My sister was in town so we invited my oldest daughter to join us for tapas & wine. We loved all of our selections, great wine list and over the top service. Will definitely be back! read more

Costa Brava - Tapas Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

My favorite Tapas restaurant in San Diego! The environment is so fun, and the service is great! I've been here 10 times and it never gets old! Highly recommend coming here with a group of people (4+) and getting a bunch of appetizers. I came here with a group of 5, and we got 6 tapas and split seafood paella for (3 people). We also split 4 pitchers of red sangria, which was tasty! I love how many fruits they put in it. My favorite hot tapas are: Sautéed chicken in a garlic and wine sauce, Grilled lamb on skewers, Pork sausage sautéed with onions, Potatoes with Ali Oli, Iberico ham croquettes, Spanish peppers sautéed, & the fried calamari. You have to try their paella! It's a little pricey because you pay by the person, but it's worth trying it. It's about $29 per person - depends on the paella you get. But the good part is that you can choose how many people for the paella. For instance, you could be a party of 6, but get the paella size for 3 people and all split it. This makes it less expensive for you and allows you to try more food (the other tapas). read more

Costa Brava - Seafood Paella - Tapas Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Outstanding service and food. Really enjoyed our tapas in the courtyard out back. We had limited time for dinner this go round, but will return with a larger group for sangria and plates to share. Greens, cheese, shrimp, chorizo, dates wrapped in bacon, warm bread, and Tempranillo wine. Perfect! read more

This place is a GEM. Everything is excellent, delicious, beautiful. Service is literally the best we've ever experienced. Ambience is wonderful. Top notch experience! read more

Pros: Happy hour (weekends too!), delicious paella, sangria, tapas Cons: Pricing and slightly forgetful service With a group of five, we headed over for the 4-6 happy hour on a Saturday. Wait was minimal at a few minutes for such a small space, with outdoor patio (heavily sheltered by the high bushes/vines encompassing the entire restaurant-front) with tvs for larger parties and interior having a bar with small table seating that seemed more for main course customers. Started immediately with sangria pitchers that seemed small but filled five glasses perfectly. Sangria was great, not too strong but tasty. From the tapas we ordered, my favorites from best to least; patatas, croquettes, mushrooms, calamari. Patatas are a must, crispy potatoes with a sauce that is not drizzled as sparingly as I wish. Croquettes were really moist on the inside. Mushrooms were a nice veggie break sauteed in a simple wine sauce, but they and especially the calamari severely lacked seasoning. Paella was the star of the show during our visit, super rich flavor and packed with shrimp, clams, mussels, chicken, and chorizo. Almost had us licking the serving spoons, but I just can't justify the pricing at $19+ a person. Ordered by serving size apparently, we almost made the mistake of ordering for 5, which would have been a whopping $100 addition. On correction, we opted to split $40 worth since we already had 6 tapas and 4 pitchers of sangria, which was ample for everyone to sample. Service was overall good with enthusiasm but spotty; requests for calamari only - not sandwich form - mistaken twice and sangria pitchers forgotten twice as well (but out of five pitchers for our table I guess its hard to keep track lol). Bottom line, I would probably never come for regular pricing. At $8-10 per tapa (meager portioning for a girl who eats as much as I do) and $20 paella plus drinks reg pricing, I'd be looking at a $50 solo bill easily. 3.5 stars, would definitely recommend for happy hour! read more

Costa Brava - Sangria - Tapas Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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The service was really good: 5 stars for that. However, I can't say the same for the food. Not to my usual liking and the only thing I actually enjoyed was the sangria and the filet mignon appetizer. My friend ordered for the 4 of us to share, so I don't remember the names of the items. But what was ordered was about 7 appetizers, 1 paella, 1 bread pudding, and sangria and another fun drink. I wouldn't come back, but "to each their own"... because my friend suggested this place since it was one of her favorites. I give the food 1 star but because the service was good, there's an additional star just for that. read more

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Great ambiance and service. Gustavo was in top of everything. He gave us some great suggestions and was constantly checking on us. He made out anniversary special. He had great attitude and was always happy. The food was exceptional with great portions. The Mixed Paella was more than enough for two. Thank you Gustavo. read more

Costa Brava - Mixed paella - Tapas Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Delicious food and great service. Waiters were great and on point. Th outside area was perfect for our two little ones. Our reservation time suited us well, we were the only ones sitting outside for awhile but we were comfortable and cozy. read more

First time here and I am glad I found a place that reminded me a bit of Spain. The tapas were delicious and the sangria by the pitcher was great. The only reason for 4 stars is because no one acknowledged us when we got there for about 5 minutes. The host was just talking to a table and seemed to be hanging out with people he knew. I will come back to try more tapas. read more

Costa Brava - Sangria by the pitcher. - Tapas Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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Great atmosphere and super friendly staff! The sangria is one of the best I've had. They have a big selection on wine as well as Spanish beers. Lots of options for tapas, definitely recommend. We also had their dessert, everything was great! read more

Costa Brava - Jamón Serrano, Beer (Galicia), Patatas Bravas, Champinones Al Ajillo, Sangría pitcher - Tapas Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Came here with a group of 9 for a birthday lunch. Staff was super nice and attentive. Food was delicious and perfect for sharing! Must get the patatas bravas, oxtail, octopus! read more

Great ambiance, food, and service. Went in for a taste of Spain. Tapas are all of high quality in comparison to my travels in Spain. Nice place to enjoy the evening. I highly recommend if you're looking to try several different flavors of Spain. read more

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Spanish cuisine and Spanish feel~ Costa Brava is a nice, Spanish restaurant located in Pacific Beach, a little more inland on Garnet. I first came here five years ago while being wined and dined and fell in LOVE with this restaurant. It was super romantic, with dim lighting semi-fancy, and a beautiful ambiance. Then I came back a year later for dinner and also celebrated my birthday dinner here. It's nice to come back here years later as I recently had brunch and it's still remains the same, great food and service! -huge selection of cold and hot tapas -my fave items here include: their garlic aioli that comes with the bread, that stuff is so savory.. also their tortilla espanola, brussels sprouts, and jamon serrano.. and an item off of their secret menu.. chicken stuffed pastry with a special sauce -sweet staff, friendly server Cesar.. very helpful and efficient providing recommendations - each item ordered tasted fresh and was addictive - drinks here are great, from the calimocho to the sangria This place is semi-pricey, but worth every penny! The ambiance is incredible and the food is top notch ;)) read more

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Decided to try this place because of all the awesome reviews. While the prices of the tapas here are pretty decent, the food left us a little underwhelmed. I felt like they could have seasoned a few of the dishes a little better. Service here is fantastic and I can't say enough about it but I'm a man of few words lol. 3.5 stars. read more

Delicious tapas, terrific service, and a charming atmosphere. The Sangria is wonderful, pitcher serves two (though an ambitious person could easily finish it on their own) -Ambitious read more

We had a couple pitchers of sangria to start. Was not overly wowed by the taste seemed weak and so so. The variety of tapas on the other hand were fantastic. We had the olives , manchego cheese slices, steak skewers, choricito frito, croquetas, sautéed mushrooms, asparagus, pan tomaca con jamon and the datiles con tocino. We also had chicken paella as the entree. Service was spot on and attentive! Enjoyed our time! read more

We always enjoy coming here for the delicious tapas options and of course red wine! Perfect date spot!

Love this place every time I go! Service and food are always excellent!!! Great hidden gem in San Diego!

Fantastic feast! Delicious bacon wrapped dates, fried anchovies and the peppers stuffed with crab and cheese in a roasted pepper purée were my favorites. Note- the fried anchovies were not on the menu, but I had read about them online and they were happy to make them just for us. The lamb and baby eels were second and then the mixed seafood salad. The sangria paired perfectly with everything. Service was outstanding- I lost count of how many check backs we had and they dropped off fresh bread every time they saw we had eaten ours. I think I ate 5 rolls!!! It's so good with the aioli and every dish had so much sauce that I mopped up every drop of it with as much bread as possible. The rolls were so perfect- they only came out freshly warm from the oven and each had a crispy crust and soft pillowy center -ideal for sopping up the pepper sauce or rolling in the jam that came with the bacon dates. I even soaked up all the olive oil from the baby eels. The staff were really sharp and organized- I can't remember the last time I had such great service. All the seating in the back was surprising- the front looks quite small. We sat in the back courtyard which was lovely- fresh open air and all tables were well distanced. I really had a great time and hope to go back very soon to try more tapas! read more

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I can't say enough great things about this hidden gem in Pacific Beach! The service is impeccable, the food is brilliant, and the ambiance is like none other in the area. You feel transported into Spain in this tapas mecca. My favorite dish is the gambas al ajillo (garlic shrimp), followed by the pulpo a la gallega (octopus), rabas (calamari) and patatas a la brava (potatoes). ALL of the YUM! Make sure to order the sangria to make everything even better! read more

Sweet little tapas and dinner place worth visiting. They have a lovely house sangria and wine list. The owner is often there circulating and they have a friendly staff who I think are all from Europe. Occasional live music, and a couple of big tvs. I like to sit at the bar during happy hour; charming curved bar which encourages interaction with others. Outdoor covered and uncovered patios with beautiful tile flooring. Reasonable prices!! read more

This place was recommended to me by a Spanish friend who said they had the most authentic Spanish food in San Diego. She was right. All the dishes me and my friends tried were really good! read more

Our favorite. We always go here when people are in town. Patio dining is the best!!!

I've been to Costa Brava a few times and have always just ordered a bunch of tapas as my meal. Some of the tapas I've enjoyed the most are the white asparagus, dates wrapped in bacon, chicken croquettes and potatoes with aioli. The potatoes with aioli are served hot with a crispy outside and soft center, covered in a scrumptious sauce. Sweet and salty has always been a favorite combination of mine so the dates wrapped in bacon are perfect for me. I'd also like to mention that this place serves complimentary bread during the whole meal that has always been soft, warm and refilled promptly. This place can get pretty busy on weekends so reservations are recommended. I prefer to sit outside on the patio. I find the ambiance outside is perfect for a date night, however inside there's live music playing. I would recommend coming here if you want to have a variety of tapas to make up a meal, instead of the standard one item entree. read more

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Romantic and cozy ambiance, i love the decor of this place, and food is AHHHHmazing. I came here on a Tues night and there was a band too. GAH, the mood was so adorable. Simply one of the best Spanish tapas places i've been to. Food: garlic shrimp (good), spicy potatoes (great), chorizo (great), and paella which includes seafood and has a good kick with each bite, but by the time we got to the paella, i was getting full, so it didn't taste as good as it could have had i had it at the beginning. My friend called in earlier in the day to order the paella, since it takes 45 minutes to prep. Everything was very reasonably priced. We also got a jug of red sangria, was fruity and sweet, just the way i like it. If i lived in SD, i'd be coming here all the time and would recommend this place to everybody. Warning: parking is difficult in the area. As for this place, be patient for them to make the paella since it takes a long time or call in ahead like we did. read more

Costa Brava - Paella and jug of red sangria - Tapas Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Since my and my loved wife discovered this place 10 years ago we are never disappointed food wise or service Orlando is one of the best servers his all ways nice and helpful:) read more

Lorraine was an amazing waitress and made our dining experience just wonderful, thank you Lorraine for your genuine , prompt service ! We will be back read more

Everything needed seasoned, the only thing that was good was the spicy potatoes which is hard to mess up

Always great Spanish food, good ambiance, a bit loud when they have live music but you can always choose to sit outside. Their Paella is a good one and their tapas are the bomb. Also great place to see the Spanish League soccer matches read more

First time in San Diego and dining in at Costa Brava was an absolutely wonderful experience. 5 stars in every aspect - food was delicious, service was spectacular, and the decor and ambiance was intimate and lively. Highly recommended whether for a date or large group. We called in for a reservation and were seated promptly. For tapas, we loved the: - Gambas Al Ajillo (shrimp with garlic) - Pinchitos Marunos (lamb skewers) - Champinones Al Ajillo (mushroom with garlic) - Datiles Con Tocino (dates wrapped in bacon) - Patatas A La Brava (spicy potatoes) For entrees, highly recommend: - Rabo de toro (ox tail in red wine) - Cordero Asado A Nuestra Manera (roasted lamb shank) - Squid ink paella (specialty dish not on the everyday menu, but was one of the stars of the night.) Our server was delightful and comped us dessert for our friend's special day as well. Truly a 5 star experience. If I'm ever back in San Diego, Costa Brava would be at the top of my list. read more

Met up with a few friends for dinner here & had a great time! It seems like a large space with indoor & outdoor seating (we sat on the patio & there were heaters so it wasn't cold). We were able to find parking pretty easily but I think that was partially also because it was the night before thanksgiving so keep that in mind as there is primarily only street parking! Our server was super friendly & recommended a lot of great items. We shared a pitcher of sangria (comes out to about 4 glasses per pitcher) & chose to share a bunch of small plates. We tried the Patatas Bravas (our favorite), bacon wrapped dates, oxtail, filet mignon skewers (super tender probably second favorite) & shrimp in aioli. Overall it was a great meal & a great spot for a date or catching up with friends! I'd like to come back and try their paella some day. read more

OK, so life is unfair. But the big one is Spanish food in the US. Simply, it's criminally underwhelming in visibility in our food scene. What's sad is that Spanish cuisine is outrageously diverse. And their endless types of dishes are embarrassingly rich in depth and flavor. The country has 17 autonomous regions (akin to states) with each vying to out-compete each other in their national kitchen. While other parts of the world are celebrating the wonders of Iberian dishes, the US is woefully yet unaware of Spain's gastronomic tradition. While Spanish eateries in San Diego are slim picking, we should be mighty grateful that there's Costa Brava in Pacific Beach. The owner is from Cantabria, but the menu is an open selection of Spanish favorites across the peninsula. Having tried several of of their tapas and main courses, I'll keep it bullet-point brief: * GULAS AL AJILLO (Baby Eels) - Delicious delicacy cooked in a bath of olive oil and garlic - a must! * PULPO A LA GALLEGA (Octopus Galicia Style) - Cooked to tenderness without be too chewy * CHORICITO FRITO - Oddly, I never tried this in Spain but only in Costa Brava; But it's a nice change from Al Vino or A La Sidra * PULPO A LA VINAGRETA - Can eat this all day * QUESO CABRALES - If you like your cheese sharp, strong, and pungent, then this is for you! * CROQUETAS DE JAMÓN​ - Fried crispy and flavorful but consider skipping because there are so many other strong dishes in the menu * MORCILLA FRITA CON CEBOLLA - A bit dry to spread on bread but tasty nevertheless - you can't go wrong with blood pudding of any sort. * PATATAS A LA BRAVA - A house specialty generously drizzled with their house Alioli - the simple potato wedge has never tasted so good! * TAPA DE RABO DE TORO - The braise makes this tough meat tender and stringy like a Ropa Vieja - get it if you want something hearty! * ARROZ NEGRO CON SEPIA - my wife's favorite dish as an entrée with flavorful calamari savor * CONEJO A LA CAZADORA​ - my favorite dish and parte del cuerpo ;-) * ENSALADA MIXTA DE LA CASA - After all the protein, this classic Spanish salad dish is the perfect roughage accompaniment. Plus, Ronaldo's dietary mainstay can't be too wrong Note to restaurant: the wife would love to taste a piece of home if you served Fabada Asturiana​. read more

Love love love this restaurant! Their paella is SO delicious and the staff is always exceptionally friendly. We go there for birthday s and special occasions because we love the food and the vibe! read more

Costa Brava - Paella Mista without shrimp...YUMMY! - Tapas Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Everything about this place is a yes. Menu, drinks, atmosphere. Well done as always CB team!!! read more

Costa Brava is like being in Spain. Great dishes that no other restaurant has and a great staff to serve you.

Such a big and open place! Enjoyed the tapas and the bread was so crispy - delicious! Definitely recommend this place for a date night or to try something new in the area! read more

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Unbelievable hidden gem! Food and service is amazing! Make sure to make a reservation!

Love the food and ambiance here! It was our first time. I had guests from the wast Coast craving Paella. This place didn't disappoint! Would definitely recommend this place and go back! read more

Dope!!!! Love this place. Great vibe, good service, great menu. Awesome back patio. You must try the Oxtail!!! I would eat that sauce off a flip flop :) so good!!!! read more

Costa Brava is a cute spot for patio dinning. My boyfriend took me to the SD Zoo and then for dinner here on Valentines. I enjoyed the food and would definitely go again. The tapas menu wasn't as extensive as most tapas places, but it's also possible they have reduced their menu during covid like many other have. read more

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