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!