I agree with the reviewers who have said the food was good but not great. However, I would like to stress that I did have an enjoyable time at this restaurant. I went with a friend on a Wednesday evening (half-price bottles of wine!). I made a reservation in advance, and we were seated promptly. The place is small but cozy, and I loved the atmosphere. Our waiter was prompt and very adept at answering questions about the food. Food came out in a very timely manner. My friend was from out of town, so I let him have at ordering the food. I selected the wine. We were able to get a 50.00 bottle for 25.00 - that was fun! Since I didn't order the food, I don't remember exactly what all we had. I do recall fried pickles that were fine. We also had meatballs that were amazing. The meatballs are definitely a 5-star experience. Get them if you can. We also had a salad which was fine. I ordered the chocolate lave cake for dessert. The cake itself was a little dry. The chocolate lava part was excellent. Portion size was right on. Good for sharing but one person could eat this without feeling overly stuffed (I ate most of it). Although I didn't find the food to be too exciting, I would recommend it as it's a great atmosphere with great service. It would be a great place to go for a date or with a group of friends. read more

Intimate space with a modern ambience. Service was great, food was alright. My friends and I were able to try out several of the dishes, such as the octopus tapas, watermelon gazpacho, grilled salmon, and Valencia paella. I found the octopus a bit bland by itself. I preferred the tomatoes that the octopus was paired with - extremely fresh. Texture-wise, they did a pretty good job of cooking the octopus. It wasn't too chewy or too soft. The watermelon gazpacho was alright. They put a twist on it by adding salsa, but I wasn't a fan. The texture was a bit off - kind of runny with weird chunks. Grilled salmon dish was your standard salmon dish. Nothing particularly memorable, nothing particularly bothersome. Paella was decent. It was a bit watery, which was kind of strange, but the seafood was very fresh. I think they could have cooked it a bit longer. Overall, not the best tapas I've ever had. Not terrible, but not spectacular. read more

Great lunch deal, get 3 items for lunch for $10 and friendly staff with great advice! Highly recommend!

Eclectic beers on tap, really good empanadas. Server made great recommendations! Location is convenient to DPAC, an easy walk.

We went on Saturday after Centerfest, which may have been an unusual day...but still. I will not go back. There was no host on a busy Saturday night. Our table of 4 had to share one menu. We waited ten minutes just to learn that they don't have their liquor licence yet, despite having a beer tap and a wall full of wine bottles. The waitress told us we could get wine from the convenience store a block away, so two of our party left...only to find that the store was closed. They had long returned from this sojourn before we finally were able to order. When our order arrived, we were missing a dish. When asked about it, the server insisted that she had told us they were out of that dish...she hadn't. When she refilled our water, instead of walking around the table to our glasses, she angrily pointed to them, indicating we should hand them to her. The food was fine. Nothing bad, but nothing I'd ever want to pay for in a restaurant. I worked in my share of restaurants, in all different roles, and I understand what a hard business it is. But this level of disinterest shocked me. Avoid. read more

Outstanding. Very friendly and helpful waiters -offered good advice on wine and specials. My favorite was the Flamenco in - pork and ham perfectly seasoned. Grilled asparagus was my wife's favorite. Close runner up was the grilled salmon - perfectly cooked with just enough heat in the sauce. Sit by the big windows for some people watching. Plenty of parking in the lot on Ramseur st. Go in the back door. read more

It took me a while to get here, but it was worth the wait and lived up to the hype. Nice decor, friendly staff and an expansive menu. Whether you love tapas or have a special affinity for Paella, they have what you need. Everything we tried was absolutely delicious. I will most certainly be returning to work my way through the menu. Even the drink specials and wine list were better than expected. Do yourself a favor and pay them a visit. You won't be sorry! read more

Mediocre food and way overpriced. The paella tasted like a stir fry I would make at home in 20 minutes and cost $16 for a bowl. The service was fine, though our drinks came out after all the food arrived. read more

I've been coming to Taberna whenever I'm back in the D'ham since I first went last December, and it has been consistently among the best, if not the best tapas place I've ever been to. And I'm including that other place down the street (Mateo). The food is perfectly prepared, everything I've had (and by now I've had most of the menu) has been excellent. They have a good, if small, beer selection, and the times I've gotten wine (i know nothing about wine) the suggestions have been spot on. As for specific dishes, wow, where to start... The bacon wrapped dates are great, the crab cake was great, the paellas have all been good. Seriously get anything you think you _might_ like, and you'll probably love it. Even things that sound simple are delicious, like the Tortilla Espana, which was just a tortilla, eggs, potatoes, and onions. It was fantastic. Try it, you won't be disappointed. This is the best secret in down town Durham. read more

We are visiting Durham. What a great restaurant. Everything was great. The best was the flank steak and the Kamen croquettes. read more

What's right: the food, the music. What's not: it wasn't particularly clean, the service is a bit unpolished. I had the tomato and artichoke flat bread: as others have stated the raisin and goat cheese together is fabulous. Also had the paella which was very tasty. the music ranged from Mac the knife to flamenco and really set a nice mood. The interior design of the place is stylish, but was a bit dirty (likely a side effect of the molten chocolate cake). The service was pleasant but not great. All in all a very good experience for the price. I will be back to try more of the interesting menu. read more

Great food! Great atmosphere! Great friendly staff! Wine list is fantastic and there are plenty of food choices. My favs are the bacon wrapped dates and the Brussel sprouts although it's hard to not order everything on the menu. I have yet to order something that I did not like. Cute and quaint. A must! read more

OMG. The flavor pairings, the quality of the food, and the great service - impeccable. Every bite kept getting better. This place is so underrated or just a great kept secret. Highly recommend! read more

You have to try the bacon wrapped dates!pure perfection, seriously. And a great wine selection... the Prima is my favorite, followed closely by the sparkling rose. The new part is also beautiful, with a large wine wall and cozy atmosphere. read more

This place presents a stark contrast to the similar one a couple blocks down the street. The food is ok at best and the service is really bad. The server forgot one of the item I ordered and I had to wait 20 min for them just to cook it up when I reminded the waitress. For a $60 dinner I expected more. I am a big fan of fine dining and enjoying spending $300+ more on a meal. So I do know what good service looks like! read more

I give mad props to Chris's and his restaurant Taverna Tapas, the original tapas place in downtown Durham. Great food, great flavor and a awesome lunch special cant beat it! If your tired of spending $10 bucks for a sandwich you could make yourself at home, come spend that at Taverna for two great tapas, full of flavor and will keep you satisfied for the rest of your work day, and with "Jess" as your server, you won't regret, service with a smile! You will enjoy the Grilled Salmon cooked to perfection, OMg the Flamenquin, lean pork stuffed with spanish serrano ham breaded and deep fried, served with the traditional spanish patatas and shallots...hummmmm, and I just tried the Tortilla Espanola.....oh yes, I felt I was back in Galicia with my grandmas kitchen...I loved this place, best food I've tried since moving here from Miami, and trust me I got a very picky pallet coming form a true foody city. Much luck and success, well deserved!! , your next door neighbor read more

I had a great time at Taberna Tapas! Not only was the food great, but the atmosphere was excellent. Our waiter was very knowledgeable and made some great recommendations! Also, they had a great selection of local beers on tap, which is an easy way to get in good graces with me! Overall the food was delicious! More here: www.andrewheider-go.biz/blog.html read more

Taberna is equidistant between DPAC and the Carolina Theater. When there is an event going on at eitehr place, they ask whether you have tickets before they even take your order. And they help you keep track of your time. All the food is delicious. Nightly specials enhance an already interesting menu. Seating is designed for 2 or 4, but they can easily push together a section of booth tables if you give them a little warning for a large group. This is a go-to for us when we have a night out in Durham. read more

Went to Taberna Tapas with two friends very early evening. The restaurant was empty with the exception of two tables. The host had difficulty finding our reservation, but he did eventually find it and put us at a table in the back closest to the kitchen door and the restrooms. Since he said they were expecting a very busy evening, we were mostly okay with it. However, by the time we left, the entire row of tables stretching to the front of the restaurant was still empty. Not cool. We did enjoy our wait person, Asia, who was knowledgeable and friendly. Our food and beverages were quite good and the prices were reasonable. We shared the beet salad and the paella with shrimp, which was delicious. read more

I debated for a long time on what to rate this place, but I guess time softened the harsh critic in me. I loved the cozy interior & the staff was very friendly & knowledgeable. I felt more like I was in someone's personal home rather than a restaurant. The food is excellent quality and the combinations are unique, which is why I pushed up my review to 4 stars. For me personally, I just didn't enjoy eating the food as much as I anticipated based on the descriptions. A lot of this had to do with the presentation. For example, the portobello top was a beautifully layered creation; however, there were only 4 tiny pieces of mushroom at each corner. For a dish I thought would be primarily a portobello cap, there was surprisingly little of this main ingredient. The bread pudding was a similar story-lovely presentation, but dry and lacking a depth of flavor. The thing I really appreciated, and probably bolstered the overall rating, is that they provided excellent service knowing that we had a show at DPAC to see. Our wait continually checked in and made sure we knew when we no longer had time to order more food. They even showed us a short cut to the theater! Overall this was a very good quality restaurant that just didn't quite pique my interest but I would still recommend that others try. read more

Grilled octopus was really good. Paella was quite off in terms of texture. The food was more American focused rather than Spanish focused; that's fine. However, all the dishes (besides the grilled octopus on inked rice, which was really good), we're quite underwelming, especially when you consider other options and the price. Perhaps worth a 1st time try but definitely not a 1st option. read more

We had a girl's night out here and it was by far the best restaurant we have tried this year. The food was delicious, the atmosphere was delightful, the service was excellent, and the price could not be beat. The five of us shared three tapas (the bacon wrapped dates were out of this world) and opted to wait the 45 minutes to try the traditional paella which could have easily fed six of us. Between us, we had 8 glasses of alcohol, three tapas, the group serving size of paella, and a dessert and our grand total was under $90. Really, you couldn't beat this price anywhere! Will definitely be going back again. read more

Slightly disappointing execution of dishes. Nice enough ambience. The server was not very familiar with the menu.

Pretty good food - small portions, reasonably priced, but I wasn't overly impressed with the quality of the food. The service was a tad slow. Don't forget that this place is BYOB - we were fooled by the wine of wine bottles. The bacon wrapped dates were definitely the best thing we ordered... definitely recommend getting those. read more

My wife went here yesterday. She said the food was great but the service was horrible. Waiters kept ignoring her group. The restaurant made a mistake when splitting the bill and charged one diner more than the others. When asked to re split the bill, the employees rudely threw the difference in cash on the table. read more

Tapas were great! Had the bacon wrapped dates, calamari, avocado and bacon, chicken and bacon... We love bacon :-) Monday is $5 Mojitos and they were decent for a NC bar. read more

Nice small spot in downtown Durham. A good variety on the menu makes you glad it is a tapas place so you can order multiple dishes. A little pricey for the size tapas. I enjoyed the paella the most. Atmosphere is very nice and the service was great. read more

Taberna Tapas - Spanish Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Their dishes lost all flavor...about 2 years ago tapas tasted very good. They need to step it up prices are HIGH not much taste. We will never return to this restaurant. We know Spanish food and this place is NOT the place to go. read more

I went to Taberna for restaurant week in Durham, and got horrible service. The waitor was very rude and snobby. On top of that, the food was very subpar (especially compared to Mateo). I liked the croquettas chicken and bacon, but the tortilla espanola and bacon wrapped dates weren't good in that they lacked a lot of flavor. I thought they had too many items on their menu, which was confusing and explains their prioritization of quantity over quality. My Spanish roommate also agreed that the food there was not good. Overall, the service was terrible, the food was mediocre, and with Mateo right around the corner I don't see a reason to go here. read more

Yes Yes Yes! I give it all the stars. The food was amazing. I had Clams and Chorizo & Durham Oyster Mushroom and Kale Sauté! I want moooooreeee. Definitely will be back soon. read more

Taberna Tapas - So good! - Spanish Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I came here on New Years and I was quite impressed. The portions are pretty decent for a tapas restaurant. They make simple things like kale taste exquisite. I shared six plates that night and they were all delicious. I also had a Spanish martini which is the strongest drink I've ever had in my life lol (beware). The atmosphere is quite intimate so be prepared to share conversations with your neighbor. Service ***** Food. *** Ambiance ***** Fun. ***** read more

Their paella is amazing! It's a must try if you're going to taverna tapas. It was everyone's favorite dish.

Really enjoyed the Tapas and wine selection! Our bartender Whitney rocks! Be back soon. read more

Went back Wednesday night before the theater and it was a better experience. Waitress was great! Completely related to my 13yo over string instrument talk and proceeded to really communicate well with us. Half price bottle of wine that night ... Sweet! Every dish we ordered really had a different flavor ... Still nothing that jumped out at us - safe but good. Tried new dishes from last time ... Don't bother with the foods that get fried ... Calamari and sweet potato fries were just ok. Bacon wrapped dates - wasn't sure if I'd like them .. Tasty! read more

We were headed into Mateos but didn't know we needed a reservation. We had our heart set on tapas and as we looked for what else was in the area we found Taberna. Well within waking and distance and didn't disappoint. We chose the crispy pork shoulder , calamari, meatball, flank steak, and the octopus special. Nothing disappointed. We were referred to Mateo by some friends and have never sampled their menu. I was satisfied enough that if I were in the area again I would go back to Taberna read more

Great tapas in a busy place. Being right next to Mateo in central Durham, taberna is fighting a good fight. With more classic preparations of Spanish Tapas, it also stands parallel to more modern Mateo. Taberna has a fantastic decor, intimate and contemporary. I enjoyed a wonderful glass of Rioja at a moderate price, shared potato croquettes (the ham was, so sadly, out), charred asparagus, squid rice, and buttery soft braised oxtail. Tender-crunchy croquettes, beautifully grilled squid be yh it is you huuú with chewy risotto, otherworld braised beef that also tasted unreal (forgive me but often braised meat is more of a textural than flavorful achievement); everything was quite good and well portioned. What was next the best part of my meal? The conversation. The next best part? The wonderful tapenade and chimichuri. A good sauce on a simple dish is the signed of a great meal. I'll go back. Oh, and the flan: perfect. read more

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Last week I made my second visit to Taberna Tapas and once again, enjoyed myself. I arrived without a reservation on a Friday night and was pleasantly surprised to find that I could be seated right away. A friend and I split a pitcher of red sangria which, though a little on the pricier side, was pretty good! We shared a couple of tapas; our favorite was the garlic shrimp, so flavorful and well-cooked. Our least favorite was the octopus, which also had good flavor but was a little tough. Overall, Taberna Tapas has a lot of really tasty, flavorful tapas and I would recommend it if you're looking for a hip and classy-chill dinner in downtown Durham and you don't mind spending a little dough on it. read more

I went here with my boyfriend one night and we both really enjoyed it. They don't have there alcohol permit yet but they don't charge a corking fee so we brought a bottle of champagne with us. We had a variety of things and loved everything especially anything with chorizo. All the dishes ranged from $4 to about $11 but everything was typically around $7 so I got four dishes (3 tapas and one paella) and spent under $30. I would definitely recommend going. The service was great, good atmosphere, and nice spot for a date or for a group of people to share a bunch of tapas! read more

I've eaten at tapas places from coast to coast. I was a regular at El Farol in Santa Fe which is one of the best in America. Mateo is nice. This is the real deal. His bacon-wrapped figs are perfectly prepared, as are the Serrano-wrapped asparagus. His shrimp are delicate in flavor and his patatas bravas, spicy potatoes, are just hot enough to get your attention. The bar mixes some decent exotic cocktails and has an excellent selection of beers and wines. Moreover, unlike some harried tapas joints that are bustling affairs this place has the neighborhood feel of a real Tapas restaurant in Spain read more

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Loved Taberna Tapas and will definitely be going back. Our favorite was the Pintxos Con Pan - Serrano Ham with manchego cheese. We originally ordered one and then ordered a 2nd. The bacon wrapped figs were delicious. The mixed cocktails were delicious and the beer selection was excellent. Decor is nice and very low key which was very appealing. The bonus was you could actually carry on a conversation w/out shouting at one another. read more