La Marcha is a restaurant which absolutely lives up to its reputation. We went there for our 5th Anniversary dinner and so it was kind of a big deal. Both myself and hubby are major foodies but with distinctly dissimilar palettes. The restaurant served us up our tapas with sauces on the side, and made other accommodations as requested. Their La Marcharita cocktail with Mezcal was exceptional. We enjoyed the Seafood Paella Marinara served in a cast iron skillet (hot!) and had plenty for late night leftovers. Highly recommend! Great atmosphere, service, and intimate seating with excellent interior design. read more

La Marcha Tapas Bar - Seafood Paella Marinera - Spanish Near Me - Berkeley, California

This is a brunch review. The menu was fantastic and innovative. The service could be a lot better though. So it's 5 stars on food and 3 on service. We will be back to try other menu items. Would be amazing to add espresso too for now just coffee read more

Spanish Tapas in the East Bay? The holy grail has been found! I feel like I have been to 10 different places in the Bay that are labeled as "tapas/small plates" that should be labeled as "small plates". Came here on a weekday night during Happy Hour (4-6PM) and was lucky enough to score the one legal parking spot right out front with no meter. It was going to be a good evening. Our server was super friendly and gave excellent suggestions. We shouldn't have strayed! We really liked all the food, so I will just try to give some guidance to you and my future self: Sangria - Red vs White. Red was traditional and White is very pineapple forward. Both good but we preferred the red. Word of warning, they have a lot of diced fruit in them and it was hard to get an even pour from the pitcher. Wound up pouring four glasses and evening out the fruit with a spoon. Patatas - Bravas vs Aioli. The potatoes are fabulously roasted and super crisp. Bravas packed quite a spicy kick, so if you have kids, you could ask for sauce on the side. We really liked the Aioli anyways, so that's is the easy pick for being a general crowdpleaser. Croquetas - Pollo vs Champinones vs Cangrejo. They were all fried to perfection. My vote was for the mushroom. They were all good and why not try to sneak in some vegetables into this meal? Paella Marinara - we find that paella is pretty hit or miss at restaurants. Sometimes with dry rice or overcooked seafood. The version here is excellent with a good amount of flavor and saffron. Albondigas - the ultimate tapas comfort food - meatballs in a generous amount of sauce with toasted bread. If I just had bread and this dish, I'd probably be a pretty happy person Tocino - tender pork belly with a little sweetness from the figs Cesar Negro - Tastes and looks like a well done Caesar salad with squid ink. Can't say I really understand the appeal of squid ink, but it's something we would order again if we wanted some greens (or blacks in this case) Gambas - grilled prawns. I feel like it's very easy to overcook these little guys, but these were not Fabada - beans with pork belly and chorizo Pulpo - grilled octopus with sunchoke purée and crispy garbanzos. This is the point where we strayed from the recommendations. I would swap this one out with Vieras (scallops) which we saw others order and looked amazing. Excellent food and service. Looking forward to the next time we can celebrate a special occasion here. read more

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Came for a birthday brunch. Food and service were decent. With the exception of the oxtails that two people in our group ordered and were only given one ox tail each. As the morning progressed we noticed other tables being served double the portion that we were. Also of note, the bar area did have a noticeable cockroach infestation. I left private info for management who never responded to my concerns so I hope seeing it here will give others a heads up about the most concerning thing from my visit, roaches. read more

Loved this place, came with some friends. We had the foccacia and mushroom appetizers and we ordered the seafood and vegetable paellas. Everything was great and very flavorful! Service was great and servers were attentive and kind! Will definitely be back! read more

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RUDE WAITRESS THREW OUR RECEIPT ON THE TABLE AND STORMED OFF OVER A TIP MISTAKE. My parents took me out for my birthday, and the entire night was ruined by one unbelievably unprofessional waitress. When it came time to pay on the handheld machine, my dad ACCIDENTALLY entered a lower tip than he intended to under pressure with her standing there. He asked for a printed receipt so he could take a closer look at it. She came back, rudely threw the receipt on the table, and walked off without a word. We were confused... it seemed like a simple solution... leave cash on the table to add to the tip... Then we saw her across the room pointing at us and obviously talking bad about us to her coworkers. We hadn't even left the table yet, so how could she so easily assume that's all she was getting?! As someone who's waited tables for 7+ years, I know it's EXTREMELY COMMON for people to leave $0 tip on the card and then leave a cash tip. Her attitude was completely uncalled for! Because of how rude she was, we didn't leave the amount we originally planned, but we still left extra on the table, because unlike her, we understand basic restaurant etiquette. For her to treat my dad like that, on my birthday, over an HONEST MISTAKE that could have been easily fixed in seconds, was extremely infuriating and disrespectful. She wasn't super friendly from the start, but her behavior at the end sealed the deal. We will NEVER be coming back, and we'll make sure everyone we know stays far away from this place! read more

I wonder who the owner of this place is? What I know is that is someone who doesn't care about Spanish culture....The World Cup, Spain is playing... there is no soul in this place, no banners, no ambiance, the overworked staff, trying their best to serve a house wine for $19 and ok tapas, good flavor but extremely expensive...I understand I'm not in Spain, but just bring some authenticity to the only Spanish restaurant in the East Bay, next time ( and I have try more than 3 times to give them a chance) I will go to San Francisco were there are few cool Spanish places read more

Birthday dinners are so special to me because I can experience new foods surrounded by loved ones. For my birthday, I requested that we dine at La Marcha Tapas Bar because I had never tried paella and had always wanted to! It might've taken me this long, but my dreams came true! My companion made reservations for us which I recommend as the restaurant is popular! Inside is quite spacious with tables spread throughout for different party sizes plus a bar to sit at. It's lively, loud, colorful, and airy. My family came earlier and the staff were kind enough to let them set up decorations and use our birthday plates instead. After ordering, service did seem a bit staggered and we weren't checked on. We came at the perfect time and were able to take advantage of the happy hour and dinner menus. My party and I chose to share the tapas as it's traditional to do so. From the happy hour, we had: Patatas Aioli, Croquetas de Cangrejo, and Croquetas de Bogavante. I enjoyed the cangrejo the most because of the sweet and creamy crab. Everything else was tasty! From the dinner menu, we shared: Patatas Cargadas, Bimi, Gambas, Tocino, Paella Mixta, and Arroz Negro. The paella was phenomenal, a generous portion, and had so much mixed within. We agreed we enjoyed the Arroz Negro the most. I found some dishes to be tastier than others but overall the quality was decent and the food was good! I am extremely grateful to have tried paella and celebrated my birthday at La Marcha. I recommend this restaurant for those looking to enjoy tapa-style fare. Located off San Pablo Ave. there is street parking throughout the neighborhood. The food will have me coming back, especially for happy hour! read more

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I love Spanish food and I wanted to take a new person that I met to have tapas here. I read the reviews and decided to go. The restaurant is small and intimate, and I enjoyed the way it was decorated. I was early for my lunch partner, and I wanted to get a drink so I sat at the bar. I asked the server for an Aperol Spritz. I asked if he used champagne the cocktail and he goes no cava. I didn't need to be corrected. He didn't make my drink right away. He was doing other things. A party of three came in and waved to him so apparently they knew him from previous visits or friendship. At this point he still hadn't started making my drink. He went over to this new party of three provided them water, menus and chatted with them and then took there order. I'm still waiting for my drink. I mentioned this to him and he just shrugged me off. My lunch partner had arrived. We looked over at the menu and decided to have tapas. The small plates were not what I expected. The pulpo had one little tentacle. The three additional items were barely enough for us to split between so we ended up ordering a salad. I wish we would've had time for the paella because it's something that I really enjoy. Unfortunately, they said to give them at least 45 minutes for that dish. Overall, I give this a maybe because there are things on the menu that looked delightful. The person who was the server was also the bartender and the person clearing the tables. Obviously, there wasn't enough persons there to provide good service and coverage. read more

Everything was underwhelming except for the salad. Here's the rundown: Albondigas: good flavors but ruined by being served lukewarm Octopus: cooked well but ruined with an extremely sweet brown butter sauce Scallops: oversalted Paella negra: rice not crisped and too oily The salad we tried was fresh and had a good mixture of textures with toasted quinoa Ambience is dim and loud. Service is inattentive read more

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As someone who genuinely loves food and dining out, I wanted to like this place. Unfortunately, it's one of those restaurants that mistakes dim lighting and loud chatter for "atmosphere." What it really delivers is a cramped, uncomfortable space where you're practically elbow-to-elbow with strangers while waiting far too long for staff who seem irritated you dared to show up. The service was painfully slow and shockingly unfriendly -- not a smile, not a "how's everything," just a general air of annoyance. You'd think they were doing us a favor by letting us sit there. When the food finally arrived, the presentation was decent, but the portions were laughable -- microscopic even by tapas standards. The flavors were fine, but certainly not worth the attitude or the wait. "Okay" food can't save a place that gets everything else wrong. There are plenty of tapas spots that understand the art of hospitality and balance -- this one is not it. It's all pretense, no warmth, and absolutely no reason to return. read more

The restaurant is modern and chic. The service was excellent. (Only gripe is that they forgot my daughter's drink) We enjoyed all of the dishes we tried. My favorite was the braised beef cheek, but everyone loved the lamb sliders. Make reservations as they are definitely packed and have set timeframes for turning tables around. (We heard the hostess explain this to someone on the phone when we walked in) We will be back to try the paella as the options looked great. read more

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Very welcoming Tapas bar with friendly service. We enjoyed a superb weekend lunch with patatas bravas, gambas, croquettes and broccollini. A superb taste of Spain! We will be back to try their wines and Sangria! A hidden Gem! read more

I didn't even get a chance to eat inside. The night before, my friend had looked online to make sure there were seats available for us (5 people). And there were a LOT of available reservation times. When we got here around 715pm, the hostess didn't even let us go inside. She stopped us at the door and said they are not seating anyone and all the reservations were full. We thought okay maybe all the reservations from last night booked super fast and it was our bad, even tho we saw empty tables inside. We went back to the car and I searched up the restaurant to find out on OpenTable via their website that ALL the reservations were available, literally from 730 until closing. We were super upset she turned us away and had to drive longer for a place to eat dinner (we were really hungry after the zoo). I was down shove a reservation in her face but my other friends didn't want to see her ever again, I really don't understand establishments like this and I rarely leave one star reviews. But this was unacceptable. This was jan 12 2025 read more

We went here for lunch on a Friday. I made reservations, but didn't seem to need them - only a few tables were occupied. Nice, high ceilinged place with a charming feel. We sat at a table next to the window, great spot. The food is incredibly good! Not one thing was bad! - The Bruselas (Brussels sprouts) were very crunchy, good flavor - The Bravas were my favorite - love the spicy sauce with them - The Bimi (grilled broccolini) was very tasty. Veg was not overcooked! - The Croquetas de Champinones (mushroom and manchego fritters) were tasty. They weren't what I envisioned though. These were like a paste, fried. Excellent job on frying - very light and crunchy. - The Albondiga Sub was good. Like the bollilo roll. Meatballs were a good size without being too large to eat. They were tender, so they stayed in the sandwich when you bit into it (didn't squeeze out). Sauce was not overly spicy. - The Tuna sub was good, according to the diner. - The Rucula salad was very good. - My Pollo Bravo sandwich was excellent! The fried chicken piece was fried perfectly, wasn't dry. The slaw was excellent. I was really impressed that the bun had been grilled/toasted. This kept the slaw from making the sandwich mushy. Great job! read more

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We had an amazing dinner, which was a family celebration. Our table of 5 orders a dozen tapas and a paella. We loved every dish and all picked different ones as our favorite. So basically, you can't go wrong. In every single dish, the ingredients were fresh and the flavors were vibrant. While the rest of us had dessert, my husband had another order of scallops because they were some of the best he ever had. The live music was the icing on the cake. We had a really nice meal. The only bummer was the hostess was not great. She was fine, but was not to the level of the rest of the staff. We had reservations for 5, but they gave us a table for 4 with a chair stuck on the end. And these were small tables to begin with, tight for any group of 5. When I explained that we had 3 people in our group over 6'6", she said she was too booked to give us more space. We had two people that sat turned with their legs outside the table, not ideal. Then I noticed three tables stayed empty the whole hour and a half we were there. I'm sure they were saving them for walk ins, but we actually had a reservation and should have been accommodated. And she wasn't rude, but she kinda blew me off. UPDATE: Sergio from La Marcha responded the next day about the hostess and let me know that should not have happened. His message was lovely and very appreciated. We will definitely continue to support this restaurant. read more

La Marcha Tapas Bar - Spanish Near Me - Berkeley, California

Typically, the Spanish tapas places I have been to have small portions because they're tapas, with like maybe 1-2 bites per person for every dish (with a party of 4). Therefore, because I was hungry, we got 15 dishes including a paella. We ordered 16, but we didn't get the goat cheese (Piquillos) but that didn't matter since we were absolutely stuffed. Some of the dishes only come with 2-3 pieces, but you can always add an extra one for a party of 4. Here's a rundown of what I would get next time knowing what most of the menu tastes like: Vegetables: Cesar: Light, refreshing, great to start the meal. Not too sure if the squid ink contributed that much to the flavor. Patatas Cargadas over Patatas Aioli: both are great, however, the additional of the tender oxtail with the brava sauce just elevated the crispy potatoes. But, the brava sauce may be spicy to those who are sensitive to it. Think higher quality, leveled up Taco Bell cheesy fiesta potatoes. Coliflor over Bimi: Again, both are great, all the vegetables were cooked perfectly. The cauliflower, to me seemed more complex compared to the broccolini which was more on the simple side. Seafood: These are lighter than the meats and can't go wrong with any of them. Calamares: Nice portion of light, crispy squid that pairs well with the squid ink aioli. Pulpo: One tentacle that was tasty and tender, can't go wrong with it. Vieras: Big scallops that are beautifully cooked with a nice sear on them. Meats: You probably only need 1 of these as they do get heavy. Tocino: One of the favorites, crispy, tender, fatty and rich pork belly with a small sweetness to it. Costillas: Super tender, fall off the bone with a side arugula salad. The pickled vegetables and salad complement the richness of all the foods thus far. Carrilleras: Super rich, heavy and full of flavor. Goes well with the toast. Croquetas De Cangrejo/ Croquetas De Bogavante: These all tasted very similar to one another so best to just get one. Think crab cake like filling, not like a Japanese croquette. Bunuelos: It was alright, didn't stand out from any of the croquettes, similar to like a crispy fried shrimp you can get at dim sum. Paella Marroqui: Flavorful rice with some crispy bits. I don't think you can go wrong with any of the paellas. Staff is super friendly, very quick, changed plates, amazing. Ambiance is lively, about 25-30 ish seats inside with a bar. There's street parking outside that's free after 6pm. Overall, super stuffed, could've probably gotten away with 10 dishes including a paella. This place is worth checking out. read more

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Been meaning to formally try La Marcha after discovering them during COVID. My family booked a lunch here with myself + bf. So. Much. Paella. The service here is A1-- water was never left more than half full, dishes were fast to arrive, empty plates were bussed instantly. No frills, just diligence. HORCHATA: I think they add vanilla? Not gritty, very creamy and mellow. Probably one of the better horchatas I've had. PULPO: Surprisingly soft and tender, with a bit of sweetness. My family loved this. CROQUETAS DE CHAMPIONES: Melty manchego + savory mushrooms. I hardly noticed the crispy shell. In the spirit of adventure, we ordered every paella on the menu. My favorite was the Mixta-- the meats cooked together brought out an incredible umami flavor. A few paellas skewed a little too salty for my taste, but overall great eats. read more

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We were genuinely excited to return to La Marcha. We were visiting from out of town, and because it had been a couple of years since our last visit, my wife and I were especially looking forward to enjoying great paella and Spanish food again. Unfortunately, the experience fell far short of what we remembered. The biggest issue was hygiene and food safety. Our server repeatedly sniffled and touched his nose while taking our order and serving food, which was difficult to ignore and immediately raised concerns. On top of that, we clearly communicated that our children have nut and sesame allergies and explained the seriousness of their condition. While cross-contamination is not the issue for us, direct inclusion of those allergens absolutely is. Even with that clearly stated, my son's Benedicto Moruna arrived with sesame garnish on the eggs. We asked for replacement eggs, and those were eventually removed from the bill, but that did not really address the broader issue. The meal was prepared incorrectly despite a clearly communicated allergy, and it felt odd that only the replacement eggs were comped when the original dish should never have come out that way in the first place. If anything was going to be taken off the bill, it should have been his full meal. Service also became disjointed as the meal went on. Our server told us he was ending his shift and directed us to someone else if we needed anything further. We later asked another server about replacing a coffee, and she told us coffee might no longer be available, but then never came back to close the loop. That kind of drop-off in communication only added to the frustration. When we asked for a manager, no one was available. What made matters worse was the hostess's response, which came across as though the situation was somehow our fault because we had not spoken up sooner after the food arrived. That was frustrating, especially given that we had already done our part by clearly flagging the allergy in advance. The last thing that left us uneasy was when our leftovers were taken out of sight to be boxed up. That may seem minor to some, but after everything else, it created more uncertainty and made us less comfortable about taking the food with us. What is disappointing is that this was not about one small mistake. It was the combination of poor hygiene, a preventable allergy oversight, inconsistent service, lack of managerial support, and a dismissive response when we tried to address it. We were not looking for compensation. We simply hoped for a more careful and professional experience, especially given the restaurant's reputation and our past positive memories there. I hope this feedback is taken in the spirit intended, because there is a lot to like about La Marcha, but this visit left us concerned in ways that should matter to any restaurant. read more

It's been a while since we visited La Marcha. Always worth the drive. Love the food and the hospitality. A great place to enjoy yourself and get a taste of Spain!! read more

La Marcha Tapas Bar - The brunch Paella!! So delicious as usual - Spanish Near Me - Berkeley, California

Food is great, service at the bar was kind of awful. It was a Tuesday so it wasn't a packed place to understand the lack of service. My friend & I sat for at least 10 mins before the bartender gave us menus. Took another 10mins to get our order. She overall seemed kind of annoyed by having to work perhaps? The food came out faster than the amount of time it took us to get menus & get our order taken. The food was incredible though! Probably won't sit at the bar again, table side service seemed more attentive. read more

Food was AMAZING! Service was superb! Ambiance is cool! We tried: - Patatas bravas. Nice and crispy on the outside potatoes. Love the seasoning. - Croquetas de champiñones with mushroom & manchego, mojo verde filling inside. Delicious! - Hamburguesas morunas. Lamb sliders that I can eat more of!!!!!!!! The harissa mayo is a plus! - Paella Marinera with mussels, clams, shrimp, calamari. Legit paella! Our server was super nice and the seating hostess opened a bottle of Cava for us on the house, due to a table seating mishap. All the staff were quite hospitable. read more

Forgive me for the half eaten food photos, my associate Craig is quite gluttonous when we go for Tapas! 10/10: crispy and light breading with a well seasoned calamari interior. Squid ink aioli was well balanced: earthy yet creamy, savory yet zesty Salad: 9/10 perfectly dressed with slightly smoky crunch. Dressing was a little on the underwhelming side but shredded cheese added the savory balance needed scallops 7/10: slightly overcooked but the olive tapenade packed a flavorful punch. Chorizo flavor was close to absent, as olive over powered any presence of the sausage. Negro Paella: Always incredible. Wonderful umami from the squid ink, saltiness from the fish roe, creaminess and citrus balance this dish so well. Service is always spectacular, always a go to for tapas and paella! read more

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3.5/5 A solid tapa place. We ordered several tapas to share with the highlights being the crispy potatoes, brussel sprouts, mushroom & crab croquettes! Docking off some points due to service. There was a party sitting behind us that came in after and got a paella before us. Our table thought it was strange but didn't think much and saw the table eating it. A bit later we noticed their table flagging the server and said it was the wrong paella. The server took it and brought it to the back of the kitchen and a few moments later brought it to our table. We saw the whole thing happening and questioned the server if this is the paella that was mistakenly brought to the other table and if it was a fresh new one. Server said it was a fresh new one but I questioned it again and said that we saw the table eat it and that our paella was brought to the wrong table. Server said "oh they ate it? I didn't know." We were shocked they were about to serve us a paella that the other party ate. If we didn't say anything they would've served it to us anyways. Staff were very apologetic and offered us two complimentary tapas as a result. We did have to wait another 30-45 minutes for a new paella to be made but no big deal. * Patatas Bravas & Bruselas: can't go wrong with the classic crispy potatoes and brussel sprouts! * Croquetas De Champinones (mushroom): the highlight of our group of all the tapas we got! Love the combo of the mushroom/cheese/pesto sauce! * Croquetas De Cangrejo (crab) and Croquetas De Bogavante (lobster): Crab was the winner between the both. I honestly didn't taste any lobster and the mahon cheese overpowered it. * Pulpo: Good but overcooked. I liked the purée and dish was elevated with the crispy garbanzo/pollen. * Albondigas: Iberico & beef meatballs. Okay but nothing special. Meat was a bit dry but the tomato sauce cream sauce was good. * Arroz Negro Paella: Yum! Super flavorful. The trout roe definitely elevated this dish. The food was good, but the whole situation left a bad impression. I understand mistakes can happen and staff was very friendly and apologized several times so that was appreciated. read more

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We were lucky to snag a reservation at the last minute. The food was great, way better than I expected. My favorites were the meatballs and Brussels sprouts. It's a small cozy spot but it can get crowded during happy hour or late night happy hour so make sure you make a reservation in advance! read more

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Went for lunch on Sunday afternoon after hearing that they have good paella. Croquetas de jamón way too salty. Piquillos with goat cheese was really good. The paella mixta was tasty, but was super, super oily. Once we started scooping the rice onto our plate, we could see tons of oil floating in the pan. Service was really slow. I ordered a glass of cava from Drink menu which was $15 per glass. But when I got home and looked more closely at the receipt, I was charged $19. Overall, disappointed, read more

La Marcha is a cute restaurant in Berkeley that is in the smaller side. Parking can be difficult but you can usually find street parking close by or within a block. Unfortunately, the service was very slow and it was very busy when we arrived for our reservation lunch time on a Monday. Our server seemed very stressed and was doing his best. The drinks were delicious and well made! However, the food was lacking. My Pringa sandwich did not have a balance of flavor and mostly salt took over the dish. The salads we ordered were okay and the proteins in those salads lacked salt. The papas bravas were tasty but needed more acidity or lacked the depth of the dish. Everything was okay. I might suggest trying it out and seeing if it was just a rough day or if it hits different for you. read more

La Marcha Tapas Bar - Pringa sandwich - Spanish Near Me - Berkeley, California

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SQUID INK PAELLA. One of the most memorable and interesting dishes I've had anywhere this year. Great value for the meal and lovely well-lit brunch atmosphere. Traffic seems to clear out by 1pm for brunch. Highly recommend ordering a paella for the table right when you get seated, well worth the 30-45 minute wait. Churros amazing and not too sweet. Amazingly subtle flavors on the shrimp and octopus. Brussels sprouts were a bit more tart than I expected from the balsamic. Horchata had a hint of carrot taste that I personally was not a fan of. read more

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A little sad today on the dining experience. The restaurant disappointed today. Server was most likely overwhelmed, forgot one of the dishes and we had to remind that fact when asked about the check, asked for some bread and took over 20 minutes, tapas showed up lukewarm, literally just warm, water refilled only towards time to ask for check. To be fair the arroz negra paella still acceptable. Hopefully this is an one of event, not new routine. read more

Went without reservations. Place was packed, hostess gave us an hour later spot. Heard a lot of great things about this place so we took it. Waited about an hour. Ordered the gin n tonic and pork belly for appetizer which was awesome. For our entree we ordered the squid paella to share. Loved it. The service was fast and precise. Small place, but great ambiance. It was a great experience read more

This was a great little gem that hits the spot! All the food we ordered was delicious - seafood paella, croquet, the shrimp - were the top favorite. The flavor was spot on, and it was very well seasoned and balanced. The paella has a nice crispy Socarrat layer but wished it had more. The calamari was good and fresh (as is everything else) but we wish there was a bit more crispness. The drinks were also nice and refreshing. Only wished the old fashioned had a large ice cube, but no biggy. Service was also good- our waitress was very friendly. Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed this little gem and would definitely come back if we're in the hood. read more

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Had an excellent lunch for 7 here. Not a single dish missed the mark! Highlights were Paella Marinera (cooked perfectly and super flavorful), meatballs tapas, short rib sandwich/rabo dip, brussel sprouts, crab croquetas and little gem salad. Would like to come back for dinner to try the expanded tapas items and that Paella again! Mmmm. read more

La Marcha in Berkeley is a tapas treasure trove where every plate marches to the beat of its own drum--the food is so good, you'll want to join the parade. From the swoon-worthy Carrilleras wagyu beef cheeks, Tocino fig pork belly to the Cargadas patatas bravas that pack a punch, each dish was a flavor fiesta. Seriously, if taste buds could do the flamenco, they'd be dancing all night. But while the kitchen was firing on all cylinders, the bar was more of a slow waltz than a salsa. The Bar Manager made a point of letting us know he was the cocktail curator, but unfortunately, his service was shaken, not stirred. Watching him drop ice cubes into glasses one by one was less "craft cocktail" and more "ice age"--and with drinks coming out slower than a siesta, the bar was definitely on the rocks. It wasn't just us--servers and fellow patrons were all waiting for their drinks, and even the staff had to jump behind the bar to pour their own wine and beer when the Bar Manager escaped to the back kitchen for the fourth time. His meticulousness was impressive in theory, but on a busy Friday night, it left us parched and pondering if we'd ever see our anniversary cocktails. We ended up at Merado925 to finish our celebration, but we'd absolutely return to La Marcha for the food--just maybe with a BYO sangria next time. Here's hoping the bar service catches up to the kitchen's rhythm, because this spot will certainly deserve a standing once internal team synergy finds its way. read more

Food 3.5 stars / 5 - most of it was flavorful and correctly cooked, if overseasoned with salt. Loved the mushroom croquettes. Didn't love the lamb sausages left whole on top of our paella - so gamey! Service 4/5 stars - staff were all friendly and knowledgeable, but seemed overwhelmed by the crowds. Someone at the next table was delivered my drink. No one acknowledged the note in our reservation that this was a birthday meal. Location/decor 5/5 stars - all lovely! read more

We came here on a Saturday night and the place was packed! Thankfully I made a reservation online so we got seated right away. The chicken croquetas were crispy with a creamy, flavorful filling, and the patatas bravas were perfectly crispy with a hint of spicy sauce. The highlight was the Paella Mixta, loaded with tender chicken, seasoned rice, chorizo and grilled shrimp. It takes a while to cook, so order it early. Parking was easy with paid street spots right out front. Definitely coming back!! read more

La Marcha Tapas Bar - Paella Mixta - Spanish Near Me - Berkeley, California

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This review is specifically for your older male host working on Friday evenings who greets people at the door and sits them. As someone who travels the world and likes to try new "well recognized" restaurants I've learned that your best seller will always be the first person who greets you at your restaurant. Now if you have a rude, discriminatory and long face person at the front that's it, the excitement for the restaurant is gone almost immediately. I was excited to try this place, I had a reservation I requested a side table I didn't get it, that's fine. But the tone and rudeness of the host was beyond what I would expect from a place I'm planning to spend my money on for my husband's birthday. I would not sit somewhere where someone who's greeting me at the front is rolling their eyes and looking at me like they have never seen someone like me walk in through the door. I wouldn't recommend this place for special occasions. read more

Sat at bar. Attentive bar server. Gin drink ok. Too much tonic and ice for us. Paella tasty! Nice vibe.

Nice, cozy place, with lovely food and friendly, chill service. I can't believe it was our first time here. My kid's choice for his birthday dinner. I asked "sushi or tapas?", where he would typically choose sushi, no matter what the other option is.) Thank goodness for tapas! My favorites were the patatas bravas and roasted Brussels sprouts with grapes. And seafood paella was yum. And the blackberry Cabernet Sauvignon sorbet was amazing. read more

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Make reservations! We had a party of 6 and had to wait a little bit for them to push tables together. It's a relatively small and dimly lit place, but great ambiance. If you have a big group, it's best to order two of everything so everyone has a chance to try it. Our least favorite was the pulpo, I think everyone prefers their octopus to be more grilled. It was too chewy. The table's favorite was the croquetas de jamón. I personally love albóndigas too. The sauce was amazing. We also ordered the squid ink crab croquetas which was interesting, but won't order it again. The small paella says it only can feed up to 4 people, but it was plenty for the 6 of us. The churros was the best dessert as it was light and crunchy. The warm chocolate sauce was a nice complimentary, but not needed. Definitely, a great place if you're feenin' for some tapas. Lots of options to choose from. I would hands down come again, esp to try their happy hour. read more

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Incredible Food. Service was some of the worst I've experienced in years. A general feeling of apathy, waters left un-refilled, never greeted, Service staff didn't seem friendly. When I asked about menu items, the waitress left and didn't come back for 10 minutes once she returned she said she forgot my question and asked if I was ready. Not catastrophic, but put a bit of a dent in the excellent night me and my four friends were having. read more