AMAZING SERVICE. We were those annoying patrons with a mile long list of allergy/dietary restrictions and a toddler in tow. No bother. The staff was more than happy to make sure we had a unforgettable dining experience.
We were impressed that they had a big chair, plastic dishes and utensils as well as colored pencils and a coloring sheet for our daughter. These are things we take for granted at home, but have come to see them as luxury items abroad. If our daughter is comfortable and happy, that gives us a leg up on our experience as well.
For our dinner, we opted to order the tomato bread (Catalan style), patatas bravas, and the vegetable paella. We wanted our paella to be spicy and asked if they could add some fresh green chilies to the dish which they had no problem doing. My husband, who is extremely allergic to shellfish felt bad that because of him, I wasn't able to enjoy the fresh seafood the restaurant had to offer. So, he asked if they wouldn't mind grilling some shrimp just for me (an item that isn't even on the menu). The chefs were happy to show me the shrimp and prawns on hand, and grilled the exact number I wanted, which was 6. I was impressed by their cooperation and willingness to cater to us.
Our server was so wonderful. He was friendly and did quite a bit of running around on our behalf. Tipping in Europe is not the norm, but his effort to please us earned him a 25% tip. We left so happy that we are seriously considering going back tonight.
But it's not just the service that impressed us. We were able to watch one of the chefs prepare our paella and couldn't believe his attention and focus on our dish. When the paella came out, it was ridiculously delicious for a vegetable dish. I'm not sure what preparation/ seasoning they used for my shrimp but they were finger licking good. Literally. Shellfish here is prepared with the shell on and it requires you to use your fingers to peel the shell before enjoying. I didn't mind doing the work because they payoff was so good.
The Catalan style bread was simple but delicious. You could taste the fresh tomato and beautiful olive oil on the bread. Goes to show that things don't need to be heavy on spice to be heavy on flavor.
The patatas bravas were good. But what distinguished them was the dipping sauces they came with. One was garlic and the other a spicy chili sauce. Combined together, the potatoes were most certainly elevated.
Our experience at Maná 75 was delightful and I can't believe that I'm only the second person to review it on yelp. Either way, it's not to be missed. Great ambiance, service and food. What's not to love about that? read more