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Categories: Spanish/Basque, Tapas Bars [Edit]
Neighborhood: Russian Hill
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Happy sangria time.
This is where I retreated with a good Jewish friend of mine plus another to celebrate a somewhat deserted holiday season. We were all single and had no where to go but the restaurant welcomed us with open doors and wide spaces.
Who else to share a fine pitcher of sangria to set off the mood on white linen tables.
A happy exchange of social banter and reminiscing about the year that had gone by so quick. In all honesty, I've forgotten anything that we ordered from the menu, but the sangria was fabulous and after one cup, the brazen redness had spread from my cheeks to my fingers: warm to the touch. Slices of blood oranges swam up against the sides of the glass pitcher and winked continuously at me.
There is something quite nostalgic about that period of my life and sharing it with a small group of good people will remain in my mind forever.
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Another happy customer. I had the anchovies in vinegar, a special tapa of roasted piquillo peppers with shrimp, the chorizo, the tortilla, and some rice pudding. My favorite was the shrimp tapa and the torilla. Excellent. I really liked the sangria and the sherry too. Everything was really quick and friendly. The restaurant was mostly empty at 6pm when I came in (on a Saturday) and completely full when I left at 7pm. So I recommend going just slightly early... maybe that's why I got each order in about 5-8 min. I got to recommend it and I want to come back and try a bunch of other stuff.
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My first experience dining out in San Francisco and what a tasty one it was. We were told that the wait was 30 minutes and roughly an hour later we were seated, which had my brother and I kind of fuming, but we got over it.
We split a carafe of Sangria, which was freaking awesome (to say it bluntly). It provided enough to drink for the duration of the meal. As for the food we ordered the olive oil and garlic shrimp, the goat cheese in marinara sauce, the mussels in a tomato sauce, and the jamon serrano. The shrimp were awesome as were the mussels, but both seemed to be so small. I know they are tapas and they aren't supposed to be massive but the goat cheese was very filling as was the jamon. The cheese was fantastic. It was so rich and bursting with flavor. The jamon was a perfect way to end the meal and the bread and olives that started off the meal all had us feeling very full and content by the end.
It ended up being about 65 bucks with tip for the two of us. Our waiter was friendly and in no rush to get us out despite the restaurant being so crowded.
About the restaurant being crowded: its really really loud in there. Probably not the best place for a date because I found myself asking my brother "what did you say?" almost every other sentence.
Seeing as it was my first time in San Fran as well, it was cool seeing the cable cars cruise down the hill in the window in front of our table.
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Ok, are you ready to order?
Yes, we'll have the patatas bravas, banderillas de cordero, croquetas de jamon y pollo, mussels, fried squid, empanada, paella...
(interrupting me): Wait, wait, wait how many people are joining you?
No one, it's just us two
You're ordering TOO MUCH FOOD (booming voice)!!
Oh uh, well then, what do you suggest...(feel embarassed for being a piggie-LOL)
BEST PAELLA I've had in the U.S. Parking makes you want to down a pitcher of sangria once you arrive, but the food is totally worth it.
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If I died right now, I would have no regrets in life. I could safely say that I had my last meal, and what a meal it was. Dining at Zarzuela was the highlight of my trip to San Francisco.
What we ate -
Chicken Fritters with goat cheese wrapped in eggplant - While not a fan of the cold tapas, this dish was amazing. Note, that these are two separate items served on the same dish. The fritters were crispy and flavorful, but the highlight was the goat cheese. While goat cheese normally has an overpowering flavor, the eggplant balances it out nicely.
Tortilla Espanola - One of my favorite tapas and this one was made to perfection. The dish was not too dense with potatoes, but fluffy like a souffle.
Patatas Bravas - I could have done without this one. While the seasoning was amazing, the potatoes took up too much valuable stomach space to try other things.
Jamon Iberico - This ham has been banned for import in the US for a long time, and now Zarzuela has it! This is served with tomato bread and is to die for. The ham itself is overpowering, but compliments the tomato topped bread nicely.
Grilled Chorizo - The chorizo was just okay, but when paired with the 2003 Altun Rioja, it creates a flavor explosion. This was incredible!
Beef Short Ribs - Tenderly sliced cuts of short rib served with sauce over a bed of mashed potatoes. The meat just melts in your mouth and the potatoes have a smooth creamy texture.
Lamb Chops - Those who are not fond of the gaminess of lamb can enjoy this dish. The chops are seasoned with garlic, butter, and other spices; and the meat is fresh, therefore eliminating the peculiar flavor associated with lamb. The lamb is served over a bed of grilled potatoes that absorb the seasoning and juices.
Paella Valencia - While the paella was really good, it just added to the perfection of the tapas and wasn't the highlight of the meal itself. The rice is served al dente and the ingredients were simmered nicely in the saffron broth.
Arroz Con Leche - Rice pudding. Not too sweet and amazingly rich.
Crema Catalana - This is one of my favorite Spanish desserts and Zarzuela makes it perfectly. You can taste the lemon zest infused in the cream and the texture is rich and smooth and compliments the torched sugar on top.
Mango Sorbet Tart - An incredible dessert of mango sorbet baked into a tart. I'm not sure how they made this one, but it was perfectly sweet and cleaned the palate nicely.
While we ordered other things as well, these dishes were the highlight of the evening. Arturo and the staff know their wine, and paired the meal up with a perfect 2003 Altun Rioja that was smokey and rich. The food was the most authentic I have ever had, and I would probably say that quality wise, it even tops the places in Barcelona. I was looking forward to dining here for over a month, and I was not disappointed. Zarzuela made my trip to San Francisco perfect.
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Came with a bunch of food loving yelpers to savor what is easily one of my favorite restaurants in the Bay Area. We totally tore it up!! We drank 4 bottles of rioja and almost a bottle of sherry and ate way too much food.
Service was impeccable as usual and the food just mind blowingly good. Lucas, Andy, Arturo and the entire Zarzuela team just made our night a memorable one especially since many of those in the party were first timers.
You will never leave this place unhappy -- that is, if you have the patience to wait for a table on a super busy night.
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06/14/2008
I can't even begin to describe the history I've had with Zarzuela, therefore, every time we are back… Read more »
This is my favorite restaurant in the whole world. I've been coming here since I was a baby. They all know me here. They know what I want to eat, I don't even have to order it. This time I had my crab soup and everyone was stealing it from me. No fair!! I had soup, calamari and lamb chops. So delicious. I wish we lived here so I can eat here every day.
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11/13/2006
Mommy and daddy drove up to San Francisco for the weekend because 1) it was mommy's birthday and 2)… Read more »
My husband made dinner plans to eat here for our anniversary. We honeymooned in Barcelona and wanted to relive our experience and he'd heard rave reviews about the tapas here. That being said, we came here on a weeknight so the we had a very short wait but there was a steady stream of people coming in and out.
We had a carafe of sangria which was really delicious. They don't make it with cava (sparkling wine), like we had in Spain, but it was equally good. Our culinary experience at Zarzuela overwhelmed us with emotions and nostalgia for Barcelona - it might have the the effects of the sangria ^^
Jamon Serrano con Pan y Tomate - the jamon was flavorful, the tomato bread reminded us of the bread we had in Spain
Tortilla Espanola - Spanish potato and onion omelette with a side of salsa, reminiscent of the breakfasts we had in Spain
Banderillas de Cordero - Grilled Lamb in Rosemary sauce, I recommend getting the Large portion of this, it was delish
Patatas Bravas - potatoes with spicy tomato sauce, good for french fry lovers
Croquetas de Jamon y Pollo - Chicken and Ham croquette, fried, creamy goodness
Chocolate Roll Cake - the description sounded like Tiramisu because it was soaked in Espresso and some liquer but there is this layer of chocolate and fudge ....mmmmmmmmm mmmmm!
If you're thinking to yourself that this is a lot of food - it was! But we devoured it all! Check it out for yourselves! Oh, the prices are very reasonable too.
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Too. Much. Food.
As in my friend and I ordered way too much and then ate it all because it was so good. Oh, AND the pitcher of sangria, oh AND the dessert. Do not send 2 girls who haven't had a thing to eat all day on a wandering mission to find a place to eat in which neither one can agree and there are hills every turn you make. Mass quantities of food will be consumed.
It was totally worth it though. I love tapas, so I was excited to introduce my friend to my love of tapas. We stumbled upon Zarzuela by chance after deciding that neither one of us wanted to cook, and neither one of us wanted to get on muni, so we walked, and walked, and then walked some more to end up here.
I had to deduct a star for the wait. We were seated relatively quickly at a back corner booth, but then no one noticed us for a good 20 minutes. So strange. The waiter was apologetic and sweet, but it kept happening all night. Maybe he was having an off night or something, but dinner turned into a 2.5 hour adventure. Beware of the back corner booth! It also got kind of loud, but there was a large party in the room.
Food is great, Sangria is great, Decor is great. Yum Tapas!
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Went here with a colleague after a long day at the Moscone, and it was just the change I was hoping for. We liked 6 of the 8 things that we tried and I'd definitely go back. The service was quick and really good. We got there a little before 7 and the place was empty, but a little after 7:30 people started streaming in and the place was full by around 8:00. That's how fast two different rounds of hot tapas came out. We were in and out in just over an hour. It wasn't rushed, it was just quick. I found the potatoes to be dry and oddly flavored, and we discovered that neither of us cared for tripe, but there were 6 other dishes that I'd order again: the chorizo, shrimp with garlic, eggplant and goat cheese, lamb skewers, mussels, and the empanada. If you're going, go early and go hungry.
They don't take American Express and I wish they did because when I'm on a business trip, it's easier if it's all on the one card. They do take Mastercard and Visa, and I understand that amex charges them more, but here's the way I see it. On the next business trip I'm tempted to try a different restaurant just to keep my life easy, and what did the restaurant save? Maybe $1.50. I don't get it, but they serve really good food and they filled up quickly on a Tuesday night, so they must know what they're doing. Anyway, if you're okay with paying with Mastercard, Visa, or cash, call them first to see if they're full, and then have a great meal.
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Saturday Night Review.
40 minute wait? Are you... serious? Okay fine, 40 minutes really isn't that long, and honestly... it was worth the wait.
We ordered way more food than we needed to... paella (min. 2 orders required), roasted duck leg, potatoes, octopus, grilled eggplant w/goat cheese, and I think the potato/onion omelette. And a bottle of wine. Three of us managed to consume almost all of the food... and everything was excellent.
For such a busy place, the service was excellent. I haven't gone to THAT many tapas places, but this one certainly left a good impression for me.
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Definitely some of the best Spanish food I've had since coming back from a 3 month stay in Sevilla in 2005.
Patatas bravas, jamon serrano, manchego, stuffed mushrooms, tortilla espanola, chorizo, paella, it was ALL fantastic.
House wine is delicious as well as the sangria. It is pretty close to sitting at a cafe in Spain. Of course nothing competes with the real deal but if you want to get pretty close to it, complete with Spanish speaking waiters and an Opera singer who comes out when it's your birthday dinner, then visit Zarzuela.
Plus, the wait to get a table says it all. Get early, grab a glass of wine and just wait. It's worth it.
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Not sure what all the hype is over this place, cause I feel like I've had better tapas in and around the city. I think given the price and its location in Russian Hill, well, that's a rare find. So for that, it is unique. But honestly as the food goes, I thought it was just - ok -.
- We had the Patatas Bravas. It was crispy but the sauce wasn't special.
- Mussels. About 8-10 of them. I'm not a fan of mussels but tried one just to see... eh. Still unconvinced. On top of it all, the sauce which I usually love to dip my bread into was really fishy.
- Muscovy Duck. This was my favorite dish. The skin was crispy, the meat was tender. That's the way it should be. Just sad that 1 leg = $9.
- Seafood Stew. From the main entree size we opted for the stew (over the ox tail). While the stew was full of fish, calamari, shrimp, clam and mussels, the broth and flavors weren't very interesting. I could have been getting this at an italian restaurant or anywhere else.
What I did like were the complimentary olives that came with the bread. and the Sangria $5 was very tasty though it was served with ice cubes instead of being chilled.
Given the parking hassles and average food, I think there are other tapas to be tapped.
What a quaint and charming restaurant. I love Zarzuela. Forgive me for the butchering of Spanish that will follow:
Only a 30 minute wait for 3 around 7:30 on a Saturday night. That aint bad! Immediately, we ordered 1 caraffe of sangria, which was tasty! The menu had lots of delicious looking options; we're BIG girls and we were hungry so we went for 8 small plates between the 3 of us.
-Lamb in rosemary sauce- very flavorful and tender.
-Spanish spinach sausage- tasty, not as spicy as I would have liked. The sauce was great for bread dipping.
-Ham and cheese croquettes- my friends loved these, but I couldn't taste the ham. It was more creamy cheesey- not my cup of tea.
-Shrimp in white wine and garlic sauce- ooooh the garlic. So garlic-y. Is this why I am single? Thoughts? Chunks of delicious, roasted garlic in olive oil. Yum.
We also ordered the cheese plate with manchega and prosciutto like ham, tortilla espanol served cold with roasted peppers, and the pan y tomat. Overall, delicious food. But I must say, we had excellent service. Our waiter was so friendly and fun, constantly saying "Anything for you senoritas!!" What an amazing attitude. He sure made our first experience at Zarzuela extra memorable. I can't wait to go back.
Have you ever gone to a tapas restaurant, ordered $$$$ of food and left feeling like you needed to get a post dinner snack just to feel full? Well, Zarzuela leaves your stomach AND your wallet both feeling full without sacrificing quality or taste. I been in the city for 14 years and have tried lots of tapas restaurants and Zarzuela is one of the best...and you have to try the octopus. Service is great, parking is a challenge. It would be worth considering parking on VanNess and walking a few blocks.
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difficult parking.
no reservations.
very cold up on that hill waiting outside for dinner.
but super tasty paella (2 order size only) -- the rice made it my favorite dish.
rest of the dishes are quite classic spanish.
tapas perfect for sharing of course, and enjoyed most of them.
sangria on the weak side.
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There are a few chairs outside for those waiting for the doors to open at 5:30pm. I was expecting this place to be much more busy on Thursday night. By 7pm, all of the wall tables were taken, but none of the middle tables were filled.
Location is a nice area, not too many shops, but there is a Swensen's kitty corner. I've heard the horror stories of looking for parking when you come in the evening and want to eat here. Apparently, people end up leaving because they can't find parking. I took the bus since I was meeting a friend after work. You can take the Muni 41 from downtown and get dropped off right in front of the restaurant.
The service was excellent. I only had to ask for water once. They immediately took empty places, replaced the tapa plates with fresh plates for the paella, they remembered I wanted my water with no ice, even during the refills.
The main part lacking here was the speed and timing of the dishes. I think it took them at least 15-20 minutes to come and take our order. They brought out some bread, olives and olive oil. The first dish came about 20 minutes after we ordered. The second dish came 10 minutes later. The third dish (paella) came another 20 minutes later. I think it would have helped if they had taken our order a little earlier. I'm surprised they were slow because the service was great and they weren't really crowded. I would be very hesitant to come on a crowded night.
Luckily our ride home, was stuck in traffic and running late which meant we had time to eat the paella, although we could have eaten more if we had more time.
Our order:
Paella -- TONS of seafood and chicken, barely enough rice, lots of saffron. Really good, but I was secretly daydreaming about extra white or brown rice to mix in.
Grilled oysters -- The sauce was good, but the oysters had a negative flavor. Without the sauce, I'm not sure I could enjoy them. I love oysters. The texture was pretty good for me. My friend said they were a little chewy though.
Fried squid -- Light, fluffy, perfectly cooked. Not much flavor, no sauce or dip. We added tons of lemon to give it a little flavor.
Total including tip: $60
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The absolute BEST Spanish I've had since my trip to Madrid. OK, kinda sucks that there are no reservations, but the Sangria is so worth the wait! Serivce is impeccable and friendly at the same time. Don't go cuz that means shorter wait time for me!!!!
Most tapas restaurants are pretty casual and loud, even if the food is great. This place is a classy white-table-cloth type establishment, quiet and romantic, with great service and very reasonable prices.
Our favorites were the garlic sautéed prawn, served still sizzling in the pan, and the short rib special, which was extra tender and savory. My husband had a glass of Sauvignon Blanc and I had a Spanish sparkling wine, both at about $6/glass and quite excellent, so we didn't have to triple our tab by having a decent drink with our meal.
I recommend going early evening, when there's still plenty soft light coming through the front windows. And I recommend not parking on the nearby steep slope of Filbert St, where it is difficult to get out of your car without falling down the hill and worrying that your car is going to roll after you.
Zarzuela is it...the male servers give old-school, caring and fast service. Skip the duck dish, but the seafood pasta and the sangria are simply to die for. The crab cakes, and spanish pie are wonderful...
First time eating tapas, but after reading the other reviews here, I expected more. No surprise on the difficulty finding parking, and I was pleasantly surprised that there was no wait, but the food was really just so-so. The rice in the paella was undercooked (urgh!) and there was no sausage or detectable saffron. The poached octopus was admittedly a gamble, but it was surprisingly lacking in flavor. The fried potatoes in red sauce (supposedly the dish by which tapas bars are compared, according to my friend) was mediocre - we both agreed. However, the scallops were good, and the sangria was just right. Not enough for a return visit, though.
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This was the first time I went to a Tapas Bar and it made the best possible impression for me. We ordered plenty of dishes and sangria to go with it. Definitely one of my best meals yet. What's great is after you finish your food, you feel like you have just the right amount of space in your stomach for dessert, and when you have dessert; it fills that space perfectly.
Very elegant atmosphere, but can I get a little more space? Maybe I'm just used to all the space in the world back in LA, but my comfort zone was forced to be more cramped than usual. I guess it did invite conversation between between us and the party next to us. I swear I need a full arms length all around me.
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Because of all the great reviews we went here on a Thursday night around 7:45pm and got a table in the back room near the kitchen which was still intimate and warm. Everything was delicious and the sangria was great. Good service even when the place was packed. Ordered 4 desserts and loved 2 of them one a sorbet like cake and the bread pudding. Yummy. The chocolate one and another one (can't remember) were just ok. We closed the place down! A great place for tapas you can be sure. And so reasonably priced too. Only bad thing which they can't help is parking is a bitch! Good luck finding a spot. Start praying for the parking fairy 20min before you arrive,..your going to need all the help you can get. But don't let that detour you from coming here as they have really good Spanish Tapas. Ole!
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The T-shirts don't lie: Zarzuela has the best tapas in the city.
We've been going to Zarzuela for almost 10 years now, and it is always a great experience. It was one of the first resautants we visited when we first moved to San Francisco, and it has not changed much over the years, thankfully. This is tapas done in the authentic Spanish way, not in the trendy wine-bar way. And it's a grown-up experience, very different from Las Ramblas or Cha Cha Cha which are too insane on the weekends to be enjoyable, and Thirsty Bear, which is only good if you are very drunk.
They don't take reservations, so expect to wait. There is a small waiting area in between the two rooms where you can study the wine regions of Spain on a map while sipping a glass of sherry.
The sangria is very good, heavy on the wine and light on the fruit, not too sweet. A carafe is about $20 and will serve 4. One thing that they do which is very nice is add additional ice to your glass throughout the meal so that you can enjoy your sangria cold at all times - a nice touch.
And oh, the food. Tapas are such a treat because it is like having a cocktail party with fantastic hors d'oeurvres right at your table. Once you get your order in, things come out quickly and the eating frenzy can begin. Here is what we had on a recent visit with friends:
Tapas Frias:
Jamon Serrano con Pan, Tomate - if you love cured meats, you MUST try this dish. Slices of bread are rubbed with garlic and tomatoes, and served with wonderfully soft and tender slices of Jambon Serrano. I could eat this all day long - makes me think of vacations in Spain
Tortilla Espanola - classic tapas dish, wedges of a potato, onion and egg "omelet" with a ratatouille-like garnish. Light and fluffy
Boquerones - these are not the salty brown oily anchovies you know from a jar - they are marinated in citrus almost like a ceviche, and are so tender and tasty, and they are white, not brown. Served with a salad with delicious slices of apple
Plato de Queso Variado - 3 assorted cheeses including Manchego, a blue cheese, and a soft white cheese, served with grapes and candied walnuts and apple wedges
*We also shared a bowl of the gazpacho, which is so garlic-y and wonderful, perfect Andalusian-style preparation, with crunchy croutons on top, like Summer in a bowl*
Tapas Calientes:
Calamares Andaluza - classic fried calamari, even better if you use the goat cheese in tomato sauce for dipping
Cazuela de Queso de Cabra - baked goat cheese in Tomato sauce, warm and tangy, great on bread or with the calamari
Croquetas de Jamon y Pollo - I LOVE the croquetas here - light, creamy on the the inside, crunchy on the outside (panko-type crust) - mmmmm.
Gambas Ajillo - very garlic-y sauteed shrimp dish, tender shrimp
Mejillones al Azafran - mussles in a saffron sauce, plump and savory with a good sauce for dipping
Patatas Bravas - potato wedges in a spicy sauce - somehow the potatoes stay crispy under the sauce
Zarzuela is one of those institutions that remain a good bet, no matter what. They take pride in their cooking and hospitality. Worth driving across town for, finding parking in an impossible parking neighborhood, and waiting for a table. I wish that there were other good tapas restaurants in the city, but for me, Zarzuela is where I will always recommend if you want a well-rounded, authentically Spanish, experience.
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Oh MAN. My boyfriend and I rushed up to Zarzuela after work earlier this week, eager to finally be able to eat there. We've been trying to go for months, but since I don't have a MUNI pass (and refuse to pay $5 for a cable car), we've had to try to coordinate our visit around the end/beginning of the month. So finally, FINALLY, we were able to go and it was deLICIOUS.
We both had a glass of sangria, and shared the eggplant with goat cheese, tortilla espanola, the chorizo and the mushrooms. The complimentary bread, olives and olive oil was perfect. I was surprised by how quickly everything came out--I think we were in and out in just over an hour. We are definitely, TOTALLY returning for more. SO, so SO so SO good.
The main room does fill up pretty quickly, so plan your arrival carefully. And, y'know, the Hyde cable car stops right outside, and several buses run through the intersection.
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There are much better places in the city to eat tapas. Def not worth having to head toward the Marina for either... barf (jk)
Honestly, the tapas were pretty run-of-the-mill. It's been a few years since I lived in Spain, but based on the crowd this place attracts, I really got my hopes up for some Grade A tapas. It gets a B- ... better than average, but just barely.
I should've eaten here a long time ago. when my relatives visiting suggested it i was thrilled and it was not a let down. i know this is a very plain review, but it is not reflective of the food i promise. go.
Well heck...I was craving Paella and met up with a couple friends. The place was expectantly busy at 6:30pm ...our waiter offered seating in the back room quicker seating..do me a favor and put your name on the list for a more vibrant and scenic front room.
Dinner was OK .The staff was friendly. Overall, a nice place and great neighborhood. Hold off on the Paella ;)
We visited this restaurant while in San Francisco over Labor Day weekend. It was really busy that night, but we were able to get a table withing 20 minutes. The restaurant itself is pretty small and cramped, but they make the best of the space. By far, this is my favorite tapas restaurant. The Sangria was delicious....I just couldn't get enough!! The paella was also fantastic!! I will definitely return the next time I am in San Francisco.
3.5 stars. This is a tough one. I think part of the problem was that we ordered too many larger dishes (fideus con marisco + rabo el toro) and could only fit patatas bravas for a tapas dish. I think I'll have to go back again retry other things, but I wasn't too impressed by the dishes I ordered. Great Sangria, could drink that up easily... Although good, it only hinted at my wonderful adventures in Spain last year (oh how I miss you...) - please remind me of the places in Grenada where we had free tapas if you ordered more alcohol *I know I know I'm just getting greedy now*.
Patata Bravas was a waste of space in the stomach and was by no means super flavorful - just think fried potatoes with a bland tomato sauce. I miss the aioli that comes with patatas bravas and the slight spicy kick. The oxtail was grea (rabo del toro), but veggies had a pretty bland blanched flavor, but the oxtail & soup itself was fabulous. The fideu con marisco was a slight waste of space - although the seafood was PERFECTLY cooked and just the right hint of sweetness/freshness, the noodles were salty. After reading the rave reviews, I will try it one more time just to make sure I didn't go on an off night. Worse comes to worse, I'll just come to drink some sangria....
I was really excited to try this place after seeing good Yelp reviews, however I was quickly disappointed. The best part of my dinner was probably the sangria or the bread.
My friend and I tried 4 different dishes, only one of which we were able to finish (not because of quantity but rather quality). We had the salmon (which was much to salty), roasted peppers (didn't know you could really mess this up, it was just drenched in oil and kind of bland), prawns (got to peal them yourself, not much too them), and duck (the only fairly decent part of the meal which we finished). Basically everything was drenched in oil, which is fine if it actually gives it flavor instead of just tasting like oil.
There are a lot of tasty restaurants in the neighborhood, this is not one of them.
This spot is wonderful. Wonderful service, great sangria, and make sure to ask what is fresh that night. Not overly expensive and worth every penny. Thank you Zarzuela for a great experience.
I used to not be a fan of tapas but this place was pretty darn good. They've converted me! A group of friends and I dined here on a Wednesday night. There was no crowd. If you are planning on going, remember to leave extra early because it is difficult to find parking around this area. I spent about 20 minutes looking for parking on a Wednesday night.
We ordered so much food because everything on the menu looked so good. Let me see...we ordered lamb skewers, cheese plate, calamari, spanish sausage, garlic shrimp, stuffed mushrooms, tuna empanadas, seafood bake, roasted mussels, and probably because we ordered so much food - the wonderfully kind waiter brought us this seasonal pepper dish on the house. Let me not forget that we also added two bottles of wine to our list; we practically had to roll ourselves out of there. With the exception of the lamb (only because I'm not a big fan of lamb), I loved everything. The food was well prepared and excellently flavored.
Like I mentioned above, the waiter was wonderfully kind. He checked on us frequently. You could tell he had a kind soul; big big heart. He was genuine and he knew his wine very well. He recommended this lovely fruit wine for our second choice and we were not disappointed.
Value wise: I don't ever think tapas is really of great value only because you get little food and the price is typically between $7 - $12.00 per dish. Including gratuity, our total bill came out to about $185 for our party of four. A little steeper than I expected but the food was good so I can't quite complain. I recommend this place and will definitely be going back and bringing more friends.
Over all i liked it tho I've had better. Sangria was heLLa goOd! parking is a B!tC%. Paella was so so.
This place is gooooood!!!
It took about 30 minutes to find a nearby parking spot on a Saturday night. but it was totally worth it, especially since seating was fast for 2 -4 people.
We had mussels, grilled shrimp, duck, roasted mushrooms, and a few other tapas that I don't recall right now.
But all i know was that aside from the duck, everything was tasty, juicy, and absolutely delicious.
Totally recommended and definitely I would go again.
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In the summer of 2003, I found myself in Barcelona, studying Spanish and reading Catalan. My host mom made me food from scratch: paella, yogurt, pizza, ice cream, bread, spanish foods...you name it, it was all fresh.
Three of us celebrated a birthday at Zarzuela last night, and if it weren't for the summer in Spain, I probably wouldn't have fallen so hard for the food. The jamon serrano, the champinones, la bisteca, a bottle of Cava...the flavors brought me back to the land I love.
I'm already itching to go back and stuff my face with more of their authentic tapas. I think I will.
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No reservations, but there's a small waiting room with chairs off the main dining area. Past that room, there's an unseen room with more tables - quiet and isolated, and that's where we ended up, along with several Spanish-speaking groups. It's cozy, if you want a quieter place to spend time with friends. Good for a casual date, good for quiet dinner that satisfies, good for anything!
Champinones - Grilled stuffed mushrooms, delicious.
Pan con tomate y jamon serrano (bread rubbed with tomato, arranged around slices of jamon serrano) - simple. yum. i loved the jamon serrano. flashbacks came to me.
NY Steak - soo tasty.
Gambas plancha - grilled prawns. tiny but full of flavor, sizzling hot.
Croquetas - good as expected.
I think I need to go back next week, and taste more. So hungry I can't think or write straight.
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I really like the tapas idea. We went with another couple and it made the dining experience that much better being able to try a little bit of everything. I also tried for the first time oysters and snail, which I did not care for. However, the goat cheese with tomato sauce, chorizo, mushrooms and sangria were very good. The place is very small and cozy. The server wasn't the nicest and was more than ready for us to pay our bills and leave. Overall it was a neat dining experience.
Delicious. Wonderful. An awesome experi
