Hey if they happen to serve you bad mussels in their paella, and you and your husband throw up non stop for 30 minutes, their lovely owners will tell you you are rude and wrong and escort you by the arm and tell you that it takes 24 hours for food poisoning all while we threw up 4 times in a 30 minute period.they embarrassed us and treated us like we were trying to steal their food and wine. I have never been manhandled on my way out of a restaurant ever. These owners literally humiliated us fir throwing up their poisonous food and were proud to do so. Never eat here!!!!! She literally left a bruise on my arm. read more

An excellent start to the vacation! We suggest the mussels appetizer! -an amazing dish! Probably the best broth on the island! The charcuterie board wasn't quite worth the price... but the amazing drinks made up for things! Finally, I suggest that they provide a variety of bread or at the very least a different bread for the dips, etc. read more

Over priced, slow service, inattentive waiters, and mediocre food, at best Started with a few apps, artichoke was good but the mozzarella tasted like it came from the supermarket, literally no taste on the dish. Entrees ordered included veal, which my wife said was "fine" but my son wouldn't eat it. I had paella, which had to be sent back. Shellfish was dried out, likely from a heat lamp, and rice was mushy and tasted like they burnt the pan and managed to scavenge some rice. Too many good restaurants to recommend this one and there is absolutely no connection to authentic Spanish cooking here. Hard pass, oh yea, the bill was incorrect as they "accidentally" added two additional bottles of water - nice way to end a poor meal. read more

All around 5 stars for La Tapa! Saved our last meal on St.John for La Talpa. The food is made with love,very unique and flavorful...you can taste the time that went into creating each dish.We tried several small plates: The bread with olive oil and 3 sauces, cheese plate and mozzarella soup...all delish! The table behind us raved about the Paella! The honey on the cheese plate is locally harvested and the menu changes based on what is fresh and available on the island and sea. I noticed the owner Alex working tirelessly to make sure the food, ambiance and service was on point...she is super sweet too. If you see fish and lobster on the menu then it was likely caught that day or the day before! We loved the beautiful ambiance, lighting and delicious wine! The bartender was very friendly too! read more

La Tapa Plage - Loving the wine,beer, and food at La Tapa! Happy Island vibes all around from this group! - Spanish Near Me - Saint John, Virgin Islands

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During our last night in St John we wondered into town in the early evening looking for a bite to eat. We stumbled upon La Tapa and were lucky enough to walk right in. 20 minutes later La Tapa was quite busy so our timing was perfect. Actually the entire meal was perfect... My husband had feasted on nothing, but pina coladas all day and was famished. He insisted we order almost all of the tapas off the menu. It ended up being way too much food, but I'm so glad we were able to get a taste of everything. It was all ridiculously good, although favorites included the mozzarella salad, mussels and escargot pasta. Between the incredible food, quaint atmosphere, stellar service and tasty wine (riesling for me) my hubby and I both agreed that was the best meal we had in St John. If we find ourselves back on the island it will be the first restaurant I call for a reservation. read more

Great food. Definitely need a reservation. Had the mahi and it was very fresh and delicious. Highly recommend this restaurant.

Beautiful setting but took forever - be prepared to sit and wait. Had to ask for water, our waiter and our check several times! Not a good place for kids. Vanilla ice cream was really off-for $15 it should have been amazing. read more

This place is a gem!! We ordered a tasting, family style of 5 small plates and 1 entree for 3 people which was perfect. Cheese plate was just ok but highlights were the yellow fin Tuna, mussels, duck confit and the Octopus had incredible flavor. Wine pours are great and cocktails were wonderful. read more

If you love tapas, you will love this place. Full service bar. Food is excellent, desserts fabulous. No food was wasted here. But you must make a reservation. Don't miss this restaurant! read more

I really wanted to love this place! We received a ton of recommendations to try it out so we knew we had to visit during our 2 week stay. I was so underwhelmed with the quality of all the dishes we tried. Everything tasted like it had dill and nothing tasted really fresh. From the salad to the octopus to the cauliflower. Not sure if they were just having an off night but this was a disappointing meal all around. I will say our server was great though! read more

A beautiful place with friendly but sometimes inattentive staff. We have been a few times this winter. If they are full they do not even bother to answer the phone. The fish is excellent and we had a great special of lamb meatballs. We also ordered the duck confit and it was inedible. The duck was almost raw and show no signs of a confit technique. We told our waitress and neither she nor the kitchen offered any apology or adjustment to our tab. The house made mozzarella had the consistency of a lacrosse ball. Given the prices one expects more. read more

Order the Paella and thank me later. We have gone here each time we have traveled to St. John, we love Paella and this one is a winner! Great menu, service and atmosphere. We'll be back again someday! read more

The star given is entirely based on the service received and the way we were made to feel. Unfortunately we didn't get to try the food because the first 1/2 hour of basically no service ended up prompting my family to decide to leave. We had a reservation and the restaurant called us to let us know our table was available earlier. So we got there early but they weren't ready for us which was not a big deal. However, when we went to stand near the bar to wait (since it was raining outside and no covered area to stand outside), one of the staff kept asking us if we'd checked in with hostess and he seemed quite put out that we were standing there. In addition, the bartender didn't even make eye contact with us and ask if we'd like to order a drink (and there were only 2 other people sitting at bar). Once we got seated at the darkest back corner outside table where rain was dripping on us, we were served water but after 20 minutes we still hadn't been greeted by a server or asked if we'd even like to order a drink or appetizer. We are a pretty patient bunch but after this 1/2 hour of feeling like we were in their way and getting no service, we decided to leave. read more

Way overpriced. Very nice atmosphere, assuming you don't get the tables on the street. Service was fine, but check your tab closely. Prices are high. Prices are high. Food was just ok. Pasta dish was pretty, good pasta, good cream sauce overcooked shrimp. Paella had good flavor, good rice, overcooked seafood. SKIP DESERT. Pineapple upside down cake was super dry and blah cake with a very good raspberry sorbet. Flourlesss chocolate cake was a bit bitter and ice cream was .... well ... a bit strange. It was very spicy, allspice? nutmeg? something that overpowered any reasonable icecream or desert flavor. I was disappointed. read more

Absolutely amazing! Food was phenomenal and atmosphere was wonderful. Will definitely come back the next time we're on the island!

My wife and I had a wonderful meal at La Tapa this evening. We were happy that we booked our reservation as they were full through the evening. They did not have a cocktail menu but the bartender was excellent - I asked for "something with mezcal" and the bartender whipped up a refreshing pineapple/rosemary/mezcal drink that was perfectly refreshing. Small plates were great. I usually don't enjoy cauliflower, but the truffle cauliflower was excellent. The highlights were the mahi large plate and the yellowfin large plate - both were outstanding! Very happy we chose to dine at La Tapa! read more

Beautiful view and setting. The waiter was terrible. Didn't get anyones order correct. The manager finally jumped into help. But the worst part was the metal chairs are so uncomfortable they clearly don't want you to linger and enjoy your meal. read more

I would endeavor to write a witty and clever review but it's all been said by other reviewers (the meat, ahem, of the review anyway) I will keep this review like the menu: short and sweet. 5 stars. Among the top 3 restaurant experiences of my life. This is not the type of restaurant you only eat at when in St John... oh no. It is now my de facto reason for coming to St John - the sun and sand are now just happy side effects :-) Be sure the make reservations. Relax. Enjoy. read more

Maybe it's part of the snobbery of being a piggishly greedy eater, or maybe it's the condescending attitude of someone who never looks up from her plate when the food is spectacular, but one fact remains: I never, but never, ask my server their name, much less try and find out who the restaurant's chef is. La Tapa, however, just broke all those rules. And why? Because for the first time ever, the food was presented spectacularly enough for me to look up between inhaling one flavorful delicious bite after another and think, "oh wow, this must be what they mean by a good chef putting their hallmark on the food". That led to a freezing of my fork, and a hasty unwanted swallowing of the exquisite pecan-apple crouton I was savoring, and a frantic hailing of the incredibly passionate and careful server,, to question, nay, demand (!), who the chef was, and declare that the food was de.lic.ious. He told us that Chef Ewald started the place eleven years ago, in a tiny kitchen left of the current one, with a two year old nipping at her heels. And, that the incredible wild rice in my roasted red pepper? Flown in specially from Minnesota, hand milled by a local Native American. That the mozzarella was home-made. Oh, and the glue holding the roasted pecan to the thinly shaved apple on the perfectly toasted crostini crouton? A gorgonzola dolce, that I would've bet my first born was a butter, it was that soft and creamy. Certainly, it's this attention to detail that sets La Tapa apart - if you've got to choose your big dinner nights out, (and on St John, you certainly do!), put La Tapa on your list, its worth the price tag and not just because of the fabulous ambience and mind blowing service. And by the way? I think La Tapa and Chef Alex Ewald have just reset my bar of what a five star dining experience should feel like. read more

I ate here twice while vacationing with my parents in the beautiful St. John. Despite it being a more wine centric place, we started with a round of mojitos (we are on vacay in the Caribbean afterall!) The first night I tried the paella which was solid. It's a big portion, so you definitely need to share. The 2nd time, I went for the duck. I had never ordered duck in a restaurant (hey now, I am still kind of young). I am not a picky eater but I simply wanted to try it for the first time at a nicer restaurant who would do it right. Boy was I glad I tried it first at La Tapa-it was absolutely delicious! We had more than our fair share of wine the second night and even joined forces with the eccentric couple who sat next to us. Our 2 tables became one as they regailed us with stories of their sailing adventures. We stayed long after dinner but the wait staff didn't seem to mind us staying to drink. Sounds like the menu changes a lot-every dish we had was certainly delcious. There is limited outdoor seating if you are brave enough to sit outside. It is right along the road and juts out at a big curve. There is definitely a lot of foot traffic as there are some rowdier bars on the same stretch of road (the Quiet Mon) is right above. If I am ever lucky enough to make it back to St. John, La Tapa will be at the top of my list of places to re-visit! read more

I was SO EXCITED to go-- after reading yelp reviews, we booked our reservation 30 days in advance! The tapas were good- not phenomenal, but good. We enjoyed all of them. After dinner, we started playing the game "heads up" where you guess a celeb/movie/etc (Google it). After about 10 min, the hostess came over and told us people were insulted by all of our cussing- which blew our minds, because none of us could recal saying a single cuss word! After that, we were very conscious of being watched. (By the way, we were playing 90's Movies theme, so our words were things like Lion King and Jumanji). 5-10 minutes later, the hostess came back over saying the restaurant was complaining of the noise. (Again, we were very aware of being watched, so NO ONE was speaking in loud tones!) In looking around.... Not a single table was looking on our direction. The waitress stand? 100% watching us. We had an amazing dinner at Lime Inn, Zozo's, High Tide & Beach Bar: go to any of those instead. read more

Comfortable atmosphere, and friendly service. Appetizers were excellent (diver scallops, langoustine, etc). Entrées weren't as great. Mahi was ok, tuna was nicely cooked but only so so sauce, paieayah was meh. Quite pricey. Overall it was fair, nothing special. read more

This is one of those rare finds that seems to transport you to another time and place. This charming restaurant in downtown Santa Cruz sits on the edge of a busy street. There is outdoor dining, but with nearby bars and passing cars, seating is more comfortable indoors. Our party of 3 shared Pork Belly, Octopus and the Mussels. All mouthwatering. We then shared a paella for 2. It was nothing less than extraordinary. Service was great, ambiance is warm and welcoming. Worth the trip even from St. Thomas. read more

Well. In due deference to prior reviews, we had dinner here with--how does one say this--one of my ultimate food-snob friends. She trained in Paris, she is a pastry chef, assoluta. This was a wonderful meal. Every course was perfection. Great service, awesome wine. A world-class experience. read more

When I worked on the island I remember coming her for dates or fancy dinners. It just had a great vibe to it. I liked sitting next to the street and watching the world go by. Located under the Quite Mon Bar, but right on the main road. Everything on the menu I had tasted was great. They some great live music on occasional nights. I used to love getting sambuca in a brandy balloon with three coffee beans (for health, happiness, and prosperity)...jokingly called the flies. The bar tender would heat up the glass over a candle...I always felt like James Bond after it. - watch out for the mosquitos if you sit in lower areas of the dinning room. They always found me and my sambuca enriched blood there read more

Fantastic flavorful meal. Great atmosphere and location open to the street. Well built wine list and beautiful inspired dishes make this place a real treat. read more

I have been eating at La Tapa since October 2005 and I ADORE this restaurant. Not only is it the most consistent restaurant in St John, but it is always the freshest, some of the most delish and has the very best service. The menu changes daily based on the ingredients and the wine list is as well-- If you go to St John and you don't eat here- You are missing an extraordinary dining opportunity. PS- Love sitting at the bar! and You DEF need a reservation. read more

Unfortunately had a pretty disappointing experience at La Tapa. Perhaps it was because it was hyped up so much as one of the best dining experiences in St. John. Regardless, it's too bad I have to bump them down to 3 stars for several reasons. 1. The service. We sat down and after 20 minutes someone finally came to take our drink order. The server also failed to mention items that were sold out (we literally had to eavesdrop on the table next to us to find out what they had/didn't have). 2. The food. Relatively recently traveled to Spain and let's just say this is nowhere near authentic. The menu clearly caters to the typical American tourist as well (e.g. pork chops, pasta), probably rightfully so. But the bacalao fritters seemed baked and not as rich as I would have expected. The small plates were very small just FYI. Even for a small plate though there was rly little octopus in the serving. We got the Mahi mahi and pork chops (they got me hah). The meats themselves were cooked and seasoned great; but the wild rice with the Mahi was not cooked through and hard, and the carrots with the pork were also not cooked enough. We skipped dessert. This place probably won't make the list the next time I come to St.John. read more

10/10 would recommend -- flavorful food with great potion sizes of small and large plates. Between four people: sharing 4 small plates, 2 large plates and 2 deserts was perfect. Gazpacho tasted divine. Flourless chocolate cake and bread pudding were to divine! Defenietly on the expensive side, but once you taste the food you'll understand why. read more

La Tapa Plage - Postres: flourless chocolate cake and bread pudding. - Spanish Near Me - Saint John, Virgin Islands

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My wife an I eat here at least twice every visit to St John. The mussels with the lemon grass sauce is something we crave year round!!! Can not wait to go again in April! read more

I had a great dining experience at La Tapa the other night. We had an 8:15 reservation, but missed the 7 pm ferry, so had to call and push our reservation back to 8:30. We arrived at 8:25, but weren't seated until a little after 9. Now this could have been our fault for having to push the reservation back, or simply poor planning on their behalf. My parents and I all started with the mussels. They were quite delish. The unfortunate part is that the sauce was perfect for dipping bread, but the bread cost $5 extra. Restaurants that charge for plain French bread are automatically docked a star in my book. For dinner I had two appetizers-the arugula salad with cashew encrusted goat cheese and the duck confit. This was too much food, but it was really delicious. All in all, I would definitely go back, but keep in mind, this place is good, but expensive for what you get. read more

My wife and I had dinner here on our honeymoon. We sat out front on a gorgeous night, had a great experience. Service was great, our server gave us all kinds of tips and places to check out around the island. The food was FABULOUS! Yes, we got the muscles and they were better than advertised. I never eat muscles and we cleaned the pot out. Make sure you get some extra bread to clean up the garlicky awesomeness that is left over!! We also split a nice salad. It was a nice little white table spot. Sit outside if you can and take in the street out front. A great spot for a nice dinner with great food in Cruz Bay, St John. read more

Appeared to be the best on the island, at least compared to Zozo's (also very good), Asolare (good) and the places at Caneel bay (not as good). They vary their menu nightly, but we went two nights in a row and there were a lot of the same ingredients on the menu,but with different treatments. That's fine, they were all fantastic, from cold and hot soups, to wonderful seafood dishes, to good meat dishes and homemade ice creams with their good desserts as well. Highly recommended. It is right on the main drag downtown, so does not have a view like some others, but it has a nice, bustling atmosphere. The only caveat is that it is priced like everything on St. John - 25% higher than its equivalent in NYC, but hey, you are far from NYC! read more

La Tapa is a great place to eat dinner if you want to do family style sharing. They have a great appetizers including mussels and other seafood. It's very small and there is outside dining. Always make a reservation though. The waiter was very friendly and there is also a small bar. I'd definitely go there again for dinner! read more

Very good Spanish food. This place is nice surprise for us on island. This is better than many Spanish restaurant I can find in states. read more

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I love La Tapa. We ate here on our honeymoon 3 years ago, and we remembered what a great meal it was then, and knew we had to revisit it on this return trip. Specifically, we had dreams about the mussels. Well, our return visit did not disappoint. They have a pretty great wine list, they surprised us by having a Patz and Hall pinot noir (we had visited Patz and Hall on a trip to CA, and it's a tiny little winemaker, it's even hard to find in the states), so that got us off to a good start. We started with a mozzerella and beet salad, suggested by our server (who did a nice job) and it was the only disappointing part of our meal. Just very bland. We also got the mussels, and once again, AMAZING. With the hot french bread they serve them with, they are really one of the best things I've ever had. For our dinner, we shared the paella for two, and it was so good. It was really perfect, my husband is a little picky about what he'll eat, but there was so much in the paella (chicken, fish, shrimp, crawfish, calamari, sausage) that he could eat what he wanted, and I could eat the rest :) This is really a must visit spot on St. John read more

Yep, went back for the mussels. Good Stuff! A must try place if you are on St. John. read more

We first went to this place 8 years ago and loved it. We had the freshest, best calamari we've ever had. It pretty much ruined our ability to enjoy calamari anywhere else. We haven't stopped talking about it since then. We finally made it back there tonight and the place is still awesome. The tapas we had were good, but the fresh mahi entrée that we split (caught that day) was phenomenal. The fish was fresh and perfectly cooked and that prep on it was unbelievable. We also had a carafe of sangria, which was very good. Desert options looked great too, but we were too full to order anything else. Ambiance is a sort of rustic, Spanish/European vibe, which I liked. read more

We LOVE this place! Get the mussels, cheese plate, scallops and a great bottle of wine! Staff is Awesome too! We've been going here for 5 years Nd it is Solid! A Must when in St Johns! Eli B from NY must have been in a hurry....what is more relaxing than enjoying awesome food and not being rushed? Slow down New Yorker read more

Great place to dine in Cruz Bay close to the nightlife. Tried the mahi, husband loved his tuna. Started with the cheese board, black bean soup, and an appetizer special they were serving that day (lamb/goat cheese ravioli). Highlight of the meal was the flourless chocolate torte. I'm a sucker for all things chocolate and this was one of the best I've had. If you have room for it...try it! read more