensive wine selection. They ask that you turn all phones to vibrate. A rose on each table. Attentive servers. Lunch salmon salad is $16. Get a small dish of olives and olive spread as you sit down. Not for children. Romantic date-might place to consider. read more

Good ingredients, great service and nice atmosphere. So far the only Spanish restaurant that does not ripp you off with Jamon Iberico.

We visited Costa Brava Saturday night, 3/02/13, with no reservation and got in without a wait at 6 pm but by the time we left , 7:15, the restaurant was full. We had a quick meal as we needed to be at another engagement by 7:30 so we did not have desert and only had a two course meal. Upon entering we had a very appreciative welcome and were seated immediately. An olive starter was placed upon the table and our drink order was taken to allow us to peruse the menu as we had not been there before. We ordered a great a glass of chardonnay and a very good malbec to accompany a bowl of gazpacho and a very good salad. We followed our soup and salad order with a lamb chop, medium rare, done to perfection, and a spinach linguine which was also delicious. Do not expect an Italian version as this linguine is more a Mediterranean flavor. The service was exceptionally pleasant and efficient. I would not hesitate to recommend this restaurant to anyone and we will return. RJR read more

This place is plain AWESOME. My husband picked it for date night after recommendation from 2 of his colleagues . Everything was so tasty that even my husband who has been to Spain twice said there is no better paella than the Ángeles' paella. Also the Galician-style grilled octopus was way too yummy. Our server Christian was espectacularly helpful and the ambiance remarkable. Will come back a million times and will recommend to every foodie out there. read more

Truly excellent food in an intimate European style bistro. Extra points because it is one of the few restaurants in Houston where you can actually hear yourself think. (Too many restaurants in the United States are way too loud!) Costa Brava is a true classic. Elegant and timeless!!! Lunch specials are fabulous, especially their filet Mignon and their cinnamon-laced rice pudding. read more

Service good, nice ambiance overall sweet. Disappointed when I asked for a desert Olloroso and the owner\manager told the bartender to serve a previous poured glass. She turned an excellent experience into a mediocre event. Shame on management to do that in front of a customer and belittle the staff. read more

Wonderful food, service and ambiance. The snapper and artichokes were shear perfection. Great Spanish wine. I could eat the same thing every day and never tire of it. I highly recommend this restaurant. Everyone else's food looked great, and they were very pleased. read more

We had dinner there last night. Was very good. Nice ambience, good service. The place was relocated recently and looks very nice. I had the rabbit which was excellent. My wife had the Snapper which was also very good. Price for the service and food quality seems reasonable. We will go back to try other items on the menus. read more

perfect cozy unpretentious delicious food excellent service comfortable restaurant. whew! that's a run-on sentence without a verb if ever there was one, but this place is marvelous and inspires enthusiasm. we had some of the best octopus i've ever had, reasonably priced wine and an amazing paella, not to mention a terrific garlicky shrimp dish. between the four of us we ate our way, tapas style, through the small plates and enjoyed every one. don't let the fact that it's in a strip mall dissuade you, it's well worth a trip for both food and atmosphere. wish i was back in houston so i could visit again! read more

This place was really nicely decorated and cozy. The service was good and food was delicious. The restaurant is classified as Tapas, Spanish and French food but it is mostly seafood. I would definitely recommend this place read more

Very delicious! Omg! The service was amazing and the food is on a whole new level of delicacy. Very comfortable environment.

Wow. Quite a gem in the neighborhood. Great food. Best gazpacho i have tasted since i lived in Spain. The food is a little pricey but well worth it. They have a few tables outside, and although the view is a parking lot (like most houston), its a nice place to sit on a pleasant afternoon. read more

After 10 years living in Houston I have finally found an authentic Spanish restaurant. My family is from Rioja so I won't settle down. The alubias with jamon Serrano are truly made respecting traditional cuisine but then your find other dishes like the lamb with manchego mash potatoes.... That combination was not traditional but exquisite. The best was the crema catalana also known as creme brulee in France. Crispy outside and creamy inside. The food was simply delicious but then the service was excellent. Our waiter took care of us all night long. Good food and service in a very well decorated bistro. Just the trifecta!! read more

One of the more impressive Houston-area restaurants I've visited this year--great ambiance, great wine list, and a great, authentic menu, in particular the paella. Don't let the strip mall location fool you, this is an actual adult restaurant, a perfect place for a business dinner or date night, especially if you happen to live out in Bellaire. read more

Came here while visiting my father-in-law. He is wheelchair bound. We came early but felt like kings and queens because the service was splendid. Only the scrumptious food out played the service. We shared and tasted off of each other's plate. read more

21 dollars for one shrimp and one scallop and they charged us for bread lol, won't be back. The server was great and very informative though. read more

Goat cheese house salad was good. Linguini is tasty. Seared snapper is good. Foie gras was overcooked but other parts of this dish is delicious read more

I love everything about this restaurant, the wonderful food, wine, excellent and friendly service, and the decor and atmosphere. You forget you're in Houston. It's like flying to Spain for dinner. We had the Salpicon de Mariscos and the Octopus appetizers. Then the paella. All was superbly delicious. The wines (Albarino and Rioja) were excellent, too. And don't get me started on the dessert, an apple tart with caramel sauce and homemade ice cream! OMG. We will be regulars at Costa Brava from now on. One hint: make reservations, it gets packed. But if you go early enough, as we did, you may score a table by the bar. read more

Much has changed besides the location. We had a large party for a birthday celebration with one bill. Despite having reservations, we were treated like an imposition. Servers were brusk and dismissive. Expected decent service for a $650 bill. Underwhelmed by food to boot. read more

Great atmosphere, great service. I gave this restaurant 5 stars because I will be back. The potato leek soup was delicious just would have liked a lttle sherry in it or something to give it a little punch. The Lamb Wellington was amazing, have never seen Lamb prepared like this..a little more seasoning for my taste but I wouldn't recommend the Paella. It wasn't authentic enough for me. Not served in the usual skittle, chicken, beef and pork overcooked. Mussels and rice undercooked but just my opinion. Delicious Bread Pudding. read more

My second trip to Costa Brava confirmed my first impression, it is my new fav in Houston, which is saying something. Angeles is such a gracious manager and sets a friendly and relaxed tone. The place just smells fantastic. We were a table of 6 and I didn't tune in enough to what everybody else was doing because my entree of the scallops and shrimp on a bed of leeks risotto with an other-worldly saffron sauce was just exquisite. I don't use words like that often. Very nice, Costa Brava! read more

Really fantastic restaurant, with excellent and interesting foods and great service.

The food was extremely good. Foie gras was fantastic with the sweet bread. Octopus was cooked perfectly. Mixed review on the paella. We prefer americas in river oaks better. We had bread pudding which was soft and chocolaty. olive tray was good. Would have appreciated being seated a bit earlier. Our server was attentive though front of the house can use some work. read more

Every element of a high end restaurant in a small shopping strip on bellaire. Food was cooked perfectly and the octopus is as good or better as anywhere else in the city read more

Lost it's edge. They must now be cutting back on their food quality, as the taste was more blah than ah. Still the wonderful Angel owner to greet you, and very kind Chef. But the fish was not fresh, the meats were not the quality of a few months back, but the paella was still great. read more

The service is outstanding. Owner continues to stop by the table and tries to make sure everyone is pleased. My only issue was with the salad and soup... I guess Spanish and French just aren't my particular cup of tea regarding spices. The fish was as everyone described...excellent. I wasn't overly impressed with the soup, but again, maybe its just my tastes. My shrimp was really good. Gotta say...the price is pretty steep for small portions. I feel that for the price they charge, perhaps including the tiny salad might not be out of the question. read more

Got to sample a variety of items from their menu today, I hope to go back soon to try what I missed :D

Very surprising place! It occupies à spot in a nondescript strip center in Bellaire. You walk into a charming intimate bistro that serves exceptional food and has excellent service. This is a true gem! Perfect for a romantic dinner for two. read more

Absolutely love this place. Food is about 4/5. Cost is $$$, ambience is 4/5, service is 5/5, and location 3.5/5 (parking was hassle). Overall 4 stars! ! read more

I liked this place very much. I feel like they have some really find foods. The duck and the red snapper are among the best. My wife does not really like this place though. I feel like this place is really for (old) business people. We are young and ware casually. They always gave us wired looking, which I do not like. Again if you only care about the food, this is the place you want to check out. read more

Garlic shrimp, paella, gazpacho, and apple tart - the best in Houston. And the family feel of the welcome, the service is incomparable!

A delightful place to dine. Excellent service, from the appetizers to the sweet endings, the food is delectable! Costa Brava, welcome another steady guest! read more

Ambience of this small restaurant in a strip mall on Bellaire is fine. Not great, not bad. Greeter was warm. Bartender and waiter attentive and helpful. Server said gazpacho was the best appetizer. Had it. Not great. No texture and not a lot of taste. Fine, not great, not bad. Server said snapper was second best item on menu (cannot remember what was best item). It was fresh. Not a ton of flavor but very good. All in all, an A-OK experience. Won't pick it to go back as it's pricey and Houston has so many great restaurants, but also would not protest going back. read more

We ended up here by accident, as the place we were supposed to meet ended up being under renovation. What a pleasant surprise. The food, service and ambiance was perfect and the wine list was very well appointed. Highly recommended! read more

First time at Costa Brava and we were very impressed! Paella was amazing and the wife had the red snapper. Awesome experience! Will definitely be back. Desserts looked great but we passed this time! read more

Excellent food and nice wine pours. Kinda pricey. The owner is very nice and always there to greet you which is cool.

I have been to this place twice for lunch with different group of friends - great food, great services both time! I will definitely return with my husband to try their seafood paella!! read more