Elevated food and service experience for sure! But also, I'm a playful and earthy simple person and I felt cozy here... with my hyper family lol! We ordered a fried manchego app, my mother is allergic to cow's milk and loved this! I waited too long to post, but we ordered many dishes and I hope to check their site and update, but every note and layer of flavor was 100% on point. I don't do service, but I do people and the chefs were great and Eric was a personal delight, clever, respectful, and we felt at home even with a fidgeting son and chatty inlaws lol! read more

Went on a Thursday night and that place was pack, we waited 30 mins for outdoor seating since we had our dog. Staff were really nice, but I felt rushed by the hostess, like she wouldn't listen to what I was saying before walking away to do something else. Loved the lamb chops, the glaze was amazing and I normally don't like lamb. Also the Paella Del Dia was very delicious. The fish may look small but it was really fulfilling. Wish there were more tapas on the menu to choose from. read more

ZuZu - Paella - Tapas Bars Near Me - Napa, California

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I was so shocked about the initial service, I was compelled to write a review. My group and I had visitors who came quickly from Thailand and Germany and we wanted to take our friends for Tapas at Zuzu. When we arrived to Napa we were early so grabbed coffee and got back to the restaurant at 12:13pm when it opened at noon. Upon arrival we were greeted by the host, and asked if we could get a table. Our party was six but an 8 top and 20 top was available. The server promptly told us we can't sit at the 8 table and said the wait would be 30 minutes if we wanted. Of course our group wanted to try Zuzu as we've been told it was great so we were browsing the menu quickly to decide what we would like to order when we came back. The host came back to write my name down as a party willing to wait and basically just told us off and said: "Can you just leave, you don't have to wait here, you can come back when a table is ready." Basically just a big "F" off to me and my group. I was so astonished. We were on the public sidewalk, deciding on dishes to order. No one was sitting facing the water on the stools so our conversations weren't bothering anyone and we weren't loud enough to disturb the other outdoor tables. If this is how the host treats the guests there, RUN. They had an 8 top FREE, and no other people waiting in line to go eat lunch there and couldn't bother seating us down but decided to yell at us instead - horrible. The host was rude for no reason and our guests were so surprised and upset by it we left elsewhere. I'm sure the food would have been great, probably best to hire better staff or they'll chase away the guests before they even get seated. So to the hostess who opened on Nov 4th 2023 @ 12pm, thanks for putting a sour taste in our guests mouths on their first visit to Napa. UPDATE: I've had another patron reach out and mention that there might be some racial profiling at play here. Sad for apparently such a good business that apparently has good food. read more

Not a local resident of this county, but this was the restaurant that caught my friend's eye when we were planning our trip to Napa. We didn't know if there was going to be a wait, seeing as how it's a weekend and this restaurant seems to be fairly popular, so we decided to go a tad early (right before it opens) so that we can grab a seat quickly. Luckily, one of the kind staff members let us grab a seat of our choice 3 mins prior to opening. Today was a beautiful day to be enjoying outdoor dining and we felt safer dining outdoors anyway because of COVID. The umbrellas they set up for outdoor seats provided ample shade. My friend and I opted to try 1) Boquerones 2) Paella Del Dia (for 2) and 3) Summer Romesco. I was really intrigued by the Boquerones because it isn't something I've tried before, but it looked like an amazing appetizer! And it did not fail to make a good impression. The Boquerones comes with Spanish White Anchovies, sliced eggs, remoulade sauce on a thick slice of grilled bread. The Boquerones came with four slices of anchovies, so a perfect split between the two of us. This is rich in flavor thanks to the remoulade and eggs, but portion size to share is perfect for starting out. I think the texture of the bread is sort of similar to that of sourdough (I'm not sure if it actually is, but it was great). As for the Summer Romesco (our veggie option), this was just a tad surprisingly small, but this was also surprisingly really yummy. There's a good mix of different veggies, and the Romesco sauce adds a bit of tang and spice to the mix. All the veggies were nicely grilled. Cherry tomatoes were nicely blistered from roasting. All in all this dish, though composed of veggies, was bursting with flavors. Last but not least, the Paella! This paella came with just a bit of shellfish, but plenty of chorizo and chicken. It's creamy in texture thanks to the mayo and the Paella was full of flavor as well. Aside from the rice, I think the chorizo was what stood out the most. It adds just a bit of kick to the mix and with the paella, you get all sorts of textures with the mix of ingredients. Thanks to it being cooked the way it is, there was crispy rice at the bottom too! What can I say other than we cleared all our plates? This was a really enjoyable experience and service was great too. 10/10 would recommend! read more

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Cute two-story Spanish restaurant along the river in downtown Napa. Came here for lunch on a weekend and sat upstairs. They do not take reservations which is why we ended up here since another spot was already booked. The servings are tapas, so don't expect huge plates of food! That said, tried the roasted beet salad ($15) which came with walnuts and goat cheese. I wanted this to myself LOL. Also had the tortilla española ($12) which was a smallish slice of the traditional potato and sweet onion omelette. The mussels ($16) were tender and tasty! Finally the asparagus ($14), while being in season, was delicious. Comprehensive wine list featuring local wines (of course!) as well as wines from Spain and Portugal. Shared a half carafe (garraffa) 375 mL of the El Ternero ($33). A light lunch came to $104 for two after tax and tip. For my price point, I would have liked just a tad bit more food, but that's my take on it. read more

I'm torn. I wanted to give 5-stars, however there were some mishaps during our experience on New Year's Eve. For those wondering, food wise, this place is solid! Unfortunately, our ceviche had pieces of napkins mixed in it, so they had to make me a new one after I realized and bit into it. We had ordered quite a bit and everything was brought out promptly except for our seared cheek dish. When I had inquired about that dish, which was pretty much at the end of our meal, the waiter's response was, oh I wanted to wait until you had finish ur other dishes to make room. However, because of this, that dish took an additional 20 minutes as we just sat there. I wish we had just cancelled that dish at that point as we were already full. Overall though, still a solid meal. Food: Excellent Service: Average Ambience: Casual (a bit dark inside) read more

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If you're looking to take friends somewhere everyone can be picky and you can try a lot of options, Zuzu is the spot! *Slight caution is that it can add up $$ quickly* Aesthetic - 8/10 The outside is very charming and old town Napa style with very few seats near the entrance. Inside captures old world Spain but feels a bit cramped (probably a bit a like Spain!). It's not impeccably designed but it is definitely a pleasant dining environment! Staff - 10/10 Our waiter was very helpful. We asked him his favorite items on the menu (which we quickly ordered) and he even told us other popular items that locals come back for regularly. Our order: - House Sangria (red) - Its hot right now (July) so I wanted to be sure to enjoy something specific to the location but also refreshing and the Sangria definitely did the trick. It was very light, not very wine heavy, and easy to suck down. - Gin drink (forgot the name) - Their cocktails are exclusively gin brought over from their gin bar next door. Other options include wine and beer. Even though I cannot remember the name (sorry!) the drink was very well balanced and reminded me of an old fashioned! - Flounder Ceviche - A recommendation from our waiter and one we wouldn't have expected to order but it was SO GOOD! The flounder is so light, any seafood hater wouldn't be able to tell there is fish in it! - Queso Frito - These fried cheese pockets with a little saucy salad underneath are DELICIOUS! Probably my favorite tapas we had. Will definitely order again. - Akashi Flat-Iron Steak - Another waiter suggestion that was super yummy! Wagyu steak perfectly cooked so it is tender little slivers of basically meaty butter (okay that sounded yummier in my mind but you get it). - Paella Del Dia - 10/10 would recommend! Super delicious and versatile. Our meat of the day was chicken and boy was it so good. While there are a lot of options to eat at in Napa, there are not a lot of Paella places (or any others?) so this is a MUST TRY. read more

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I had one of my best Spanish style meals and experience. The place was very nice and ambience was great. A lot of locals and regulars were there right when it opened. We were greeted right away and everyone was very friendly. I would say most of the plates are meant to be shared. My date ordered a lot of the best dishes. One bite and I was sent back to my time in Madrid and San Sebastián. You must try their bar drinks. Their gin tonic was delicious and the seasonal cocktail was perfect and refreshing. I didn't get to try their sangria but I can't wait to come back and taste it ! When our last plates came out the owner came by to check on us and was very pleasant. I love the concept and the food stands on its own. Can't wait to come back! read more

Andrew made the experience at this beautiful restaurant so funny and light . He educated my party on both food and cocktail options . read more

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First time here and only good thing here was the food! Was not impressed with our waitress Amanda! Vibes were off instantly! Asked for recommendations which she made some... i asked about one of the tapas and she answered and was like oh those are just ok so much better options on the menu. Just the way her demeanor was off. We asked if butter came with the bread and she said no but she would order it for us not mentioning that it cost $2.00 until we received the bill, then when we ordered the flank steak asked for medium rare it came it was definitely not cooked the way we asked you can tell just by the look of it! We let her know it wasn't cooked how we asked and she goes to explain that it was a illusion that if we were to look at it inside of the restaurant it would look rare and since we were sitting outside that it made it look darker! We have never heard anything like that in our lives! We thought she was joking and she was totally not joking. All in all she didn't make our first visit there a good one! Food was decent service was horrible and crazy ridiculous with what she said! read more

We really liked la taberna next door so decided to give this one a try. We ordered a few tapas and a paella. The food is okay not amazing and on the pricy side. We liked the Spanish omelette the most. We are disappointed at the paella because the size is half of the normal paella pan and its flavor is somehow off comparing to the ones we had in Spain. read more

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Really like Zuzu's! Spanish tapas! Nice selection of wine and beers. Boquerones to start. Lightly salty anchovies with egg on toast. Stuffed squash with goat cheese. This was a special and not on the menu. Really delicious. Gambas (prawns) were a little too salty, to be honest. Paella comes for two. Actually it's better this way than the normal huge pan. This smaller pan makes the rice crispier. Some fried pork on top gives it a nice salty flavor. Pork cheek and tongue. Tasty but very fatty. I'm sure it's supposed to be that way; just be aware to your liking. Gets very busy... lots of people waiting compared to the other restaurants on this block. I will definitely visit again. read more

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A friend recommended this wonderful tapas place to us and he was spot on. Great service and delicious tapas, especially the paella. Tempranillo recommended by server pared very well with paella also. Finished with sherry and an apple empanada with a guajillo lime caramel sauce. My husband says "I'm sorry I can only give them 5 stars". We'll be back. Also check out their extensive gin selections at Bar Zuzu next door. read more

ZuZu - Tapas Bars Near Me - Napa, California

Delicious tapas and great atmosphere! It was wonderful to sit near the river downtown Napa and enjoy good food and wine. Service was also kind and helpful. read more

ZuZu - Tapas Bars Near Me - Napa, California

We stopped by Zuzu last weekend for brunch right as it opened and was offered outdoor seating near the entrance of restaurant. As I unwrapped the cutlery set, white powder/ lint flew everywhere while I sneezed profusely. Not sure what that was, but my allergies really kicked in. I love the small menu and ordered several tapas to try. Ceviche had a sharp citrus kick, tuna was frand chopped jicama to add a crunchy texture. I'm not a big fan of acidic food, but this ceviche makes me wanting more. Gambas went well with bread. Bread acted like a sponge and soaked up all the savoury sauce with a hint of smokiness beautifully. Supple shrimp was coated with the delightful sauce. A shrimp each was not enough, fortunately we had plenty of sauce to relish. Smoked squid dish was amazing. Those carrots were the most smoky, roasted to perfection carrots I've ever had. Squid pieces were so tender and soft yet not mushy and retaining some bounciness. The squid ink aioli adds a nice touch to the presentation, but the creaminess also goes well with the squid. Sangria was alright. Not as sweet, fruity and strong as I would have liked it. Prices for small plates of tapas was definitely up there. I'm not sure if the quality and quantity of food justifies the high price tag . It's a good place to have brunch, chat with friends and try something new once in a while. read more

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This is a great date place! Delicious food and wine and great service... all near the water in downtown Napa. Come here to be a grownup without the kids and be grateful for how fortunate we are to enjoy great paella, duck, crab, and fried cheese. Top all that of with a bottle of decadent red and we truly take a vacation from all of our problems to just appreciate life. Thank you Zuzu. I will be seeing you again... read more

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Beware, this place charges $10 per person for a reservation ( a tock charge). My reservation tock charge was $40 since my wife and I were dining with another couple that night. Supposedly, if you show up, you will receive a refund on your bill. But in my case, the waitress refunded the $40 to the wrong bill, so I was out $40. If a restaurant has the audacity to charge a deposit per person for a reservation, then that restaurant should make sure it gets refunded correctly! I won't be heading to any restaurants in the future that employ this tock charge system. The only reason they don't get 1 star is that their food was decent. read more

Me and the boyfriend are celebrating our 12th anniversary and we decided to try something out of the ordinary. When we arrived at Zuzu, we instantly fall in love with the location, the good vibes that we receive from the staff members, and the music. Our anniversary dinner, we ordered the flounder ceviche as our appetizer, and it comes with chips on the side. The ceviche was very light but it needed lemon & salt. For our main dishes, we tried the Seared pork cheeks & braised tough, and the Arros Negra Paella. The pork & cheeks was flavorful and well balanced. As for the paella, the seafood and the rice was delicious. I enjoyed all the amazing flavors it had and I would diffidently order this again. So If you decided to come to Napa, Zuzu is a nice restaurant to check out if you're in the mood for some Spanish tapas read more

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TLDR; Not recommended unless you're a millionaire and not actually hungry. Famished after an enthusiastic day of wine tasting, we got a recommendation for ZuZu from the hotel concierge. We were seated quickly (which was great) but waited for 10 minutes before the waiter talked to us, 30 minutes before the first (very small) plate arrived, and 15-20 minutes between each successive plate. There were definite highlights (the pork cheek was soft and buttery, and the paella was robust with a lovely dry heat), but we left the establishment over an hour and a half after we sat down over $100 lighter but just as hungry as when we arrived. We went to In-N-Out in the way back to the hotel just for some sustenance. read more

ZuZu - Paella Del Dia - Tapas Bars Near Me - Napa, California

Remarkable place! The food and drinks were on point. I've been to Spain and this place is like a little piece of Spain. We had some tapas and the Zuzu paella. The sangria was delicious. Christian the bartender was very friendly, and provided us with a great experience. I'd recommend when you're in Downtown Napa. read more

I ordered Mussels and was pleased with the presentation and the sweet crouton and sauce. As good as it looked the mussels were puny small. Not dried up but just small. I regularly get frozen mussels at my grocery store that are 3 times larger. Disappointed. The atmosphere was spartan and harsh on my hearing aids. The seating is very puritan like chairs. The gin and tonic special was a glass of ice with little flavor. My wife had the sandab fish and was satisfied but did not get her preferred chardanay. read more

The service was exception. The food was phenomenal! A party of 4 with tapas sharing plates where everyone is full at the end of dinner and wine for 4 would conservatively cost you about $300. I loved this place because it's a local establishment that is independently owned and named after ZuZu Petals from What a Wonderful Life. read more

ZuZu - Shrimp ceviche. - Tapas Bars Near Me - Napa, California

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When we were in Napa recently, this place popped up and I knew I just had to try it. Tapas and drinks, what more could one ask for. I also wanted to eat but not fill up heavily since we were going wine tasting. This was the perfect spot, and everything was amazing from beginning-end. First thing, we wanted to seat outside and they came and brought over an umbrella because the sun was coming out. Drinks we ordered a sangria and a class of Pinot. The sangria was so freaking good, and not too sweet. It paired perfectly with the empanadas. We ordered all 3 empanadas which were duck, beef, and mushroom. OMGGGG. I've had a lot of empanadas in my life, and these were some of the best. They were so flavorful and the sauces they were paired with were perfect. We decided to get the black paella, bc they specialize in paella so we had to try it. MIND BLOWN. Seafood can sometimes be over cooked in paella, and this was not the case. The rice was delicious, none of it was burnt, and it all paired so nicely with the perfectly cooked seafood. We devoured it. Of course we ended with dessert and the cake was so buttery and delicious. To top it all, the service was on point. Our water never got empty, plates never sat on our table too long, and our food came out fast. If we're back in Napa, we will be visiting Zuzu first! read more

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downtown napa lunch and deciding to wait for a table at zuzu...nice day and seated along the outdoor patio...menu provided with tapas options and larger dishes to share...starting with a flounder ceviche $18...quite tasty and refreshing, but little bit too much red onion...prefer to have more fish...served with thick tortilla chips...sturdy enough to load up and bite...child taking the queso fried (fried cheese) $12...perfectly battered and fried cheese wedge slice...wife ordering the flat-iron steak smothered in chimichurri sauce $20...this was simply delicious...cooked perfectly and sauce was wonderful...pork cheek and beef tongue $18..with a tangy vinaigrette sauce...really tasty...the sauce really balances out the richness of the pork and beef...$86 total after tax and tip for 2 adults and 1 child... read more

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The restaurant cozy space extends to upstairs and outdoor dining. We were fortunate to be seated immediately without reservations. Menu selection was sufficient and enough to satisfy tapa fix. *Boquerones , Spanish anchovies, sliced boiled egg, served on toasted bread and topped with arugula was satisfying. Anchovies was mild and not salty at all. *Tortilla Espanola basically omelet with potatoes served with aioli on the side. Nothing moving especially since it was slightly over cooked. *Bacalao, dried shredded cod fish was served breaded with a crunch and served with toasted sliced baguettes. It lacked something so I asked for olive oil for dipping the bread. They brought over California earthy EVO which made a difference finishing off the bacalao. Note: They charged $2 extra for olive oil which they snuck into the bill. *Paella Negra, rice cooked in ink squid, shrimp, mussels, calamari, clam , fish was perfectly cooked ( always tricky with seafood ): however, for that small compact size the price was a bit much. Overall experience was satisfying; ambience, tapas, sangria and service. read more

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We spent a week in Napa. We were told about Zuzu from a local. The lamb tartare made our very short list of best bites ever on the trip. I want the paella next time. I'm already thinking about our next trip...and getting that lamb again! read more

Don't believe the prices posted here. We decided to meet with some extended family members. When we arrived, we noticed the prices posted on yelp about half of what they were charging in the restaurant. Food was ok, not great. I did like their muscles and paitta but it was very salty. The quantity was very small, forcing us to keep buying more dishes. We spent over $300 for dishes where we still felt hungry afterwards. Definitely won't be going back again. I don't understand how they can get away with posting one price on Yelp but charging more than double in reality. Shame on you Zuzu. Never again. read more

Cute little restaurant with limited seating, great selection of wines and gin. The pear salad with chicory was delicious, and the queso frito was warm and flavorful. Service was hit or miss, but the gentleman waiter was great. Nice place for a light lunch or after work drinks. read more

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The food was delicious.... but our sever was appalling! Inattentive is the nicer thing I can say , if it wasn't for other staff we would have not gotten the water we asked for multiple times & it would have been nice to have a second cocktail. read more

The name of the restaurant caught my eye and based on the delicious looking photos we decided to give this spot a try. The outdoor dining area is small so we were lucky to grab a table. We ordered: Ceviche del dia (citrus marinated tombo tuna with coconut, habanero & cucumber) Mussels sautéed with tomatillo & anaheim chiles, grilled polenta & feta cheese Corn chowder; fresh California corn, chipotle, pasilla chiles & huitlacoche Each tapas dish packed a lot of flavor and we were pleasantly surprised. Our favorite was the mussels - we couldn't get enough of that sauce and used the side of bread to soak it all up! Also learned that huitlacoche is the Mexican truffle. If you're in the area and love tapas, swing by this restaurant and try as many dishes as you can! read more

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Zuzu was an amazing spot to try a bunch of tapas and yummy drinks. We were seated upstairs, which was dimly lit and intimate. Our server was really nice and gave great recommendations. We had one vegetarian and one pescetarian in our group, and everyone had plenty to eat. Some of the standout tapas for me were the pork cheeks, mussels, and the gambas al ajillo, but the absolute best thing on the menu was the fried eggplant! We got three orders of this since everyone kept devouring it. It was perfectly crispy on the outside and soft and tender on the inside, with great flavor in the batter. We also tried their vegetarian paella and arroz negra paella, which were both delicious. All the seafood was really fresh and cooked very well. We also sampled their desserts, with my favorite being their banana tres leches. Overall, it was such a good meal from the service, ambiance, and quality of ingredients I would definitely come back the next time I am in the downtown Napa area! read more

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Local relative brought us to this gem. The paella were excellent and my daughter had her best gin and tonic there. Their beef and lamb dishes were excellent as well. However, for lamb, I would recommend medium instead of medium rare. The most unique is the Boquerous, anchovies with boiled eggs on toast. read more

DO NOT BE FOOLED *EXTREMELY RUDE AND DISRESPECTFUL -The waitress Hunter.R mixed up our order TWICE and served our dish to another table! -No water served at the table while other tables got served right when seated. -They have super small dishes so we order the same dish for three times and seems like they refuse to serve us. -we told them that the portion was too small and they responded with us being "too much of a good appetite" Never coming in again. read more

ZuZu - Extremely pricey and two of the orders were mixed up.... - Tapas Bars Near Me - Napa, California

We have been twice now and both times were top notch! We got the ceviche, prawns and steak tapas and had meatballs the last time. Everything was SO good!! We ordered the black paella both times. It takes about 30min so be sure and put your order in for that first. It is SO good! Better than Portugal from what I remember. Our waitress was very attentive and kept our water full. They had an upstairs for our large group I didn't know about so was pleasantly surprised. They offer a handful of mocktails which I always appreciate. Will continue to bring friends/family when they come to town read more

ZuZu - Non cooler - Tapas Bars Near Me - Napa, California

Boquerones was delicious! So flavorful and a great little dish to share Shrimp ceviche was yummy: lots of shrimp and young coconut bits. Had a light ginger flavor. Friend loved it! Tortilla chips that came with it were excellent Tortilla española: this omelette was creamy, had potato, etc. The horseradish crema sauce went perfectly with it Paella del dia: lots of flavor, friends loved it. No crispy parts and I thought it was a bit too salty though No wait on a Friday night for 3. Could see the water from our upstairs loft table. Nice interior and service Overall, I had a lovely dinner here read more

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We had a blast eating here. It was a cool vibe eating outside. It reminded me of dining on Las Ramblas in Spain. The waitress who was serving us had a great personality! The sangria for the table and 6 apps to start our night was perfect. The favorite for the table was definitely the mussels. It was perfectly cooked and seasoned in the broth. When I say perfect, I meant it was not overcooked or had a rubbery texture. The mussels tasted so fresh. We also had the ceviche, anchovies, omelette, and a couple of butternut squash soup. All were delicious. That was our pre-dinner before we went to morimoto. We discovered this place after being turned away by a empty pretentious restaurant. We were walking along the river while checking out the light exhibit. read more

ZuZu - Tapas menu - Tapas Bars Near Me - Napa, California

Everything we ate was top notch. Myself and my husband visited together. We tried 6 different tapas plates which was perfectly filling. The flat iron steak was unbelievable - the chimichurri was so good. They put a finishing salt on top that was a very nice touch. The spring romesco and the heirloom tomato dish were other favorites. The vinaigrette on the heirloom tomato dish was a delicious addition. Very attentive staff, they were quick about clearing our plates and making sure our beverages were filled. read more

All the tapas we tried were so delicious and I highly recommend the lamb chops and the tres leches! If you go at night it is a more dark and romantic setting. The drinks are also unique and fantastic. read more

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Very expensive for a single serving Lasagne. Lasagne barely had any cheese. Mostly sauce, spinach and noodles.

What a lovely restaurant with excellent food and drinks. How can you not love a restaurant with a special gin and tonic menu and excellent tapas? Zuzu has both, making a delicious and refreshing meal. We started with the Catalan salad featuring fresh, crisp peaches on a bed of arugala delicately dressed with vinaigrette and a smear of honey on the plate. We followed with several hot tapas including shrimp, lamb chops, croquettes, and pork cheeks. Combined, this was more than enough for two. We did not try their extensive paella menu, but will on our next visit. read more