This was a great place to hang out with friends. The atmosphere was trendy, bordering on elegant. Massive chandelier over the bar was quite impressive to me. We ordered every single tapas item on their menu to share with the group. Everybody had their own favorite, which says something about the variety and quality of the food. I enjoyed the crab Rangoon, the tostones, the pork dumplings in a coconut-based sauce, the prosciutto paired with melon and many others. I'm not a fan of spicy food, but my friends enjoyed the stuffed jalepenos.
The dessert was delicious. They had a chocolate fondue with delicious strawberries, pound cake, and other items to dip that was a favorite among the group. We enjoyed the cheesecake and flan as well.
I think they need a few more waiters, but our waiter/bartender was very pleasant and capable.
Great atmosphere, great classic jazz, and great food. I would definitely return.
My boyfriend and I have walked past this bar in Downtown Melbourne several times and have never been interested in stopping in. A deal came across on Groupon so we thought it was time to give it a shot. When we arrived there were about 15 people in the entire restaurant/bar. The atmosphere was decent with candlelit table, dim lights, and jazz music playing. We waited 15-20 minutes before someone even came to the table. Once he took our orders it took about 15 minutes for the drinks (we had sangria, it was okay), then another 20 minutes for the tapas. We ordered the bruschetta, sandwich, cheese, and tuna tartare. It was okay food but nothing fabulous. By the time we were ready to leave there were 40 people in the bar with only 2 servers. Severely understaffed. The waiter did not know what to do with our Groupon so had to make us wait longer to find a manager. Once he took the Groupon he walked away and we didn't see him anymore. I threw a few bucks on the table and we left. I would not recommend this place unless you want to sit for at least an hour just for apps and drinks.
This Tapas Bar is owned by the same company that owns Island Pasta in Downtown and River Rocks in N. Melbourne. We have been to both of these restaurants and love them, so I don't know why this place was so crappy. We won't go back to Calilou.