From The Tapa Bar website:
“Tapas are small, flavourful dishes that can be served as an appetizer or together as a meal. What distinguishes tapas from other dishes is more the spirit of the eater, not the food itself. One often lingers, unhurried, over tapas.”
Oh, how I love eating tapas! 
As you know, tapas are small dishes that are meant to be shared by everyone at the table. I love sharing food when I go out to dinner because I want to taste everything! Plus, it’s always fun to dine out with a bunch of friends and chat over good food and drinks in a laid-back setting.
The Tapa Bar is quite a hidden gem as it is tucked away in the Trounce Alley, off the beaten-path, of downtown Victoria, BC. The look and feel of the outside deck makes it seem as though you have been transported to a little eatery somewhere in Europe. It’s a super cute restaurant!
The decor inside The Tapa Bar is warm, inviting, and cozy. Spanish music plays softly in the background, and beautiful, original paintings by Mexican painter, Luis Merino, cover the walls.
The Tapa Bar is quite the happening place. Mal and I went to dinner there on a Wednesday evening, and we were surprised to see such a bumpin’ atmosphere. Although it was super busy, the service was friendly, attentive, and relatively fast.
The tapas at The Tapa Bar could easily feed 3-4 people and ran the gamut with a huge range of ingredients and dishes. Both the meat and vegetarian options were equally tasty.
Chorizo Fondue
Spicy Portuguese sausage, cheese, wine, and garlic baked and served with tortilla chips
Almond-Stuffed Dates
Wrapped in bacon and served with blue cheese crumbles and balsamic reduction
Vegetarian Cubanette
Open-faced focaccia with melted cheese, grilled portabella mushroom, fresh salsa, avocado, and pinto beans
All of the dishes were incredibly fresh and full of flavor– excellent tapas! 
With dinner, I enjoyed a vodka martini with blue cheese-stuffed olives. Yum!
If you couldn’t tell, Mal and I loved this restaurant! We’re already talking about making another trip to Victoria just to visit The Tapa Bar again! Be sure to check out this place if you visit Victoria!
For more tapas fun, check out my recent tapas experience at Toro!
{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
This place looks great!! I LOVE Tapas
The Vegetarian Cubanette looks awesome — love all the ingredients and that crust bread – yummmm
Hope you are having a great day!
Those almond stuffed dates look wonderful. It looks like it was a tasty night.
Looks awesome, you would love Barcelona! Tapas-style eating is my favorite, and its such an easy way to entertain.
So many good tapas in the Boston area too – if you haven’t already you should try Bar Lola, Taberna de haro, Dali, Solea, Tapeo,Estragon, and Tasca! All yum in different ways.
That place looks fantastic! What yummy looking food…
I love tapas! I guess that makes sense since some of my favorite foods are wine, cheese, olives, and crusty bread
Can’t wait to come to Boston for the healthy living summit!!
I went to my first tapas restaurant over the weekend. There were six of us and we all ordered 2-3 tapas to share. I was hesitant about the idea because I have a shellfish allergy and some people ordered crab and shrimp based tapas, but it was great because I got to try a few bites of about 8 different things at one meal!
Mmmm tapas…when I was in Spain I think I got tapas like, once, but I was a poor college kid who had home-cooked meals by my senora already paid for! But there is a tapas place near my house that makes bacon-wrapped dates that are A.Mazing. Worth every calorie!
That Chorizo Fondue looks great. I’ve never been to a place that specialized in tapas, but it sounds like I’d love it.
what a cool place! we don’t have a tapas place here, but I’ve always wanted to go to one.
the dates looks amazing!
Tapas are one of my favorites! I too love sharing food as it means you get to try twice (if not three or four times) as much! How can you not love all the cheese, bread and chorizo delights as well? It reminds me of visiting my hub when he was studying in Valencia. I love it when food transports you to another land!
I ate there the last time I was in Victoria and had the almond stuffed dates too! Such a cute place, I’m glad you guys enjoyed Victoria!
I love going to tapas restaurants because they always have a ton of vegetarian items – olives, roasted red peppers, etc!! Love it!
The vegetarian cubanette sounds and looks perfect! What a great restaurant!!
Cool! There is a Tapas place near me in Asheville but I’ve never checked it out…based on this post I think I should!
Oh my gosh…we just got back from Victoria this past weekend and it was so amazing! I just blogged about it today! Crazy…when were you there??? Our 2nd choice for our anniversary dinner was going to be the tapas bar but they didn’t look like they had many all vegan options. We went to Rebar instead which was totally fab. I LOVE Victoria! Glad you enjoyed your Pacific NW adventure….we love living here
Next time you have to come out to the Olympic Peninsula!
That place looks GOOD!!!!! The cubanette and bacon wrapped stuffed dates?! oh my!!!!
That place looks fantastic! I love tapas, you can get sooo many little plates in one meal. Whoever came up with that is genius
glad you had o much fun on vacation!
Tapa Bar is always busy, doesn’t seem to matter what day you go. Probably because it’s so tasty
i’m glad you had a wonderful time there!
I very much want to check out a tapas place! Sounds like such a great experience.
Yaaieeeee!!! I’m so glad you guys went there!! I love that same martini.
Your posts continue to make me homesick. Thanks for the little taste of home.
is thinking the New Moon movie is going to be great when it comes out!!!=)
That place sounds great and I love the art work too!