This is a late review that's been sitting in my notes on my phone, but I thought it'd be a disservice if I didn't share it! I went back in October with a party four for my sister's birthday. We had a number of drinks for the group: 6 mixed drinks and 2 sodas. Additionally, we ended up getting some sort of fancy shot (4) on the house my sister is a regular here. I've been to a number of restaurants/bars in Boston, but Estragon honestly has the best drink menu - the variety and reasonable pricing means you can find something for anyone's tastes. Food was great and def worth checking out. Got 5 tapas dishes and then the paella mixta (seafood + chicken). * piquillos rellenos: smaller serving for price, but definitely delicious * huevos rotos: fun to eat and a pretty big serving, but I also love potatoes in any form; it doesn't have much of the sausage in it if you're looking for more substance though * pulpo a la gallega: octopus was really great; was soft + tender but not mealy/mushy * pimientos shishitos: just your standard blistered shishito peppers (can't really go wrong there) * espinacas a la catalana: sautéed spinach with pine nuts and some golden raisin; nothing too special but yummy as a palette cleanser and a little sweet with the raisins Paella wasn't my favorite; I thought it was a little salty. The seafood flavor/smell was very present in the dish. Everyone else thought it was fine/standard for paella, but I thought it was too strong - so that's likely my personal tastes. If you're at all particular/sensitive about seafood, I would choose another paella option. Service was attentive! Admittedly, I was with a pair of regulars. But I think that just shows that they definitely remember you and take care of you. That kind of reliability says a lot. Price including tip ended up being $200 flat. All things considered, that's very fair for an extensive birthday dinner. read more

If I could give Estragon more than 5 stars I would. I had my first experience here two years ago (also for a first date, that neither of us wanted to go on - but I digress). The food back then was incredible. My girlfriend, a Spanish Native - said this is the best & most authentic Spanish food she has had anywhere in or around Boston. We go back for our anniversaries, and pop in randomly in between & somehow the food keeps getting better each time. Our server Brian, who's ironically been there almost every time with us - is excellent as well. Couldn't be happier, I hope this review doesn't contribute to me never being able to get a table again... read more

we had annual dinner at the resturant. we had many people who are vegen so we ordered nice veges. The shrimp is delocious. I also.like the eggplan but it tasts too oilly after getting cold. We had a private room that can be occupied by 20 people. It was very happy to sit together. The room also has a bookshelf with real books on it. read more

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I seem have gotten very lucky with Spanish tapas restaurants so far b/c I haven't been to one that's come even remotely close to disappointing. My friend picked Estragon for her birthday dinner and as usual, our party picked a slew of dishes to share. It was seriously one hit after another. From the Pintxos, the Chorizo and Falda de Buey con Cabrales (grilled skirt steak) were tender and bursting with savory awesomeness. That Cabrales cream was such a good sauce for the steak...mmmm. As others have said, the Coles de Bruselas aka brussies were nomtastic, soaking in the juices and flavor of the chorizo and complemented with a hint of sweetness by the golden raisins. While you're at it, pop a few Alcachofas Fritas (fried artichoke hearts) in your mouth and bask in all the goodness...if you're daring, do both at the same time. One of my favorites of the evening was the Pulpito a la Parilla (grilled octopus). The char was great, giving way to outstanding tenderness inside. It's far too easy to screw up octopus as I've had my fair share of rubbery cephalopods, but these were wonderfully well-prepared. The one thing that was a bit of a miss was the Paella Mixta - the rice was perfectly cooked, but the flavors weren't quite what any of us were expecting compared to others we've had in the past. That was fine though b/c dessert was pretty glorious. Estragon has the best flourless chocolate cake I've tasted to date without a hint of dryness. My ice cream trio had some uniquely amazing flavors (I won't spoil it for ya) and my friend's polishing off of more than half the dish speaks for itself ;) When you put all of this deliciousness in a lively, spacious setting with great service, you really can't go wrong. And to put some perspective on this, I'd actually give Estragon a small edge over Toro in that it's more comfortable, less noisy and able to take reservations while offering comparable food and prices. Cheers to an awesome celebration at an awesome venue! read more

Stepping into Estragon feels a bit like stepping into your artsy Spanish friend's apartment in La Latina neighborhood in Madrid. Warm hues, particularly red, and deep black accents set off the decor. Bookshelves lined with sundry bohemian titles define the space. As for the food, the tortilla espanola was quite good, and the other dishes were decent approximations of Spanish standards with a little latin american influence to round out the menu. Great summer sangria too! read more

This was our first spanish tapas experience and we were impressed. All of the food we ate was unique and a first for us. For the most part we really enjoyed all of our dishes. Our server recommended 4-6 dishes for 2 people. We ended up ordering 5 and in the end decided 4 would have been enough with the complimentary bread. Our server was a quiet guy, but friendly and personable. We really liked the atmosphere and spanish music in the background added to it. We loved the fried artichokes with a creamy white sauce over them. This is a must order! Other dishes we really enjoyed were the fried monkfish (special), baby octopus, and the serrano ham and manchego cheese. We also had a russian potato salad (another special) which was a little strange for me but grew on me as I ate more of it. It was potato salad with egg, tuna, peas and other ingredients. We thought every dish was well seasoned. We thought pricing and portions were really reasonable for Boston. We would definitely come back in the future to try more of their items that sound amazing. I would recommend this place to anyone looking for a tasty unique dining experience. You should probably be a bit of an adventurous eater if you are going to come here. read more

We had such a great night at Estragon! The food is delicious and very authentic .. as is the feel of the restaurant. Everyone eats late and enjoys their meal. The staff are all friendly and helpful and really seem to like being there. All in all a really wonderful experience. I hope to return soon! read more

Decent tapas place with a wide variety of types of dishes to choose from. Strongest were the toasts with toppings (such as cheese and avocado); the scallops (a special of the day); a the meatballs (in something of a cream sauce). Weakest were the potatoes (weren't crunchy enough, and not enough of a differentiation between the inside texture and the outside texture). There was also a potato chip covered with egg dish which was somewhat strange and ultimately disappointing. The spinach with pine nuts were tasty; a perfect blend of nut textures and spinach flavor; not too squishy, but not too hard. Somewhat too pricey for what you get in my humble opinion, but tapas places are few and far between in the city. Definitely worth at least one try, and I'd come here again. The sangria wasn't as alcoholic as I think it should be, and not as fruity as a flavor as I'm used to. read more

tapas tapas tapas - drinks drinks drinks!! Stopped by for dinner last week and was able to find free parking right in front (after 7pm its free) which is always a plus in Boston. Walked in and fell in love with the ambiance of the restaurant. The menu was fun to explore- we decided on: - Lengua con Mojo Verde / Beef tongue over toast: AMAZING & a must try - Coles de Bruselas / Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Chorizo: Delicious! - Alcachofas Fritas / Fried Artichoke Hearts with aioli: Not the best - Pulpito a la Parilla / Grilled lemon marinated baby octopus: mehhh not impressed - Paella Mixta / Seafood & Chicken Rice dish: Generous portion of seafood & chicken BUT very very bland. No bueno! - Panceta / Seared Pork Belly with a cream sauce: WAYYYY to fatty and no meat whatsoever. Would not order this again So our tapas adventure started off really good and quickly turned out to be a disappointment-- BUT dessert SAVED the day. With three different flavored scoops of ice cream (made in house) one of which is whiskey fig ice cream that was scrumptious, another with orange liqueur and another was a flavor I can't remember. We ended off with flan as well. Good save Estragon, but please work on your tapas, as that is what you are known for. BE SURE TO SAVE ROOM FOR DESSERT! Ohh and they have an extensive drink menu! It surpasses their food menu FYI. read more

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I had a great date night here the other night! Food and service was great. The beef tenderloin was so tender, it melted in your mouth! We also enjoyed the trout in the garlic sauce with Serrano ham. I'd come back here again! read more

Estragon - Trout - Tapas Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Estragon is a tapas restaurant in the South End with character and a very fun, relaxing ambience, both inside and on the patio! Most recently, I ordered a variety of tapas including tortilla, gambas al ajillo (shrimp with garlic), spinach with butternut squash, and chocolate mousse for dessert. Our server was very friendly and kept checking up on us throughout the meal. I love this delicious restaurant! read more

Been here twice so far and I will definitely continue to come back. The fried artichokes are amazing. They have a fantastic selection of wine. All the vegetarian dishes that we tried were great (Fried Chickpeas, shishito peppers, empanadas, patatas bravas, and tortilla espanola). Servers are always extremely nice and helpful as well. read more

Pros: The snapper and moon fish taco appetizer were fresh and delicious as were the Brussels sprouts with sausage crumble. Excellent service. Cons: The Fideua was a huge disappointment. Bland, fishy (not a compliment for a seafood dish), and overcooked. The chocolate mouse with sea salt didn't need the olive oil float. read more

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Stopped here before a show and the food, drinks and service were perfection. Amazing flavor in each dish and staff that truly care. Highly recommend! read more

My daughter is a student at Northeastern University and we often come here when we visit her. It's much easier to get to then other parts of Boston and if you continue down Harrison Street there are a lot of interesting galleries, bars and shops. Estragon has a very nice menu the grilled baby octopus is great. I also like the specials that they often daily. Every time we have been here the service has been great and the wait staff has been very helpful in explaining the dishes and the combination that go well together. The down size is that on the weekend it gets a little loud but that's OK because it's a very cool crowd. read more

Went to this Spanish restaurant to get some tapas with a group of 4 people. I want to give this place 3 Stars out of 5 but since I found most of the dishes to be tasty and I like Spanish food in general, I'll be generous. Here is what we ordered: Garbanzos Fritos - Crispy Paprika Chickpeas Calamares Fritos - This is the fried calamari. Pulpito a la Parilla - This is marinated and grilled baby octopus. Queso de Cabra con Tomate - Warm Spanish Goat Cheese and Tomato on Toast Huevos Rotos con Txistorra (Chistorra) - Crispy potatoes, 2 fried eggs and Basque Sausage Berenjenas Fritas con Salmorejo - These are fried eggplant with a Salmorejo sauce, which is a tomato sauce originally from Andalucia, which is in Southern Spain. I remember having this dish when I was in Seville. The total bill was about $67, including about $14 since my friend and I ordered drinks. The Garbanzos Fritos were okay, nothing special. My friends and I enjoyed the calamari, and I really liked the octopus. The calamari was tasty, but did it not being back the memories of Spain. I felt like I was eating American fried calamari rather than Spanish fried calamari. However, it was crispy on the outside, and nice and chewy on the inside, which is what I expect from good and tasty fried calamari. I enjoyed the flavor and the meatiness of the octopus, probably almost as good as the octopus I had in Spain. I think this place might be the best place to get octopus as tapas in Boston. The goat cheese was pretty good, but not the best goat cheese I have eaten. As for the fried egg dish, they gave a lot of potato chips, and they were really tasty with the egg yolk from the fried egg, but I thought the sausages were fairly small. I think if they gave a little more sausage, the dish would be better. As for the fried eggplant, it was tasty, brought back some of the great memories of eating in the tapas bars in Seville, but I think the Salmorejo tasted somewhat different compared to the Salmorejo I had back in Spain. It tasted more like ketchup. As for drinks, I got an Alhambra Especial beer, and I thought it was a decent and good beer. Overall, while I did enjoy most of the food and some of the dishes brought back some memories of Spain, I thought it was kind of pricey and we spent more than $18. Although I believe I can find better Spanish food in Boston and it's not high on my recommendations, this is a pretty good alternative. read more

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Absolutely phenomenal meal as always!! Wonderful food and service with excellent cleanliness and safety precautions. Always a favorite in Boston! read more

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Love everything about this place, been going for years. Never had had a bad meal, and drinks are amazing! Highly recommend.

After coming here 4 times it's still my FAVORITE restaurant in all Boston. I quote my friend from Madrid, "Estragon is the best Spanish tapas in Boston." I was told the chef got his inspiration from his mother's cooking and local taste from his hometown in Spain. The must-trys: Alcachofas Fritas (fried artichoke hearts with garlicy aioli sauce) Croquetas de Jamon (creamy potato and bacon bits breaded and fried like Arancini) Panceta (pork belly cooked crispy on outside but melts in your mouth with an amazing cream sauce and a hint of sage) Tortilla Española (a cold spanish omelette with lots of potatoes yet so refreshing - very different from the Latin American tortillas) Pan Tumaca Con Jamon (serrano ham and tomato garlic spread on toast - simple yet so delicious) Lengua Con Mojo Verde (beef with a grilled green pepper on toast) Coles de Bruselas (brussels sprouts with spicy chorizo) Practically everything on the menu is amazing but I am not a huge fan of their Paella or Gambas (shrimp). The atmosphere and interior decoration is just as amazing as the food! Very romantic, chic, trendy, with candle-lit tables perfect for a date or a girls' night out. Tips: If you've never had Tapas (small plates meant to be shared with everyone) before, come with a large group so that you can try more dishes! Reservations are highly recommended on weekend nights. The small corner room decorated with books and sofas like a study is a fun seating area but a pain when trying to share food in a large group. They have a $1 and $5 menu during weekday happy hours with their yummy food in small bite size portions! read more

Estragon - (From upper left, clockwise) Patatas Fritas, Alcachofas Fritas and Pan Tumaca Con Jamon. - Tapas Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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If David Lynch designed a restaurant. Cocktail menu is not for the faint of cock, and their descriptions are beautiful & ingenious. V down. Menu items were traditional -- although prepared exceptionally well, weren't as funky as the design and cocktails may lead you to expect. This is an unexpected South End gem, and (not to diminish its excellence) a great plan B if Toro is full. read more

Estragon - Vibes, feels, chi, Dali - Tapas Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I LOVE this place. I've been here quite a few times and recently suggested it for a celebratory dinner for one of my best friend's engagement. My friend who arrived first let them know about the engagement and ordered a round of champagne to be delivered upon everyone's arrival. They dropped off the champagne and let us take our time catching up and deciding on what tapas to start with. Many times waiters tend to rush you along and interrupt conversation but ours waited patiently until we had caught up and made some decisions. The food never disappoints. Some of my favorite tapas include the ham and cheese croquettes and the artichoke hearts. Thank god they come in small batches because I could eat far too many of them. The sangria is also delicious, slightly spiced and not too sweet. We basically shut the place down that evening and no one at any point made us feel rushed. We will definitely be back sometime soon! read more

This is my favorite Spanish restaurant/tapas bar in Boston. As the son of Spanish immigrants, the food at Estragon brings me back to the days of eating local comfort food at my grandparent's home in Spain. When I'm missing that, I go to Estragon to get my fix. Also, a great place to get drinks with friends. Friendly service and great ambiance is consistent. I just wish they were open a bit later on weeknights. read more

I came here on a weekday with a group of 20 in the bar area. We had the area reserved to ourselves. Service: Great, they made sure all drinks were topped off at all times. Props to the waitstaff! Drinks: I had sangria. It seemed very lite and a little watered down. I expected more wine or cognac to give it just a little kick Food: Oil galore. I'm not sure how else to describe it. - Garlic shrimp: not to well seasoned and in a puddle of oil - Spinach: again, soaking a in a puddle of oil. This is next level. Even greaser than some terrible Chinese restaurants I've been to -Meatballs: you got it, soaking in oil. Not much taste to it either. Tasted frozen, store bought -Mushroom ravioli: Good ravioli but definitely not made in house. I didn't expect any more because this is not an Italian restaurant I was not sure of the names of the other tapas ordered, but they were all average. Generally underwhelmed. 2 stars because no dish really stood out to me and many of the options were extremely greasy. read more

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Estragon should be noted for their terrific wine list featuring varieties from many regions in Spain, and including many reasonable price points. The tapas are varied and range from typical Spanish items (ham, tortilla), to more creative, updated options including melt-in-your-mouth roasted brussel sprouts with chorizo and spicy fried chick peas. Most of the dishes were well seasoned, but the scallops were so heavily salted they could have passed as ham, and the delicate butter sauce on them didn't stand a chance. Estragon is definitely worth a try for wine or tapas! read more

Good spanish/tapas spot in the south end. Nice outdoor patio with heaters for Covid-times; indoor tables well spaced. Food is quite good, service very good, decent drink and wine selection. Owner/manager is very attentive. Worth a visit. read more

Loved Estragon! This place is really a gem. The ambience is warm and cozy, with incredible music (sometimes live flamenco!). The vegetable paella was aboslutely delicious - and very authentic. The croquetas de jamon were crispy and buttery - one of the best I've had in the city! When it comes to the menu, it's very standard and traditional tapas-style. Come for the paella, stay for the croqeutas! My table ordered a pitcher of the tamarind margarita, and I'm so glad we did! It was so different, and I'd definitely come back to Estragon to try more of their cocktails. Cons: the service was a bit slow, there was only one server for the whole restaurant (we went on a wednesday night around 8PM). She did the best she could, but I wish she had some help! Regardless, Estragon was a hit! read more

My boyfriend and I have been to Toro (so much hype for so little food) in the South End for Tapas but we will both say that Estragon has it beat. The toasts with different toppings are a must. The Pringa topping was the BEST. The portions at Estragon don't make you feel bad for spending $7-14 on a small plate- very reasonable! Some things were full in American size appetizers. The ambience is great for date night. The Halo was a great cocktail. Would say this is a hidden gem for tapas in the South End! read more

Estragon - 4 toasts: Goat cheese and tomato, chorizo and quail egg, Pringa, pechuga de Pato - Tapas Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I can't say enough praises for the food, the service, the people of Estragon!! First, the delicious, authentic Spanish tapas offerings...every time I leave there thinking I must go home and try to replicate at least one of the delicious dishes! The staff are welcoming, knowledgeable, responsive and very friendly...what more could I ask for? Thanks for giving me a dining experience to look forward to!! read more

Been meaning to try this spot for awhile, and really glad I finally did. Our waitress was very sweet, and we got some great food. Fried chickpeas and crispy artichokes were probably my favorites. Felt like the aesthetic was a little odd, very art deco/1920s, but would still very much recommend. read more

Excellent selection of tapas for a wide range of palettes. Signature birthday cocktails made for a great toast. Lowies was the best at making us all have a very fun evening! Thank You. read more

Estragon - Signature birthday toast - Tapas Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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My husband and I went there for our first time, on a beautiful night. Our waiter was so personable and helpful with the menu. He deliberately put our order in a certain way because he knew we would want to snack on garbanzos during the entire meal what order things would come out best. Everything we ordered was perfect. The drink menu is very creative with a great selection of sherry wines. I can't wait to go back. read more

a cool and hip place. Has a very nice vibe to it, with nice beer collection and food. Reasonably priced drinks, and decent prices on food. The service could be slightly better. For example, for some time, we were not sure about when we were going to get our food :) Anyways when we received our food, we were happy again., because it was tasty! Looks like a nice date place, and even for hanging out with friends. read more

Came here on a Tuesday night with a friend for the Tapas Blitz happy hour and had no problem getting a seat around 5:45 at the bar (it's not available in the restaurant portion). It was actually mostly empty when we arrived but pretty bustling when we left around 7:15. Cute atmosphere--the art and light strings around the dining room are a nice touch. We got a pretty big variety of the $1, $3 & $5 tapas but still ended up spending around $35 per person--not too bad with five drinks between us (the flower power drink with elderflower was particularly good). Note that the happy hour portions of the tapas are smaller than regular tapas...if that's possible. Everything we ordered was consistently good. Particular stand-outs were the goat cheese & tomato toasts (very simple but possibly our favorite item), the ham croquetas, and the kobe sliders (WHAT is the sauce on those things??). On the other end of the spectrum, the shrimp was served in a pretty thick layer of oil which was a bit unappetizing but served as a good dip for the bread. Only other knock was that the chicken empanadas seemed to be a bit heavy on the vegetables and light on the chicken. It's a bit out of the way but worth if for the deal! I live nearby and will definitely be back. read more

My boyfriend and I went here last night to celebrate our anniversary because we'd heard such good things, and it was really disappointing. We did the Dine Out menu plus a pitcher of rose sangria--for a $25 pitcher split between two people, I'd expect at least a little buzz, but it was so watered down I felt nothing. The food: we got patatas bravas, fried artichoke hearts, chicken empanadas, Catalan tomato bread, garlic shrimp, lamb with cauliflower mash, sautéed spinach with butternut squash, hazelnuts, and raisins, and the chocolate olive oil mousse for dessert. This Dine Out menu cost each of us $50, and it was all just so... meh. The shrimp were under-seasoned and over-cooked and rubbery, the lamb was tough, the potatoes were dry, the empanadas were fine but plain, the spinach was watery, and the mousse had a thick layer of olive oil floating on top, not incorporated at all. The only thing that impressed me was the cauliflower mash, which was beautifully smooth. But for $50 (!) I expect something really special--a restaurant that's doing all of those little extra things that make you feel like this is a meal you could not have made at home, like interesting ingredients, expertly emulsified sauces, or at the very least beautiful presentations. Nothing was inedible, it was just at the level I expect when a friend who cooks once a week invites me over for dinner, which is not what I expect from a restaurant that has such good reviews on Yelp and Google, and that has been a Boston word-of-mouth favorite for years. I also am super annoyed that when I asked for my shrimp and leftover empanada to go, they put the crispy empanada in the same container as the oily, saucy shrimp. By the time I got home, the empanada's fried exterior had largely disintegrated, and is totally not worth eating as a leftover now. That is not alone why I'm giving 3 stars, but it feels like part of the systemic carelessness about food at this restaurant. Mostly I'm giving as many as 3 stars because our waiter was very kind and accommodating of my boyfriend's vegan diet--the waiter let him order off the Dine Out menu in an unorthodox way so he could still get 4 dishes for his money, and that was nice because often restaurants are really immovable about their carefully curated Dine Out menus. But overall I very much regret that we picked this place to celebrate our anniversary. It absolutely wasn't worth the steep price. A few months ago, we had a similarly priced tapas dinner at Tres Gatos in JP, which was out of this world. I wish we'd thought to just go back there. read more

Definitely a delicious tapas place! Came here with coworkers after an event and they sat us with ease. We ordered about 8 dishes and shared the huge veggie paella plate. It was really delicious and they brought it out in increments so we weren't just stuffed with food right away. The drinks are great as well, definitely worth going with a huge group of friends! read more

The decor is beautiful, but I've had better tapas pretty much anywhere else that sells tapas. The fish was lacking flavor. The goat cheese salad had way too much arugula. Nothing wowed me. Not a place I'd go back to. read more

Estragon is my favorite place to go for tapas! I work down the street so my fiance and I end up here for dinner fairly frequently. The best thing about this restaurant is they have two styles of seating: traditional dining room tables, or my favorite, their lounge style seating which is set up like chairs around coffee tables. It gives it a much more intimate feel for hanging out and making conversation! Their food is excellent, I'm always happy with the large portions and it always tastes amazing. My fiance is vegetarian and there is a whole section of the menu he can order off of! Wine list is also great, the servers can recommend some great wines based off of what you like. Bar is also very well stocked if you prefer mixed drinks! All in all, you cannot beat this restaurant. It can get quite busy though so if you're coming during peak dining hours, I would be sure to make a reservation. read more

The most authentic tapas in Boston. I've been to Bar Lola, Dali and Tapeo and Estragon is now my #1. I read that the chef was from Madrid and I was excited to try it out, being I was just in Madrid for a week, living off of tapas from all over the city. I went for after work drinks and tapas at the bar. Another good incentive to get in there is the $1 tapas from 5:30-7pm M-F. I started with a glass of Sangria. This was the stiffest sangria I ever had. I big glass too for $8, it was heavy on the wine, just like true Spain sangria. The $1 menu had about a dozen sample size choices so we decided to get 10 of them and roll with that. Fried artichokes: Amazing. This was the first thing brought out. I would eat artichokes everyday if prepared like this! A must try. Spanish omelette: A hearty slice of baked eggs, cheese, cream and onions. It was almost like an au gratin. Excellent! Queso de cabra con tomato: warm goat cheese, I love goat cheese so this hit the spot Pan Tumaca con jamon: Delicious jamon on top of tomato sauce on grilled toast. This type of tapa is a real staple in Madrid. Loved it Buequerones con tomato y manchego: a small anchovy on top of a spicy spread on toast. Mmm Tocino meil y macarones: Spanish honey tapa with pork back and almonds. This was sweet and savory. Chorizo: a spicy grilled link on toast. Fantastic Patatas Bravas: crispy fried potatoes in sauce. Very spicy, good side dish! Hilgadidos de pollo salteados: warm chicken livers with raisins and creme fraiche. Delicious! The bartender Lara was very informative with the bar selections and tapas. My boyfriend and I got to talking to her about how authentic everything was. We were taken back to Madrid during the whole meal. Then the chef Julio came out and said hello to us, which was a highlight of the dinner. He really knows his stuff. His vision for the restaurant was right on. He still has another restaurant back home in Madrid. I loved the decor of the place too. Very European with chic chandeliers and vintage pictures. Great date spot. If you can't go to Madrid or Spain, go to Estragon and transform your tastebuds. I hope to be back many times for Julio's cooking! read more

Fabulouso comes to mind! There are no other contenders in boston that can take "the most authentic tapas" award from Estragon. With that being said, it was a quiet evening when we stop by this newly open tapas prize. The setting was perfect, quietly chic with mellow tunes playing in the background. The place has an air of mystery about it (FYI Gentlemen - great place to bring a lady friend for an intimate evening). We opt to sit in the lounge area instead of our table, it was much more cozier. We HAVE to start of with the Garbanzos (crispy paprika chickpeas) and it did live up to all the noise. It was crunchy and light and the perfect thing to make one thirsty for some sangria (which was perfectly tart and not at all sweet). I LOVE LOVE LOVE the menu with all it's innards on display. If you have a light stomach, please stop reading....now. They had cow's tongue and pig's head and all the gory stuff you would find in Madrid. It was perfecto! In Spain - they eat everything of the pig but the oink - or so I was told. I wanted to be a little adventurous but I didn't dare scare my dinner companion so we opted for the braised oxtail, sautéed frog legs, grilled baby octopus, grilled asparagus with shaved machego, and THE BEST dish I had in a very long time, Sea urchin and foie gras slider - the thing just simply melts in your mouth and you just don't want to swallow for fear of having it disappear but you have to because you want to experience that heavenly trail it makes to your anxiously awaiting sac chamber. There were so much more I wanted to try but atlas, I just have to wait for another delightfully visit to this cleverly scheme jem of a restaurant. There's the fried tripe, cod cheeks, seared head on prawns, grill quail and their bone in ribeye that the waiter tells me is divine! Please skip the generic tortilla and shrimp in garlic (save those for their sister restaurant Taberna de Haro) and indulge in the path less traveled. Oh, the drink menu is marvelous as well. Must be the ONLY restaurant I been to that list Callimocho as a drink outside Madrid! Granted it's just wine and coke but to see it in print brings back oh-so-good feeling.. read more

How did I forget to review Estragon? First things first - I don't like the name! I don't want to eat at a place that sounds like the name of a female hormone. And, I kind of suspect much of the population in the South End may not want to either. If you can get past the name, it's worth a visit. It's really maybe a 3.5 star place but the waiter we had was so sweet, I had to give it 4. It was a while ago now so I don't remember everything we ordered but I will say that sadly, I do remember ordering the fried chick peas (thanks to yelp reviewer recommendations). I was disappointed. They were not crispy at all. I had envisioned them to be like the texture of say, a wasabi pea, but they were sort of mealy and soft and oily. Anyway, I do remember the croquets were really quite good. My husband's Cuban mother used to make really good ones so there was some tough competition, but Estragon's were better. Yup, their croquets are better than my mother-in-law's and I'm not afraid to say it! We also had the seared prawns served with the heads on. Heads on always look creepy but they really do add to the flavor and make the shrimp taste so much sweeter. We also had another dish ( I don't remember the name and just looked on the menu and couldn't find it) that was only okay. It had cod cheeks and shrimp and mussels (and it was sort of like a stew). Though the seafood was fresh and nice, the dish lacked seasoning. Overall, Estragon is aesthetically pleasing and the service is lovely. The food was only okay but I'm willing to bet that might be a case of us not really ordering the right menu items. There is a nice wine selection and very good sangria. There's also a large bar area that looks like it would be fun for a crowd, though it was overrun by a 21st birthday party the night we were there.. read more