Always a wonderful experience! One of my favorite places, the mixed drinks are good, every plate is something new and just enough so you can try all sorts of things. Small place, but be patient it's worth it. Waiters are always polite. can get a bit pricy. read more

I'm so glad we came here. My wife and I love speakeasies and Viva Madrid! is somewhat like one as it's located behind a jewelry store and through a vestibule in the back. Our hostess, (I'm probably spelling this wrong) sounds like Yege or Yeje, was a very nice hostess who I saw was keeping herself busy doing a lot of other things as well. Great worker. Our waitress Melanie was also very congenial and attentive. I'm sure most can tell by the picture above that the ambience is absolutely gorgeous, certainly puts one in a Spanish milieu. And the food is to die for! I had paella for the first time, as the prices here are fairly reasonable. Usually that dish is extremely expensive. I would put that up there with a lot of signature Indian dishes I love. Anyway, it was a great experience altogether and we'll be coming back for sure. read more

First things first, the ambiance is exactly as expected! Loved it! The service was phenomenal and the food was such a great experience as a first timer in an authentic Spanish restaurant. We loved what we got and can't wait to go back and order more tapas! The Paella was so delicious!! So good as leftovers too. Still enjoying mine. Definitely recommend! Sorry the pics aren't great because of lighting but trust me, it was all good! read more

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Everything was so delish! The garlic shrimp, and the spicy potatoes were my favorites but literally everything is delicious! Jared was our server, and he was great! read more

Bacon wrapped dates are the best thing on the menu, I would come back just for that!! Patatas bravas weren't my favorite, neither was the meat paella. Really cute restaurant - it's kind of tucked away and really makes you feel like you're in another country. read more

Viva Madrid! in Claremont is such a hidden gem and hands down one of the best spots for authentic Spanish tapas. The moment you walk in, you're greeted with a warm, inviting atmosphere that feels like a little piece of Spain right in the heart of the Claremont Village. The décor is beautiful and cozy, making it perfect for date night or a fun dinner with friends. The food here is outstanding. We ordered several tapas to share, and every single dish was packed with flavor and perfectly prepared. The paella was rich, savory, and cooked to perfection, while the garlic shrimp and bacon-wrapped dates were absolute standouts. They also have a fantastic selection of wines and sangrias -- the red sangria is a must-try! read more

Cannot believe I have not done a review on this special little spot tucked into a lil hallway in the village.. I've always come here to enjoy a wonderful cozy spot that reminds me of my trip to Spain They have a wonderful assortment of tapas to share! I came here for the crème brûlée so no pics of the tapas! However if I did have tapas would order: Basket of bread to dip into the garlic squid ink, stuffed mushroom, shrimp in garlic, bacon wrapped dates , potatoes ( sorry don't have actual names of dishes) but the staff are very helpful in helping you find them.... The house Spanish wine is delicious . I always come here and see people try the paella so it must be good! It's just looks so filling so I always order tapas to try a lil everything ! Get here when they open or expect a wait! read more

Viva Madrid! - Cozy romantic spot to meet up - Spanish Near Me - Claremont, California

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Made the drive over from West LA after seeing it on TikTok. The ambience is cool and authentic, however because it is small, seating is very limited and hot in the summer. You walk through a cave-like entrance into the restaurant. We anticipated a long wait, but were seated immediately on a Saturday at around 7pm. Our waiter was nice and attentive, but unfortunately the food made our experience fall flat. Friends had recommended us the bacon wrapped dates. We were expecting an enticing and elevated tapa, but it's exactly dates with a small piece of bacon. We also ordered the pan con tomate, which are different from the typical ones you find in Spain. It's bread with what tasted like marinara on top. It needed oil. It notes on the menu that the paella takes up to 50 minutes to prepare, but ours came sooner. We ordered the mixta, which had plenty of protein with not much rice, and it was unfortunately very dry and bland. A 6" is enough for 2-3 people. This location has so much potential and we were so excited to find spectacular Spanish cuisine but left disappointed. read more

Viva Madrid! - Bacon Wrapped Dates - Spanish Near Me - Claremont, California

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The lamb chop was delicious. Oxtail and many tapas. A bit salty though. Sangria blanca was so good, I couldn't imagine. Ambiance good as usual. Friendly services read more

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tapas is amazing fun for small groups ambiance make you feel like your in spain. I would say dress semi formal although not required.

My first time here was during dinner with a few friends and this place was busy even though they were closing in an hour. They serve tapa dishes which are on small sides and shared between your table. Everyone decided to order different items and we ended up having 24 tapas with a party of four. My friends also had a pitcher of sangria that they shared. But I just enjoyed a nice cup of water. The tapas came out so quickly that if you were starving, you wouldn't have to worry. I enjoyed a lot of the dishes but what we didn't order was the paella. There's such a vast menu that I'm sure you can something that you like. My friends liked the ham but since I wasn't able to eat it, I'm not sure about the taste. I liked the calamari which was deep fried in a nice crispy batter. We also had a lot of different styles of bread but I think I like the one with tomatoes on it! If you want to enjoy a variety of dishes and small types of tapas this is the place to go. read more

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Such an amazing little spot. Tons of ambiance and great service. We tried the beef steak with salsa roja (came with green beans and a bake potato with a delicious sauce!), filet mignon (I asked for as rare as possible and for once in my life a chef got it right!) (came with green beans and sautéed potatoes, empanada de pollo...kinda reminded me of a tamale not so much a empanada cubano, the shrimp wrapped in bacon, the mushrooms with chorizo which were amazing, custard was delish! I had their el ocazo...was good but the mezcal was little overpowering and a regular margarita which was good. We would definitely come back. read more

This was my first time to Viva Madrid. What has detoured me is they do not take reservations and the place is relatively small. However, as soon as we got there we were seated. The place is really cute. We had a bunch of tapas, paella, and of course sangria. My favorite items that we ordered bacon wrapped dates, octopus and the paella. The service was awesome and it was a great finning experience. read more

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The food is terrible. We love the old building housing the restaurant, and the dark, moody vibe so much that we've returned 3 times. We tried to convince ourselves that if we just ordered the "right" things they would surely be edible. They are not. Paella is all wrong, dry meat, soggy rice. The only tapa we could stomach was the empanada. Even the bread is bad: cold and stale. I honestly don't know why Gabriel doesn't just hire a decent chef. Why just rely on the ambiance and uniqueness of the space? Please get a real chef in there or sell to someone who will. Such a waste. read more

The ambiance alone is worth the visit. It definitely gives Spanish museum vibes. We ordered the mixed paella first since it takes just under an hour to prepare. It definitely was not worth the wait. The seafood was fishy, the sausage and chicken were overcooked, and the rice was mushy. There is an extensive list of tapas to choose from. We ordered the "fresh" bread and veggie empanadas. The bread was served cold and came from a package, but it came with a delicious dip that tasted like grapes and olive oil. The empanada was too mushy and lukewarm for my taste, but my husband liked it. The Spanish beers are terrific, but the Lavender Lemonade was like taking a huge swig of perfume. Our server was wonderful and made date night a 3 star experience instead of a 2. Prices are substantially cheaper than most restaurants that offer similar menu items, but you get what you pay for. read more

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We had a really yummy girls night dinner here. Ordered a variety of tapas and everything was very good. Service was excellent. Smaller intimate setting but it can get pretty loud at times, especially on a Friday evening. read more

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I just visited Spain a few weeks ago, and I love the food there, so when I found this place, I could not wait to go for my birthday. I was not disappointed! First, a tip, get there when they open! They have a very small but great dining room. Dark but well decorated. We got there about 30 minutes after they opened, and we chose to sit at the bar (just the two of us) because all of their regular tables were already full. This was fine for us as we like sitting at the bar anyway. The food was almost all wonderful. We ordered a lot! Haha. Here it goes: The sauce on the spicy olives (8 - Aceitunas Picantes) was delicious, and I would definitely order again. The bacon wrapped dates (38 - Datiles con Tocino) were the biggest disappointment for us, as they were very small dates and also had over-cooked very crispy bacon, which we do not prefer. If you like it very very crispy, it might be for you. (34 - Patatas Bravas) The potatoes were also just okay. My husband said they were just like one of the places we ate in Spain, but for me I wanted them more crispy and light. (19 - Halibut) this dish was so delicious and very much reminded me of being in Spain. Chunks of halibut simmered in an herbed carrot sauce. We actually ordered bead after we started eating it and another couple of dishes just to dip it in the sauce!) haha. Yeah, piggies! But, in my defense, we skipped lunch! You should order this! (22- Croquetas de Pescado) Fried seafood croquettes - basically think fish stick but one for adults that actually tastes delicious with a lovely sauce. Yum. Would order again for sure. Chorizo a la Rioja (CHOR)- these were the tastiest little sausages in a wonderful sauce. (Dipped the bread in that too!) Cordero a la Miel - Basque-style lamb baked in honey sauce with delicious vegetables. This had amazing flavors, from the lamb to all of the tasty vegetable bits and cheese. (Bread again - the sauce was so good). Sweet and delicious. I thought the lamb tasted wonderful, but slightly overcooked for me. I would order it again though. Drinks: They had a good selection of wine, and we had one from the Rioja region and it was excellent. I was looking for something from the Priorat area, as we had just toured it, but they did not have any of those. But not a problem. I also ordered their Rocinate (Spanish brandy, ginger beer, house citrus, simple syrup, and a sangria float) and it was quite good. Lovely balanced cocktail. Service: Our bartender was fast and friendly taking our order. The food we ordered was brought by the table runners who also brought food to all of the tables. No complaints. Overall, I already want to come back. They have a very large tapas menu, so plenty more to try. read more

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This restaurant is very popular. The paella was good. But the Spanish snacks were highly recommended. The solo meal there was a disaster. read more

Viva Madrid! - Spanish Near Me - Claremont, California

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We love Viva Madrid! We recently took our friends for sangria and tapas and they loved it too. The authentic European feel, friendly service is very inviting. Always a fun time. read more

Never ever had pan con tomate that is made with stale bread and tomato paste from a can. From pan con tomate, patatas bravas, pulpo, everything was wrong. Only thing that was decent was the jamón con melón. Service was good though. 0 stars for food, 2 stars for service. read more

A homey and lively place for dinner. Prices for most items are pretty good if you ask me. We ordered the paella as soon as our drink order was taken because we knew that it would take some time. I recommend doing that as well if you plan on dining there and they are a full house. The dishes were a hit or miss. Either they were good like REALLY good or they were just okay. Hits: calamares en su tinta, chuletas de cordero, rabo de toro Misses: tortilla española-really dry pintxo moruno-really dry gambas al ajillo-the only dish that was not worth the price at all. even with price aside, it was two overcooked pieces of shrimp in a basic scampi sauce. maybe try another shrimp dish. The paella...I'm going to give them a pass because it was busy. I always wondered what food would taste like if you didn't burn off the alcohol and now I know. Every bite had a burning, raw alcohol taste. The food was pretty hot too, so the vapors were hitting us. We had to pack it to eat later (I thought if I cooked it more at home it would go away...it didn't. Now I know for when I cook with alcohol!) Would I go here again? Yes, so I can reorder the hits and try other items. read more

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Love the city of Claremont. Busy little strip with food, drinks and shopping. The area consists of people of all ages and cultures. At first I thought Viva Madrid was a small store, but look past the entrance and you'll find a small restaurant/bar that's buzzing with laughter and conversation. Sat at the bar and enjoyed the tapas and a few cocktails. Staff and bartenders were friendly, attentive, and quick to serve. The tables are a little tight but you'll enjoy the food and drinks so much that it's no bother. Highly recommend you stop by and try it. read more

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Being that I am not from the LA/Inland Empire Area, I never would have found Viva Madrid!, even with the help of Yelp! A friend and I were shown this almost 'speakeasy-style' Spanish Tapas joint while visiting Claremont for the evening. I am always down the tapas, 1) because I don't get them where I live (or at least not authentic ones) and 2) because I like to try many things, share and not be tempted to overeat. To find this place, you enter through what looks like a little European jewelry shop. There are two Viva Madrid! signs near the sidewalk but they're not super obvious. You stroll down a dark hallway and then enter where there's a lantern above the door and a wooden bull statue. Upon entering, you find a quaint room with a humongous chandelier hanging and a beautiful wooden bar. We sat at the bar and began with a half pitcher of sangria which hit the spot. We literally tried probably half the tapas on the menu. A few memorable favorites were: Croquetas de Pollo, Empanada de Pollo, and Dátiles con Tocino. The food came out quickly and paired perfectly with the bread basket. The bartender was extremely welcoming, friendly and attentive which made this an all-around 5 star experience. read more

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Nestled in the quaint little town of Claremont is a hidden gem - a Spanish restaurant that serves a wide varieties of tapas and entrees! Love the coziness of the restaurant, great menu and great service. Tapas ordered: - Shrimp sautéed with garlic (3pcs) - Asparagus wrapped with smoked salmon - Mushroom sautéed with garlic - Beef slow cooked in garlic and white wine - Steamed clams in spicy tomato broth - Squid in squid Whenever there is Sangria on the menu, it's my go to drink at any restaurant. The Sangria with brandy taste really good! Would go back for a full jug instead of the half jug we ordered. read more

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生命裡有很多東西，能忘掉的叫做過去，忘不掉的叫做記憶，有些事情，當我們年輕的時候無法懂得，當我們懂得的時候～卻已不再年輕 這家Viva Madrid! 明明就在一個不起眼的地方，可是很多人都知道Claremont 有這家很有特色的西班牙小店，這是我第二次去，一進去還是被周圍充滿異國風情的裝飾吸引， 這家是吃 Tapas, 一盤盤的小菜， 說實在，菜單長落落，真的不知從何點起，請他們介紹兩道，自己點了一些比較愛吃的，燉牛肉， 烤羊排， 花枝， 西班牙燉飯都很不錯， 個人覺得所有的菜色都偏鹹一點點，是很適合下酒的， 給歪國人小酌兩杯的小餐館，要是有機會來這美麗的大學小鎮， 這家餐廳可以放在口袋名單， 來稍微感受一下，在馬德里吃飯的風情！ read more

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Amazing food! My husband and I love this spot for date nights. I can't wait to go back to try more things.

Had a super couple of meals here. The tapas menu is lengthy and varied and the ambiance feels authentic. We tried both the red (more dry) and the white wine (sweeter) sangrias and both weee very drinkable and paired nicely with all the different tapas options and were great values. Mom especially enjoyed the decor - a super charming location. Service was attentive and I appreciated the announcements of each dish as we were arrived. (It's easy to forget what you ordered!) read more

Excellent tapas for a very authentic Spanish experience. Tried many tapas including paella which was amazing! Sat at the bar with a very good bartender! Was looking forward to some sweet vermouth that I had in Spain but they didn't have it. Settled for the white sangria which was tasty but very sweet and needed ice to dilute. Patatas Bravas was ok - not the authentic Barcelona & Madrid that I have experienced. Pan de Tomate & Tapas de pan con boquerones were the 100% authentic dishes I found very tasty and brought back memories of my trips to Spain. Very good service, excellent pricing, and awesome food I would return in a heartbeat! read more

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So many different tapas to choose from. All very delicious. Great service and romantic quiet environment. Really a nice place! The rating should be higher. Also got our anniversary free special dessert! Lovely! read more

I absolutely love Viva Madrid! I have been coming here for years! It's my favorite little secret. Must get the 1/2 carafe of Sangria to start. Pro tip get there early to even get a table, order your Paella dish right off the bat as it takes time to cook. I feel like I have had just about every tapas dish on the menu. The Gambas Al ajillo and the lamb are my favorites. The service here is always lovely and the ambience is quirky and decadent. Now I want to go this weekend;) read more

Viva Madrid! - Spanish Near Me - Claremont, California

My husband and I came here for dinner for the first time and it wasn't quite what we expected. The decor is great, and the staff were very nice and provided good service, but we found the seafood paella to be a little on the bland side, and my lavender cocktail had a dead fly floating in it (how, I don't know). Our server didn't charge us for the drink and brought me a new one, and was also kind enough to bring us a comped sangria and rice pudding dessert too. The tapas were fine. Overall, I think we liked the wooden bull statues the best, rather than our dinner visit. A very pretty place though. read more

Viva Madrid! - Bull - Spanish Near Me - Claremont, California

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Small plates tapas great for new experiences. Service is staggering for the plates to come out without overcrowding the table. Great waiter service. Ambience is super nice taking you to Spain via decor. read more

No reservations and the restaurant opens at 4:00 pm. The small dinning room inside has a cute decor, tables close together, no windows,; very European. There are tables to sit outside the building on the sidewalk; for those who wish a summer breeze and more space to feel comfortable from the COVID plague. The paella would take 40 minutes to be done so if you are in a hurry go with the Tapas. We liked the tapas better than the lamb which was sweet with honey and the calabacitas plate was erroneously brought instead of the berenjena plate. The vegetarian zucchini plate was bland, needed more salt and spices. The sauce could have thicker than watery and the potato chips which adorned the plate could have been less burnt. The restaurant credited my bill when I sent the plate back; however, the chef gave the option to fix the one left zucchini half with the eggplant mixture. Hmmm, taste of one vegetable to the other is quite different- I took the credit. Go for the Tapas. Garlic bread is not what I expected, but satisfactory could have used chopped parsley for a better presentation and taste. Maybe with more hours to spend at Viva Madrid the paella would have been a better choice to order, we will never know. read more

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I've been coming here for more than 20 years ! So many memories. Had my first date with my husband here almost 20 years ago. We enjoyed a relaxed date last night. Food quality & service was amazing. Highly recommend! read more

Definitely one of my go two spots in downtown Claremont! Such a unique restaurant with amazing food! The sangria is a must try

Food was good but service was slow. Plus it was a little too warm in the area outside the bar. read more

Viva Madrid! - Spanish Near Me - Claremont, California

Excellent food and service! Our server Dallas was amazing, she gave us the best recommendation on our tapas, we ordered bit too much but still managed to finish all. You can't go wrong with paella here, we ordered the seafood/meat, a classic totally worth 45 mins wait. Until next time!!! read more

I've been coming here for years and recently stopped by. The service is still great but the quality of food has definitely gone down. Hot tapas served cold and paella has sparse protein. The sangria will always be 10/10 but unfortunately the food left a lot to be desired. Hopefully they just had a bad night. I'll be stopping in again and will update this review if the food has changed. Lines are still out the door to get in. I do like that they added outdoor seating. read more

The tapas I ordered were bland and some not tasting great at all. Like patatas bravas for example. I had this dish in Spain many times and what was served at Viva Madrid wasn't that. Here they were small pieces of burnt potatoes smothered in ketchup-like substance. The steak was overcooked and chewy. That's not how ribeye should be cooked, especially at the price they charged. Service was ok, almost like in Spain, but with major difference: there are no tips in Spain, but people here are expecting them... for an average service. The ambience is the only great thing about this place. It reminded me of the small restaurants I dined at in Madrid and Bilbao. read more

2nd time here. Today we come here for drinks and to enjoy some tapas with some friends ... whether it is for drinks or tapas it is a pretty cool place ... they totally make it look like you are at a "tasca" you literally feel they brought the little tasca place from Spain. It is busy... full of conversations... but enough level noise for you to enjoy your dinner date conversation, or for your group/ party conversation. I really enjoyed their sangria and spinach empanadas, but as stated before the ambiance and decor are outstanding! read more

Viva Madrid! - I'm not a beer drinker, but had to try this one - Spanish Near Me - Claremont, California