Wow what a great place! They have a small lot across the street so it does help to try to go early if you can. Upon entering the bar is inviting with all the wood finishes. We attended a small birthday party there & we were seated in the main dining room against the wall. Space between tables is a little tight but no problem! I like how the service was paying attention & made sure water glasses were always filled or if there was a question on the menu, they easily would come over to help describe the dishes. We started with the soup which was good but I'd rather save room for all the delicious food that we were about to have! Apps that we shared were garlic shrimp (OMG!), chorizo (good but not really my thing), & fried calamari (nicely done without a ton of breading). My entree was the Langoustines (prawns) grilled butterfly style which were absolutely amazing!!! My husband enjoyed tender veal medallions sautéed in a wine and brandy sauce with mushrooms. Just a note that the veal was very tender but its not pounded thin in case that is what you were expecting. Please note that for birthday parties, they do not have a cake to serve, only individual pieces of dessert. Service was a little rushed which is my only complaint. Definitely a special place with fantastic food! read more

Spanish Tavern - Amazing!!! - Spanish Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

See all

Very attentive and polite service. Octopus appetizer was tender and tasty. Paella Valencia was a large portion (for 2) with very well cooked lobster. Chicken and sausage slightly dry. Crisp spanish potatoes to die for and solid broccoli rabe. Would definitely go back when in area for event at Prudential Center. read more

Friendly bartender and down to earth vibe. Good beers. Decent food. Not my go to for places in ironbound but was satisfied with my dinner. read more

Spanish Tavern - Spanish Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

See all

Yes! Who knew such a gem of a Spanish restaurant with ample portions, great paella and beyond was so conveniently located to the Pru Center? Thrilled with the warm and wonderful service!!! read more

The food was delicious, but the portions were smaller than expected for an Ironbound Spanish restaurant

I love this place. First off the people who work there are genuinely caring and attentive. Christopher and Valerie who I often get as my servers are awesome. If I am in Newark for the week I am eating here two or three times. The grilled Langostinos will not disappoint. It is my first choice and seems consistent. I believe they grill it with olive oil and put a touch of cayenne pepper on it. Iget a half pitcher of red sangria and it makes me happy. After you order your meal they bring out nice bread and complementary soup which is usually pretty good especially the garlic soup .....every once in a while it is served not quite warm enough but that is easily rectified. I would rather ask them to heat it up a little bit then have them kick the crap out of it with heat. read more

Spanish Tavern - Grilled Langostinos - Spanish Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

Amazing food, tremendous service. Highly recommend!! Has free parking too! Only warning is they pack them in and tables can be close. read more

Food was Excellent Service was also excellent Very nice restaurant beautiful interior. read more

See all

Chose Newark's Ironbound for a reunion of sorts of grad school classmates and spouses. Hadn't been together as a group for many years yet the restaurant's staff warmly welcomed us, guiding the party to an ideal table where the setting enabled the conversation to flow as if no time had elapsed between our previous outing. The wine was wonderful and each course, though traditional in appearance, tasted more delicious than we remembered. Spanish Tavern is an icon and consistent for good reason. read more

I have always been coming here and cannot believe I never left a review. Love the cozy feel, very homie, invite your mom, invite your dad. Soup before your meal is complementary and is always nice. My favorite is the sea bass (always fillet). But don't be shy try their smoked pork dishes, steaks and amazing salads! Order mom a red sangria! Oh did I mention it's Portuguese ? read more

great food, loved the espresso martinis. Def gives a little soprano vibe, it's quiet and has great service.

Stopped by for dinner for on a Friday night. We were greeted and seated at a nice table for two. While looking over the menu we were served a basket of fresh rolls with butter and a delicious bowl of Minestrone soup. We started off with the famous garlic shrimp that everyone recommends and it was very good, nice flavor. For entrees we had the Branzino fish and the Whole stuffed lobster. The entrees are served with yellow rice and fresh chips. The branzino was a very nice portion size and was tender and flaky perfectly cooked. I enjoyed the crabmeat stuffing in the lobster and topped it off with some fresh lemon and then tackled cracking the claws and dipping them in the warm drawn butter along with the tail... Delicious Onto dessert... Save room! They have a new dessert menu made in house and I love dessert so I've had the pleasure of trying many of them. Tonight I went with the Coffee Creme Brûlée that is served with chocolate chip biscotti... This dessert was so smooth and creamy with the perfect coffee flavor... luv the biscotti too. They also have a great flan and Tres Leches cake... Another great dinner with great attentive service... Plus don't forget the convenient free parking across the street... read more

See all

Absolutely amazing, please give this place a try. Don't expect to spend lest than $80 if you really want to get some great food. Not all the food is expensive but the good food is worth the price. read more

Spanish Tavern - Jumbo stuffed shrimp - Spanish Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

See all

Great food long service time the steak was really good shrimp was cooked very well sausage was very crispy read more

Spanish Tavern - Steak rice and fish - Spanish Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

When in doubt, ask a local. I wanted seafood and within Uber distance from the hotel. It was part of the iron bound district, where you'll find a lot of Spanish restaurants. Sitting on the corner of Green and Railroad the walkway to the restaurant does make the restaurant looked closed. Walk through the front door and the dimmed lights and well dressed waiters it becomes very inviting. Again, I asked for recommendations. I was stuck between two shrimp choices. I went for the langostinos and my colleague the paella. Drinks and bread are served along with soup that both us passed on. Not long after our meal served. To our surprise the serving size was perfect. My langostinos were massive and dominated my plate. Deliciously sweet. The paella was mouth watering. Many times our waiter made way to our table to ensure we were pleased. They even accommodated the request for separate checks being that we needed to expense it later. The entire experience well worth a trip out there. read more

Spanish Tavern - Spanish Tavern: the bill - Spanish Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

See all

Food was good. Servers were numerous but didn't attend to us very well. The ambiance was ok considering it was in Newark. And some knuckle head insisted on revenge up his truck outside as if he had a race car. 6 medium size shrimp were average tasting but a few more would have been in order especially for the excessive price. The desserts were good but the coffee was limited because they never came by to full my cup again. And the size of the cup was small to begin with. The salmon was definately over cooked and consequently dry. read more

Classic Spanish establishment, dark colors, white linens and suited staff. Service was typical. Always someone hovering over you to take a dish away. Definitely a place for an older crowd and I'm 66. Food was bland and room temperature. Salsa verde was more like white paste. Seafood over cooked. Tres leches was so dry with a gratuitous amount of sauce on the plate. The highlight of my meal was the Portuguese roll with butter. read more

Spanish Tavern is one of the better Spanish restaurants in the Ironbound section of Newark! Here's why: I made a 4pm reservation on a Sunday for a party of 5. We arrived around 3:30pm and the table was ready for us! When you walk in, there is a coat closet to your immediate right and the bar area is directly in front of you. The bar is extremely small with only enough room for about 10 people max. The main dining room is very nice but a little tight. Luckily they gave us a table against the wall so we were out of the way. Unlike the other Spanish restaurants in Newark, this one starts you off with delicious soup and warm bread and butter that's complimentary! The soup was SO good that my 6 year old asked for thirds!! Of course the bread was a winner in everyone's book! The waiter refilled the bread basket without us having to ask which made him a winner! We started off with the spicy Spanish sausage appetizer which we could've done without. It had good flavor but it seemed to be overcooked which made it really tough. Everyone enjoyed their main course meals. Everything was well seasoned and came out hot and fresh. My favorite was the chicken on the bone in garlic sauce, which I highly recommend ordering. The rice is somewhat bland but it doesn't matter! Just pour some of the sauce from your entree on it and BAM- seasoned rice! The prices aren't bad at all! 5 entrees, 5 non-alcoholic beverages (free refills) and one appetizer and the bill was only $139! And we left with so much food to take home, too! They have an array of desserts but we were too full to try any. I did catch a glimpse of the flan and it looked heavenly! I'll be sure to save room for some next time. The free parking across the street is a bonus! There is a parking attendant there, so your car is safe and secure! The service was impeccable! From the time we arrived, until we left! WOW!! I really enjoyed my dinning experience at Spanish Tavern and I look forward to returning soon! read more

See all

So far so good the tables are a little close together but the food is probably phenomenal cannot wait to have lobster and filet mignon I will write more after our food arrives They started with a soup which was OK pretty salty couple cubes of potatoes some kidney beans not much to it one of the people in the party wanted chicken and rice ended up with chicken and garlic sauce and they forgot to serve the rice he had to ask for it I ordered a filet mignon dish it was the smallest piece of filet mignon it was supposed to have lump crab meat instead it was a small tiny crabcake served over tasteless potatoes the other person in the party ordered the Seabass and The fillets had bones in them and the flavor really wasn't up to par !! I really wanted to love this place but I am definitely disappointed and I feel the quality has gone way down even with the desserts I ordered the Pana cotta it had no flavor read more

See all

Just got in to town and asked my hotel where was a great place for dinner and she suggested Spanish Tavern. Spanish Tavern has a courtesy shuttle that brought us to and from the restaurant. Paul the driver was great. The ambiance and service at Spanish Tavern was exceptional. The front of the house promptly greeted our party of four and sat us down immediately. We didn't have a reservation and the place was bustling with customers. Many customers were speaking Spanish, in my opinion, that shows that this restaurant has authentic flavors. We started off with rolls. Next, the lentil soup was delicious to start off our meal. We ordered fried calamari for appetizers that were cooked to perfection. It was succulent and the batter was evenly crisped. We ordered the two different paella dishes that were served piping hot. The seafood medley was abundant inside of the ever so flavorful rice. The lobster, shrimp, scallops, and fish, chicken, and sausages were so delicious. The other person in our group ordered a huge dish of Mussels that was combined with a side of Spanish rice that he enjoyed. The other person in our party ordered the grilled filet mignon that was done to medium rare that was a healthy portion of succulent protein. This restaurant was the best Spanish Restaurant that I've experienced. We all enjoyed it. We even took home a slice of German Chocolate Cake for dessert with all of our leftovers. We didn't realize that the Paella dishes could serve 2 people. If you are ever in the neighborhood, this is a great place for dinner. read more

See all

I am having a difficult time writing this review. We were here a few years ago, and all we did up until this past week was rave about how amazing all the seafood was here. First id like to say I find it pretty funny that my favorite restaurant Solar Do Mino was advertised on top! Secondly, we came her about 6 or 7 years ago, and I know that a lot changes over time, but I am pretty sure that we had a considerably better experience last time. We both got the same exact entrees as the last time we went. This time we came for Valentine's day. We had an 8 PM reservation and we got there at 7:50. When we walked in, they didn't seem too keen on greeting us, or asking if we had a reservation. 1 person was on the phone and waiters kept going past us as we stood there. Finally after 2 minutes, I spoke up to a waiter that passed us by saying we have a reservation! We were seated right away. They handed us the menus and walked away. We looked at the menu for about a minute when a waiter came by asking us if we were ready to order, we were not we just got the menu. We ordered 2 waters, and he cleared away the wine glasses. When we were ready to order, my wife got the shrimp in garlic sauce appetizer, and I got the special salmon appetizer. My wife got the paella, and as I was about to order my food, the waiter turns and walks away. I have to talk loud to get him to come back to place my order. I got the surf and turf. They came by moments later with soup. Everyone gets it with every meal. It was a minestrone. It was ok, nothing special, a little watery, but with SnP, it was ok. Halfway through eating our soups, they brought the apps out and took our soups away. I didn't mind. My wifes shrimp dish was good, it is much better and more flavorful at Solar do Minho. It was also just a tad bit over cooked. It was such a slight bit that we really didn't mind. My salmon dish was cold, and it kinda shocked me. It didn't say cold app! But it was ok, it had a cold tasteless salmon taste to it. Halfway through eating our apps (not even 5 minutes in) our entrees came out. I'm on my 3rd bite of food, and my wife and I have this shocked look on our face. They literally put the aps down and came by and asked if we were ready for dinner. They took it back, probably put it all under a heat lamp as we finished our apps. When we were ready for dinner, it was the same exact thing they brought out to us about 7-8 minutes before. All my food was way overcooked. I asked for mid-rare steak, and there was barely a hint of pink in the middle. I sent it back right away. My lobster was also decently overcooked. My wifes paella was over cooked as well, and she didn't enjoy her lobster either. I have no idea why, but it felt like they were trying to rush us out the entire time. All the other tables around us were not half as rushed as we were. We were watching. Every other table got a course, then had a wait between their next course. Us, they brought it out as fast as they could cook it. We were early, we ordered fast, and they wanted us to go faster. The final straw was dessert. Every other table, they brought out a tray with their selections, and for us the waiter mumbled something which we didn't understand so we just asked for the check, paid and left. We felt very rushed the entire time, and we really did not enjoy the food. Maybe it was because it was valentines day? I am not sure, but maybe we will wait another few years until we come back... read more

Popped in here on the fly one night and was pleasantly surprised! The restaurant has its own private lot right across the street. Easy parking- huge plus! We were seated right away and received timely and courteous customer service throughout our entire meal by every staff member we interacted with. The staff are very knowledgeable about the menu, eager to make any adaptations to dishes that you might want, give great suggestions and are customer service focused. Our soup was excellent. We had the tomato and onion salad from the days specials that was fresh and delicious. Our meals tasted great, were oversized and cooked exactly as requested. We had the garlic chicken dinner and the porch chop dinner. Both were very good and we'd definitely order them again. The atmosphere is lovely and would easily make for a nice date night or dinner out with friends or family. I would suggest checking them out if you haven't already! Great experience! read more

See all

Generally good food with good service. Parking across the street. Very popular. On the last visit we didn't have time to wait.

Went for an occasion. Had a great time. Service was good, food was wonderful. Will certainly be back read more

Ok based on previous experiences at this place I def recommend it. However, this past time food was just OK...we ordered paella and I just expected much more :( Food was kinda of bland and we had. Will come def back to give them another chance though bc I loved the first time read more

Been eating here for decades, but never had the pleasure of bringing my family. Service was it's typically professional, but our waiter was particularly hospitable. My whole Dover sole was delicious, as were all of the appetizers and sides. Everyone was happy. read more

This was a delightful surprise when we arrived in Newark and stayed overnight. We decided not to go into the city because it was too cold and just get food for the evening. Our front desk guy suggested this place and as a bonus they even have a free shuttle from the restaurant. It was absolutely delicious and the atmosphere was nice. The food was delicious and the portions were huge. We only got two meals and a side of spinach sauteed with garlic and we had to bring it back a lot of our meal. No room for dessert at the time so we ordered two to go. The dessert tray looked amazing is hard to choose. It was a pleasant surprise because we had no idea where we were going to eat. And I will go there again if ever in the Newark area. read more

See all

There are a lot of good Spanish and Portuguese places in Newark and I've had some good meals here at Spanish Tavern. The service here is always very good and I don't know of five had better sangria in Newark, but the last two times we came here for a group lunch the meals were just a little off from their normal quality. The paella, which is usually very good, and the garlic shrimp were a bit overdone making the seafood chewy and the rice dry. I've heard the place has recently gotten new ownership, though I don't know if that's true, but I hope the food quality is back to normal next time I eat here... read more

Mid range Spanish food, has lots of seafood. Spanish paella was great, and the special grilled lobster was entertaining. Their clam appetizer had some sand, but overall good experience. read more

Spanish Tavern - a lobster and rice dish - Spanish Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

Consistency is the key to longevity. This place has been around forever and for good reason. I haven't been to Spanish tavern in some years but went last night and my family and I were all very much pleased by how the food here was still very good. I'm not saying that this is the best Spanish restaurant ive been to in Newark but last nights meal was delicious and plentiful and pretty much as I remembered it from coming here years ago. The garlic shrimp app is a must in my opinion and the octopus app was very good too. For entrees we had mariscado verde which how can you go wrong w garlic and white wine sauce and seafood (they brought a side of rice and their amazing Spanish potato chips which I could've kept eating all night) I had the paella Valencia which had a good amount of seafood and was also cooked well. Lastly my wife had the bronzino filet which was outstanding. Skin was perfectly crisp and fish was flaky and juicy. I will tell you to make sure to save room for their excellent almond torta cake served warm, it's their best dessert in my opinion. read more

See all

Over rated. Restaurant was empty, it's obvious now as to why: food was less than average. Waste of money !!!

Honestly I am shocked by the lack of customer service received this past Sunday. We reserved a celebration for my nephew's baptism and ended up having an awful experience. The waiters were completely confused taking our orders (it took about 4 times) for them to get the order right. It was so bad that when they took out "all" the orders they ended up forgetting one person from the group. The food was super bland and the coffee was watered down. So disappointed. read more

In town for a conference and we came here for our group dinner. Service was very good throughout the night and the food was excellent. We had a prix fixe dinner since we reserved the basement private room. We started with a light soup which had some veggies; nothing special but it came out quickly and served with bread/butter. Then came several appetizers to share: Spanish sausage (chorizo?), garlic shrimp, and fried calamari. The squid was just OK, the accompanying marinara was refrigerator cold, so that was kind of weird. The sausage and shrimp were incredible! I could have eaten that all day with some bread and be totally satisfied. I selected the paella valenciana for my entree and wow it was great. A split lobster, tons of mussels, clams, shrimp, chicken, and more sausage. It was very flavorful and a huge portion. For dessert I chose the flan and it was probably the best I've ever had. Spanish flan has always been my favorite since its light, creamy, and so satisfying. I don't come to Newark much, but this would definitely be a place to return to. read more

Like the space- feels very family oriented. The food was just so-so. Service was slow, and seemed put off with having to help us (maybe because we were out-of-towners vs locals). Surprising since they make an effort to bring in hotel guests via a free hotel shuttle. Had the veal in wine sauce- it was lighter than I expected and lacking the robust flavors you'd think would come with wine marination. I did quite like their martinis. read more

I've been there many time. Excellent food and excellent family atmosphere. The first time I was there it was in the 80's and still my favorite Spanish restaurant. read more

Ken and Jacquie heard this place is pretty solid, so we ventured over after work. Being not from around these parts, I had no idea what to expect. Holy wow, did this place deliver on the rumors. The atmosphere is really old school and a bit stuffy, but the food seriously brightened up the experience. The octopus and squid saute apprizer is freaking out of this world, and the halibut special just blew my socks off. It's definitely one of the best meals I've had in New York (the amazing company helped). Highly highly recommend. Two snaps up in a circle! read more

Spanish Tavern - Halibut special with spinach, saute onions and toasted nuts. Holy wow. - Spanish Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

Food is always superb. I love their soup, especially the chicken and pasta. My favorite has always been the Langostinos, I am addicted to it. Everything is sinfully delicious. The wait staff are fantastic, Isaiah, especially. If I wasn't driving, I could just down the pitcher of Sangria all by my lonesome alas, one has to drive. I have to share with others...lol. Been going to this place since forever. read more

This was my first time at Spanish Tavern We came late on a Thursday evening and the place was busy As soon as we sat down they brought menus and we ordered wine Before they bring bread they have a free soup service. I am not sure what kind of soup it was but it was pretty good The bread looked great but was not warm but good for dipping in sauces We started with the shrimp in green garlic sauce. I was a bit disappointed in this classic dish because the shrimp were not cleaned great and the green sauce was bland We were not in the mood for more shellfish but regular fish. Many of the specials that sounded great were already gone. (Too bad). I had a Dover sole that was very good but kind of boring with only lemon to spray on top. Needed a sauce The other person had baked salmon which he enjoyed The vegetables were simple but good Not a great meal like Seabras and Fornos but I would come back another time to try some of the other dishes because any place that has so many regulars during the week and was busy must be good read more

See all

Food always great in particular the fish ! Always fresh like just caught ! And the drunken pear desert was beyond expectations! Espresso was delicious and the Hendricks Martini perfect! And Pedro was the best bartender of all time.. read more

Spanish Tavern - Merluza A La GALLEGA (Poached Hake , on the bone with boiled potatoes and broccoli Rabe topped with spanish pimento) - Spanish Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

Disappointing from start to finish, shells in the fried calamari, shells and burnt rice in the paella and stale cake for dessert. Manager claimed when we walked in, it was the best restaurant in Newark. Not so. There is much better. read more