Tampa, Florida
I’d wanted to try Spain Restaurant ever since first spotting it on a business trip, staying a couple blocks down at the Aloft. The place looked upscale and elegant — the kind of spot where a good tapas evening seems guaranteed. Last Saturday finally gave me the chance, timed around a show at the Tampa Theatre less than a block away.
The Service
We were seated immediately, and then things went downhill. We had to flag someone down multiple times over the course of the meal. In fairness, Spain was playing in the World Cup that evening, and the entire staff appeared to be clustered in front of the bar watching and cheering. Hard to blame them for that particular lapse — a different night might tell a different story on service.
The food, unfortunately, is a separate problem.
The Tapas
Since this is a tapas restaurant, we ordered a spread to sample the range: ceviche, chorizo, grilled shrimp, empanadas, and patatas bravas. Visually striking across the board, with one glaring exception.
The chorizo was the low point. I expected some kind of thoughtful presentation. Instead we got thick sausage links sliced like mini pepperonis, sitting in a pool of their own grease. The menu described it as flambéed. I’d describe it as swimming in oil. A hard no.
The ceviche looked great in photos but delivered nothing on the palate. Not spoiled, not off — just flat. No real freshness, no spicing to lift it, and the composition was thin: shrimp and small scallop pieces, nothing more. Another hard no.
The patatas bravas fared better in concept — served with a savory (not sweet) orange sauce — but the dish itself was bland. It reminded me of diner potatoes that need a heavy hand with salt and pepper to come alive. Good texture, good presentation, flat flavor.
The one genuine win: the mini empanadas. Four to a plate, light and flaky crust, well-spiced filling, nothing greasy about them. If I judged the whole evening on the empanadas alone, this would be an easy recommendation.
We also got a basket of crusty bread, unrequested — a little surprising at a Spanish restaurant, since crusty bread service reads more Italian. It wasn’t bad, though, and a welcome distraction from the disappointments elsewhere.
The Dessert
Our server was notably quicker to bring the check than to mention dessert, but we asked anyway.
Crema Catalana, recommended by the server, was billed as a vanilla Spanish custard. It turned out to be, essentially, French-style crème brûlée. Good regardless of the identity confusion.
Filloas Gallegas — hand-rolled crepes stuffed with Spanish custard and marinated in Grand Marnier — were even better. We suspected the custard filling was identical to the Crema Catalana, just wrapped differently, but the thin crepes and flamed Grand Marnier elevated the dish considerably. This was the best thing we ate all night.
Worth noting: crepes are, of course, a French specialty. So our two favorite dishes at a Spanish tapas restaurant were both, structurally, French desserts. Make of that what you will.
The Verdict
Spain Restaurant has a large cocktail, wine, and dinner menu, and on the last Saturday of every month they host flamenco dancing — which sounds like it could be genuinely fun. But the restaurant may be built more for drinking than eating. We left at 7pm on a Saturday to catch our show, and the place was still two-thirds empty. We weren’t the only skeptics that night.
If I go back, it’s for the empanadas and the crepes — nothing else. Everything in between is skippable.
The show at Tampa Theatre afterward was excellent, which salvaged the evening. Spain Restaurant just wasn’t the reason why.
The Menu
Spain Restaurant & Tapas Bar — Tampa, FL Cuisine: Spanish Rating: ⭐⭐½
