Came here for Wifey's Bday. There is another popular Tapas place we like to frequent, but heard good things about here. The ambiance is really nice- a cozy feel, but not a crowded feel. There is inside seating and outside seating. The outside seating in on the sidewalk street, but setup permanently and not just slapped together. I would have no problem if we were seated there. The cocktail selection is intriguing based on the ingredients listed, i was not familiar w/ many of the liquors involved. None the less, i had a hard time deciding, but my Paloma Sour was great. I'm almost 100% sure you can choose any cocktail and have a good experience. The food selection is excellent, as you can see by the pictures. The Paella has great taste, only wish they had make the bottom more crispy (sukarat) as we asked for. Our wait staff was super friendly, attentive, and checked on us the right amount of times. This will be a spot i'll consider on more special occasions. read more

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We heard this was the restaurant Bad Bunny visited during Super Bowl weekend, so we were excited to finally give it a try! We came for a friend's birthday with a party of 10 and did the $75/person prix fixe tasting menu. Food: The tapas were definitely the highlight for us and probably our favorite part of the meal. For the mains, we had three paellas served family-style with pretty generous portions. The squid ink paella was our favorite, followed by the chicken and pork. The noodle-style paella was our least favorite. Overall, we thought the tapas were better than the mains. Dessert was okay. The cheesecake was verrrrry cheesy and yes, I know it's cheesecake lol but the cheese flavor was especially strong and savory. Service: Unfortunately, this is where the experience fell short. The birthday girl had a friend who recently dined here and was offered an unlimited beer and sangria option with their prix fixe menu. When we asked our waitress about it, she wasn't familiar with it and checked with the GM, who said he had never heard of such an option. My friend reached out to the previous guest, who found the email correspondence with the restaurant confirming that the option had been offered. While trying to show our waitress, three of us said "excuse me" to get her attention while she was at our table, but she continued handing out drinks without acknowledging us. We understand she was working, but even a quick "I'll be right with you" would have been appreciated. Once we showed her the email, she brought the GM over. After looking at it, he repeatedly emphasized, "YOU didn't respond to us," referring to the fact that there was no response confirming the drink option. The weird part was... it wasn't even our email. The correspondence was between the restaurant and a completely different guest from a previous dinner. We were only showing it because we had just been told that this drink option had never existed. The GM eventually said they could accommodate us, which we appreciated, but the delivery felt unnecessarily defensive and passive-aggressive. We weren't demanding the package or expecting them to honor an old offer--we were simply trying to clarify what we had been told. A simple, "Sorry for the confusion! We see what you're referring to and can accommodate you," would have completely changed the interaction. Unfortunately, the way such a small misunderstanding was handled changed the mood of the dinner and took away from my friend's birthday celebration. There were definitely good parts of the meal, especially the tapas and squid ink paella, but the communication and management experience overshadowed what could have otherwise been a great night. read more

Macarena is a beautiful spot, and we had a lovely night sitting outside. The service was fantastic throughout the meal. Unfortunately, I came in hoping for a more traditional Spanish dining experience, and the food fell a little short for me. The Gazpacho Martini was definitely not what I was expecting, but it ended up being delicious and one of the more memorable surprises of the night. The gambas al ajillo were probably my biggest disappointment. I'm used to traditional gambas being served shell-on, which gives the dish so much flavor and character. These felt more like peeled prawns sitting in a chili-garlic oil. They were fine, but not what I was hoping for from a Spanish restaurant. The oxtail canelones had good flavor, but everything was so soft that the dish lacked texture. It was essentially all one squishy consistency. I LOVE pan con tomate, so this one hurt a little. The tomato looked and tasted more like purée spread over bread than fresh, ripe tomato. For such a simple dish, the quality of the tomatoes really matters, and these just didn't deliver. The Spanish artichoke was small, but I really enjoyed it. It was a unique preparation and presentation and one of the more interesting dishes we ordered. The standout for me was the paella negra. We specifically asked for socarrat, and there was a decent amount of crispy rice on the bottom, although I would have loved even more. Still, this was easily my favorite dish of the meal. We finished with the saquets de crema, which were pretty good and made for a nice, light ending after the paella. Overall, Macarena has a beautiful atmosphere, excellent service, and some creative dishes/drinks. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had gone in expecting a modern interpretation of Spanish food and changed up my order. I blame myself for not looking up all the dishes beforehand (Yelper fail). I was really craving a traditional Spanish meal, though, and on that front it just didn't quite hit the mark for me. read more

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You can tell this restaurant is well-loved by how busy it gets and how many paella pans fly out the kitchen. The service here is top notch and everyone is incredibly accommodating. With the interior giving a cozier, Spanish RH-like vibe- it's easily approachable and feels like a nice treat all at the same time. I highly recommend the Oxtail Canelones not because it's visually gorgeous, but also tastes delicious. The Churros Bravos were fun to eat, but I wish they came with more pieces considering the price point. IMO, you can make do w/out the Gambas Al Ajillo. The star of the show however, being the paella- was absolutely incredible. It's probably the best paella I've had in a long time! Each grain of rice was coated fantastically and was a great way to round out the dinner. Definitely get a paella! Overall, a great spot for some tapas. A truly charming spot for dinner, I will definitely come back here again. PS, they make great Espresso Martinis! :) read more

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Got a last minute reservation here with my sister and could only book in the patio. There seemed to be a lot of open tables inside so not sure why they couldn't accommodate us. It also didn't seem like that many people were coming in for their reservations. But the patio was fine and cozy also. Just that the vibes inside vs outside are vastly different and I would love to come back to dine inside. The food is delicious. Both my sister and I have been to Spain before and thought the food was pretty close to what we had in Spain. Our favorite tapas we tried here was the oxtail canelones. Flavorful and beautifully presented. The churros bravas was also really good. Not usually a fan of potatoes anything myself, but it was soft on the inside, perfectly crispy on the outside. Didn't care much for the empanada so I'd say that's a skip. It mostly tasted like marinara sauce on the inside. We weren't super hungry so we just ordered one of the main dishes, the pulpo à la brasa. Very tender octopus and flavorful. For desert, I love a good flan and this one was good! Not overly sweet but you could taste the vanilla and even see the black specks of it throughout. I appreciated that our waitress warned us away from getting the peppers tapas because they were more on the spicy rather than sweet side. The prices really weren't that bad for the location and pretty comparable to anywhere else around the bay. Would love to come back and dine inside and try the paella that we didn't have time for that night. read more

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My friend treated me to lunch here for my birthday and it was fabulous. The interior of the restaurant is stunning and I can only imagine how much prettier it is in the evening. The service was good, the staff was attentive and did a good job explaining each dish. We opted for the tasting menu just to try a bit of everything. This is potentially the best octopus I've ever had, and I plan on getting the full dish the next time I'm here. The sauce it came in was incredible too, and so was their bread. Their shrimp tartare was also nothing like I've had before -- super fresh and it paired really well with the cream sauce. Those were my two favorites of the day, and I hope those are kept on the menu so I can get them again. I didn't care much for the paella and thought it was just ok but that honestly might just be because it had to follow the incredible apps. Dessert was tasty too and I was pleasantly surprised at how they weren't too sweet. It's clear every dish we had was thoughtfully curated -- the service, food, and ambiance was top notch and I can't wait to come back. read more

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Yesterday I attended a fellowship graduation celebration at this Spanish restaurant, and it was my first time here. The event featured a multi-course meal, though the serving style was a bit unconventional for a graduation dinner. Instead of individual portions, many dishes were served family-style, which sometimes led to a scramble for serving utensils. We even found ourselves using personal forks for some shared plates, which wasn't ideal. The meal kicked off with a delicious selection of tapas, including pan con tomate, Iberian charcuterie, croquetas de jamón, churros bravos, ensalada de tomate, and olivada broccolini. The tomato salad, with its sweet tomatoes, flavorful dressing, and olives, was a definite highlight. For the main courses, we shared dry-aged ribeye (perfectly rare to medium-rare) and a delightful salmon en papillote with a curry and coconut sauce. The ribeye was particularly memorable. Next came three types of paella served in cast irons: Paella Negra con vieiras (made with squid ink), a vegan paella, and my favorite, the Paella Campestre, featuring pork belly, chicken thigh, and seasoned vegetables. Dessert was also served family-style, but the small plates made sharing a bit challenging, with everyone getting just a spoonful. While the food was generally good, with some standout dishes like the tomato salad and ribeye, I didn't find it to be a truly 'blow-me-away' experience. The service was attentive, with servers constantly checking on us and offering sparkling water or champagne. However, I was nearly charged for a margarita that I thought was included, and at $17 before tax and tip, it highlighted the restaurant's high price point. Given the cost and the somewhat limited serving sizes for shared dishes, I don't see myself prioritizing this restaurant for a future visit, though I wouldn't rule out returning. Despite some logistical quirks, the graduation celebration itself was enjoyable, even with the background noise from the main dining area making speeches hard to hear. read more

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Our group of 3 picked Macarena for Friday dinner. And yes, we were definitely influenced by the fact that Bad Bunny ate here lol. My bestie made a reservation and thank goodness she did because the restaurant was packed. The interior is beautiful with a classy, upscale vibe and warm dim lighting. My favorite area was definitely the bar, it looked gorgeous and now I have an excuse to come back for cocktails. Our table was in a quieter section, which was perfect for catching up and gossiping. Service was amazing from start to finish. Everyone was welcoming, and our server gave us great food and drink recommendations. We went through two rounds of drinks: Espresso Martini, Piña Blanca, and Margarita. I originally came for the frozen espresso martini but they had just changed the cocktail menu the week before... so sad lol. The regular one was still really good though. For food, we shared the Churros Bravos, Abuelita's Meatballs, Oxtail Canelones, Wagyu Carrillera, the Rib Eye Paella special, and finished with the Saquets de Crema. (big feast, i know lol) The Wagyu Carrillera completely stole the show for me. It was so tender that I ended up ordering another one to-go. The Oxtail Canelones was probably my least favorite since they put too much sauce I hardly can taste the oxtail. The dessert - Saquets de Crema, on the other hand, was amazing. Our server told us to eat it in one bite, and wow... he knew exactly what he was talking about. It was crispy on the outside, rich and creamy vanilla cream inside, dipping with soft warm chocolate sauce, killer combo and explosion of taste bud. Overall, such a great dinner. Beautiful atmosphere, great service, delicious food, and definitely a place I'd recommend Macarena for a fancy date night or upscale business meeting because the vibes they giving is high-end from start to finish. read more

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Went here for a cousin's birthday dinner and we all enjoyed the meal! Paellas were well seasoned and perfectly cooked - I also really enjoyed the pulpo a la brasa. Our server was very kind and we got a small dessert as a gift for the birthday girl. The interior is super cute, would definitely come back for date night! read more

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Macarena was a solid tapas stop that I'd come back to if I was in the area. The restaurant is located streetside with some outdoor seating and a pretty big dining area inside. Loved the big wooden door you have to open and the service was really solid/helpful. We had a bigger party and at first were seated at a smaller than expected table. When we noted we had more people coming, the hostess and service team were really nice in helping us find a bigger spot pretty quickly and moving all of our water cups. The menu itself is pretty extensive with lots of tapas options you'd expect. Here's what we had: +Churros bravos: Their showstopper appetizer. It came out in a churros shape and was such a melt in your mouth appetizer. Amazing and came with some crema. +Squid ink paella: Pretty solid. Although it came a little drier than expected, I think the mix itself was pretty good with a good amount of seafood. We had people come throughout the day so made sure to order this early as it did take a bit of time to come out. +Croquettes: Solid and tasted good with a good amount of jamon. +Branzino: Surprisingly big and meaty. Was a great entree for the table. +Pulpo: Overall presentation was great. Taste wasn't bad. Think we've had better elsewhere but most of the table liked it and liked the potato puree in particular. +/-: Pan con tomate: Ordered this later on in the meal and in the end, didn't think it was as good as the other tapas we got. Wish it came with more tomato overall and the bread was a little hard. -Crystal Mojito: The mocktail I had was a bit too overly sweet and didn't really remind me of a mojito. Less refreshing that expected. There's some street parking as well as a tight parking lot across the street. Overall, wasn't our most favorite tapas spot but we overall enjoyed what we had and service was fantastic. read more

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It was our first time eating here and I immediately loved it. The restaurant has a warm and inviting atmosphere. It's elegant yet comfortable, with a refined but welcoming feel that made us want to stay and enjoy our meal. The food was amazing and I loved everything we ordered especially the paella. I'm a big fan of paella and theirs did not disappoint. It was so flavorful. The service was also friendly and attentive. I'd definitely come back the next time I'm in the area. read more

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We stopped by for a quick bite before a concert. I was excited to try it out but felt a bit disappointed afterwards. We weren't starving but wanted to share a few items because we aren't from the area and we haven't had tapas in a long time. We ordered 2 different drinks to try. They were just average - more on the sugary side (around $16 if I remember correctly). I prefer them to be a bit more strong. We ordered a few tapas to share. One was a prawn dish - they were not prawns, they were shrimp. They were small in size and the flavor was a bit bland. We also tried the fried eggplant chips. They were just ok - seemed a bit greasy as if they were just soaked in oil. Lastly the grilled squid(probably my favorite) - it was simple but good. I also ordered the beef cheek but the waiter forgot to put my order in so by the time we asked about it, it was already too late and we had to leave. Service was ok - we got everything in a decent amount of time and server came to check on us. Only downside was he forgot to put my order in which worked out anyways. Food was just mediocre at best. read more

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Macarena had a very nice energy, mellow lighting, and calm but warm sound. The staff were extremely friendly, but came by the table a bit too much. The food was delicious, with the tartare and octopus being by far the stars of the show. The rest was good, but not extraordinary. The price was high, so my standards are going to be as well. The oxtail pasta was a bit soupy and felt like too much sauce, overpowering oxtails natural delicious flavor. Would come back again, but more for the ambience and date night vibe than the food/price.. read more

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Nice ambiance and good service. Tapas were good but was disappointed by the tiny unbalanced portions of bread in some of the tapas. We ordered a steak paella and it was wayyy too salty and could not finish it. We were seated outdoors and it got quite chilly, no heat lamps were turned on. Parking was difficult to find nearby, I ended up parking a few blocks down in the residential area. read more

Macarena - Spanish Near Me - Palo Alto, California

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I really enjoyed their seafood paella and appetizers as it had a deep seafood taste and the appetizers were fried and grilled to perfection. The staff was super nice and informative and gave amazing recs. Definitely try the paella squid ink if you have the chance as it doesn't disappoint. read more

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Celebrated a friends birthday here - table for 5! We were seated immediately at our reservation time in a corner booth. Ambiance is lovely and I enjoyed the high ceilings and decor. We ordered gin and tonic experience - one floral and one with the szechuan peppercorn. The flavors were a little overpowering, but maybe just not for us. I also got their martini which had savory elements and I LOVED. It was so smooth and hit the spot. FOOD: Meatballs: good, v juicy, but loved the sauce they were in more than the meatballs themselves Broccolini: love me some veg and thought it was cooked well - but could def omit if you're group isn't veg lovers Gambas: good shrimp, nothing particularly amazing - ended up using the bread for the meatball sauce Grilled calamari: Really liked this dish - good texture on the calamari (not rubbery) and the sauce was super complementary Pulpo: Favorite dish by far. The octopus was perfectly perfectly cooked. Incredibly tender and was such a phenomenal dish Branzino: love me a branzino and liked the tomatoes and sauce that accompanied Fideua: didn't read this one fully on the menu and didn't realize it was a small noodle dish rather than a paella paella. Still good but just not what we were expecting Ribeye paella*: The ribeye was cooked extremely well and the salt from the ribeye was enough to flavor the rice underneath as well. *** I didn't realize that you needed to request socarrat and was surprised it didn't already come that way.... Overall: There were no dishes that were necessarily misses - standouts were the pulpo and ribeye paella! Would come back if I had other friends that wanted to try, but there are other good Spanish options all over the peninsula and south bay that I'd personally frequent before returning. read more

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Seafood paella was better than the beef paella Fish was ok Papas churros was amazing Drinks also good Appetizers very small portions Good service read more

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This might be the best patio dining in Palo Alto now. Macarena opened their new outdoor terrace and it feels like a little escape to Spain right in downtown Palo Alto. You have to try their classic tapas and mains: Churros Bravos - my favorite, crispy potato churros with creamy spicy brava sauce Grilled Octopus (Pulpo a la brasa) or grilled calamari Paella ribeye - ask for socarrat, for crispy rice! I'm obsessed with how perfectly medium rare and juicy the ribeye was, completing the salty and flavor paella. I also love the cute little table-side gin cart for a gin and tonic cocktail moment! The patio itself is such a vibe, with heaters, greenery and views of Cogswell Plaza. It's perfect for a relaxed dinner, drinks with friends, or a date night, just feels like you're stepping into a European bistro. The owners and chefs are from Spain, and you can tell. Everything feels authentic but still elevated. Service was amazing (shoutout to our server Christian). Enjoy the festive spirit of Feria de Abril over good vibes, tapas and drinks! read more

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5 stars. Came with a group of 9 to celebrate a friend's birthday. We had a reservation so we didn't have to wait, but it seems to get pretty crowded and busy at this restaurant. The service here is really good, our server was very friendly and attentive. For a large group, there is a minimum spending 85 per person. We had no trouble reaching at that minimum; the drinks, tapas, and paellas add up pretty quickly. We ordered a variety of dishes but I think the must gets are the iberco ham, bread and cheese, and dry aged beef paella. The paella is big, but we ordered 3 for our group of 9. Everything can feel a bit heavy towards the end since all the dishes use a good amount of fats, but most dishes come with lemon, which gives a good balance. Overall, although I don't eat this type of cuisine often, I would definitely come back for special occasions. read more

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Hands down one of the best restaurants in the Bay Area! I can see why Bad Bunny came to this place haha. My experience from start to finish was delightful, all of their staff were friendly and our waiter made sure we had everything we needed. The lighting and ambiance in here is perfect for a date night! I took my boyfriend here to celebrate his birthday. We ordered the ribeye paella which is a special not on the menu and was priced at about $90-97. Which I think was worth the price, the portion size was huge! And the paella was addicting. The meat itself could've used more season but I think the rice paired well with it. The empanadas were made out of tuna but didn't have a fishy taste to it, as someone who is Mexican it reminded me of the taste of tinga which is a chicken plate. Sooo incredibly good! I will definitely be back, we had an amazing experience! read more

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felt like a slightly worse teleferic since they both specialize in tapas in palo alto. easy to get a last-minute res, so would recommend booking one since they were bustling even on a wednesday evening. both dishes were yummy and well crafted, i actually liked the tapas more than the paella (i've had better), but both felt a bit small in portion for the price. nice vibes for a date or friends gathering, but can be a bit loud read more

Macarena - oxtail canelones - Spanish Near Me - Palo Alto, California

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4.5 stars Reservation experience was good. I booked for a Saturday dinner a month ago, then in the week leading to it, I had to move it to the next Saturday. When I logged into Opentable, I was able to find the same time slot 6:30pm the Saturday after, there was no stress at all to book a new one and cancel the old one. Parking was also better than expected. We arrived at the peak dinner time and we were able to park on the curb side right outside of the outdoor dining area. At the entrance, we were warmly greeted at the outdoor and the host led us inside. The hosts inside quickly got us seated. The restaurant's decoration was elaborate, with expensive chandeliers and a tree planted in the middle. There's also a full bar. The tables and chairs were cozy and inviting. Some corner areas are decorated like a snook with soft round sofa chairs, feeling very inclusive. Even the bathroom has this low profile dark but luxurious sense of comfort. Our server Felipe was amazing. He explained all the specials and gave us time to absorb them. There are 3 specials for the night, the roasted pig, the rib eye paella, and the Branzino fish. Because they all took an extra 25 minutes to prepare, it is very smart of him to lead us into that first. Our bus girl was also very timely with water refill throughout the whole meal. Felipe replaced our dirty dishes after the tapas courses before introducing the entrees. All food came quickly and continuously, the pace was comfortable. At the end of the meal, Felipe waited to make sure we were all comfortably resting after clearing all the dirty plates and delivered a birthday dessert. He and the bus girl sang the birthday song and best of all, he was a pro in taking pictures for us. Filipe knows to use the table lamp to add extra light to the camera, and our pictures turned out perfect. -Paella Ribeye $98: lots of ribeye meat on top and the rice was cooked just right. You can taste each grain in the mouth with a full texture that it soaked up the liquid. Unlike Chinese fried rice, the paella is slightly moist. It also came with half a lemon for you to squeeze onto the paella and a bowl of cream. -Pan con tomate $12: tomato paste on bread. A dish tailored for children. If you order meatball, I suggest to save some bread to soak up the sauce, more to that later. -Eggplant chips $10: a plate of very thinly sliced eggplant with honey drizzles on top. The eggplant comes from the big fat kind, not the long Chinese eggplants. The honey overpowers the eggplant so that the eggplant taste is mild. -Empanadas $14: 4 fried dumplings with a spicy aioli on the side. The fillings are sweet red pepper and premium tuna belly with smoked pimenton de la vera. -Oxtail Canelones $16: slow braised oxtail meat wrapped inside canelones with a rich creamy sauce. We can taste the oxtail meat cooked to tenderness. It's a good and creative dish. -Pulpo a la Brasa $24: an octopus leg charred with mashed potato. I think the octopus leg was slightly overcooked as the end was a bit burned. The dish also seemed a bit too small for an entree. Nevertheless it's a safe choice. -Abuelitas' meatballs $18: I felt the meatballs textures could be a bit more spongy, but the sauce reminds me of the delicious beef tripe tapas in Sevilla. This is where I crave for bread that could soak up the sauce. All in all, all the dishes we tried were good and meat expectations. There were no bad dishes that we regretted the order. We didn't order any alcohol, but when our neighbor table ordered a cocktail, the staff pushed a cart over and made the drink at the tableside, which is entertaining to watch. There used to be an employee health care charge on the bill, but this time it was a clean bill with only itemized food orders and plus tax. I'm pleasantly surprised. Before going to this dinner, I was browsing fellow Yelpers' comments and I was a bit worried. I saw their ratings were like a roller coaster with some heavy high and low ratings. I was worried that it would be like a hit and miss experience for a birthday celebration. However, our experience was positive and I'm very happy for my choice. I did not find Telefèric's menu creative, but I like Macarena more for its creativity and execution in food, warm and on point services and its beautiful decoration. read more

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I had a chance to try Macarena last night and overall really enjoyed my experience. The service was top notch, the ambiance was nice and I enjoyed a lot of the different foods. I had heard of this place before but of course after we heard Bad Bunny went here after the Super Bowl it really got on my radar! For food we tried: *Croquetas de Jamon 5/5 - I enjoyed this thoroughly, they were warm, crispy and full of flavor and filling *Churros Bravas 5/5 - hubby and brother really enjoyed this dish, it was like a crispy potato in churro form with a yummy aioli sauce. I love how unique this was and we did see a lot of tables ordering it *Eggplant Chips 2/5 - personally I did not like these but they are very thin pieces of eggplant with honey on them. I felt there was too much honey on these and the chips pieces was a little big and too thin? Overall I would skip * Tuna CoIberia 5/5 - everyone on the table enjoyed these. I could not have it due to diet but I was told they had lots of flavor and were good *gambas al ajillo - 3/5 personally these were good but not great. It came with 6 shrimps in an olive oil sauce but did not come with any bread or anything of that sort to dip in which would be nice. Not bad, but other items were better * Salmon in papilotte - 4/5 I really liked this dish and the salmon was made really well with nice grilled veggies. I wish there was more sauce though to bring more flavor, but the preparation of fish/veggies was great *Catch of the day - 5/5 this was branzino dish and we loved it. SO GOOD and game with thin potatoes, onions and tomatoes... the preparation was amazing here * Squid ink paella - 4/5 surprisingly we loved this a lot as well, overall our family does not love paella but with the sauce mixed in we really enjoyed this! * Saquets de crema - 5/5 WE loveeed thisss these were like these creamy custardy bites wrapped with phyllo dough you could dip in chocolate. So yummy They also gave us a free chocolate cake dessert as this dinner was for an anniversary with a candle which was really sweet. Really enjoyed our experience here and would come back! read more

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2.5 STARS Were the tapas seasoned with imagination because why was everything so bland at Macarena?! Macarena has been on my radar since it opened last year, but I was on the fence since PA restaurants can be hit or miss. However, the recent addition of outdoor seating convinced me to check it out. IDK if Bad Bunny's visit during Superbowl weekend boosted their exposure so much that the staff now think they can get by without much effort...because the food and service were not it. But more on that later. Rezzies are a must on the weekends (unless you don't mind eating outdoors). M E N U Spanish tapas, owners are Telefèric Barcelona alums. A la carte menu, along with prix-fixe family style menu ($75 pp), and suckling pig meal ($150 for a party of 2-8). Full bar. F O O D * Churros Bravos: Potato Churros w/ brava sauce (5 pc- $12): https://tinyurl.com/54dkafyf Best dish of the night! A creative twist on patatas bravas, the potato churros was crispy on the outside and fluffy soft on the inside. Served with a deliciously creamy, smoky spiced aioli. I regret not keeping the brava sauce to use for the other dishes. * Mini Cornetos de Atún: Crispy Squid Ink Cones w/ tuna tartare, orange escabeche (4 pc - $18): https://tinyurl.com/3fy2dhc8 Tiny portion of flavorless tuna in a dry mini tart crust. I asked about the squid ink cones for the mini cornetos de atún and was told they'd been out for a week, which hadn't been mentioned when we ordered. The staff said they'd talk to the manager to remove it from the bill, but when we paid, the bill wasn't itemized. After requesting one, we saw we'd still been charged and had to remind them to correct it. * Gambas Al Ajillo: King Prawns w/ olive oil, garlic, chili ($18): https://tinyurl.com/4d5wwavm Six overcooked shrimp swimming in a shallow pool of tasteless oil. When we requested a side of bread, customary with gambas al ajillo, we were told the only option was the $12 pan con tomate. I was down to pay for a side of bread so this came off as an excuse to upsell. * Oxtail Canelones: Mini Canelones w/ slow-braised oxtail, béchamel, veal reduction ($16): https://tinyurl.com/ycxpmbmd Beautifully plated Catalan pasta tubes stuffed with meltingly tender shredded oxtail but sadly, the dish was severely underseasoned. Rather than rich, savory flavors it low-key tasted like eating plain cream. * Braised Wagyu: Slow-Braised Carrillera w/ gravy, creamy mashed potatoes ($38) The beef cheek was tender on the outside but not warmed through, giving the marbled fat a waxy, unappetizing texture. Like the other dishes, it was bland. S E R V I C E 5+ star service from Orlando (busser) - warm, friendly, and kept our water glasses full. He even offered water to the doggies. The other FOH staff we interacted with either didn't care or need training, as they lacked basic hospitality and customer service skills for this level of dining. We had early rezzies - food arrived promptly but with our drinks didn't arrive until the middle of our meal. A M B I A N C E Vibes are everything these days and Macarena has that down solid, it's trendy with lush greenery, lattice ceiling, and gold finishes. There's an open kitchen and a beautiful bar area. The thoughtful design extends to their outdoor parklets with tear drop lighting, faux fur draped chairs, and accent pillows. Overall, I'm not sure if we just hit Macarena on an off day but the food felt universally bland and the service too lax. OFC, everyone's experience can vary for a number of reasons and palates differ so it's worth trying Macarena for yourself. read more

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Came for a large birthday lunch on the weekend, about 12 people. Was allotted a 3 hour dining window for the reservation and provided a pre-fixe food menu plus all-you-can-drink beer, wine, and sangria. Atmosphere is really cute with both indoor and outdoor dining. We were indoor and it was a mix of chic but rustic comfort. Standout dishes were three three paellas we had as part of our menu. - rossejat de fideuà - my favorite paella i tried. Have never had paella that was made with crispy noodles. I loved the crispy texture and also found that this was the most flavorful - paella campestre - only took one tiny bite of this one so I don't have much of an opinion but the protein was cooked well - paella negra con vieiras - second favorite paella made with squid ink, scallops, calamari, swordfish, shrimp, peas, and aioli. Seafood was really well cooked with nothing overcooked The one thing that did throw me off about this reservation was that about 2.5 hours in, they no longer allowed us to have all you can drink, even though it was part of our menu. Yes, a couple people in the group were a little rowdy so I understand if they wanted to cut the group off. However, it wasn't about cutting us off as they said we could still order and pay for the drinks during our last 30 min. Was just a bit of a bummer and didn't make sense, especially because we arrived about an hour late so didn't have as much time as others. read more

Macarena - Spanish Near Me - Palo Alto, California

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Finally made it to Macarena and it was so worth the wait. I've been wanting to try it for a long time, and it honestly exceeded my expectations. The space itself is beautiful. It has such a good energy, stylish but still comfortable, and just the kind of place you want to sit and enjoy for a while. Everything we ordered was amazing. We had the ribeye paella, empanadas, and the churros, and every dish was full of flavor. The empanadas had the perfect crisp on the outside with a really rich savory filling. The ribeye paella was definitely the highlight. The steak was cooked perfectly, super tender and flavorful, and it really did melt in your mouth. The whole dish was just so well done and balanced. You can tell they really care about the details. The drinks were also a standout. Very creative and different from what you usually see, but still really delicious. Service was great too. Everyone was attentive and welcoming. Overall, such a great experience. The food, drinks, atmosphere, and service all came together perfectly. I'll definitely be coming back. read more

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My wife's birthday was coming up and I was on the clock on finding a good restaurant for her to go to. Her being a fan of tapas, I immediately got to searching and Macarena came up during my search. Being a 90's baby and seeing "Macarena" gave me a wave of nostalgia and after reading good reviews and also seeing that Bad Bunny gave it a blessing after his SuperBowl performance, we were set to go. [[ Location ]] It's located one street away from the heart of downtown Palo Alto so there are a lot of places to go afterwards when you are done eating. We went during lunch at 11:30am and I found a lot of free street parking (2 hours free). No issues here. I guess the main restaurant is hard to see but they have a huge built-out outdoor patio you cannot miss so it shouldn't be hard to spot. [[ Service ]] Unfortunately, my Open Table reservation did not make it into their system for some odd reason. I was able to show the reservation on my app though and even they were super confused. It wasn't busy at 11:30am so I guess it's not a big deal but I would probably be a lot more annoyed if my reservation was not found if I were coming from dinner. Hopefully they can figure out what happened in their system. Other than that, I thought our server Deisy was really good. She explained all the specials to us when we sat down, checked in on us constantly to make sure everything was tasting okay, and also came back to refill our water without asking at least 3-4 times during the meal. Excellent service. [[ Food ]] Some quick notes: 1.) I think the tapas here are on the smaller side so I would advise ordering 3-4 tapas for a table of 2 if you want to be full. 2.) The Paella itself is quite large for 2 people and can serve around 3-4 in my opinion. 3.) Even though the restaurant is fancy/beautiful, I thought the pricing was very fair for the quality. We ordered the following: Mocktails: a.) Flor de Maracuya b.) Matcha Rojo Tapas: a.) Croquetas Jamon b.) Ensalada de Patata c.) Oxtail Canelones Mains: a.) Pulpo a la Brasa b.) Paella Campestre My favorites were the Ensalada de Patata, Pulpo a la Brasa, and Paella Campestre. They were the highlights of the meal and each bite was superb. The only one I would not personally recommend is the Oxtail Caneloes. No issues on the taste or anything but I just didn't like that combo overall even though I love Oxtail. read more

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This past Friday my co workers and I decided to try this place based on the reviews. We had a reservation at 6pm, for four of us. Two of us arrived by 5:40pm, we asked if our table was ready. The young lady showed us our table, we ordered our first round of drinks. When the two other ladies showed up, we ordered appetizers and our meal. During this time our group ordered a decent amount of drinks. When our food showed up I was starving since it took sometime for it to come out, I want to say almost an hour. To my surprise it was not worth the wait. The steak was extra fatty and super salty. The veggies that came with it didn't look appealing, I didn't even try them. I had a side of broccolini, I asked for it to be plain with everything in the side. Well that didn't happen it had some black powder and lots of salt. I had a couple of bite of my steak and decided to leave it aside and order dessert. For dessert I ordered tiramisu, that must have been the best item I tried at this place. Overall the place is beautiful, service is not there. I had to ask for water a few times. We didn't know where our server was most of the time, we had to ask people to get her for us. Spending over $600 on a couple of items was super disappointing. Oh the worse part was when what appeared to be the manager on duty came over our table and asked if she could clear it, not once but twice. Yes it's 8pm at that point but my co workers wanted their last drink. Maybe instead of her asking if she could clear our table she could have asked if we wanted to order anything else. Think before trying this place, if you like salty flavorless food check it out read more

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This is the first Spanish restaurant I have tried in the bay that checked all the boxes for me. I came here with my family in a party of four to celebrate a birthday. The service was spectacular -- Our server made honest recommendations when helping us select tapas to order, the food came out promptly after ordering (not all at once which we appreciated), they were very attentive and checked on us frequently even though we had outdoor patio seating. These are the dishes we ordered: Appetizers - Jamon iberico: 9/10 can never go wrong with freshly cut cured meat, however today's slices were a bit on the chewier side - Pan con tomate: 6.5/10 good pairing with the jamon, deliciously toasted crunchy bread, but the tomato was underwhelming -- not enough tomato and acidity and soaked too much of the top making it soggy - Cornetos with tuna tartare: 8/10 perfect little bites of tuna and loved the sweetness and citrus flavor from the orange - Grilled calamari: 8.5/10 The squid was cooked perfectly -- smoky and had a nice bite to it but still tender, and the salsa and aromatic oil paired deliciously with it Mains - Pulpo: 9.5/10 Absolutely delicious, one of our favorite dishes of the evening. The potato purée was a bit too thick, but the flavors were very balanced and well seasoned with the garlic paprika oil. The octopus was a generous portion compared to other Spanish restaurants we've tried and it was grilled perfectly. - Paella negra con vieiras: 10/10 The star of the show. The rice was cooked perfectly -- there was a crispy layer at the bottom and the top was not overcooked. The seafood flavor was very complex and we enjoyed the calamari mixed into the rice in addition to the perfectly cooked scallop, shrimp, and swordfish on top. Best paella we've had in the bay. Dessert - Tiramisu: 7.5/10 It was tasty and not overly sweet, but the mascarpone was a bit too thick for my liking - Cheesecake: 7/10 The textures/flavors were good but nothing special. read more

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5/5 Fruto Del Amor - great refreshing sweet drink that packs a punch, favorite item of the night 3/5 Mojito - refreshing and good flavor but not as strong 4/5 Ribeye paella - meat cooked wonderful but rice not as crispy on pan and flavor was lackluster, aioli helped a lot 1/5 eggplant chips- not crispy at all, kinda stale and needed more than just honey 3/5 churros -melted in mouth but would have liked a sweet sauce as an option and not just savory 3/5 croqueta- savory filling was good, crunch could've been better 4/5 oxtail - very flavorful, portion was small compared to other tapas Overall the hostess and server Sebastian were amazing! They were able to switch our inside booking with another party that was willing to move inside. This allowed our party of 4 to sit at a table versus the bar. Very appreciative that they were able to accommodate us! Decor outside was very cute as well. read more

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I've been eyeing this place because I love a good tapas place, and even more so since I heard Bad Bunny bought out the place for his private post-Superbowl party. While walking to the restaurant, I saw all the outdoor seating from a distance and thought it was super cute. I was really excited to see the set-up was for Macarena! There's heated lamps and fuzzy blankets to keep you warm, but we came on hotter day so it wasn't necessary. We started off with a few drinks, both mocktails and alcoholic bevvies alike. I got the flor de maracuya ($8) which is a mocktail composed of pineapple and passionfruit juice. I really liked it and thought it was the perfect balance of sweetness and tartness. My sister ordered the matcha rojo ($8) which was another non-alcoholic drink featuring blood orange and a housemade matcha soda. The blood orange notes were there, but none of us tasted the matcha at all. Husband got two glasses of sangria ($14 each). I'd say skip the white one, but the red one wasn't bad! Foodwise we ordered the churros bravos ($12), la vie en cheese ($24), ensalada de patata ($22), and the squid ink paella ($48). The churros bravos were such a disappointment. UGH. I was so excited for them! They were just crispy potato churros without any flavor and no fluffy interior. The sauce it came with was really good though. I mentioned my thoughts to the server, primarily because I was so dismayed by something I thought would be absolutely delicious, and to my surprise, she said she would take it off the bill for us. Everything else was a hit though. The cheese board came with a fat slab of brie and an amazing tomato rosemary jam, but not enough pieces of tostada for the cheese (it's always like that isn't it? Give me my carbs!). I did appreciate the handful of grapes and dried figs on the side as well. We ordered the crab potato salad just for funsies, but it was actually decent. The star of the night was definitely the paella. The menu says it's good for 2 people, but I think it could feel 3 or 4. The seafood was cooked perfectly and we even had enough leftover to enjoy the following day. Staff packed it up for us quickly. I would have liked to try the desserts, especially the tiramisu and the gorgonzola cheesecake. However, we just came from afternoon tea so decided against more sweets. Next time though! read more

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Croquetas de jamon 4/5: savory filling, light crisp Churros bravos 3/5: delicious sauce, not oily Eggplant chips 1/5: not crispy, light sweetness Empanadas 4/5: great portion, ample amount of filling Oxtail canelones 3.5/5: pasta was almost too al dente, oxtail was tender, sauces pair well with rich meat Rib eye paella 4/5: great portion, rib eye cooked well, tender, delicious garlic aoli Service 5/5: Sebastian was amazing! He answered all of our questions and was always checking to see how our experience was going. Servers and host staff are attentive and kind, they accommodated a last minute change to our reservation! Ambiance 5/5: was sat outside and it was extremely comfortable, beautiful seating and place settings read more

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My husband and I took our friend who was visiting us here. We ordered four tapas/small dishes to share - artichoke, calamari, jamon, and gambas. Skip the gambas, it was more small frozen shrimp, but the rest were good. We ordered the paella with steak and the branzino to share. It was plenty for two men and a woman who eats well loll They push the pig on to you a lot, but we did not get it. I'm glad we did not. It would've been too much food. Our server was ok. Think she was new to the more formal restaurant scene and had trouble with both bottles or our wine. But the sommelier, think his name was Saltan?, was great. Wish we had him when we were picking our wines. The ambiance is the winner. Very romantic and interesting interior choices, and we enjoyed the diverse people (in the Bay Area!) that dined in the restaurant. The music and the lively convo of people does make it harder to hear each other, so go elsewhere if you are wanting a quiet and romantic dinner. read more

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Okay, we did not come here only because bad Bunny ate here, but that sure didn't hurt! We were looking for a fun place to get tapas to celebrate a friend's birthday, saw all the great reviews and decided to check it out. We had a reservation, which I highly recommend, this place can get crowded. We ordered a bunch of appetizers and entrees to share, and everything was absolutely delicious, service was a little bit slow at times because they were so busy. But everyone was very nice, and our cocktails were delicious! There was nice weather, so we sat outside, and had a lovely evening. read more

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I had this place bookmarked for a while now so I decided to give it a shot since I was craving Spanish food. To me, the bar for paella is set at Teleferic and this one isn't too far off. I've had several paellas around the bay and none of them have really stood out besides Teleferic, this one and La Catalana in SJ. We got the Paella Campestre which comes with Iberian pork belly, boneless chicken thighs and some veggies. It was really good and really flavorful. I was on the fence of getting the duck confit, but I'm glad I asked the waiter about it because he said it's not the traditional confit which is basically braising the duck in its own fat. Not sure how they prepare it here, but he said it was nothing special and definitely, not worth it. He suggested Pulpo a la Braza (grilled octopus) which was the other item I was looking at. Let me tell you OMG!!! It was so tender, smokey and full of flavor. My girlfriend isn't a huge fan of octopus and she really enjoyed it too. The velvety mashed potatoes, crispy garlic chips and paprika oil really elevated this dish. It was so good we actually ended up ordering another one to take home since that was the highlight of the evening:) read more

I made an impulse reservation at Macarena at the end of January and was super excited to check it out. We love paella and tapas in this house! First off, the ambiance at the restaurant just felt luxe. We're talking fur covers draped over all the chairs in the outdoor seating area out front. Velvet couches and moody light in the front section where we were seated. Def a nice date night vibe. But we're here for the food ok! We got our usual staples for tapas - croquetas and pulpo. Then we also go the oxtail canelones. I'd say the croquetas and pulpo were good but nothing too memorable. Now that we're over a month out, I honestly can't really remember much of what they tasted like, but I def remember preferring the pulpo at teleferic barcelona. I didn't even know what canelones are when we got the oxtail canelones, but I knew like oxtail! Turns out they are like little rigatoni pasta shells stuffed with oxtail and a cream sauce. They were yummy! I've never had oxtail in that form, but it was super tender, like shredded shortrib in pasta. Def an interesting dish, I could have eaten a lot more of them lol. Now for the paella - I kept seeing pics of a ribeye paella and was like where is it on the menu?!?! Turns out it's an a special off menu item, though the waiters did seem to offer it at each table. I'll say it was rlly good, but also a bit like two stars (ribeye and paella) competing with the each other for attention. I felt like it maybe detracted from my ability to fully appreciate each one. Overall I thought it was a solid meal, but I'm still partial to teleferic for our Spanish food cravings. read more

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WOW. WOW. WOW. I have truly been missing out! Just visited Macarena for the first time recently and this was truly an experience. I made a reservation prior, so we were seated immediately. The ambiance is very intimate, romantic, and enchanting. Felipe was our server and he was the sweetest! He was always checking up on us, giving us recommendations, and making sure we were taken care of. What we ordered.... Food -- JAMÓN IBÉRICO PAN CON TOMATE CHURROS BRAVOS LETTUCE FLOWER RIB EYE PAELLA (special!!) Drinks -- CAFÉ Y CACAO PALO CORTADO SOUR MELÓN CON JAMÓN Everything was truly amazing! You HAVE to go order the rib eye paella. The meat was so tender and perfectly seasoned. The paella had an amazing consistency and it all paired together so well. Cafe Y Cacao is an amazing drink if your an espresso martini girlie, but order the Palo Cortado Sour if you are feeling more fruity!! 5/5 recommend. I can't wait to visit again soon! read more

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This place is extremely incredible from the kind staff, delicious food and the yummy cocktails. We found this place through yelp and so glad that we got to check it out in person The ambience is beautiful, a bit moody from a lighting perspective, with an elegant table setting and very spacious interior. Everything we ordered was delicious and large portions Looking forward to coming back read more

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My boyfriend surprised me here for our anniversary and we were both excited to go here because of Bad Bunny (lol) but also its been on our list for a long time. Beautiful place and WONDERFUL staff. The service was so attentive and even gave us a free dessert for our anniversary. Spacious area with a big bar and comfy seats. I really liked the octopus but the rest of the food were okay, we only got the tapas and I think next time we'd get the paella it looked great. The empanadas flavor was okay it just tasted like tomato sauce but the outer shell was so good and crispy. The drinks were delicious. I need to come again to try other items but overall cute little date spot read more

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Pretty good tapas! Came because I'm always going to Teleferic for tapas when I'm in PA so wanted to try something new lol Saw Macarena and the interior looked too cute not to book! Tons of Resys through OpenTable at least for now...cute outdoor seating and the inside is also perfect for date nights or girl catchups. Sad that they took over Bird Dog because I really enjoyed my experience there but love that Macarena has a semi-open kitchen concept if you are sitting towards the back. Service was fine, food came out extremely quick and almost unexpected. Highlights: - Gambas Al Ajillo (shrimp): absolutely delicious 10/10 - tiramisu: worth getting! - puff pastry: also worth trying! Came in 4 pieces, perfect for our party of 4 - squid ink paella: very good but not a ton of toppings, came with maybe 6 scallops and then small bits of fish -grilled squid: yummy! Pass: -broccolini: ok, olive sauce was a bit cold -potato churros: prefer the roasted potatoes instead -croquettes: super mushy, not fried enough so fell apart -empanadas: wouldn't order again, crust was dry Overall, would be back if I'm in the area! read more

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