I Chose the Esperpento Restaurant in the Mission for the paella nothing to complaint for the tapas, that I have ordered before the Paella but when the paellas arrived it was a real disaster rice heated up with the various added ingredients without flavor and a very salty cuttlefish ink the worst I have ever had. I kindly pointed this out to the waiter but he couldn't care less, and when he told the cook they both were not interested in the complaint. I will never go back to this restaurant, especially for their paella!! read more

Best place for delicious Spanish food, tapas my favorite entrees but for the langosta paella blows my mouth, live music with, Mission Bohemia trio Fridays super lovely music. read more

Esperpento - Mission Bohemia trio, live music Fridays nights. - Spanish Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Oh dear oh dear. Their paella used to be spectacular. Now look, it's mush. No soccarat on the bottom. A let down. HOWEVER, the tapas were very good (Grilled artichoke, patatas bravas) and their snapper was well received. But anyone who knows traditional Spanish paella will miss the crusty bottom. If you don't mind Spanish 'risotto', then by all means go for it. read more

Esperpento - Veggie Paella with alas, no crispy bottom crust. No soccarat. I guess it's a risotto? - Spanish Near Me - San Francisco, California

TL;DR - So delicious!!! We ordered take out and we loved the portion, the price point, and the tastebud dances. The location does have outdoor seating. However you want to support local businesses, please do! Chorizo Salteado "Cantimpalitos" (little sausages) - These were SO flavorful. These small little chorizos pack absolute flavor. I'd recommend eating this with rice or paella because of that fact. Pimientos de Padron (Blistered Shishito peppers) - Perfectly seasoned. Though, I'd recommend getting something else, just because you can get this at /so/ many other places too. Judias Verdes Rehogadas (green beans) - Delightfully simple and really great palate cleanser. They were blistered to perfection. Paella de Carnes y Mariscos (meat and seafood) - Yum! The rice was seasoned well. Every bite was a delight. I hated the chicken wings in it though haha, so weird. I think next time I'd just get the squid ink or just seafood one. Cola de Langosta (lobster) - A bit pricy for half a tail, but it was garlicy and done really well. I licked the shell. read more

Esperpento - Paella comb - meat and seafood - Spanish Near Me - San Francisco, California

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surprisingly decent vegetarian options for a tapas place! i thought the servings would be minuscule given the low prices but they were HUGE. a single 2-person veggie paella ($25) plus their free bread is more than enough food for 2 people. the potato egg omelet was tasty. the vegetable platter was exciting and very filling but i thought everything except the bechamel and braised cabbage was underseasoned. the veggie paella had a lovely assortment of vegetables in it and didn't disappoint, though i wished it were saltier. read more

Esperpento - vegetable paella, partly eaten - Spanish Near Me - San Francisco, California

I used to love going to this Spanish restaurant for tapas and paella. Thanks to Covid they have built a small parklet for outside dining which could be useful if the wait lines for inside eating are long. I went with 4 friends and we ordered two paellas, the mixed seafood and squid ink black paella. Since they take about 30 minutes to cook we also ordered some tapas and a carafe of Sangria. The tapas, roast peppers, artichokes, and croquetas were all good and filled the time waiting for our main course. Disappointingly we were all underwhelmed with our paellas. They were tasteless, lacked the crunchy consistency of authentic paella and it was obvious that the seafood wasn't cooked in the rice but thrown on top before serving. Basically we were eating boiled rice with a few ingredients, including frozen peas, thrown on the top at the last minute. This was a poor attempt at paella and we left most of the food. The squid ink paella was also very salty. The front of house staff deliver good service. If we go back we won't be ordering paella. read more

The service here is very good... food delicious but the sangria tops it off.. servers are on the look out if you need anything... read more

Esperpento - This parillada is sooo yummy First time having it - Spanish Near Me - San Francisco, California

Soooooo good Awesome service Outdoor seating with heat lamps Mos def go back Check em out read more

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I really loved the service. I love the food, the colorful ambience, the coziness of it, of it all. The pie was a sight to see beautiful presentation and delicious. It had great flavor a nice place to go to when you want to relax and have a lot of fun! Savor!! read more

OMG the sauce they give you with the bread is SO FIRE. So garlicky and packed with flavor you would not expect it. Not me asking for two baskets of bread coz it's so good Everything else here is amazing too would especially recommend the seafood! read more

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Yum, yum, yum My mom has been coming here since I was a kid and we have come back 2x this year after many years away and it taste like we never left. We also had Sangria but drank it all before I remembered to take a picture. Small place with outdoor seating, we go early like right when they open because it does get busy as the day goes on. Food comes out super fast, extra time for paella but it's worth the wait. We always put that order in first and then order the rest of the menu. Hard to choose so many great options, take a lot of people so you can try multiple items. read more

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We order a lot ink paella Over cook seafood Is a space to improve for an authentic paella with out any dressing We were 12 ppl and we all agreed the ink paella without the dressings was very plain and not flavored Service is good the are very nice and serving fast and help accommodate our vegetarian friends read more

The pollo Al ajillo tasted like fish , it was not good ! I'd only recommend the patatas bravas read more

I consider Esperpento a very good Spanish restaurant. I've been to several Spanish restaurants in Europe and this one is as good as options outside Spain can be. The staff is super friendly and the food repeatedly good. Good flavors all around. I recommend going there during their sangria happy hour! read more

Enjoyed coming to this place. It's small restaurant but the staff are very friendly and accommodating. We had a group to 8 people and were able to wait at the bar across the street until our table was ready.... And they came and got us! Super nice. Food was great. Get a Paella to share. We also got several appetizers like patatas bravas and potato pancake. It was all delicious and food came out pretty quickly. Would come back here again. It's a smaller space but really enjoyed the family owned restaurant vibe and it was bustling. Great value place for groups as well. read more

We absolutely love the concept of tapas, but we can't stand that so many places in the Bay Area overcharge for them. A couple of friends in town were in the mood for Catalan food, and there are only so many tapas places in the Bay Area that are affordable. Lucky for us, we stumbled upon this place, and we're so glad we did! Food was so tasty, and the tapas portions were definitely enough to share between the four of us. Got the meat paella for the four of us, and it was more than enough! Super yummy, plenty of meat/sausage and even some veggies in it, so it felt like a complete meal. For tapas, we got the following: - patatas bravas - patatas alioli - sautéed cabbage - roasted eggplant - chicken croquettes - cod croquettes Everything was tasty, and we can't wait to go back! So much better than the more expensive places! Felt like homestyle tapas, and the food was clearly made with love. Great service too! The man working there was so kind and attentive! It helped that we were the very first customers on a late Sunday morning. Thank you, Esperpento, for giving us our best and most delicious Bay Area tapas experience ever! read more

This place is a gem! Reasonable prices. Food is delicious, their sangria is a must! Service is always good. Great for groups celebrating an occasion etc. read more

Came here for paella. Got the seafood paella. Also got some tapas: jamon iberico + rabbit stew + garlic shrimp and sangria Will start with the tapas. The jamon iberico was very low quality (comparing to what I had in spain so I might be a bit spoiled). You get only a couple of cuts and it was just ok. It's not really fatty and much more salty than others ones I've had. The rabbit stew was pretty standard I thought, some decent homey flavor, nothing special though. The garlic shrimp was probably my favorite tapa. Considering I like both garlic and shrimp, it was expected. I liked dipping the bread into that sauce. (They give you bread with the spicy mayo sauce that is usually dripped on patatas bravas). The paella, wow....so disappointing. There wasn't much flavor, the texture wasn't right. The seafood was small. There was no crust in the paella, normally there are some mildly burnt pieces but here it had none. The other rice just seemed to be very soggy and somehow still not full of flavor. The shrimp was also really tiny and therefore a bit more dry (didn't even finish the seafood in the paella). Sangria also didn't seem like it was fruity enough so not sure how long it was marinated for. read more

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EVENT: came here for a family dinner & we're craving for this! We made reservations for a party of 5 on the same day & we were able to get one! Excited! DRINKS: Sangria Pitcher: right on time for happy hour! $14! Sooo good & def must get Bottle of Albarino: wine refreshing wine. FOOD: Paella Lagosta Gambas a la Plancha Pescado rebozado con aioli Grilled Vegetable Salad: veggies are always good Alcachofas a la plancha Patatas Bravas: can't go wrong with patatas bravas, so good Championes al ajillo OVERALL: omg! love this place! def must get HH Sangria & patatas bravas & grilled veggies 4 starts overall read more

Everything was amazing ! from the food, to the service to the ambiance. Esperpento will take you back to that one hot summer in Spain you spent dining all over from Madrid to Malaga with that one hottie and his tattoos. read more

We came straight from the airport. SOOOOOOO glad. Best meal I've EVER had. Trust me, you have to have the cantimpalitos. Amazing. I mean everything is. You can't go wrong. The sangria. The albondigas. The anchovy stuffed olives. Sautéed shrimp. Potatoes with spicy sauce. All thumbs up. My friend said don't let the secret out by posting a 5-star review because you'll ruin it. But I can't help it. read more

Met long time friends at this place last night and enjoyed good food and most specially time with friends. We've been here before but first time for dinner. Place is a bit small which means service is fast. We ordered calamari fritos, tortilla de patata, paellas de carne y mariscus, and mariscada. And sangria. We loved them all. read more

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I had high hope for this place. We just finished watch house of Gucci which was a major disappointment and we were hungry. This place was near by so we went. The service is friendly and food came out promptly, but the freshness and flavor is nowhere near what I experienced in Spain. It's not authentic and the ingredients are just ok. Strong sangria though, which is a plus. read more

Great food, and excellent customer service Highly recommend I've hadChorizo Salteado Fried Calamari Paella De Mariscos Sauteed Mushrooms Garlic Shrimp read more

I had a delicious artichoke here. But it was expensive for the amount. I also had a whole bunch of sangria that was delightfully stringent and sweet. read more

I really liked this tapas bar! This is located in the Mission District and the inside is pretty vibrant. To start--get the sangria! It's delicious and refreshing. They also give you bread with salsa brava to start. I loved it! This has an extensive list of paellas and tapas. We had the mushrooms with garlic, calamari, chicken with garlic, and ropa vieja. Each was a great amount to get a taste of everything. I thought the chicken was very flavorful (maybe a little salty, but not tooo bad). I really enjoyed the ropa vieja (one of my favorite dishes) and the chicken. This is a fun spot to go to in the Mission District! I'd definitely come back again. I want to try their own tapas dishes--they have things for both vegetarians/meat eaters. At the end of the night, we were greeted with a random band who came in to perform. It was a nice end to a lovely evening! read more

Esperpento - Ropa vieja, garlic chicken, calamari, and mushrooms with garlic - Spanish Near Me - San Francisco, California

The restaurant is temporarily close, but I wish it was closed for good. I went there with friends a few months ago and we sat by the door. Suddenly we saw a mouse come out from the kitchen area to walk along the wall. The worst part is that the staff dealt with it in the same way I would have dealt with something that is common. I wouldn't expect this to happen quite often so I was surprised to see that nobody freaked out. The food wasn't bad but the mouse added a bad taste to it. Mice and tapas do not mix well. read more

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Food was sub par even with my low expectations. Green beans were cooked to mush stage, Potatoes undercooked with no little exterior crunch, slightly raw center, and an overdose of aioli over the top. Quail was ok. Everything else was unremarkable. Service was attentive. Table was sticky. read more

Great food, prices, atmosphere n service. Highly recommend if ur in the area. Been goin for years.

I love this restaurant! I've been here 3 times now and can't believe that I haven't wrote a review yet. Paella- 2 people serving honestly serves 4 especially when you're gonna order small dishes. We got the seafood and meat paella and it was aromatic and very tasty, loaded with shrimps, mussels and meat. A few of my other favorites: Sautéed oysters are to die for, seriously, it's like tasting the ocean (it might sound stupid but honestly so good). Mushrooms cooked with butter & garlic, just delightful. And definitely the fried potatoes with sauce (always get spicy sauce because it's the best!) Seriously love this place, the atmosphere is great, service is great, people are friendly and food is awesome! read more

Esperpento - Seafood and meat paella - Spanish Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Chicken croquettas - 3.25/5 - Not the worst, not the best. Lobster - 4/5 - A little on the smaller side. A little too garlicky. It will satiate your mild to moderate lobster craving. Potato omelet - 2.75/5 - Quite plain, think it would be better with hot sauce. If you were super picky, this might be up your alley. I feel like I could accidentally make this...? It's exactly as stated. Potatoes and onion and eggs. No other flavors, no wild cards. Meatball soup - 3.7/5 - The meatballs were meatloaf-esque and the soup base was flavorful with a hint of cumin, but nothing special. The service was really slow unfortunately. They get really busy and seem to only have a couple of people serving. For how busy they get, I wish they had a few more servers. The poor workers are busting, but it's still slow. read more

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This is hands down the best restaurant in SF - and I have been a city girl since 4 years old. One of the things I love most about SF is the wide array of food from various countries! This here- is Spanish food. The restaurant is known for their paellas- which I did not have this time because we overloaded on the tapas, but can honestly say you will LOVE THE PAELLA! What I love about the food here is it is FRESH. Every piece of seafood you get here is absolutely fresh, seasoned with fresh garlic and other spices that give it all a unique taste. Even though I no longer live in SF, my kids beg me to make the hour drive just to eat here. The servers are always quick, kind, and accommodating. They go above and beyond to ensure your comfort here which simply makes the food go down even nicer. My favorites are the garlic shrimp (dip your bread in the sauce for another bite of heaven), the artichokes, and the potatoes with spicy sauce (patatas bravas). I assure you this restaurant has something for everyone- yep, even the picky eaters in your family. Run here!!! read more

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I would rate them 0 star if I could. I order delivery expecting receiving Spanish tapas food. The quality of food was so bad that I can't express. We had to basically throw away all the food. I ordered almost one thing out of their menu. Even the simple salad was really bad. Do not waste your money, there are so many good restaurants in San Francisco. read more

Get the seafood paella!! Perfect for a dinner date and very filling. Definitely worth the wait

They are open 7 days a week and now have a outside dining option. This is always my Favorite place to go for Tapas. They are a San Francisco Treat for sure. FORGET about the other spots and skip to the best. read more

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Great paella as we had in Mercado de La Boqueria in Barcelona. Nice service, he double check our ordered is correct for a to go order. For sure we will be back and try anothers. Thank you for be in the business! read more

An unassuming spot on the Mission serving GREAT Spanish and tapa dishes! We walked into this cozy restaurant with friendly servers and decided to give it a try. Little did we know, this popular place gets BUSY but we arrived earlier at 6 and were seated right away. We decided to try out several dishes: - Spanish sausage tapa dish - yum! very good - Squid tapa dish - perfectly seasoned and cooked to perfection with a slight crunch - Shrimp scampi tapa - good but shrimp is shrimp. Would have picked something more special. - Rabbit stew - excellent flavors with a kick in spices. Rabbit meat cooked perfectly with meat that fell of bones! - Mussel tapa dish - this is my favorite! seasoning was perfect and the sauce was - oh - so - good that we used this dish as the dipping sauce for their breads and cleaned out 2 baskets of their food bread. Yes even their bread and butter is yummy! - Squid ink paella - excellent dish. We ordered the paella for 2 for the 4 of us to share. I would suggest you order a smaller paella dish but definitely try out their tapa dishes. - Sengria - Very good Overall great dining experience with excellent food. Friendly and knowledgeable servers. We will definitely be back. read more

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I'm Catalonian. Great Mom & Pop place like you are in Spain. My favorite Negra Paella in the city. Love the bread & Andalus sauce. Great OxTail soup on a cold day. Favorite Spaniard Rose' in the City up there with El Lopo on Polk. They have a selection of Spaniard beer. Took my mom & brother there for a Mothers Day. Mariachi's passing by serenading her. One of her favorite Mothers Days. The owner from Peru hires great staff. Much better ambiance than Picaro down Valencia Street. Less pretentious than Coqueta on the waterfront. A walk a way from Beauty Bar, Bissap Baobob, Gestalt, Kilowatt, Arepas Latin Cuisine, El Techo, and Blondies Salsa Wednesday's if you want to pregame. read more

Everything is great except the paella is noticeably different than it was less than two years ago, so I'm really sad about that! I really loved their take on the meat paella, it had generous portions of juicy sausage and other meats on a bed of potatoes... perhaps not traditional in style but certainly delicious. Sooooo not a fan of the latest paella. I uploaded a pic of what it used to look like. A bit onion heavy in the photo but under all that is all the potato and different kinds of sausage. read more

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I came in just for desserts with my GF. We split the Crema Catalana. I had an espresso. It was as if I was transported back to 1950s Cuba-- muy excelente! read more

Esperpento - Cover of Menu - Spanish Near Me - San Francisco, California