Just as good as everyone says and delicious cocktails too! It's a very fun vibe inside!

Last Friday was my first time at El Raval. I made reservations with out of town friends for Tapas before a concert. We were blown away by the quality and execution of the dishes and drinks. My favorite dish were the Costillas with the reduction sauce, however the albondigas and Gambas al ajillo were flavorful and tender. The shrimp were perfectly cooked. Pan a la brasa was a good choice to dip in the sauces. The Patatas bravas were crispy on the outside and so tender and soft on the inside. The tomato and aioli sauces were a nice compliment. Next time I plan on trying the mussels (Mejillones en su quet Catalan) and will definitely get the gambas and patatas again. read more

This restaurant is 10/10! We did the Feed Me experience and it was so much food. The ceviche was INCREDIBLE. Will definitely be going back.

Good not great We had reservations for 6:15 and were early, waiter didn't visit us until after 6:25. Not a great start The salad temporada was light and delicious-- best thing we ate. Croquetas were just ok Next we got olives and charcuterie. Both were good, could have used a few more pieces of bread (we only got 2 small pieces). The portion of salted hams was generous The drinks were overpriced at $15 (I guess that's normal these days) and fine, nothing special The support staff was all great -- lots of salty food so I was very happy to see the water very regularly Our table was very wobbly but I appreciate the host giving us an out of the way booth for our date night read more

Amazing food, awesome service. Everything we had was so delicious. Tons of flavor. We'll be back! read more

El Raval - Short ribs - Spanish Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Having spent some time in Barcelona and surrounding small towns i can testify that "El Raval" is the REAL DEAL!! I had a fabulous server who collaborated with the Chef and surprised me with an abundance of Deliciousness! I never touched the menu and my tastbuds experienced pure joy with every BITE! YES, I will be back and I am so EXCITED to have this fabulous dining experience just around the corner. VENGA!! read more

Excellent happy hour experience. Good service. Easy to get a spot at the bar. Crusty bread is 5/5. Recommend the patatas bravas Will be back to support this important addition to the Austin foodscape. read more

In a city with thousands of restaurants it's hard to stand out - this is a winner. Our experience tonight was wonderful. Delicious food. Internationally spectacular cocktails and phenomenal food. read more

El Raval - Spanish Near Me - Austin, Texas

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The food was great and they have a decent happy hour. Great paellas and tapas to share. read more

El Raval - Seafood paella - Spanish Near Me - Austin, Texas

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made a reservation for a large party of over 12, multiple days in advance... we had one waitress working not just our table but three other tables. No wonder items were getting missed and waters werent being refilled manager was on a ipad the whole time. tapas were very good,but portions were small for the price but whatever. Problem was the paella. my wifes paella was watery and acidic as well as my friends. out of the 4-5 paellas at our table only two were properly made. we all did a taste test and it was very obvious. the manager, in his perfect english, assured my wife (who is a native of Barcelona who grew up in the barrio "el raval") that the paella was actually perfectly fine... so that went about as well as telling a new yorker what a slice of pizza should taste like as a spanish restaurant you only have one job and thats to nail the paella One star read more

The food is over-priced. The service is awful. The meals are too small, not just the "tapas". A Spanish restaurant that does not know how to make Sangria. They used a dry wine and added a single orange wedge. The Crema Catalana had no fruit on top. The Paella for two feeds one, but it was tasty. The short ribs feed a small child but they were also tasty. Overall, it is not worth it. read more

Spanish food has a soft spot in my heart. It's one of the only cuisines I could literally eat every single day and be happy. I was not crazy about Barlata so I was a bit skeptical about trying El Raval, but it did not disappoint. The ceviche was so light and tasty. I wish the pieces of snapper had been cut in smaller pieces but overall a great dish. The croquetas of chicken and jamón ibérico were delicious and the bechamel sauce was the perfect pairing. The paella de mariscos was the best paella I've had in Austin and I'm a sucker for perfectly cooked scallops and theirs were beautifully cooked. I was impressed with both the presentation and the flavor. In my opinion the tables are too close to each other, so it felt a little less private than I like. Service was subpar. Apparently our server hadn't arrived on time, so we waited over 15 minutes for someone to take our drink order. Not ideal, but I'll definitely want to visit El Raval again. read more

Our server was great. Fully explained the dishes we were considering and thankful he suggested that we order another dish due to the portion sizes. The shrimp had wonderful flavor. The grilled octopus with chickpeas was more like chickpeas with octopus. Though the octopus was nicely grilled and tender there was not even 4 bites of it and waaay too much chickpeas on the plate. The slow cooked ribs were outstanding and complimented the vegetable paella. The patatas were nice and crispy and a generous serving. We are quite familiar with tapas having dined in Barcelona and other cities outside of the US, we did feel the portions at El Raval were not in par with the pricing. We actual left hungry. The most disappointing was that we felt rushed by those bringing and removing the individual plates. We felt a sense of urgency to eat. Also, the waiter spoke highly of the sommelier but the red wine chosen for the "Wild Card" that night (it's a surprise me kind of ordering) was down right undrinkable and my husband had to send it back for a cab sav on the menu. read more

Amazing, Delicious and Great Atmosphere! Our wait staff was ver attentive and responsive. The Paellas were exquisite and all of the Tapas to die for ! read more

This restaurant is still new and it's only opened a few weeks ago. The food here was very good and we enjoyed the different tapas we ordered. Unfortunately, they overbooked and had to scramble to find us a table despite having a reservation. This appeared to have happened to a couple other parties as well. After a rocky start, the food made up for it. I really liked everything we ordered and especially loved the fried calamari and the cauliflower. I didn't particularly care for the $15 cocktail I ordered through. The one thing I didn't like was how crowded it was. The tables were placed very close together to the point where it felt like you were not separate from the tables next to you; this also contributed to a loud noise level. All in all, delicious food, but I'd love to see them work out the kinks of their booking system and to not sacrifice ambiance and comfort in order to completely pack the restaurant with people. read more

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Fabulous food and service! Particularly well spiced lamb meatballs with labneh, yummy ceviche, great wine selection and great ambience with local live music read more

overpriced.....food extremely underwhelming...service was lack luster...portions way too small...nothing about the decor says anything spanish plus the server didn't meantion anything about the evening special collaboration...rice isn't hard to cook! i would never recommend this restaurant...high priced with no sophistication!! read more

Made reservations, got seated early. We were told they were short staffed, but they just opened so some hiccups are to be expected. We didn't feel any of it, the server was polite and the food came out right on time. Space had a cool hip street feel but not as casual as other Austin locations which frankly we appreciated. Food was 10/10. In some Austin locations the prices are not justified for the quality of food, this city has a lot of catching up to do with other foodie cities. Thankfully this spot delivers! We're super excited that we can add this to a short list or amazing food locations in Austin! We had zero complaints! Gambas Al Ajillo - 10/10 Setas Al Carbon - 10/10 Mejillones en Suquet Catalana - 10/10 * must try * Bistec Al Carbon - 10/10 Costillas - 10/10 We shall be back! read more

My friend and I had a fantastic time here for dinner. The ambiance is so lively and chic, the service was top notch and the food and drinks were truly excellent. Stand out dishes were the patatas bravas, braised beef and croquettas. I ordered two amazing cocktails - the gazpacho and the black truffle martini with a parmesan honey rim. Yum! Mmmm can't wait to go back! Truly an A+ experience and so fun and well executed. read more

We found this place by chance. Not being experienced ordering spanish food (other than Pallaea) we ordered a Seafood Pallaea and then asked our server to pick a variety (4) small plates. The Pallaea tasted very good but the portion was very small. The rice was about 1/2" thick (sticking to the plate) and the seafood was a little scarce. Everything our server (Eddie) brought us was great. I would give our server and everything he brought out 5 stars. I would give the Pallaea 3 stars. Overall I would highly recommend this placve and will definately eat again the next time I'm in Austin. Thanks Eddie for a great experience. read more

I rushed to Yelp as soon as I finished my meal. My husband and I have lived in Austin close to a decade and we can easily say without a doubt that this is the best meal we've ever had in the city (and one of the best in our lives). We had the chef's tasting menu and it was AMAZING. We will be dreaming about the duck paella for while. Our waitress was super nice as well! Perfect place for a date night, celebration, or regular treat yourself day. Will be coming back for years to come!! read more

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Phenomenal food and service - do not miss the Ssam de Costillas ( superb) but even the "regular stuff" - patatas bravas was as good as any we've had in Barcelona / wow / great addition to ATX offerings - two thumbs way up read more

The owners are so incredibly personal and talented - can't wait to go out for their flamenco performances!!

Where do I start? Probably by mentioning that our dinner at El Raval was probably the best restaurant meal we had this year. There are three things that stood out in our meal at El Raval and made it exceptional for us. First, it's unique. This is not a standard Spanish Tapas restaurant. The chef combines Spanish influences with elements from many other cuisines, mainly east Asian (Singapore, Indian, etc.), and combine all those elements into coherent dishes that work well together. The second thing we liked is the creativity. One of the things I appreciate the most when going to different restaurants is the opportunity to try new and creative dishes I haven't tried before. And El Raval delivers there. And third, everything we tried was also well-executed. And where the chef really excels is the sauces. We had three dishes with sauce, and each of them was very well-balanced and flavorful. After we ate there, I looked at the chef's resume, and found out she used to be a line cook for Robuchon's 3-star Micheline restaurant in Singapore. Which probably explains her sauce-making skills. Me and my wife had the "chef-selection" menu, which works like Omakase at Japanese restaurants, and includes literally whatever the chef decides to send us that night. Our meal included half-dozen oysters, red snapper ceviche, Roti Parata with sunchoke miso-hummus and wild mushrooms, Canelloni filled with braised oxtail, Cauliflower dish, Paella with duck confit, and two deserts: Crema Catalana, and Aroz Con Leche. Everything was tasty, but the dishes that stood out the most for us were the Roti Parata with wild mushrooms, and the Cannelloni. I was surprised that the best Parata I even had in Austin came from a Spanish Tapas restaurant, and what really made the two dishes so great was the sauces. Especially the Cannelloni. If I wasn't trying to appear civilized and maintain some sort of decorum, I could've licked the dish clean. It was that good. This is def our favorite new restaurant in Austin. read more

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First time here. Food was very good. Had the tuna crudo, hummus appetizer and the seafood paella. All were excellent. Service was just ok. Just opened recently so probably working out the kinks. Tables are very close together and the atmosphere is pretty casual. But the quality of the food is very good. read more

I loved the food , the service was amazing , and the ambiance was fun and comfortable. This place is a gem in South Austin.

Amazing small plates. So accommodating of my husband not eating mushrooms. Great, special spot with chef's choices outstanding.

The food was very delicious but over priced in my opinion! Service was okay, our server forgot a few things we had asked for but that's okay. Drinks were pretty good read more

El Raval - Spanish Near Me - Austin, Texas

First off I never really do this but What a lovely experience! We went without a reservation and were seated immediately, which is not likely in Austin. The table we sat was almost bar like but very spacious. The service was great, our amazing waiter JD was very attentive. We were lucky enough to chat with the co-owner and were given so many great recommendations and a little insight to the creation of the restaurant. We ended up going with the Paella and it did not disappoint. We also loved the unique drink menu. It was a great night with even better food! We're looking forward to visiting again and trying new dishes. read more

One of the best meals I've had in a long time! The food here is absolutely amazing! Got a variety of tapas and a few entrees to share with a group of 6, which was perfect. Topped it off with a few desserts and cocktails. Love the open vibe of the restaurant and very friendly service! read more

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Delicious food, fun environment and friendly staff. My partner and I LOVE the veggie pállela. One of our favorite spots for a fun night out.

We wanted to like the new operation at the old Barlata location and decided to check out the happy hour with another couple. The service gets a high score for attention and attitude, especially Derek, the manager who was on that night. Here's the thing, tho, the food was spotty in that the paella (at $38) was pretty bad. I don't think it was cooked in the pan it was served in (no sucarat on the bottom) and it was way too salty. We should have sent it back, but we were having fun and overrode our inclination. There seems to be a disconnect with the bar or however the tab gets rung up. In the end, we were overcharged about $14 on drinks that were wrongly entered (didn't notice it until the next day), and he martini at $15 was waaaay pretentiously priced. All in all, our $275 bill for a Happy Hour outing, including that ridiculous 3% "health and wellness" fee some restaurants are charging now (and still presenting you with a choice of 20, 25, or 30% tip ..... you are tipping on your tip!) left a rather bittersweet taste and not a compelling reason to return. Sorry, El Raval, you failed the first test of new business: Make sure your new customer has an experience where they feel they got more value than what they paid. read more

We had dinner tonight at El Raval. From the moment when we walked into the restaurant until leaving, it was a great experience. The host was very welcoming and spent time with us talking about his favorites on the menu as did the waitress who was quick to take our drink orders. I ordered the patatas tapa, single order of the day's Paella (chicken) and white wine for the amazing price of just $30 (Happy Hour). We both had red sangria. My wife had gambas (shrimp in garlic oil) and meatballs. All was very good - the paella perhaps the best I've had, a delicious flavor. Two more wines and a dessert and it was under $150. I'll be back - hope to see you. read more

The food and service is amazing!!! The whole crew were efficient and made our experience wonderful. Everything tasted amazing. We had the seafood paella. Their seafood is fresh and packed with flavor. Def coming back to try the three other paella plates!! Shout out to our server Tommie for such an amazing experience. Derek greeted us with knowledge and enthusiasm and def created an amazing vibe. I'll be coming back! read more

Great veggie options and fun ambiance -- the man pouring wine into people's mouths was a highlight!

Me and some friends went to El Reval on Easter for brunch it was absolutely fabulous! We got the Spanish omelette and it was one of the best omelettes I've had! We also got potatoes with an amazing sauce on top and bread with butter and jam- all Devine! Great service from the Manager and server and the ambiance was fabulous! 10/10 would go back read more

Really really good. We had the mussels (amazing), the patas bravas (huge and really good) the shrimp was ridiculous, the Brussel sprouts and a few other things (we over ordered). The only thing we got that was good but not maybe our thing was the stuffed squid. Overall this is on the shortlist of our favorites in Austin. Staff was great too, that's important read more

We've visited El Raval twice and found the staff and space very accommodating and enjoyable. The first was for a date night where we let our server steer much of the selection. The Gambas al Ajillo are not to be missed - ask for extra bread and don't leave any of the delectable chili oil behind. We also really enjoyed the Albondigas. The ceviche was tasty but didn't connect like the shrimp. Our second time out, last week, our server Savannah masterfully led our experience. We had a 5 top (yay more to share!) that included a vegetarian with a shellfish allergy so severe that we could not share the same serving spoons or plates. The parameters provided were zero problem. We got to try the pan con tomate, patatas bravas, croquetas, paella de Setas y Verduras, brussel sprouts and cauliflower along with our now required shrimp and meatballs. We agreed that each of those were green lit to revisit our next time in with the exception of the pan con tomate. The mocktails are on point. El Raval has a chef's selection option for $60 per person (that includes paella) and we've agreed that's how we want to go next time around which I sincerely hope is soon. I don't review much but felt compelled for the South Austin spot. read more

Just went there to celebrate our daughter's birthday and it was exceptional! She lived in Barcelona for a while and the food here is the most authentic she has ever experienced in the US. The food and the service all exceeded our expectations. You have to try the Brussels sprouts ! They are the best you'll ever have. read more

Overall, I thought the food was incredible, but the service definitely lacking. I ordered a glass of sparkling wine to start. It took a while to come out and was the tiniest glass of wine Ive been served in a restaurant. I actually said something to the waiter about it with no response. We ordered the tasting menu and loved everything, but no one took the time to explain what we were eating. We had to ask about everything. We sat without water for half the dinner as well and had to ask for our glasses to be refilled. The dessert was excellent. After we had finished dessert the waiter brought out two half filled flutes of sparkling wine and said we made a mistake and only gave you a half glass earlier. He made it sound as if he was giving me a freebie by giving me another half glass. He did give my friend a half glass as well, but at this point we were done and didn't even want it. Very odd. Just admit the mistake and bring a full glass! I would like to try again and maybe sit at the bar. read more