Had a group of 16 out for my birthday a couple weekends ago. The Sangria was addictive and flowing. We had a fantastic waiter, Dan I think, who takes so much pride in the place that you'd think he was part-owner. The food is fantastic. The standards like the shrimp diablo and the patatas bravas and then specialty dishes like the seared scallops and the bacon-wrapped dates. I really love this place and am so lucky I finally tried it after being in the neighborhood since 2010. I'm a big fan of some of the other tapas places here in Chicago but this is my favorite. My party was a huge success and our bill ended up being like $55 with tax and tip but we were all stuffed and buzzing quite nicely. I'd take the group there again in a heartbeat. I just noticed yesterday that they are closed for kitchen renovations until further notice.
Review Source:I've been here twice already, both times last October, so I'm not sure why I haven't reviewed it yet.
It's the usual tapas-style dining and mimics all the same dishes that every other tapas place does in the city; what I like about it though is that it's in a great neighborhood, not bogged down by socialites and lah-dee-dah's of Wrigleyville/Lincoln Park/Loop.
Other than the staple dishes I order at any tapas restaurant (caprese salad, goat cheese and tomato sauce, shrimp w/garlic lemon butter sauce (Emilio's is better), and other miscellaneous dishes), I had a blood orange mimosa which was delicioso and their flourless chocolate cake was absolutely heavenly.
Love to come here for girl's night out once in awhile as it's, again, such a great neighborhood.
The above mediocre rating is not to say that Tapas Las Ramblas is bad (it's really not) but I'm on record around these here parts saying that tapas restaurants in general offer similar quality/menus and Tapas Las Ramblas is no different, just a little bit worse.
As evidence, I've been here three times and each time I thought it was my first before I got there. Â I think its lack of imprint on my memory succinctly sums up its mediocrity.
The tapas here is excellent, and very modestly priced in comparison to other tapas restaurants in various neighborhoods of Chicago. Both the red and white sangria is tasty. Â The menu is not extensive, but filled with enough choices to appease different palettes. A notable, unique plate was the jalapeno gnocchi. Â Most of the plates stick to the traditional tapas fare--marinated olives, patatas bravas, bacon wrapped dates, pinxtos, warm goat cheese. None of the plates disappointed any of us. Â Good atmosphere, great place for a group because you can hear each other talk. Â The negative I would say is the service was not that good. Our waiter seemed to be ignoring us, but it could have just been the particular person we had. Everything was fresh, and savory. Â And I would recommend it as an excellent tapas restaurant.
Review Source:A detour from the Italian and Asian-centric dining scene in Andersonville, Tapas Las Ramblas serves standard cold and hot small plates in a festive setting. TimeOut Chicago's review summed up the restaurant as "hard to fault and hard to praise." My thoughts exactly.
Major kudos to: the service. From the moment we entered on a weekday night, the host and server was very attentive. He even let us switch tables when a booth opened up shortly after he brought out the bread basket and olive oil.
Best dish of the meal: lamb sliders. Three mini sandwiches provided a thick, juicy slab of meat with caramelized onions between crusty white bread, all atop a bed of arugula.
Don't bother with: the portabello, grilled with balsamic caramelized onions and topped with goat cheese. I was a little underwhelmed.
If yelp had 10 stars this place would get all 10!! My friend and I wanted to try everything and since the prices are great, we ordered A LOT for 2 people! On top of the food being as great as it was, server was so funny and pleasant. We had to wait a little but what do you expect when the place is so good!
Hot piquillo pepper sweeties- amazing!
Calarmi- my friend swears upon them. I had better but it was still good!
Chicken Romesco Sauce- I love Chicken and it had the best flavoring and the sauce was so flavorful and perfect for this chicken
Skirt Steak- I am not a steak lover but this was the absolute best steak that I have EVER had. Very smooth and pulled apart very easily! The sauce that it was served with was, again, perfect for the steak!
Beef tenderloin skewer- Also not a beef person but these skewers had the best flavor and pulled apart very easily! Not chewy at all. It was  a perfect way to end with dinner food!
For dessert, we had the Pear and ice cream. It was sautéed in red wine and served with vanilla ice cream. My friend was not sure of it at first but then couldn't stop eating it!! It is so full of flavor and loved our choice!
I will be back and I will continue to show my friends this great restaurant!
"Tapas is bullshit."
Not my words, but it's the basis of a pretty funny story told to me by a friend of a friend that had me tensing up my pee-parts to make sure no accidents happened the dinner table.
So while I've never felt any animosity towards small plates (just order lots of them, yo!), I have a feeling that the person who I'm quoting might feel differently after a dinner at Tapas Las Ramblas... or at least after their cucumber-ginger mojito and blood orange mimosa.
Other notables:
- Don't skip the marinated olives. SPOILER ALERT: There's dwarf pickles involved.
- Baked goat cheese: This is up there, too. It's a larger portion than you normally get at tapas place, not so much on the sauce, but the goat cheese was quality and plentiful
- Pomegranate mojito was fine. Not super memorable and no where near as good as the cucumber-ginger mojito or blood orange mimosa, which was actually on the specials menu.
- Mozzarella salad thing. It was good. Mozzarella, spinach, tomato and balsamic really isn't my thing, ever, but this one's pretty good.
-Patatas bravas- Always the best thing on the menu and here is no different. Spicy-ass potatoes with a little aioli drizzle on top. Perfecto... and again, a much larger portion size than I've seen at any other tapas resto.
- Stuffed mushrooms... So good and went so quickly that I honestly only vaguely remember eating it.
- Artichoke heart special- Fine. Not outstanding. Still good, but I could forget about this dish.
- Grilled vegetable plate. Better than I expected and paired with the (free!) sliced bread was just the filler we were looking for.
No dessert for us- too full. But 7 tapas plates and 10 alcoholic cocktails adding up to $122 for for people is pretty darn great. I'll be back, certainly in summer, certainly for those drinks and especially for what turned out to be an under $6 blood orange mimosa.
This is a great little place for a group or a date. I'm perplexed by the low average here, as I've always had positive experiences. On my last visit, I must have changed our reservation three or four times thanks to flakey friends, and never encountered even a whiff of attitude. That same positivity is reflected in the staff, who are attentive and full of great suggestions. Even on their busier nights, I've never felt rushed. My favorites:
-Beet and fennel salad with goat cheese and orange tarragon dressing
-Serrano ham and tomato bread
-Goat cheese with basil tomato sauce
-Jalapeno gnocchi
-Bacon-wrapped dates (a must-try at any tapas place, and these didn't disappoint)
-Beef tenderloin with blue cheese sauce
I haven't yet stayed for dessert, but the cappuccino cheesecake and profiteroles are calling my name. And of course, opt for a liter of sangria or the pomegranate mojito to considerably brighten your spirits.
I love food and I love Tapas Las Ramblas. Â I have had Tapas on Las Ramblas St in Barcelona and I like this better! Â
The servers are always nice, its very kid friendly and I have NEVER been disappointed with the food. Â I think this restaurant blows the other tapas restaurants in Chicago out of the water. Â
I've been here about 20 times and I will continue to frequent it. Â We bring all of our out of town guests here b/c its such a fun place to eat. Â
Thanks for the nice experience Las Ramblas team. Â See you soon!
I'm not sure why this place has such a low average star rating. Â Food and drinks were delicious and reasonably priced. Â Service was great, what more do you want? Â We came here with 7 people on a Friday night and had the following:
cold tapas:
-smoked salmon - w/ sour cream, capers, etc. really good flavor. Â I put a few too many capers on mine so it was a bit on the salty side, but still delicious.
hot tapas:
-goat cheese - good dish, though not a standout for me
-patatas bravas - great sauce, really livens up the dish
-jalapeno gnocchi - perfectly fluffy and the right amount of kick. Â Our group enjoyed it so much we ordered another
-beef tenderloin w/ blue cheese - we ordered this medium, though personally I would've preferred medium rare. Â Great flavoring, though I mostly ate the beef and avoided the blue cheese
-chorizo - this was just okay for me
-buffala mozzarella - I liked the flavor of this, but I think overall I prefer caprese
-lamb sliders - amazing value given the price. Â Don't bother trying to cut the sliders in half, it won't end well. Â Just eat the whole damn thing.
-crab cakes - we ordered this at the end when the two boys in our party were still hungry and boy should we have ordered it earlier. Â Fucking delicious. Â I'm still thinking about these. Â If I didn't live way down in the south loop, I'd probably have gone back for these already.
We also got a pitcher of sangria and a few beers. Â The white wine sangria was so mild it tasted like juice. Â Delicious alcoholic juice. Â I swear we kept drinking and the pitcher didn't seem to deplete.
Some of the group didn't like vegetables or seafood so I definitely want to come back and try more of the seafood and vegetable dishes.
Received terrible service here tonight! Was walking by with my roommate and wanted to check-out Tapas Las Ramblas. Since we also had my dog, I left them outside to go in to ask if there was patio dining and if I could bring my dog with me. There was a woman with short hair behind the bar who was VERY VERY rude to me.
She rolled her eyes and made a very ugly face to tell me that dogs are not allowed in restaurants and that they absolutely did not have patio dining. She looked at me like I was crazy and offered me several looks of disgust and contempt. Her rude behavior was completely uncalled for especially considering I was asking about options and considering how dog-friendly  Andersonville is (along with the many restaurants on Clark street). Heck, I'd say many of the places I've been are people-friendly too, but not her! My experience with this woman was the most offensive and abrasive encounter I've had so far-- not only in terms of being pet-UNfriendly, but being rude in general.
This place was awesome! Not super cheap but still good prices and the food was great.... we got the jalapeno gnocchi, the tenderloin Skewers, mushroom caps, diablo shrimp.... It was all really good.... Service was attentive (we sat at the bar) and the other patrons were also really friendly.... Definitely an "A"
Review Source:soooooo GOOD! wow- puts Ba Ba Reeba to shame. Don't have to deal with obnoxious touristy crowd- the food was absolutely amazing. We had the beef tenderloin with bleu cheese/mushroom caps/pollo chorizo croquete/lamb sliders and we were stuffed!!!!
If you live anywhere withinn walking or even driving 30 min this place is delicious. Also a plus the bartender was super friendly when we walked in, makingy ou feel comfortable right off the bat, and when the server came over, he was attentive, friendly and ready to help out with drink selections.
If I could give zero stars, I would. This was a surreal experience -- and the first time I've written a Yelp review. Tried to eat here with friends on Sunday following the Andersonville wine walk. There were eight of us and several had been talking about bacon wrapped dates all day. We stopped in during the afternoon in the hopes of putting our names in for later, 6:15, it was an hour away actually. That's when the weirdness began.
"I can't seat you until 8 p.m.," said the manager or owner (one of the waiters seemed weirded out by her himself and mentioned she was the boss). There was a private party in dining room until 7 p.m.
What about the long table in the bar area, by the windows? "That's reserved."
Okay, we can be flexible. We'll take two booths, hopefully next to each other. They were all open but one, at the time.
"Nope. I can't hold those." So you won't take a reservation for those? "No."
She was downright hostile. I said something along the lines of, I guess we can't eat here? She shrugged.
Later as we were walking past again - and no, we weren't drunk. The portions were tiny and three of the stops didn't even have any wine by the time we go there - some in the group wanted to try again. There were open booths.
"They're reserved," said the woman. The ones that she wouldn't reserve. That long table was still empty too. She clearly did not want us in her restaurant. Eight grown women in their 40s. We all worked at restaurants.
By all means visit this place if you're into hostile service. Maybe they'll let you in. Maybe. We'll be eating bacon wrapped dates elsewhere.
eat cuz it nucking awesome!
i can't think of thing i don't like about it. the service is always professional and timely. the boss & i were located between to HUGE ass parties! girls gone wild over 30 on one side and family overseas reunion on the other. we had our food and drinks at the same clip as the parties. one serve i should mention. she was on the game!
if you go here after this review and don't agree you should go again and again until you realize the awesomeness of the place. just don't take my parking space. which are very hard to find. if you can cta your way you should otherwise be prepared to park across ashland av and do a bit of walk.
dessert is a must.
peace out for now...
It was a freakishly beautiful March evening. Â We were out wandering Andersonville, enjoying the warm breezes, looking for a likely candidate for weekly date-night dinner. Â Tapas Las Ramblas had their windows open. Â That was invitation enough.
The place is cute. Â All bright, warm colors and geometric patterns. Â Wednesdays feature live music. Â A violinist was at the back of ther restaurant playing lounge standards accompanied by a fellow on some sort of xylophone. Â They were pretty good!
I thought the fine weather warranted a cocktail, so I ordered a Pomarita: Â basically a margarita with some pomegranate juice added. Â It was quite tasty. Â It was also a good size drink. Â That always makes me happy. Â I admit I couldn't really taste a lot of pomegranate, but I definitely could taste tequila, so I was content. Â Hubby was less successful with his raspberry mojito. Â He likes his cocktails sweet, and they really went easy on the simple syrup on this one. Â Ah well... Â
We perused the menu. Â Tapas are meant to be shared. Â Alas, when it comes to dining, my guy and I are an odd fit. Â I'm a vegetarian. Â He's an extreme meat-and-potatoes carnivore. Â But Tapas Las Ramblas has a lot for a vegetarian to choose from, all clearly marked on the menu with friendly little "V"s. Â Â This alone inclines me to be generous to them.
We ordered a variety that we hoped could please us both:
Garlic Potato salad
Jalapeño gnocchi
Crab stuffed artichokes
Bacon wrapped dates
Roast cauliflower with curry and apples
Our assessment:
Though both were vegetarian, neither the garlic potato salad nor the jalapeño gnocchi really appealed to me.  The potato salad was pleasantly garlicky, but was buried in mayo.  The gnocchi had a nice spice too them, but the sauce felt like nacho cheese dip from a jar.  The hubby, however, did not agree with my assessment and happily consumed them both.
He thought the stuffed artichokes were ok. Â The stuffing was good, but the artichokes themselves were too fibrous.
The bacon wrapped dates were his favorite dish of the evening. Â He enjoyed them thoroughly. Â But then he firmly believes that everything is better with bacon.
For me the standout was the cauliflower with curry and apples. Â Really nice! Â It was served with a sweet, carmely sauce that complemented the curry flavor beautifully. Â The green apples were raw, which gave a nice crunch. Â And the cauliflower still had a lot of life left in it, so don't order it if you like your veggies soft. Â Hubby had one bite, deemed it "interesting," and left the rest to me as he went back to his bacon. Â
Ok. Â So a mixed bag, but not unsuccessful. Â There was a lot on the menu that we didn't try. Â I'd be willing to give them another go.
I really enjoy dining at Tapas Las Ramblas. Â It's nice to go out for tapas, and not have to wait in a huge line, or plan a head a few days to get in. Â My favorite place is Cafe Barbareeba ... but if you've been there you know how crazy busy it is. Â I find Taps Las Ramblas to be a very close second.
The food and service are always stellar ... the only thing that I prefer Cafe Barbareeba for is the atmosphere. Â Tapas Las Ramblas has a more mellow feel, which can be great too. Â It's good for groups, and small outings.. I had my birthday here this past summer.
Yum, if you go here- you won't be dissapointed!
Exactly what I want in a tapas restaurant: Â great atmosphere, great food, great service, open/airy front of restaurant in the summertime, very romantic (especially when it's raining). Â
For food, the beef tenderloin in bleu cheese sauce steals the show. Â Other fantastic dishes include: Â mussels, escargot, spanish sausage, cauliflower and finally the jalapeno gnocchi. Â And quite possibly the best dessert I've ever had my entire life, you haven't lived until you've had the pear poached in rioja wine with vanilla ice cream and raspberry coulis. TO. DIE. FOR.
A group of us went on Saturday night for dinner. It was raining and the brightly colored restaurant with cozy high-backed booths was the perfect refuge from the elements. The service was fantastic and the staff was very helpful. The $25 pitcher of sangria was enough for our table to unwind after a long week and was a terrific value.
Unfortunately, I am unable to speak as highly of the food. I started off with the roasted beet and fennel salad, which was bland and disappointing. The vegetarian paella was tasty, but nothing particularly memorable. The baby octopus, beef tenderloin, and potato salad seemed to get better reviews than what I ate, but nobody in my party had their socks knocked off. I somehow expected this place to be cheaper than Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba given it's location and lack of affiliation to the Lettuce Entertain You group, but the prices were on-par with CBBR and I felt like I got a fraction of the flavor for the price.
There are better places for tapas in the city, but this place will work in a pinch if you are in the area.
YUM!
I've visited several Tapas places in the city (Cafe Ba ba Reeba, Cafe Iberico, Emilio's, Twist) and have to say that this place competes very well. Â The food is very good, the service (for a Tuesday night) was very good, and the warmed pear dessert was absolutley positively the best I've had in a long time.
Plus, they are giving 25% coupons for your next visit - I'll definitely be back!
Date Night Monday! (Why? Because, that's why.)
I've been wanting to try Tapas las Ramblas for awhile, so the boyfriend and I donned our dapper duds post-work and went on over. Â Predictably (tapas have always struck me as more of a "Friday" thing), the place was half empty. Â But only half! Â
Service was great. Â Our waitress was attentive but not overly so, helpful, and friendly. Â Food came out quickly and hot, with enough time between tapas to savor each. Â
We ordered a liter of red sangria (they also have white) because hey, bargain! Â But it was tough to finish. Â A liter doesn't sound like a lot, but IT IS. Â Even though the sangria was delicious, not too sweet and had a good wine flavor. Â Our classy waitress kept stopping by to refill our glasses from the carafe on our table.
For this next bit, you must promise me something. Â PROMISE NOT TO JUDGE. Â Don't judge the sheer amount of tapas we two put away before eventually waddling home. Â
We consumed: Â
* Pumpkin ravioli special with sage and brown butter (tasty, but forgettable)
* Patatas bravas (little fried chunks of potato with spicy tomato sauce, drizzled with aioli, a fiesta in my boca)
* Goat cheese baked with tomato sauce and served with garlic bread (OM NOM NOM oh my God so good)
* Scallops with sauteed spinach (for the boyfriend only, although I tried them and they were pretty good - first time trying scallops, not a fish person at all)
* Shrimp grilled with a lemon garlic butter (good flavor, but slightly overcooked and only 5 shrimp... sads)
* Jalapeño gnocci.
JALAPEÑO GNOCCI.  The best thing we had all night, which I then went home and dreamed about and am now craving as I stare into my sad little Lean Cuisine.  We almost didn't order another plate, but then we did and I can't believe we almost didn't eat this dish.  Soft, tender little nuggets filled with a mixture of cheese and diced jalapeños.  The cheese was creamy and salty, perhaps a mixture of manchego and ricotta?  All of it under a velvety, slightly sweet red pepper cream sauce.  The textures, the flavors, the salt, spicy, sweet!  I could just die.  It was like the best parts of nachos, pasta, and a big soft pretzel rolled into one (and covered with a red pepper cream sauce.)
Then we ordered two desserts because we are little oink pigs. Â The flan was on the smaller side, but good and caramely and I detected a distinct orange flavor. Â The flourless chocolate cake was less like cake and more like an entire slice of chocolate truffle, with raspberry coulis. Â It was so dense and rich I can't believe we finished it, but, well. Â We did. Â And now the whole internet knows it.
Was it pricey?  Yes, kinda.  Will I go back?  Yes.  Will they make me a soup bowl full of jalapeño gnocci?  Stay tuned to find out.
My wife and I went here last Friday and had a very nice dining experience. We did made reservations and were seated promptly when we arrived. I wouldn't call the menu amazing. There were quite a few things that we wanted to try, but it wasn't nearly as expansive as some tapas restaurants. This could be a good or bad thing, I'm not sure. All the items that we did try ranged from okay great. Highlights include the lamb sliders and bacon wrapped figs. The baked goat cheese was somewhat of a disappointment. The cheese lacked the pungent taste that I expect from a good goat cheese. My only other complaint is that they seem to really like mayonnaise. It was on the fried potatoes, chicken, tuna, ect. They might call it aioli, but it was pretty much straight mayo.
Its hard to justify going back to a restaurant in Chicago because there are so many great restaurants, but I think we will visit here again. It's close to our house was a very enjoyable experience overall.
I live just around the corner and when a few friends suggested a lady's dinner I suggested we try tapas at Tapas Las Ramblas.
Food was fine. Â Paella and lamb sliders were both good. Â I have to give them only two stars because I wasn't able to really enjoy my meal...
As the waiter brought our food he knocked an ice cold glass of water straight into my lap. Â Our table was soaked, as was my dress, purse, jacket and I even had ice in my boots. Â I was wearing tights and it was a wet cold disaster. Â I ran to the restroom to clean up. Â There were no paper towels... when I returned to the table the waiter had dropped off paper towels but didn't apologize or even wipe down the table.
I understand mistakes happen- I am pretty clumsy myself so I didn't complain but I did expect some customer service... an apology, a comped dish or consideration for a next visit but was shocked at the end of the meal when none of these things were offered. Â I don't think it is customer service when it asked for. Â It is only really a remedy when it is offered. Â So my friends and I left quietly, without making a scene but I had to spend the remainder of my evening wet, cold and disappointed.
The tapas here were a mixed bag in terms of quality. The good: Baked goat cheese (nice and bubbly), artichoke hearts with crab meat (surprisingly high crab meat/filler ratio, especially given the price), Spanish sausage (really unique and grilled nicely). The average: calamari, beef tenderloin with horseradish sauce. The not-very-good: bacon wrapped dates. Perhaps this last fact biased my review down unfairly because they are one of my favorite foods on Earth, but these are particularly unpleasant.
The service was pretty good, and the pricing was really good (GF and I got out under $50 before tax and tip). Those factors make Tapas Las Ramblas a serviceable tapas option. However, with many superior tapas establishments in the city, and with many superior restaurants in the immediate vicinity, I can't imagine I'll be back very often
Maybe I need to venture out and try a few more tapas places than Iberico and Ba Ba Reeba, but overall, I think that Tapas Las Ramblas beats both from a service and value perspective. The tapas staples are as good as any other venue I have tried (patatas con alioli, queso de cabra, pincho de solomillo), but the menu can be hit or miss if ordering outside of the basics. The liquor menu is inventive and very good (great mojitos).
Overall, the atmosphere can leave something to be desired...if it's busy and the energy is flowing, that definitely helps. This is also a great venue for a group, which is not true of many other tapas restaurants. Part of the experience of eating tapas is the timing of the food. You don't want everything to come out at the same time, but rather at a relaxed pace that gives you time to enjoy good conversation. This is something that Tapas Las Ramblas needs to work on...what I have found over the years is that it is better to order a few items at a time, versus all of your dishes at once, otherwise all of your dishes come out at once and it rushes the experience.
I have been to Tapas Las Ramblas many times and have always had a consistent experience....great food and awesome service at an amazing price. Ba Ba Reeba and Iberico may offer a very unique experience, but for your every day tapas fix, Tapas Las Ramblas is definitely a great option.
Decent place if you are looking for a tapas option. The food is excellent, but they often put too much sauce on it. I require you all to try their mussels and beef skewers. The creme puff desert (sorry, Spanish is not my language) plate is also the best way to end your meals.
My main complaints have to do with the service. Our waitress, both times, were pretty unfriendly. Even though it is a tapas bar, I felt like we were getting rushed through our dishes. And when we explained that two of our guests had never had tapas, she impatiently explained what it was.
Drinks are great. Jessica C says there is only one option for sangria, but there is a white version too. I dig the pomegranate mojito.
OLIVE you, OLIVES. I can't think of much OLIVE more than OLIVES because the OLIVES at this place rock. They're like the rock stars of olives.
Thou art so tasty and juicy and perfecto. mmmmm. I can't even complete a sentence that makes sense and give enough credit to these babies. Just gimme a damn plate full of these succulent little ovals of goodness. Tender, fresh, tart, salty, juicy, soft, ra ra ra!!!
okay, so ummm, our server was really nice too. But back to the olives.
I'd like to genetically engineer a giant giant olive that was a replica of the kind they sell here. Like a huge hollow thing that you could just stand inside and eat the walls around you.
Oh, the atmosphere is colorful and very cuteolive.
Olives. Sorry. Had to say it once more. -o l i v e-
Met an old friend here for dinner Friday night. This was her pick. I'm not a super huge lover of tapas, but I go with the flow.
We arrived fairly early in the evening and had no trouble getting a table. I liked the atmosphere: slightly dark and cozy with lots of wood. We got seated in the back room next to the window, which was very pleasant.
My friend is a teetotaler, but, good friend that she is, told me not to let that stop me from imbibing (as if!). Normally when I eat tapas, I go for sangria, but since I was going to be at Moody's the next evening, I knew I'd be drinking their sangria and didn't want it two nights in a row. There were enough other concoctions to choose from so I ordered a Tall Redhead. I mean, with a name like that, how could I not? It was fruity and delicious; made with Stoli Blueberry, pomegranate juice, and 7up.
Our server came by with the menus and we explained that we were in no hurry as we had a lot of catching up to do, so she said to just let her know when we were ready to order. We really appreciated the fact that she wasn't trying to rush us, even on a busy night.
Eventually we got hungry and ordered a bunch of tapas: potato salad, artichoke hearts with crabmeat, mushroom saute, and grilled baby octopus.
The potato salad was predictably garlicky and pretty much tasted exactly the same as every other tapas restaurant in the city. The artichoke hearts were good, but the crab was a little fishy smelling. The mushrooms were probably my favorite; they were meaty and earthy and sauteed in a red-wine reduction which you could really taste. The octopus was charred and smoky, and came with some arugula. While it was a little chewy, the sauce was good, although I wasn't able to detect the limoncello that was supposedly in there.
We declined to have dessert as we had sat there so long our meters were about to expire and our server brought our check promptly. I wish I caught her name - she was fantastic; there when we needed something, but also left us alone to talk and didn't rush us at all. That earned her a large tip and she more than deserved it.
So 3.5 stars it is for Tapas Las Ramblas. This (semi) tall redhead will go back for the namesake cocktail and to try more tapas in the not too distant future.
Recipe for annoying me
Ingredients
a few mint leaves
1/2 ounce Rum
1/4 ounce lime juice
dash simple syrup
dash club soda
6-ounce lowball glass filled to the brim with ice
Instructions:
To prepare the glass, make sure it holds as little liquid as possible. Space between ice cubes should ALL be filled with mint leaves and lime rinds. If the glass is such that it can hold more than three sips worth of liquid, you're doing it wrong. Â
Muddle mint leaves in a shaker; add rum, lime juice, and simple syrup; mix with ice; pour into glass. Top with club soda if there's any space left.
Call your concoction a "mojito" and charge $8 for it.
Bonus: Â Serve with mediocre food.
(This place has friendly service. Â That's about it. Â It's not the worst place to have dinner, but it really fails at what it's trying to do.)
I'm a new fan to Tapas. I can't seem to get enough, so I was excited to go to Tapas Las Ramblas, but my excitement was sadly crushed. I felt cheated on the flavors that I've recently grown to love. It's also sad because a Tapas place would be terrific addition to the area (BHE*) that has almost everything.
After getting shunned by a downtown restaurant, four of us decided to eat local and surprising enough, none of us have been here before. We were greeted and sat right away. I will say the staff was attentive and made it a point to stop by after every dish to ask if we liked it, but there were other issues.
After perusing the drink menu, most of us decided it was a Mojito kind of night. We were mistaken this wasn't the way to go. Three different types of Mojitos and they all fell flat of flavor. I was so looking forward to my pomegranate Mojito :(
Of course we all shared our Tapas because that's what you do with Tapas. Some were liked and some were not, but all agreed for Tapas we've had better. The one and only thing that blew me away was their potatoes. I'm not a potatoes kind of guy (I know, I know, then how can you love French fries?!? Well, because there is very little potato in French fries), but these were killer! I couldn't get enough of them and I would probably come back just to eat these little spicy squares of heaven. Â
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It's not that I hated it, the service was excellent, and the décor was appealing, but the food is just ok.
BHE = Best Hood Ever which means Andersonville
I had never heard of this place before, mainly cause it's way too damn north from 'the hood', but I'm glad I got invited to eat here.
Came here last saturday night, the place was packed. I liked the layout of the front room. Booths on right side across the whole length of the wall, while on the left was the bar. Â Across the bar towards the back of the room is a nice comfortable couch where you can sit and wait for your table, because you better expect to wait for a table on Saturday night. Â We chose to sit at the bar and I had a nice chat with the bartendar in Spanish. Started off with a bottle of wine and some chorizo appetizer. Delicious, it was covered in a brown mushroom sauce. So good.
Once we got our table, we ordered some hot tapas (*snaps fingers* Olé!). Somehow I got talked  into ordering lambchops and seafood. Now, first of all, I don't like to stray from what I know (chicken, beef, more chicken) and second of all, when has anyone ever seen me eat seafood (*ahem, chicken, beef, more chicken).  BUT I was willing to try something different... thanks to some strong red wine.  The lambchops were a success! I loved them; so tender, juicy and the sauce was similar to the chorizo one.  The seafood, I passed on it.  What! Baby steps, guys. Â
That's about all I remember from this place... Â next time I'll wait til I get my food to order the strong wine!
I'm in love. I'm in love with the tapas at Tapas Las Ramblas. Everything I've ever ordered has been fantastic. I highly recommend the beef with blue cheese sauce, the cold salmon, the mushrooms, and the chorizo and chicken dish. All incredible! I think the beef is my favorite, though. I'm pretty sure I could eat that every single day and be totally happy.
In the way of beverages, the Tall Redhead is really good if you're looking for something a little fruity. They also have a variety of mojitos. But, if you ask me, skip them all and head straight for the sangria. Fantastic.
It can get a little crowded on the weekends, but they do take reservations.
Holy paella!
Right off the bat, TLR hits it out of the park with reasonable prices, right around or less than what I would expect from a tapas place. Â Add that I love the relaxed pace of tapas dining, right in my neighborhood, and I'm hooked.
A word of caution before you indulge: bread brought to the table is ample and filling. Â Anyone considering themselves a bread junkie (or plain hungry) could hypothetically stuff themselves silly on the bread. Â Not that I speak from experience. Â Do yourself a favor, go light on the bread and wait for your tapas! Â It's worth the disciplined restraint.
Part I, the hot
-Pincho de Solomillo: cooked perfectly; the carmelized onions added just the right amount of sweet to go with their version of horseradish cream
-Datiles con Tocino: bacon and dates; what else needs to be said, except hand me another plate!
Part II, the cold
-Alcachofas Rellenas: an interesting take on a crab salad, served on artichoke hearts. Â The brandy tomato sauce was tasty, but nothing special.
-Tortilla Espanola con Ensalada: your basic Spanish omelette. Â This was a well-made, standard dish, though nothing phenomenal about it.
Part III, the Paella
-Paella de Mariscos: OH MY! Â I'm picky about paella. Â It has to be good, or it's out. Â This stuff was right on. Â Lots of shrimp, mussels, and other seafood mixed up with a well-season saffron rice. Â Extra points granted for keeping it light and fluffy, not overcooked and greasy. Â I could easily eat that just myself and easily my favorite part of the meal. Â The portions provided more than enough to have leftovers.
Service was friendly and attentive enough. Â My date sucked down her water pretty quickly and had to ask for a refill, so they weren't quick with the water. Â
The wine selection is nice, especially because I'm a fan of tempranillo. Â MMMMM! We also tried a glass of the red sangria, which was alright, though certainly not great. Â I'd order something else from the bar or stick to wine on future visits.
I've been in this spot in its previous incarnation as Il Fiasco and enjoyed the space. Â The new look and feel is vibrant, festive, yet comfortable and homey. Â I look forward to warm nights and sitting by the bar with the open windows, sipping on a mojito and enjoying a long, peaceful evening.
DELICIOUS:
pincho de solomillo (grilled prime beef tenderloin brochette with horseradish cream and carmelized onions)
datiles con tocino (dates baked in bacon with red bell pepper sauce)
patatas bravas (fried potatoes with spicy tomato sauce)
JUST "EH":
pincho de santander (grilled chicken and cured Spanish chorizo brochette, roasted peppers and a red wine sauce)
chorizo a la plancha  (grilled Spanish chorizo with spicy sauce and mushrooms)
pan con tomato jamon y gueso (Spanish serrano ham, tomato bread, and manchego cheese)
I really didnt care for the chorizo - I felt it tasted too much like kielbasa, both in flavour and texture. Â I also thought the serrano ham was rather flavourless, especially when combined with the extra strong manchego. Â
But the DATES Â - oh yeah! And the potatoes with their surprisingly excellent sauce with a little bit of a bite to it - hello!
Our service was very quick, precise and pleasant. Â I didnt love this place as much as Andy M did (but then again, he has never been to Ba-ba-reeba) but I would definitely come back again and give it another shot.
Like many in the A-ville 'hood, I have seen this space transition from Rioja, a tapas place that I really really enjoyed, to Il Fiasco, a true testament to its namesake (i.e. it was awful), back to a tapas place. Â So it was with trepidation that myself and the fiance ventured out to Tapas Las Ramblas on a Friday evening.
The place was hopping, and upon arriving we were told it would be a 20 to 25 minute wait. Â The bar was pretty crowded already, and we'd already had a pre-dinner cocktail, so we just sort of hung out in the entrance area. Â Many people arrived with reservations and were seated immediately. Â Oops, guess we should have called ahead. Â Meanwhile, many other non-reservation people started showing up and it started to look a little out of hand. Â Our wait time ticked on, 30...35 minutes. Â Just as we were about to give up, the hostess finally called our name. Â Phew.
Onto the food and drink: Â I started with the mojito, fiance with a Fat tire. Â Mojito was delish, highly recommended. Â The tapas we ordered were: Â the special artichoke/crab salad -- very good and unique combination that I have not seen elsewhere; Â bacon wrapped dates -- disappointing, as I make these at home much better than their little shrunken dates swimming in bland sauce (and much smaller portion than most tapas places); chorizo with mushrooms -- ok, nice spice, but a little uinspired; and the olives -- definitely the highlight, with an awesome spice rub. Â Overall, I was not terribly impressed with the food. Â Tapas Las Ramblas has some stiff competition in this city (ahem, Iberico, Emilios) and I've been to most of them. Â It's not the worst, but it's certainly not the best.
Service was ok, but I was annoyed that all the tapas came out at the same time. Â I like to have them served in segments, in a progression -- that way when each one comes out it's a new and exciting moment! Â This is the way I've seen it done at other tapas places. Â Here they just plopped them all down at once in front of us, which was not as fun. Â Our server was friendly and attentive, so no complaints there.
That being said, I think this place has the potential to get better. Â And as a local, I will give it another try. Â Every new place needs a little time to settle, and I think with a little time and tweaking, this place could have some staying power.
I managed to completely miss out on the Italian restaurant that replaced Rioja, partly because I was mad that Rioja closed, since I thought it was a pretty nice tapas place. So I was glad that a tapas place was slated to return now. Unfortunately, the atmosphere is not as nice as the old Rioja, which I remember as being darker and more private than Las Ramblas, but it's not bad. I just think it looks cheaper.
What I miss far more than the old decor is the whole roasted garlic Rioja used to bring out with bread when you sat down. It was so much better than the packaged butter Las Ramblas offers, though they did offer to bring out some olive oil, which I think is a better choice (but not better than roasted, spreadable garlic).
Anyway, on to the tapas...
The beet salad was good, although I think cooked beats are better for that sort of thing, and you can even throw in the beet greens. The grilled vegetables were perfectly cooked and had a very nice flavor.
I tried to order the manchego, spinach, and garlic stuffed mushrooms and the boquerones (manchego and white anchovies on garlic toast squares). I waited, and waited, and waited. Eventually I decided to ask our server what was going on. It was only at this point that she informed me that they were out of the boquerones, and that she would go check on the mushrooms. Some more waiting- then she informs me that they were also out of the mushrooms.
Now, I understand that a restaurant can sell out of items, but Las Ramblas really needs a better system to inform servers that they are out of items, and that this needs to be relayed to the customer as soon as possible, not merely when it's convenient.
In place of these items, I ordered the patatas bravas, and the black bean soup with jalapeno sour cream and chorizo. The potatoes were pretty good, but not spectacular, and were a lot better in the omelette I made with the leftovers the next morning (mmm... habanero garlic hot sauce). The black bean soup was not very impressive. Where's the jalapeno? Where is the complex, garlicky flavor with a hint of vinegar I expect from black bean soup?
I will return, if only to try the menu items I had originally planned to order. The price and portion sizes are just about right for tapas, in my opinion, and our server was nice and competent, outside of completely flaking out on what I ordered and not making sure water was refilled.
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