Don't get me wrong-- the food is good. The servers are friendly and helpful. Pretty dishonest practices with the pricing, though. Be advised that the Happy Hour menu posted on the website is fiction. I was there for lunch on a Saturday (which is advertised as Happy Hour). I even requested an item from the Happy Hour menu (fried artichoke with aioli) and was told told that yes, we could order that item but was not advised that HH was not in force. We ordered the fried artichoke (which turned out to be far larger than expected), roasted potatoes & mushroom with goat cheese tapas, along with an endive salad and a beet salad. One glass of sangria each. $87. With tip, lunch was more than $100. Unfortunate. They really ought to change the menus the menus on the website to reflect reality. read more

Let's be honest. First the Food and Service have improved significantly. The reason for the low rating is because of the dishonest gouging that is apparently happening to the customers and staff. Early in pandemic Paella raised prices on their average food. Ok we get that. Fast forward 1 year later there is now a 7% tax ($20 added to our table of 6) for "Covid expenses such as cleaning menus and supplies of sanitizer. Really. That is what we were told. Now add increase prices, 7% Covid Tax. And min 20% gratuity for party of 5 or more, this is getting a bit pricy. $450 for 6 with 8 drinks. (27% of this is for minimum gratuity, and Covid Tax that 100% to management) plus 10% City Tax). 37% in tax and gratuity. Yes, food has really improved. And the server staff absolutely deserve every penny of the 20%. But raise prices AND 7% Covid Tax. A bit deceitful from the owners. read more

My dine in experience was superb. The waiter was so attentive and made sure we were enjoying every second of our time here. Ordered the ceviche which was amaaaaazing. Petite potato with cheese was okay. Lastly, seafood paella was bomb.com Love it. Highly recommend read more

This review is for the Paella Bar side... We are first time visitors to Poulsbo, and our first dining experience was at the tapas bar. WOW! Everything was outstanding! Such a great meal and service. Our server recommended a bottle of Albariño, which was nice, and off we went... We started with the cod fritters with chipotle aioli. Four good size pieces of tender cod in a crispy coating with the flavorful sauce. Then, we had the smoked paprika rubbed beef tenderloin. Delicious! The beef was so tender and the rub was perfect. 3 crostini toasts to fight over, but I let hubby have the extra one. Next, the Seabass skewers. That sauce was so good that I poured what was left over the roasted Brussel sprouts to soak up the flavors. The Seabass was delicious, with two small skewers to share, or not. The lamb meatballs were tender and spiced perfectly. My mouth is watering just thinking about them again. They also came in a wonderful sauce. Our last tapas choice was the beef short ribs on polenta with a dark achiote sauce. The polenta was crispy on the outside, moist inside. The beef was tender and yummy, but that sauce! Honestly, the sauces they use highlight the items, not mask them. It was very hard to decide which item was my favorite, as they all were stars on their own. And, don't believe that you will walk away hungry when having tapas. We had to turn down dessert, as there was no room. Too bad, because the dessert menu had items I would have liked to try. This was one of the most memorable meals I have experienced, and we look forward to returning to try more tapas choices and perhaps try the Bistro next door. read more

Took an early Father's Day dinner here for the first time out in months, since the start of the pandemic. All safety measures in place: staff wearing face masks, sanitizer by the door, and spaced seating. The ambience is warm and inviting with very pleasant staff. The service was quick and accurate, but most importantly, the food was so so good! Couple drinks to start off as well as an order of baked oysters; excellent texture contrast between the crunchy bread crumb layer and the creaminess of the oysters, all in a neat Staub cast iron, perfect for bite-size tapas servings. Star of the show was the seafood paella; beautiful presentation with perfect seasoning and texture. We ordered a couple other items from their sister restaurant next door (which was also fantastic). We really appreciated the tentative and friendly staff and look forward to another evening here in the future! read more

Paella Bar - Seafood Paella (center), Baked Oysters (left) - Tapas Bars Near Me - Poulsbo, Washington

I hate to slam a local restaurant, but Paella Bar honestly has employed the most disingenuous and downright deceitful tactic I've ever seen at a restaurant. Instead of raising their already high prices (which they're entitled to do- no doubt about it) they have maintained the same prices on their menu, only to surprise you with a 7% "surcharge" on your bill. This is uncool on SO many levels. If their trickery speaks to the integrity of the management, and I have to assume it does, this is not a place I'm willing to patronize. I prefer businesses that respect their customers enough to be up front about pricing. Fortunately, literally every single other business I've dealt with locally adheres to that policy, which only makes Paella Bar look worse. Big mistake. Huge. read more

This used to be one of my favorite stops but it has really gone downhill. We ordered the cauliflower au gratin which I've had many times before and usually LOVE but this time I think it was reheated and old. The sauce separated and it was just a pile of oil and not a creamy velvety sauce like it has been in the past. We also ordered Brussels sprouts (I've never met a Brussels dish I didn't like) and it was soggy and almost pickled. Very odd flavors, no crunch, and we could've even eat it. We got the seafood paella and it was just ok. I've had better, but it was definitely not bad. My husband did get a cocktail he enjoyed, but sadly we won't be back. read more

Best little spot in Kitsap County. I have to refrain myself from picking this spot EVERYTIME for date night. Don't wanna overindulge myself because it's freaking easy to do that here. Blood orange martini should be your first course. Linger your appetite to the next course of the fresh focaccia bread with two sides of the verde enchilada. Dear lord don't skip this part! After that you maybe ready for your next martini, so go ahead and sip on another. Menu is incredible, this place is a little piece of heaven and a lot of pieces of amazing! Also, I read a post about the 7% surcharge added to your bill. Which literally add a few bucks on our tab to help out the local business supporting the community with jobs & to keep their doors open. The menu also makes you aware of it at the bottom. read more

If I had more room in my belly, I would have ordered more. We had a lovely time savoring different dishes. I was a little worried that with such a wide array of options, that quality of flavor might suffer. I am happy to report I was worried for no reason. Everything was delish! And the server was very patient with us. We had a great dining experience! read more

Tried Paella for the first time & it was not what I expected. My friends enjoyed it. The Oysters, dates, salad were all good. Service was also pretty good. The 1 star is for the 7% charge they tack on without telling you. Maybe it was on the menu or on a sign, but no one in our party noticed it. I would've been fine had they told me up front. Seems kind of sneaky. I will not be back. read more

Great food and drinks. Service is consistent and the atmosphere is fun! It's a hidden gem in Poulsbo.

This is a little hard to do because WOW the dates are good but the Paella is THAT bad. The dates are delicious and really special so if you want just come here and order those with a glass of sangria or something and then go somewhere else. The server was also sweet and helpful but it wasn't enough. The paella was flavorless even the actual meat. It was so incredibly disappointing. A box of Zatarans jambalaya has more flavor than this. It's so bad. Total waste of money. We split it between 2 people and I had a few bites and stopped because it was just bad. Absolute 1 star since it's their namesake. The menus were also confusing. No non-alcoholic drinks listed, so we didn't order any. Three separate menus, all kind of grungy and the happy hour menu wasn't clear about what things actually were. Also they weren't actually cheaper-- they were just smaller portions that were priced down. Also I'm pretty sure the happy hour in general isn't that good? We won't be coming back, even for the dates. I left feeling really unsatisfied. I just wasted my money for a gimmick. read more

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OMG I travel a lot and come upon the Paella Bar. Milo, the bartender made me the best martini, old fashioned and a few more that only a lover of the art could do. The food is amazing, the service is professional and the drinks are top shelf, no matter what you order. If you ant to impress your date in Poulbo, bing her here. You will leave with a smile on your face. read more

We had our anniversary dinner here a few nights ago. We have been here one other time. We ordered starters and entrees. While it was a little slow it was worth the wait. We tried the Sangria with our meal. Tasty drink with the food. I'm rating 5 stars because our server made us feel very welcome, she was attentive without hovering and I'm bringing more people as soon as we can. Cheers! read more

This restaurant is pretty good for tapas on the happy hour. Otherwise it's a bit pricey and overrated in my opinion. I always get great service and very helpful hosts and wait people. I used to love that mac and cheese until the other day when I got a bowl that tasted to sour. I like their enchiladas with Verde sauce secondly. There's a lot to choose from the menu just be mindful that when you do it's going to cost you quite a bit of money. I haven't had their alcoholic beverages, cuz I don't drink, but it looks like they have a wide variety and within reasonable prices from what I can tell. read more

This small tapas restaurant is my favorite in Poulsbo. They have a wide variety of Spanish tapas and a gluten-free menu which I appreciate since I'm gluten intolerant. I always order the dates stuffed with goat cheese and wrapped in bacon because they never fail to be a great starter. The short-ribs are excellent, with tender meat and a good flavor. A few more favorites are the Smoked trout with citrus vinaigrette, either of the Potato Tortillas, Cod Fritters with Chipotle Aioli and Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Manchego & Pancetta. So far, there have only been two menu items I didn't care for. The seafood paella was bland and didn't have enough seafood. I've eaten paella in Spain and this doesn't even come close. The other item is the sangria, which I also had in Spain. The sangria isn't done in the traditional manner, with a Spanish red wine (tempranillo, malbec, rioja, etc), brandy and LOTS of fresh fruit. The sangria at the Paella Bar was a watered-down version of the authentic sangria you get in Spain. I would highly recommend spending some time in this restaurant. It's a great place to meet friends, or even dine by yourself (with a good book). The wait staff has always been great, even during the worst of the pandemic. They have inside seating but also created individual "booths" for 4 people outside on the sidewalk. There also is an outdoor patio in the back of the restaurant. read more

We are here for the famous paella. The mussel was fresh and tasty, but overall, it did not meet our expectation. Long cooking time and the paella is not very well flavored. read more

Paella Bar - Paella - Tapas Bars Near Me - Poulsbo, Washington

Decided to bypass other open restaurants to head here for a lay dinner. Walk in at 9:50 thinking we have 40 min til closing. Waitress seats us then informs us they close in 5 min. Pretty bad when yelp says a time and their sign confirms that yet you go inside and they don't honor that. read more

Paella Bar - The time is a lie. - Tapas Bars Near Me - Poulsbo, Washington

Best espresso martinis on this side of the water. This is the place to go to for fine dining in Poulsbo.

Amazing food and tapas. Try them! Tough getting a table though. They share a business with the Italian spot next to them. It's weird but you can order of both menus. Two separate kitchens, but they're not very coordinated so your food sometimes doesn't all come at once. read more

Pros: -it's a unique option for the area -Servers were attentive and friendly -Bar seems to be the main draw -Single, gender neutral restroom) huge vase of gorgeous flowers -Overall cool design; Space divided in two halves -Bacon wrapped dates are very good -Coca bread was a highlight of the meal -Relatively wide path to restroom could be traversed in a wheelchair Cons: -No AC as of 9/4/17; not sure if this is a Seattle thing or what, but it was sweltering. They gave us little personal fans which helped a bit -Hard to tell if stuff on menu is part of the tapa offerings or regular menu -They serve coke products, btw; this was not mentioned on any of the menus we saw or by the servers -Eggplant rolatini - sauce overwhelmed the dish -Paella was mushy and flavorless; couldn't finish it -Chorizo Mac and cheese and endive salad were a tie for the worst things we ordered read more

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Today 4 of us enjoyed a delicious tapas lunch at Paella Bar! Favorites of the group - and it was so hard to choose from all the wonderful dishes we tried! - were bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with goat cheese; lamb meatballs; roasted cauliflower with some fabulous cheese that I've forgotten; burrata caprese; and raspberry tart. We also tried the seafood paella, which was very good but not as excellent as others I've had in different areas of the country. Other notable dishes were eggplant rollatini; spinach with pine nuts and garlic; artichoke hearts; and tres leches flan. So check out Paella Bar with an empty stomach and an adventurous attitude, and you won't be disappointed! read more

We love this place. The tapas are excellent and they offer a wide variety of them plus entrees. The only negative was the last time we went they added a "service charge" to our bill. read more

I love this place. The menu is extensive and I don't know how they manage it all but everything we ordered was fabulous. So was the service. tapas: Bacon wrapped dates and clams in chorizo sauce. read more

Very nice outdoor seating and they were super nice and cool about our dog. My short rib and polenta special was perfect my wife's pasta was not great. I think their menu is too big and could benefit from eliminating some no so great items. But for a non big city restaurant this place is really good and friendly staff goes a long way. The wine list is very good and we'll priced too. A very nice dining experience would recommend and return again. read more

I really wanted to love this place, but the food they offer here really wasn't for me. I only liked the cod fritters and the bread. Don't get me wrong, the quality of the food is exceptional, but it was a little too fancy and the flavors were very overpowering. I did liked the atmosphere of the tapas (small plates) because you are able to try many things. Unfortunately the food they offered wasn't to my taste. I would come here again but I will definitely order something different than what I did. read more

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Very disappointed with Paella Bar. Maybe I should've gotten the obvious, but I didn't want to throw $25 for pealla that day. Our hostess and server was great and the restaurant aesthetics we nice, but the food definitely didn't cut it. Tried their smoked trout and expected a cooked smoked fish rather than the preserved smoked trout over an overdressed arugula salad. The clams with chorizo was just a small pot of clams covered up in tomato marinara. I think the worst of what I ordered was the hostess' recommendation as a starter, the coca bread. This over-yeasted, half-cooked bread was soaked in evoo; it came out after the smoke trout [so it wasn't the starter] and was cold. I read through Paella Bar's reviews and saw the complaints about the small servings. I won't deny that, they were fairly small. But, that didn't matter to me. I was so hungry after coming from a camping trip, but I didn't end of finishing and of the dishes. I just couldn't. $40 wasted. read more

Despite living in Poulsbo for the last decade, I finally visited this place for the first time last year and it has become my new favorite restaurant! Easily half a dozen visits later and still love exploring their menu. The bacon wrapped dates are without a doubt my favorite item...they are absolutely amazing! Love the Coca bread, cod fritters and salmon mousse. The razor clams were delicious, too. I even tried the anchovies in the past (tasted more of the pepper than the fish). Last night we had the chocolate chip, coconut & pecan cookie along with the whiskey chocolate ice cream and brandied cherries...so decadent! The atmosphere is great for a date or just hanging with friends, and the servers have always been very attentive. Highly recommend! read more

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Seriously one of our favorite places and we go out of our way to stop here whenever we drive through. Great wait staff, amazing food we love everything from the candy bacon stuffed dates to the chorizo clams to the yummy soft bread, the olives and marinated cheese are simple but lovely and the margaritas and sangria are spot on!! I've been told the owner travels frequently to upgrade and keep the menu lively and I believe it. I would love to say please don't go here cause we love it and don't want a huge wait but honestly if you want great food and service this is totally the place to go. read more

I checked the reviews looking for a place in the area to take my mom on her birthday. Thank you Yelp because my research paid off! Everything we ordered was really good. My group included 5 adults and 2 little ones, everyone with their own likes and dislikes, but we had no trouble finding tapas that we all liked and could share. Here's what we ordered followed by the stars rating: - Coca Bread - 4 stars! crowd pleaser for sure! and the portion is generous - Bacon wrapped dates - 5 stars! a must! even my father who doesn't like goat cheese loved them. We had to order a second round. - Seabass Skewers with salsa verde - 5 stars! again we had to order more - Oysters (au gratin, I believe) - 5 stars! die for delicious! yes we ordered more. - Smoked Paprika Rubbed Beef Tenderloin, Crostini & Aioli - 3 stars, too raw. - Beef empanada - 3 stars, it wasn't bad, just not as good as the other tapas - Flautas - 3 stars, unecessary calories in my eyes, but the kids liked them - Zarzuela de mariscos - 4 stars, exactly what I expected, very traditional - Seafood Paella - 3 stars. it was good but again, nothing like their tapas! The service was good, one of the wines wasn't good and they wasted no time replacing it. all in all a very good experience! It was unexpected for us to find a place of this quality in such a little town! I wish they were closer to home. read more

Great food, even better dessert. If they have the blueberry tart (chef's special) make sure you save some room!!!

We had a party of 6 and sampled a range of memo options. Flavor burst extraordinaire! Great wine! Superb service!

Everything I have ever tried here has been delicious! The paella is worth ordering in advance and the foccacea and baretta caprese is excellent. And the chocolate chip cookie is indescribable sinful (if you have room for it)! The staff are delightful and if it's a lively day, outdoor seating is available. I feel so lucky to have this amazing gem in my own neighborhood! read more

Nestled in the Nordic town of Poulsbo, there are a few things that stood out about this place. Let's start off with the cons. The portion sizes of the meals are on the skimpy side. I was expecting more food to come out, and was flabbergasted by how minuscule the portions were. The service is not great. Having to flag down the server several times we didn't get our water refilled and didn't have silverware till we got our meal which is very unacceptable. The sauce for the PE mussels lacked a key component, "SALT." The white wine reduction was on the bitter side and concealed a lot of the flavors of the mussels. If we didn't have salt on our table this dish would definitely be disgusting and intolerable. Note for the cooks: Please taste your food before putting it out. The plus sides of the restaurant: This restaurant is accessible and easy to get to. I wasn't expecting a paella bar to be remotely close to this area of Poulsbo. The smells from outside will attract you to come in. It resembles a seafood mix with cooked garlic aroma. The motif is decent, it's colorful walls will make you feel like you're somewhere else other than Poulsbo. read more

Paella Bar - Pe mussels - Tapas Bars Near Me - Poulsbo, Washington

Great tapas and paella. One of our favorite restaurants in the area. Also good sangria. The building is a little small and it gets crowded at times. read more

This tapas bar is trendy, in a classy, not trying-too-hard way. Service is both professional and relaxed. If they have this special when you're there, you have to try the crimini mushrooms and goat cheese. I am a mushroom and cheese FANATIC, and I thought this was excellent, as did Hubby, who is not as easily excited by (or disappointed by poorly prepared) mushrooms and cheese. Speaking of cheese, the Marinated Manchego was yummy too... with just a little spicy kick. Even our least favorite of the tapas, the Beef Empanadas (3 small ones) were still scarfed down with pleasure. The Seafood Paella was much more filling than we expected after seeing the seemingly small plate, and it was chock full of calamari, shrimp, and clams, with a few pieces of sausage thrown in too. The mango mojito was pretty good too... not excessively sweet, with real mango juice and puree. Eating here could get a bit pricey if you don't restrain yourself from ordering every item that looks appealing. Three tapas and a paella were the perfect amount to leave 2 people full and happy. read more

The Paella Bar was expertly decorated and had great music for Spanish tapas. We ordered a happy hour priced jar of sangria that was spot on in flavor and then started perusing the tapas menu. We chose a variety of tapas, all of which were pretty tasty. Those tapas included: fried artichokes with aioli, flautas, lamb meatballs, roasted spicy peppers with garlic and olives, roasted mushrooms with goat cheese, skewered sea bass with salsa verde, patatas bravas, cod fritters, and coca bread. It is hard to say exactly what were my favorites. I really liked both the cod fritters and artichokes in all of their fried glory. I loved all of the sauces with the dishes, I just would have wanted some normal bread to soak them up with. I was also a bit disappointed that all of the tapas came out at once...a huge taboo at Spanish tapas restaurants. Despite that, I had a fun time trying this tapas bar. read more

The tapas are plentiful but expensive. You save on happy hour but not by much. The are specials too but strictly a tapas place. Tried the bacon dates based on Yelper reviews. Pretty tasty. Tried the empanadas but too crispy. Really liked the charcuterie plate. That was the best along with the dessert. The mousse and bread pudding were really good. Would come back but this is pricey like an expensive meal pricey except you are getting appetizers. read more

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From the warm and friendly service to the amazing food, Paella bar gets 5 stars. The restaurant mostly serves tapas or small appetizer sized plates. Although the price is pretty up there for the amount of food you're consuming, I think one taste will convince anyone it's worth what it costs. My first visit was Valentine's day dinner and my second was today at happy hour. On both occasions, I've been wowed by the food. I recommend getting the chicken enchilada and bacon-wrapped dates. They have a great bar, too. And it's kind of fun to watch the bartenders buzzing around, concocting delicious and intoxicating libations. I loved their rosé sangria. You can hardly taste the alcohol, but watch out cause they make their drinks strong! I was walking around buzzed for a good couple hours from one drink... although I'm a lightweight so take that for what it's worth. I'm definitely a fan. Thumbs up and keep up the great work read more

Paella Bar - Chorizo Mac and cheese and rose sangria - Tapas Bars Near Me - Poulsbo, Washington

Very interesting experience today with friends. Our food was quite good but we were unhappy with the service. My friend had some questions about one of the items and his response was "I don't know, I'm not from Spain". We let it go thinking perhaps he was just tired or making a joke we didn't catch on to. Then later when trying to order he told my friend, "woah, you need to slow down girl, I'm trying to pour your water". This time is was very apparent he wasn't joking. All four of us were taken aback by the tone. I know it's not an easy job but I've never understood being unkind when someone hasn't been so to you. I hope he has a better day tomorrow. We probably will eat elsewhere next time... which sucks because the food is delicious. read more