I'm a huge lover of this place, but I've only been three times since first discovering it a couple years ago. I came here for my birthday the first time, took my grandmother the second, and met the love of my life for our first date there, so forgive me for being a little biased as to how much I like this place. Their paella is so-so. I've tried both the carne and seafood one and both times the rice is just a little undercooked in some spots and the carne one really didn't have good flavor. What is amazing are their tapas. I always get patatas bravas and the quail along with oxtail stew. Let me tell you, I could eat their quail for days. The atmosphere was perfect for a first date, we were seated in the window and it was just really romantic in a hectic kind of way lol. On my birthday we ended up ordering almost 8 carafe's of sangria for a table of 5...turned out to be an awesome night. When I took my grandma before heading to a show in the Mission, we had a wonderful time though I wasn't a huge fan of sitting in the cut out of the wall. It amplified the noise and I felt like no one could see us or get to us. I always order as much sangria as possible because it's cheap during happy hour and is pretty good. Not the best sangria I've had, but definitely not the worst. Tapas are cheap and their service is quick. I didn't find out that they tip themselves until I read some of the poor reviews here on yelp, so that's an excellent bit of knowledge to have. Overall, I still love this place. read more

Garlic Shrimp - Bomb. Save the oil as a bread dip. Fried Sardines - Pretty good. Blood Sausage - Now, I hate any blood product, but this stuff was great. Spicy Potatoes - Yummy Oxtails - So good and tender. Clams - I could eat these all day Seafood paella - Amazing. Everything was perfectly cooked/grilled. The only thing I didn't like was that the restaurant was extremely loud. read more

Hands down my favorite sneaky cheeky place for a fun dinner. Paella is amazing and sangria does the trick! Can't wait for them to open back up in June. read more

This place is really freaking good!!! Rustic-style tapas--in each dish, they manage to really bring out the main ingredient's natural flavor in a seemingly simple yet super delicious way, doesn't get better than that. FOOD:~THE CABBAGE IS THE BEST THING!!!! Amazing, right? I'm a carnivore & was totally surprised at how well-seasoned and tasty the cabbage was. Couldn't get enough. ~Not sure if there's more than one squid dish, whether I had the calamari, but it was simple sauteed squid, not breaded, and I thought they did an amazing job of bringing out the essence of the squid's flavor. Juicy! ~Blech, I cannot stand those big oysters in any format! Reminds me of testicles (sorry, patooey). ~Garlic shrimp is helllllla good. Must order..along with the cabbage! ~I don't think the potatoes were that good. I'm pretty picky about potatoes. I'm eating there for the 2nd time in a long time tonight, and came to Yelp to see what new things I should order. Everyone has to try the cabbage next time! Thanks to everyone whose reviews are on the first page, I'm gonna try the artichokes, which I've heard are rrrreally good, the oxtail, and the spinach. I want to eat it all! Can't wait to go with two of my favorite people, my couple friend K&J :))) SERVICE: Eh, but whatev. For this decor & prices, what do u expect? The girl on the phone was really nice! DECOR: Rustic BATHROOM: n/a OVERALL: Definitely my FAVORITE tapas place in the city!!! I'd say Esperpento for a good group meal to share everything family-style, simple rustic food, clean, hearty, filing, delicious. I'd say Bocadillos for fancy, high-end tapas. & Andalu for out-of-town visitors when you don't know where else to go. read more

I like it! After being disappointed by the need for reservations and lack of eponymous hybrid eating utensils at nearby Spork, we stumbled upon this little gem. It's a small place with nice decor and the happy looking crowd inside seemed to spell good food ahead. I got the trout. Or, in a more adjective-laced description, I got a delicious meal with succulent trout, fresh salad, and savory rice. And the Sangria was pretty good too. Service was fast and friendly and prices pretty reasonable. It was a clean establishment and the menu had a nice variety. Bueno. See what I did there, used a little Spanish for a Spanish restaurant. I know, I'm clever. read more

Every food Item we ordered was literally drenched in oil! Except the salmon which was dry and tasteless. Flavors were mildly ok but the oil was a stomach ache waiting to happen, and did. Just thought I'd warn anyone slightly health conscious --- STAY AWAY! Waitress was rude. read more

The sangria here is dangerous. Its *that* good. You have been warned. The food is great! We got seafood paella, rabbit, chicken, clams, artichokes, and all sorts of other tapas. Everything was delicious and I don't have a single complaint. God, that sangria was good... The bill came out to about $20/person and we (about 8 of us) all had a really big meal! Its great for groups and people who like trying a little bit of everything. read more

Everything I ate was tasty, yet not exceptional; I did not have flashbacks to Spain, which I visited this year. Everyone was nice and helpful. Some previous reviewers mentioned being treated differently because they are Asian, and even though half our party was Asian, we all were treated quite well. We ordered patatas bravas, garlic shrimp, calamari, asparagus, artichokes, jamon, manchego, little sausages, cabbage and more. The cabbage was nice and spicy and everything else was good, but the quality of most things, like the manchego and jamon could have been better. I just remember the jamon tasting much better in Spain and I've had better manchego here; readily available. We all had fun and enjoyed the music and food. I really give them 3 1/2 stars. read more

San Francisco is a hub of many cultures and traditions. With such ethnic diversity, there is always an opportunity to experience many ethnic cuisines. Over the past several weeks, I have been sampling ethnic restaurants with a friend and have been trying to find hidden culinary gems in San Francisco. One of such hidden gems is the Esperpento. Concealed in the Mission District, Esperpento is Tapas Bar providing enriching Spanish food and drinks. This restaurant is located about 2 blocks from the 22nd Street Bart Station and opens 7 days a week, from 11 am (except Saturday and Sunday at midday) to 10pm (except Friday and Saturday when it closes at 11pm). The restaurant has a typically Spanish ambience and has a décor featuring many tantalizing artifacts and posters teleporting you back to Spain. We arrived without reservation, my friend had arrived before me and managed to get a table. We had arrived 3 hours after opening on a not-so-busy Saturday afternoon, and were very disappointed when we were told they were already out of Rabbit stew. Instead we had the Ropa Vieja Stew, featuring a tasty mix of beer, chicken, and chorizo. This was a delightful dish with a side of roasted potatoes and cabbage sautéed with garlic and paprika. The pitcher of Sangria was equally tasty. Mixed to a blend of orange and apple bits, the Sangria was fresh, fruity, and refreshing. An ideal choice for a sweltering Saturday extravaganza. Although, a little disappointed with not being able to try the Rabbit soup we left happy knowing that we would be back to try our luck again with the Rabbit and hopefully we will discover more hidden secrets of this Spanish culinary gem, Esperpento. read more

I went here last week on a first date at the date's recommendation. It's one of his favorite neighborhood spots, and I love local spots, so I was glad to give it a try. We weren't in the mood for tapas, of which there are many, so we each went for a main plate. He opted for a breaded beef dish--not my sort of thing--and I chose the snapper. The mains come with two sides, so I chose zucchini and potatoes, both of which complemented the fish nicely. My waiter seemed a bit disappointed that I didn't slather my potatoes in the accompanying sauce, but I did eat some of it, dipping my potatoes as I went. It's not that it wasn't good, I just didn't need that much. The date said the chocolate mousse was excellent and ordered us up a bowl each. He was right about it being good--the generous helping of whipped cream and sprinkled almond slices on top helped. I ate every bit that was in the bowl. All in all, it was a good, reasonably priced meal and I would go back again if I was in the area--just not with him. read more

Warm and inviting little Spanish tapas restaurant with live music. We went to celebrate a friends birthday and they were able to accommodate 22 of us upstairs. Service was quick and friendly. The delicious Spanish food kept coming so expect to eat. Sangria was good and my favorite dishes were the paella de carnes, garlic shrimp, sauteed mushrooms, and the combination meat platter consisting of pollo al ajillo-garlic chicken, pinchos morunos - pork skewers and montaditos de lomo - pork loin canapes. The bill came to under $40 a person, definitely affordable for a tapas spot with alcohol and lots of leftovers. read more

Despite the crowded restaurant and its small space, the four of us were seated promptly (we made a reservation prior). I thought the service was efficient and food came out really quick, as though they have it prepared already. Nevertheless, everything was quite fresh as they seem to be. We ordered: Sauteed Mushrooms (great, nice char) Grilled Artichokes (thinly sliced for chewing convenience. They were roasted perfectly) Garlic Shrimps (It's alright. Nothing great, really. Small shrimps, not quite the chunk) Fried Calamari (As always, 99% can never mess up deep-fried food) Chicken Croquettes (Fabulous! Crispy on the outside and tender, creamy in the inside. Comes 4pieces an order with a spinach bechamel dip on side) Clams + Snapper (Seems soupy. This dish is alright, nothing wrong, nothing too great) Zucchini with house marinara (or something) (Mushy, so stay away if you are not into mushy vegetables) Arroz con Leche (meh-it's on the light side. A little water) Flan (Excellent. I almost never order flan anywhere because I felt that it's usually too sweet or too egg-y. So I'm quite surprised with the one here) Would probably come back for their extensive tapas variety and affordable price. I still need to try their patatas bravas. read more

My cousin and husband from Australia were both visiting the states. I've never met them before and they've never been to United States so I wanted to make sure their time in San Francisco was incredibly memorable. They wanted Latin American food so I suggested Esperpento. Couple months ago, my roommate brought home leftovers and I thought it was delicious. If the leftovers are good, the food fresh from the restaurant HAS to be good! Right?! So it was a huge family gathering with several other relatives, and none of us have ever met each other. You can imagine how much catching up we had to do. Decades worth of catching up! We ordered several tapas, sangria, and everything was delicious, and then.. the FREAKEN MARIACHI band. I understand you want to set a romantic and authentic atmosphere, but it makes it extremely difficult for groups to talk to each other. In order to be heard I felt like I was shouting across our table. The place is just too small to be having a mariachi band playing the whole night. All the tapas we ordered were excellent, but I was very disappointed with the seafood and meat paella. They were not meager with the seafood or meat, but everything was overcooked and the flavor was mediocre. The shrimp, clams, and chicken were incredibly dry. I ended up just taking bites out of the rice. read more

Aight food (tried tapas and a combo plate can't speak to the paella) but service is rather slow and became rude when we asked to split checks. Understand that it's a hassle for servers, but have never had someone tell us "this is strange, we never do this" (after asking for an additional split receipt for a company proof) and proceed to straight up slam the bill on our table without another word. There's a band that plays every hour or so and comes around asking for tips. The music is nice but just be warned you will have a bag shoved in your face during the meal. Definitely are tapas place that are much more higher end and after this meal am thinking they are worth it. read more

So sad to have to drop to 2 stars,but the last visit just was not up to par by any shade of imagination. 4 of us went and orderd 6 small plates. None were fantastic and 2 of them were borderline gross. The chicken dish was so full of little bones a baby would have choked. There was no care put into this dish although the sauce tasted nice, the bones made it scary. Then there was the clams. Again the sauce was nice,,but the clams were dry and so small you cant even consider them to be a 1/2 bite.. the amount of bread given was so pathetic.. the butter pats were almost bigger than the bread. The artichokes were ok,but not as lovely as I remembered and the eggplant was well... not good. Overall the food was very low quality and not put together like the time before. We were treated nicely and it is a cute place,but so so sad to say,, we will not be returning. read more

I REALLY enjoyed the Lobster/Seafood Paella dish here. The Adobo Pollo was pretty good (exotic spicy chicken) and it actually was not spicy at all for me. The sangria here is much better than Cha Cha Cha's. There were definitely more dishes on the menu at this place to choose from so I didn't feel so limited. This place is a little small but it wasn't so bad. They also let a Latino guy come in from the streets during dinner time and sing some Spanish songs with his guitar and then he goes around the tables putting a gift bag in your face at the end. I was thrown off by that a little bit because we didn't realize he was asking for a tip and not handing us something from his goodies bag or something. So...just a heads up, have some cash to tip the guy so you don't look like an ass...? A bit of an awkward moment. read more

This place is great!! I studied abroad in Spain and never had delicious food like this!! The seafood paella is to die for. I ate so much of it! Then we also had tortilla patatas which were so yummy. And patatas aioli too. The sangria is wonderful. We drank lots of it. We were there with a Spaniard who ordered the Creme Catalan for dessert. She explained that creme brulee is French, and the French are shit. So it's Creme Catalan for her! It was pretty loud and noisy in there, but very festive. We had a large party and they were very accommodating. I'd definitely go back to this place again. Parking can be a little bit of a problem, but there is a nearby garage. read more

The only damper on my Friday evening was the fact that my friends were 1 hour late for dinner. Everything else was awesome. The host was just fantastic and had a table ready for us when they finally did arrive. We were seated immediately and brought sangria. YUM. Then we dined on patatas bravas, grilled shrimp, garlic chicken, zucchini, tortilla, grilled artichokes...and more sangria. My very favorite was the grilled artichoes...i couldn't stop eating them! Also I loved the mariachi tunes while we dined - brought me back to mexico. Great place for a group -and did I forget to mention that we each only payed $25? read more

Seafood paella?! Spanish tapas? Yes and yes. Walked in at 6pm (apparently they don't take reservations anymore) and was seated right away upstairs in the corner. Space was tight but it was very cozy. Service was very prompt and plates came out fast. Started off with a carafe of sangria which was super rich in wine flavor with hints of fruit. It was one of the best sangrias I've had in a while. We were able to get 1.5-2 glasses each between the 4 of us. Pinchos Marunos: skip. In fact, skip everything with meat in this place and just stick to the seafood. They DO NOT do pork or meat well here. Extremely gamey and tough. Patatas Bravas: so addicting we ordered 2! Even though the potatoes were advertised as "spicy" this was something you could eat plates of and not taste the spiciness. The sauce was a mixture of liquidy cheese and what tasted like Tapatio. Alcachofas a la plancha: WOW! Loved the grilled artichokes with its smoky, soy sauce flavor. So delish. Ropa Viejo: just ok. I've only had this one other time in an authentic Cuban restaurant and this was no competitor. Could've arrived warmer. The sauce was perfect for dipping bread into. Meat and seafood paella: again, skip the meat. We ordered the 2-person size and wondered whether they made a mistake when it arrived - it was big enough for 4-5 people but hey, we weren't complaining! Crunchy rice bottom, a mix of mussels, clams, squid, shrimp... flavor was nailed to a T. I can't wait to come back and have it again. Mariscada: Seafood heaven. Almost similar to paella but different presentation and less rice. $120 (including tip) for 4 and we were perfectly satisfied without being too full. read more

This is the loudest restaurant I've been too Service was terrible the waitress only came once To take our order then after that I had to raise my hand for service which made me very unhappy On top of that she wasn't friendly at all!! I felt like she didn't deserve a tip but I did anyway!!!i The salad wasn't fresh it had only a few tomatoes and lots of onion it didn't even fit the plate looks like they count the pieces of lettuce they sell u FYI it wasn't a house salad lol Anyways food was awful it was like they poured the whole bottle of oil there was so much grease I couldn't eat it !! I'm never ever cuming back this place was horrible read more

yummy tapas,... I love the calamari, patatas bravas, shrimp in garlic, garlic mushrooms and a glass of sangria is good too! The paella is good and its a great place to have a party, the upstairs loft accommodates about 25 (or more) people, and the service is good! read more

Esperpento - Paella (w/ Seafood and Meat) - Spanish Near Me - San Francisco, California

While visiting SF from SD, a friend decided to show us her fave restaurant. She brought us here for lunch. We had 3 tapas: grilled asparagus, grilled artichokes and papas bravas. All were great, especially the papas bravas. We also got Paella de Mariscos for 2. It was delicious and fed 3 with a little leftover. I will certainly come here again next time in SF. read more

You MUST order the Tortilla De Patata (A+). On the menu it says "one of the most popular spanish tapas." It tasted HELLA good and I'll def go back to Esperpento just. for. that. My friend and I almost ordered a whole carafe of Sangria, but didn't because we had plans to drive to get some ice cream for dessert later on. [Attn: Do not drink and drive. ;)] We both enjoyed our own glass of Sangria. Oh and let me tell you, the Sangria at Esperpento is a winner! Very yum + plenty strong. I had a light buzz going on in the early afternoon. Win! (But it def wore off after the Paella, which was perfect so we could proceed to our dessert destination safely.) :) We also ordered the Pollo Adobo Tapa (A-) and it paired really well w/ the Tortilla Patata. (I was thinking that the Pollo Adobo might have also tasted good w/ some rice. But... that might only be the Filipina in me thinking that. lol. We Filipinos like rice w/ almost everything, especially w/ something as saucy as the Pollo Adobo. Mmm...) Our main course was the Lobster Paella for 2. The portion of this dish is HUGE. Definitely plenty of food for 3 or even 4 people. (Note: We were a little full from the tapas, but even if we didn't have tapas, the paella would have been plenty of food, and we still woulda had leftovers.) I give the Lobster Paella a B+. It was a bit salty for my taste, but my friend liked it a lot and didn't think it was salty. Then I realized that she had squeezed like 3 lemon wedges on her plate of paella and I on the otherhand only squeezed a little bit. The lemon definitely balances out the flavor, but I didn't think it should've been as salty as it was. Service here is good. Our server/waiter was very polite. She even exchanged my dollar bills for quarters for the parking meter. Which reminds me, parking around this area kinda sucks. We found a meter (1 hour limit) that was about a block away. So halfway through our meal (right before the Paella arrived) I walked to the meter to feed it more quarters for an extra hour. A little bit of a hassle, but it was a nice day, so I didn't mind. Next time I go back, I hope I can find a good parking spot w/o a meter. Or one that is longer than 1 hour. Oh ya, FYI: we went around 2pm on a Sunday and it wasn't packed at all. read more

This is my most frequented restaurant of all time. I really love this place and it continues to be one of my favorite places in the city. I've been coming here for about 5 years, so please trust my judgement on this. This might not be the fanciest, most delicious, best service and best decorated place in the city, but it is so well rounded in all those aspects that it makes for the ideal place to frequent. Location: It's in a great location; walking distance from bars, shopping, a movie theater and events. Tons to do before and after dinner. Pretty easy to get to, too. Since it's right off bart, it's a good place to have dinner with non-San Franciscan Bay Area dwellers. Ambience: Such a mixed crowd, you really never know who the hell is going to be in here. From birthday parties to dates, from homos, hipsters, and annoying Marina people and everything in between, this place calls to many types. Space: I actually really like the decor. The walls are filled with Miro, Picaso, and Dali. The tones are really warm, but at the same time, there's something grungy and authentically edgy about it, very Spain. The tables are waiting with carnations and the plates are colorful. Service: You might have to get used to the service. I personally love the staff here, specially Maria Jose. They are humorous and you have to be able to keep with them. They're pretty attentive. Food/Drink: There a very wide selection of tapas. Something for everyone. You can literally bring anyone here because they will find something they like on the menu. The tapas are not artisan and they're not the best ones you'll ever have. But they're delicious, brought out pretty fast and have good servings. They are definitely worth the price. The Sangria here is some of the best I've ever had, and I'm including Spain. It's dark and sweet and gets you wasted before you know it. Price: This is one of the main reasons I go here. It's some of the least expensive good dining experiences in the city. If you want non-diner experience at a good price and have fun, come here. Everything is priced very reasonably (if you're a San Franciscan). Brunch time is particularly affordable. Overall: Pretty good place to go, specially with a large group of friends. I really enjoy coming here every time. read more

Best tapas in SF!!! The lobster tail paella is my favorite. The lobster meat is succulent and the other seafood in the dish blends so perfectly with the baked rice. The service is amazing! The waitresses are gorgeous as well as attentive, and the owner Carlos is always at the door greeting and seating customers as they arrive! How many restaurants can you say that for? The sangria does its job and does it well. It'll get you hammered while tasting like fruity alcoholic heaven. Carlos (AKA) Big Pappi Ortiz will give you the food and service you've been itching for, and if you're still itching after then you should probably see a physician. read more

Ever notice how sangria seems to make everything taste better? The tapas here though hold their own, and at $3-7 a plate you can't go wrong. The fried snapper, stewed oxtails, chicken croquettes and clams are good starters and prepare your palate well for the must-have seafood paella. The service was dismissive; we asked to see the desert menu, or rather the part of the menu that mentioned the 4 deserts available, the waitress grudgingly recited them as if she were reading off the stops on the New Jersey Transit line. read more

For the price, it's hard to find anything to complain about. 5 plates and 2 sangrias for $45? Hell yeah! The calamari was fantastic - incredibly tender, not chewy at all, and not over battered either. Chicken croquettes are very interesting - they look kind of like mozzarella sticks, but are smooth and rich, and come with some creamed spinach. Tasty and hearty. Albondigas were just a bit on the tough side, but the sauce was fantastic for dipping bread in. Garlic sauteed mushrooms were only ordinary mushrooms, but with all that garlicky deliciousness, they're pretty excellent. Manchego cheese plate was also great - 5 big slices of cheese in a light olive oil. Sangria is definitely on the sweet side, so you don't want to drink too much or your hangover will be horrible, but it was pretty tasty. How would I sum it up? You pay very little, and get noticeably more than you pay for. I think that's a pretty solid recommendation. :) read more

This is certainly a very authentic restaurant. The tortilla española is delicious, and their varied tapas selection pretty closely reflects the realities of the Spanish culinary scene (well, maybe they could add a few more ham dishes, but I'm not complaining about that)! I like how vibrant and noisy the physical space is--good people watching, feel-good atmosphere, and a Spanish-speaking staff set the tone for a terrific meal. I've been there twice, and the second time around, I was sitting at a table next to four older women who easily downed three "jarras" of sangría. Needless to say, it reminded me of nights I've spent on the Madrid metro filled with buzzed older people having the times of their lives. It was charming, and made me smile. You should come to Esperpento for the tapas: the broad range of options provides a huge sampling of absolutely delicious plates. The paella, though tasty, does not live up to the same quality. Nevertheless, Esperpento is a really great find and a fabulous place to have a nice sangría and some tapas. read more

Esperpento gets a solid four stars for my review. Reasons for the one star deduction: The service and the seafood paella were both lacking, especially the paella. The rest of the meal was great, though. The service wasn't bad just a little off- we had to ask for water twice before we got it. Otherwise, the meal went smoothly and was delicious. I'm glad I returned to Esperpento, as I had not been in over a year. I really should make this place one of my regular haunts. Here's a list of memorable dishes I've had in the past and what I had last night: 1) Paella de Mariscos Or Seafood with calamari, shrimp, clams, and mussels. ($18.00 for 2) Just OK, not the best I've had by far - much better at B44 in SF or Bolo in NYC. 2) Morcilla sauteed spanish blood sausage. ($5.00) Very good, but I miss the blood sausages with romescu sauce from Timo's, which is gone now (location where Range is now on Valencia). 3) Alcachofas a La Plancha thinly sliced artichokes grilled with garlic and parsley. ($5.50) Excellent. 4) Albondigas meatball stew with saffron. ($5.50) Very good. 5) Parrillada De Carne griddled meats, chorizo, morcilla, chicken pork kebabs, carne asada. ($20.00) Very good and tons of food, heaven for meat lovers. 6) Asparagus A La Plancha. ($5.25) Very good. 7) Sangria. (Price ?) Very good. Last night we had Paella, 3 tapas, and 2 glasses of Sangria. The total price with the tip was just under $40.00. If you like tapas, go to Esperpento and enjoy. read more

We have been eating here for over 10 years. After our honeymoon in Spain, we sought out spanish food here in San Francisco. After discovering Esperpento we ate there once monthly on the day of our wedding for the entire first year. We have *GREAT* memories of sangria, patatas bravas and aloili and camarnes aloli. Every experience has been great. read more

Not the best tapas restaurant in the city but it's pretty damn good. The service was great and most importantly, they kept the sangria flowing. Good place to bring a large group. Had a blast on my birthday. read more

I am SO close to giving this five stars, but some of the dishes were a bit bland. The reason it would get five stars is because of the price, atmosphere and I thought the service was quick and great. $50 for a bottle of wine and five dishes? That is insanely cheap - you check out any other tapas place, like Andalu, and you are going to be paying double. I think the most expensive bottle of wine they had on the menu was $23. The artichokes are to die for and also get the potasas bravas - so spicy and delish. Also, the little chorizo sausages are amazing. I would avoid the clams, overwhelmingly boring. Last thing that bugged me slightly was they kept checking our bill to see if we had put money in it, but then would say, "don't worry, take your time". That drives me NUTS, especially when we are still working on our bottle of wine. Either way, four stars, worth it. Try it! read more

Been here a couple times and this is a great solid happy hour spot. The Sangria is delicious! Just remember if you are pouring, that all the fruit will pour out so it looks like the first cup gets all the fruit! My friend used a knife to prevent all the fruit from pouring out and we distributed the fruit accordingly! :) This place is packed on the weekends. Even at 9 or 10 pm there is a a line out the door waiting to get in. Get here early or make a reservation in advance! Be aware that its crowded here and loud as you can hear everyone's conversations and also sometimes they let street performers inside to do their thang and allow them to go around asking for tips. On two occasions, there as has been a man who sang opera -_- On to the food! It's spanish tapas = sharing plates. The sharing plates are tiny but really if you have a big group and have pitchers of sangria, tapas are the best way to go. Tapas Grilled artichokes - AMAZing! these are delish! A lil salty but great flavor calamari - mmmmMMM yeah itts good and not too rubbery patatas bravas - get the spicy ones as they have more flavor. These are delish potatoes with a great aioli dipping sauce croquette - also a solid tapa Entree I shared a lobster paella with a friend of mine and it was delicious. It reminded me of a risotto meets fried rice kind of texture but was full or seafood flavor. I think there were like 4 lobsters tails too which were cooked beautifully! Great place to catch up or celebrate good times over sangria and great food in the Mission. I'll be going here soon :) read more

I made a reservation as I was taking the boyfriend out for a celebration; we got there early and they sat us in the balcony immediately. Cool, but I was worried about a potential lack of service. Turned out I didn't need to! The service was perfect, and the food was just as glorious as I expected. It's a very similar (potentially identical) menu to Picaro. Do yourself a favor and order a pitcher of the sangria and a plate of patatas bravas. Those things are made of pure cracksauce, I'm sure of it. Also, after you finish your sangria, eat the fruit in the glass! It's awesome. read more

Service was garbage! At 9:30 the waitress told us they were closed and that we only had10 minutes to put in our order. WTF!!!!! Just change your ******* sign and say open until 9:30 rather than 10:00. Wasted my precious time here and would never go back! Did I mention garbage??? read more

Great place to go with friends. This place has tapas for a very reasonable price. The food is good with stews, seafood and grilled items. The noise level was very loud and with a mexican guitarist. The Sangria was disappointing though but the food made up for it. The waitress was helpful in recommending dishes and the kitchen held off sending all of the plates all at once. read more

I came here to have dinner with a close friend. I hadn't dabbled much in Spanish food so I really wanted to try it. I never realized how much they love their oil! The food all had great flavors except I'm not a big fan of oil so it was a bit too much for me to handle. Here's what we got... the seared calamari... this was amazing! Cooked to perfection, not chewy at all, just nice and tender. The grilled Salmon was also very good but I ate a piece that was too oily for my liking but it was still very good. And we shared their garlic chicken entree with rice and cabbage. The flavors were amazing.. so much garlic! I love garlic! And their cabbage was perfect. Everything was very flavorful. Next time, if I go I want to try more of their seafood options. They had a very impressive seafood tapas menu! read more

My friend took me here and I'm glad he did. It's a very happening place and it was packed like a can of sardines and we had to wait 20 minutes, but I didn't mind at all. I ordered something exotic such as oxtails and grilled calamari and we had sangria (that was very tasty). Overall, I'd like to come here again. P.S- They have lovely decor. I wish I could take those plates they have on the wall home. read more

Went here with my boyfriend (who is from Spain and knows quite a bit about Spanish cuisine). Made reservations, but when we arrived there were quite a few empty tables. We had to wait a anyway since it seemed no one was paying attention. The first thing that threw me off beside the dirty menu I was handed was the extremely loud Mexican band making the rounds. Having grown up listening to this type of music, I usually don't mind it, but they were pretty bad, and they felt the need to hang around the table that was right next to us all night. It made it nearly impossible to have a conversation. One of the guitar players was so close I was afraid he was going to hit me in back of the head with his guitar! I ordered a Verdejo and my date ordered a Sangria. Not once were we asked if we would like a second glass or a refill of water. We also ordered a variety of tapas to share. Disappointed with some of them. Patatas Bravas- pretty good, but the sauce on it seemed mayo based. Perfect spice, but not what the sauce is traditionally made of. Gambas al Ajillo- again not authentic in our opinion. It seemed more like a shrimp scampi dish you would find at Olive Garden or someplace else. The sauce was okay for dipping, but not what you would find in Spain Rabo de toro- extremely fatty. More fat on it than meat and the broth was just swimming with it as well. It had good flavor, but it reminded me more of a Mexican soup than a Spanish one. The spices used in it seem more in tune with a posole than Rabo de toro. Disappointing. I picked some meat off, but left the rest, including the greasy broth. Albondigas- we had heard wonders about these, but I think they were my biggest disappointment. All you could taste was oregano! It tasted like someone has accidentally dumped a load of it into the meat and left it as is. You couldn't taste anything else. Again, reminded me of Mexican cooking and not Spanish since that spice is not widely (or heavily) used in Spanish dishes. Escalivada- eggplant with peppers and onions. Well, it was suppose to have peppers, but we didn't really see any. Extremely greasy including the dish. So greasy that when we picked up the dish to move it, it slipped out of my bf's hands and landed on the table. Two good things- the Croquetas de bacalao and the Crema Catalana. The croquettes were delicious and served with a yummy Spinach bechamel. The Crema Catalana is suppose to be similar to a creme brûlée, but better in my opinion. With all this, it was pretty affordable, but not something we would go back to. While the croquettas were good, my boyfriend makes WAY better ones at home. I'll just save my cravings for his home cooking, or our yearly trip to Spain. Two stars for the croquettas and dessert. If I could give one and a half I would. Everything else, including the service should get one or less. read more

Patatas bravas (spicy potatoes) Plato de Calabacin (zucchini & onions in tomato sauce) Asparagus a La Plancha (asparagus with lots of garlic) side of rice (side of rice :) Sangria Delicious! Also pretty affordable -in the teens per person for two people. If you do not get most of these dishes when you go, you at least have to get the potatoes. Service was also nice and professional, since I only noticed the waiter when he was bringing our food and getting orders and such, so he wasn't obtrusive at all. Like me, they cooked the asparagus with a healthy share of garlic lumped in, mmm. We were the first ones seated in the restaurant for the dinner crowd, but by the time we left the place was pretty full and bustling. Writing about it makes me want to go back there right now for those potatoes.. P.S. for the germiphobes: the bathroom's also pretty clean as restaurant ones go. read more