Cool Spanish tapas spot in Sacramento!! This well-known Spanish restaurant has been a Midtown favorite since 1994. Ambience: relaxed and warm, with live Spanish guitar music. Seating: indoor and outdoor Parking: street parking Restrooms: 2 stalls per gender Food/drink recommendations: * Sangria: refreshing and really good * Filet mignon beef tips * Jamón serrano * Seared ahi * Bread basket Service: fast and efficient. If you're celebrating a birthday or special occasion, you can even ask the guitarist to play a birthday song. Perfect for date nights or celebrations. read more

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Another edition of "I have had this place bookmarked for ages and finally got around to trying it". To celebrate my birthday with some girlfriends, we made a reservation at Tapa the World for a Friday night. When we arrived, the restaurant was lively and buzzing with energy. We were promptly seated at our table and began looking over the menu. To start, I ordered a mocktail while my two girlfriends ordered cocktails. We decided that we were just going to order a variety of tapas and share them, which is exactly why I picked this restaurant. All in all, we ended up ordering the croquettes, the garlic shrimp, the empanadas of the day (which were potato and cheese), the patatas bravas, and a pork dish that I don't remember the name. Eat and every dish was absolutely delicious and bursting with flavor. So if you find yourself in the mood for some tapas and want a wonderful, lively atmosphere, come check out Tapa the World. read more

Wonderful spot for after work tapas or a romantic dinner. The great thing about tapas is you always get exactly what you want! Delicious sangria, wonderful cocktails. The savory and dessert empanada are the best! Sometimes there is a special Flamenco night, so fun and exciting! Plenty of on street parking and friendly servers. read more

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Tapa the world is fun and has a great concept. I would say they are a 3.5 for me, but I'm rounding up on the stars. Some of the tapas I loved, and others were a little underwhelming. I love their sangria though! The highlight of the tapas for me were the beef tips (good flavor!) and the croquetas. The croqueta fillings change daily, but I would definitely order them again. I would really love to come back on one of their live flamenco nights. I think it's great that they're bringing that piece of Spanish culture to Sacramento! read more

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Fabulous restaurant! Super cute interior and additional seating in their courtyard outside. (Looks like they do have heaters out there.). Staff was super friendly and welcoming. Super attentive. We had the fried eggplant, bread with the dipping oil and vinegar, olives to start. All were delicious! I had the tri tip entree for my main and wow! Super fantastic! Lovely size portion! Steak was cooked perfectly and had amazing flavor! And loved the sweet potato mash and veg it was served with. I am going to be craving this one for sure! Everyone at our table enjoyed everything they ordered. Can't wait to come back and try the paella! We had a wonderful 5 star experience and will be back very soon! read more

Tapa the World - Tri Tip was incredible! Beautiful dish! - Spanish Near Me - Sacramento, California

A Mixed Experience at Tapa the World Tapa the World has been a Sacramento staple on J Street since 1994. Now owned and operated by Executive Chef Marcos Murillo and his wife, Brooke, the restaurant has built a reputation for bringing the lively spirit of Spanish food and culture, tapas, paella, music, and even flamenco dancing to Midtown. On our first visit about a week ago, we chose a street-side table so we could bring our puppy along. A large umbrella gave us some shade, but the late afternoon sun still made it a little warm and uncomfortable. The staff were wonderful, though. They were friendly, attentive, and genuinely trying to make sure we were settled in. We started with a pitcher of sangria along with two tapas: Patatas Bravas and Kobe Beef. The sangria was refreshing, not too sweet, and exactly what we wanted on a warm day. Both tapas were excellent. The Patatas Bravas were crispy with just the right amount of spice, and the beef was tender and flavorful. The soup of the day was another pleasant surprise. For our main course, we shared the Paella Mixta. As expected, it took about 45 minutes to prepare, which was fine by us; we were happy to linger with the sangria and tapas. While waiting, I wandered into the covered area next door and discovered there was live music and flamenco dancing. That was a fun surprise, and honestly, I wish we had known in advance, we definitely would have reserved a table inside to enjoy the performance. When the paella arrived, it was the one part of the meal that didn't quite meet expectations. While flavorful, the seafood didn't taste as fresh as I'd hoped. It wasn't enough to spoil the evening, but it was a bit of a letdown after such a strong start. Even with that hiccup, we had a really good time. The indoor dining area looked lively, welcoming, and full of energy, and it was clear that many of the regulars knew this place well. We'll definitely be back for the sangria and tapas, and hopefully next time, we will have a front-row seat to listen to the music and flamenco. read more

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This place has a fun menu. So many unfamiliar choice of food but I did go with the Kiki burger, which is delicious and the spicy sauce was really good with it. The potatoes were fresh, crisp and hot when my plate landed. My wife had the lamb soup & my aunt went with the Kobe sandwich. We loved or food and service. Very cool atmosphere inside & very clean as well. We had a blast and we all left full of flavor. Thank you Tapa's! We'll be back soon! read more

Delicious tapas! Several gluten free options. I was in town for a conference and it was perfect for a quick lunch with a friend on a Saturday. Service was friendly and the drinks were delicious. And the one I ordered was surprisingly HUGE! read more

Called ahead for seating. The menu and staff told us that the paella takes 45 min or more depending on how busy it is so order that right away if you want it! The staff was nice and I'm not sure which server was ours since everyone kind of just did everything. Didn't feel rushed and water was always refilled, I love that! It's a little louder and there was live music, but we weren't screaming over the table, so it wasn't obnoxiously loud or anything! Good food. Good company. Always a good time here! read more

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The food itself was overall very good. However, as we sat (and sat and sat) unattended, I felt less and less happy to be eating here by the end of the meal. My husband picked this restaurant for our anniversary dinner, and we split the Paella Mixta as the entree. The Pimientos del Piquillo Rellenos really caught my attention, so I ordered that main dish as an "appetizer" since the menu notes the Paella dishes takes at least 45 minutes to cook. I am so glad I ordered it. Such a great combination of flavors and unique to anything I've had before. I fully intend to order this again in the future. I didn't love the Paella Mixta, but seafood is not my personal favorite type of dish. Some of the seafood was overcooked as well. (If it was just based on my preferences, I would've ordered the veggie.) A tried the Beauty of Spain cocktail. It was very alcohol-forward, but taste-wise it wasn't something I'd feel like I'd need to get again. The fruit empanadas for dessert were delicious! I'm a huge sweets person, and the combination of the fruit (apples) empanadas with ice cream was a perfect way to end the meal (in terms of the food; the service is what was lacking). The employee was welcoming and friendly, but after ordering the service was abysmal. Even though there were no tables inside and just a couple outside, we weren't checked on at all. My husband walked the payment up to the employee as they stood looking at their phones. I will come back for the Pimientos del Piquillo Rellenos, but I hope attentiveness to customers is improved in the future! read more

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This is a Sacramento staple, with a beautiful design and ambiance that makes you feel like you're in a small Mediterranean town. Or rather, what someone like me who's never been to one of those might imagine it to be like. Tapas places aren't known for being a cheap experience, but at least when it comes to food, I don't think most people would complain. Everything tasted fresh and delicious with a variety of flavors. The meat-based dishes would especially enjoyed by the table, in particular the Beef Tips. I would have destroyed a full serving of this! The service was also on point with recommendations and everyone was friendly. The only real downside of the night was the cocktails. They all looked decent enough, but none of them really had to "wow" factor i'm used to from higher end restaurants that offer a sizable drink menu. Maybe it was just an off night, but pretty much everyone at the table had a complaint about their respective cocktail, which is incredibly rare. Here's hoping that next time we swing by the cocktail game has leveled up a bit. Otherwise this is a Sacramento gem. read more

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While its been a while, this draft has been sitting here needing to be submitted and serves as a reminder for me to come back and update this review. I have ordered many dishes here and all of them fantastic. There is a nice range of price and lots of options to choose from. The bread basket and olives are always on my order but there are so many to choose from. I always get the sangria too, 5 stars! The ambiance here is beautiful and simple, I tend to prefer to sit outside to people watch and enjoy dining al fresco. They have dancers from time to time and they are beautiful and so talented! It always makes me want to learn and take belly dancing class when I see them. They have a happy hour during the week that I hope to be able to try again soon! Will be back ! read more

The food was amazing I loved the vegetarian pasta. The chicken pasta, the appetizers were perfect. Everything was perfectly cooked. I had a cocktail called 'the beauty of spain' because my son knows me and said I would love it even though I don't usually like tequila, but it was delicious. The cheese cake was the icing on the cake. I love cheese cake and I've tried so many in my life and I have to say their pistachio crust and sangria strawberry sauce made this the best cheesecake I've ever had. Now about the staff and our servers. I can't begin to express how amazing and friendly they all were. They were promp and efficient and made this, plus everything else I mentioned, the best mother's day dinner I've ever had! Five stars is not enough! I recommend this restaurant to anyone looking to have the best meal experience ever! Thank you so much for everything read more

I always see how busy this restaurant is when I walk by, so I'm really glad I finally got to try this place out with some friends! We ordered several items from the tapas menu to share, along with a pitcher of their house sangria. The sangria was delicious and not overly sweet. The patatas bravas were crispy and came with a yummy dipping sauce. The fried calamari was cooked perfectly and wasn't chewy at all. The eggplant was also cooked very well. My favorite items were the beef tips and the pork skewers, which were so good I forgot to take a picture. I definitely recommend ordering the bread basket with their dipping sauce, and the cheese plate to try. There is a lot of seating both indoor and outdoor, but it does feel a little compact when walking by the tables inside. There was a musician playing guitar during the evening hours and I appreciated that it wasn't so loud so people could still comfortably speak at a normal volume. Overall, this was a great place to visit, and I'll definitely be coming back! read more

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Tapas was suggested to me by my daughter. Met a friend there for dinner. The restaurant itself was nice. Spacious. Loved the outdoor dining area. I recommend their sangria. So flavorful and delicious! It was happy hour so the sangria, for a 16 oz., was $5! I ordered lamb. It was prepared perfectly! So yummy! I ate every bite! I recommend trying this place! I already want to go back! read more

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Friendly staff. However, the food was only average. We tried the seafood paella... It was soggy and not great. But maybe it was just one off as other yelper raved about it. Good ambience and dog-friendly on the patio. For those with an Amex Platinum card, it does work for the Resy credit. read more

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Ambiance, food, and service was "Tapa the world"! We reserved our seating before getting to the restaurant which made getting to our table quick! The roasted eggplant soup is seriously delicious I could eat this everyday and still want more! Empanadas and Patatas Bravas were hot and crispy! Our main entrees were perfect, pasta being super creamy and our steak being juicy.Our Paella de Mariscos super bountiful we definitely had leftovers. read more

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They have a really good lunch deal only $20 includes sandwiches soup or salad and desert! read more

Had a lovely meal Saturday night meal here with friends, the price was a little high but the quality of the food and drinks were worth it. There was a great guitarist in the corner of the restaurant that night doing flamenco-style music which was nice ambience and a nice touch. read more

We sat in the patio for our late night dinner. Great cocktails and great food. Cons: Maybe they were channeling European but they didn't give us water until probably the third time we asked. We didn't get utensils and napkins until after the food was out. And we never got side plates to share, we just made use of plates that we cleared And it's not the say they didn't check on us, lots of staff asked if we were doing okay, but maybe no one was assigned to actually wait on our table? Pros: Despite that, the food was nice. We ordered the short rib for our entree meal but we would pass on it in the future; it was more mashed potatoes and broccolini than short rib. Our favs were the gambas, pinchos, and the assorted olives. The sauce that came with the gambas was so buttery delicious, we used that as a dipping sauce for other things. And I really enjoyed my cup of clam chowder! read more

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All of the food in the Dine About Downtown menu was delicious. The pork tenderloin was a bit overcooked and the sautéed greens needed a different type of seasoning but each course was great. The white bean and kale soup was amazing. The tapa del Dia- grilled asparagus with cheese was amazing. All of the servers worked as a team so drinks and dishes came out quickly. I had never been here before and I was very pleasantly surprised at the level of decor and ambiance. Very classy and very inviting. read more

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My boyfriend and I don't really do Yelp reviews, but when I say we both agreed we needed to get the phone out and rate this place 5 stars, I MEAN it. Absolutely unreal food. The chef is amazing and taste is truly out of this world. You come here for a great meal! We had the patatas bravas, ahi tuna (omg it's so good), and the grilled tri-tip. Seriously unreal cooking! The owners are also incredibly kind and nice! Totally recommend!!! read more

I had the chicken pasta and my boyfriend had the tri tip plate. Both were so good! I almost licked my plate clean. I also really enjoyed the sangria. It was a perfect pairing for my pasta. :) read more

Tapa the World - Grilled Tri-Tip Plate Chicken Pasta - Spanish Near Me - Sacramento, California

The ambiance is incredible and their dishes outstanding. Service is trundle and professional very welcoming.

We were walking around Midtown with our dog and were trying to decide where to eat for lunch. My husband stopped at Tapa the World to take a look at the menu, he had been wanting to try paella for a while and knew they served it here. A friendly staff member started chatting with us and we decided to grab a table outside and try them out. We didn't get to see the inside because we had our dog with us, but the outdoor seating was a great option and they had some seats along J street as well as some in an alley area between Tapa the World and Kasbah. We took in the menu and heard about the specials as well as some recommended dishes. We started with the Smoked Chipotle Sour ($13) that was recommended by our server and I was excited to try the Mint Lemonade ($6). Both drinks were great. My husband loved the mezcal in the sour balanced with the spice and citrus. I loved the freshness and flavor of the mint lemonade- it was so refreshing and I would get it again. We ended up ordering the Paella Mixta for 2 ($50) and this takes about 45 minutes to cook so we also ordered Tapas to enjoy while we waited. We got the Tortilla Espanola ($7) and the Gambas Al Ajillo ($13) after our server recommended this rock shrimp dish. We were brought out the Tortilla Espanola first, which is a gluten free potato cake dish with caramelized onions, egg and with some olives. Our server also brought us a white sauce and hot sauce to enjoy with it and that was a great addition. We liked this dish, but I felt like it needed some seasoning. The olives with the potatoes helped, as did the hot sauce and dipping sauce but it needed a little something in my opinion. Maybe just a bit of salt and pepper would have done it. The Gambas Al Ajillo was the highlight for us. The butter, olive oil and garlic made for a flavorful dish with the rock shrimp. Next time we would probably order this and a bread basket because the garlic butter definitely would have been great with bread dipped into it. The moment we were waiting for: The Paella Mixta came out and looked beautiful with fresh clams, mussels and shrimp on top. It's listed as a combination of seafood, chicken, chorizo and vegetables. It's more than enough for two people, especially if you've had tapas. Ours had clams, mussels, shrimp (a mix of heads and shells on, shells on and deshelled) squid, octopus, chicken, chorizo, bell peppers, artichoke hearts, peas, onion, and lemon with the saffron rice. While the presentation was beautiful, we found it hard to eat having to peel the shell off the shrimp and enjoy the bone in chicken. I realize this helps with flavor, but it made for a messier experience. While the items were fresh I also would have liked them to be flavored more by the rice and mixed together more like paella I've enjoyed elsewhere. The mussels and clams wanted a little sauce in my opinion. The Chorizo was also sliced into smaller pieces which made it seem a bit overcooked in our opinion. Bigger pieces may have kept it juicier. I did love the inclusion of red bell peppers and would have loved more of them. Overall the paella was a bit of a let down for us. I would say that we would return for tapas and drinks. The server was very nice and the cocktails were tasty, plus it's a very cute spot. read more

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Located in the heart of downtown, I've been coming to this location for over 20 years. Be sure to stop by and try the empanadas. They have several small plates that are absolutely delicious. The Kobe beef is also one of my favorites. Street parking can sometimes be a little bit challenging, but it's definitely worth the walk if you have to park a little ways away. Open late nights, great sangrias and beer. read more

We went out for dinner on a Friday night. We reserved online the same day. It was super busy and ended up picking the courtyard which has heaters so wasn't cold although we preferred inside but was too busy. We ordered the drink special and capirinha which was good. For starters, we ordered the Tortilla Española. It was 2 medium sized pieces which were good. I thought it wasnt as warm when I ate it but I also did slowly eat it. My fiancé had the Kobe steak sandwich with patata bravas. The steak sandwich was well seasoned and potatoes were crunchy on the outside and soft on the window with a tasty salsa. We also had the paella de mariscos for 2 people. Seafood was well cooked and the rice was soft and flavorful with saffron. Would come back to try other dishes! read more

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This was our second visit trying different tapas. The food comes out quickly that I can't even take a picture because we eat it up as soon as we get it! The staff is friendly and we enjoyed talking with them. I love the feeling in the restaurant where you feel like in your in a small town in Spain and not in Sacramento once you go inside. Oh! And their desserts are soo good! Definitely check this place out read more

I wish tapa the world was more consistent. Some nights the food is excellent - sometimes it's just mediocre. Tonight was one of those night. The Jabon felt like they got it from Trader Joe's and sprinkled microgreens on it, the ham as were ridiculously small and covered in butter (isn't it usually olive oil?) and the entree of stuffed peppers touted Manchego cheese but was lacking more than a sprinkle. As always the patio is beautiful and the service was good. We really miss Kasbah and there are roomers the owners will be taking over that space. Let's hope the chef will be more consistent. read more

Tapa the World - Small gambas - Spanish Near Me - Sacramento, California

Recently I've had the privilege of dining at some amazing spots and Tapa's is one of them. The Staff here are so friendly and welcoming. We felt like we were invited guests. The food is absolutely Amazing!! The menu is huge and there are many options. I was surprised that they had many Vegan choices. We chose the empanadas and tapa del dia for our appetizers. They were full of flavor! The empanadas had a light crunch and packed with a blend of chicken/Manchego cheese and Quinoa. We also Order the Seafood Paella. This is probably what they are known for because it was something that made the taste buds on my tongue explode!! It was So Fresh and full of seafood! Because it's cooked to order It does take around 45-90 minutes so if this is what you want to eat, order it first (it's well worth the wait!!). I will definitely be back!! read more

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Favorite date night spot in town! The pork, mushrooms, grilled veggies, potatoes bravas, bread and dipping oil are excellent. I love the decor and overall atmosphere. 10/10. read more

As first timers, we had bread, 5 tapas, a dessert, and 2 mocktails between my husband and I. So YUMMY and AFFORDABLE ($115 pre-tip), we will be coming back. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone who loves Spanish cuisine, or just loves to have an array of different foods. read more

I love the appetizers great quality of food as well as filling. The ambiance is quiet without the construction that occured outside while dining out. read more

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Crazy but we were lured to an undesirable neighborhood to check out a prospective new puppy. We didn't lose money, but drove two hours for nothing. Changing up our luck, Yelp guided us to this wonderful Spanish/Tapas locale. Great smells as we were quickly seated. It's a spacious bistro. A very popular destination. Everything we ordered was served quickly and the flavours were wonderful. Fried calamari my favourite. The Tapas were terrific. The mojitos magnificent. Small issue with our waitress. Maybe just a bad day, but she disappeared for most of the visit. No water top off, no check ups, not even asking if I'd like to do something about my empty drink. Finally, got a second drink. It was a bit pricey and I would normally write it off as average and not return. However, it was our great fortune to have witnessed a phenomenal Spanish/Flamenco guitar player that I'm afraid I'll need to see again. So Sacramento, we'll be back. 12/24 read more

Everything we got was so good! I loved the daily dish special, the sauce on it was phenomenal. Honestly wasn't super excited about the cauliflower and spinach pairing but they made it taste so good and it all paired perfectly! Rock shrimp was pretty good but just pretty simple. Potatoes were amazing, cooked perfectly, crispy exterior and perfect inside. The tomato sauce it is served with is really good too! Every single employee who interacted with us was so nice and helpful and we sat on the outdoor side patio and it was so pretty out there! It's outdoors but covered, with little lights and music, it was really nice! read more

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The food was so good it was gobbled up before I managed to get any photos! The restaurant is so cute and has indoor, outdoor, and patio seating. The servers were all so nice and even offered a few suggestions of which tapas plates to get! My favorites were the mushrooms, ahi tuna, and bread basket (dip the bread in the leftover mushroom sauce!) I will definitely be coming back to eat my way through the menu! read more

My wife and I are big fans of Paella! We've been to several Spaniard restaurants in San Francisco, the East Bay, and just about everywhere we can find them! No one, and I mean, no one cooks better Paellas than this place! Trust me, I've visited Spain three times in my lifetime and this is the closest you will come to authentic Paella! The place gets pretty busy, so make sure you make a reservation. The ambience is very nice. I also like the Spaniard type decore, and the different selection of Spanish Vinos! If you've never tried Spanish wines, you are in for a treat! Highly recommend! read more

Tapa the World - Mixed paella (sorry, we started digging-in before I got a chance to snap a picture!) - Spanish Near Me - Sacramento, California

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Would've been 5 as the food is great , but when you're making a reservation and need to leave deposit that should take you to one star total. I've been to far more sophisticated places that never asked for a penalty fee for canceling. Good luck with that as I will never make a reservation again here. I'm being generous with 4 stars you can improve on service too , as my last time there I had to wave for help to get a drink twice and only 4 tables were occupied. read more

I can't believe I'd never been here! Tapas are so enjoyable. Sharing little plates of appetizers is just so much fun. They have quite a large list available to choose from. It was busy on a Friday night around 7. But, we were seated immediately. Service was good. It is a loud ambience with live music, which was lovely to listen to while we ate. The food: we ordered the empanadas, filet mignon beef tips and the queso manchego. The filet mignon beef tips were my favorite! They're cooked in a spicy ginger sauce which is slightly similar to a teriyaki sauce. Soft and tender and delicious! Next, I tried the queso manchego, we ordered this without reading the description, lol, it was more of a cheese board with almonds, pickled peppers and fig jam. Definitely tasty, but not a typical "queso" (read the menu, haha). And finally we tried the empanadas! They were chorizo stuffed, and are different each evening so you have to ask. Personally, I wish they had more filling to bread ratio. The sauce was like a spicy marinara. Oh and last but definitely not least, you MUST get the focaccia bread with the garlic dip! Holy guacamole it was so flavorful and delicious. Best part of the meal! read more

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I love the paella here. Great ambience, service, drinks and atmosphere. You will have to find street parking. Make reservations for this place. read more