What is the best Tapas restaurant in Chicago?

In your opinion what is the best and why?

I ate at del Toro before it closed and thought it was very well executed and sad to see it close. Arco de Churellos on Halsted is good but not great. It has a great homey neighborhood feeling to it.

Where should I go? Is there anywhere in the Logan/ west Wicker area?

There's this place in Wicker Park but does not come well-recommended.

For Spanish tapas (as opposed to newfangled "tapas"), Cafe Iberico is well-known. I'm okay with Cafe Ba-ba-reeba as well. Neither place I've been to within the year.

Cafe Iberico
739 N. LaSalle
Chicago
(312) 573-1510

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba
2024 N. Halsted
Chicago
773-935-5000

I also prefer Cafe Iberico. It can get rowdy there, but it's all part of the experience. It's where many Spanish expats go, and I've noticed other chefs from around town frequent Iberico when they aren't in their own kitchens. That's always a good sign.

No Spanish/tapas restaurant I ate at in Spain particularly resembled the ones I've eaten at in Chicago, or vice versa. Ameri-Tapas is, like 50s Italian-American, a loose adaptation of principles and flavors in the old country.

That said, here are reviews of three that I would go back to (I would also go back to Iberico, but have never written about it here at any length):

Emilio's.

Haro. (This is an excellent time of year to go there, by the way. Well, as long as it's not raining like it did today.)

Twist.

Azucar is in Logan Square, so you should probably check it out too, although I feel a little more "ennh" about it than when I wrote about it a few days ago.

Of the few I have tried in Chicago - Iberico, Babareeba, and Emilio's - I would rate Emilios at the top of the list - but the Emilio's on Fullerton. I tried the newer branch in Streeterville (215 E. Ohio) and was quite disappointed. Atmosphere, service, and food were all far below our many experiences at Fullerton, although I do note that Mike G's favorable review was of this Streeterville branch. There are also three suburban locations that I have not visited.

I can't speak for authenticity since I have never eaten Tapas in Spain, but the Fullerton location always hits home for me.

Iberico is reminiscent of many tapas style bars in Spain. Busy yet attentive if you need service at your whim. All the tapas standards are available (tortilla espanola, croquetas, pulpo, etc). This and Emilio's are my default tapas bars to attend to.

1492, 42 E. Superior Street , is more upscale and pricier. I guess it is based on location and presentation. But I have had good quick meals for lunch and after work.

I've never been to a tapas restaurant in Chicago that evokes the ones in Spain.*

That being said, I really do like Iberico. I'm the first to admit that there food is nothing groundbreaking and is sometimes inconsistent, but I always have a blast when I go there and that's what tapas seems to be about for me. Large groups of people with large amounts of sangria. Their octopus dish as well as the goat cheese and chorizo plate, complemented by a pitcher of their excellent sangria, is one of my favorite meals in the city. But again, it's about the party aspect of it more than the foodie side.

I've been to both Emilio's locations and wasn't enthralled with either. I thought 1492 was horrid the time I was there, with terrible food and even worse service. I liked Twist the one time I was there but haven't returned.


*The only tapas restaurant I've been to in the states which was like Spain is a great little place in Soho in NYC called Las Ramblas (170 W. Fourth St. bet. Cornelia & Jones Sts.)

In Wicker Park is People. It's pretty good if you truely want small plates. I find the hot dishes better than the cold dishes. I eat there once a week if it's nice outside. Mondays are $10 sangria pitcher nights, so usually go then, as a lot of restaurants are closed on Monday. I really enjoy the mussels, the goat cheese with tomato sauce and chicken skewers. However, I wouldn't say it's "the best", but its decent and it's a nice space, and it's nice to sit outside and people watch.
People
1560 N Milwaukee
Chicago, IL
773-227-9339

As someone who lived in Spain for several months, Iberico is unquestionably my favorite. The only reason it is unlike places you may have been to in Spain is its size.

ews wrote:As someone who lived in Spain for several months, Iberico is unquestionably my favorite. The only reason it is unlike places you may have been to in Spain is its size.

I agree. I've always loved Iberico as much for the atmosphere as the food. Tapas is essentially bar food. Iberico doesn't pretend to be "fancy". It's fun, loud, and I think very good food.

Do note, though, that Iberico doesn't take reservations and the wait on busy nights can be over an hour.

There's irony in the fact that the best tapas restaurant in Chicago doesn't even call itself a tapas restaurant.

Best,
Michael

Agreed, Avec has the best tapas-type food in Chicago. But not the best experience, because the volume level is like being under a landing at O'Hare, you're elbow to elbow with obnoxious traders and trixies, and Randolph Street smog and grime renders the three tiny outdoor tables useless. [so, how are the portions?]

Try Avec right as it opens, sit near the back, and you'll have a mind-blowing experience and can convince yourself for at least the first 45 minutes that you're in Jerez or Ronda. But if you want an all-night, experience everything with personal attention from servers, have a conversation, enjoy five pitchers of sangria type place, you need Iberico or People.

Interesting point. Avec is a "wine bar" yes? I do not consider tapas to be small plates. To me small plates are defined as a composed plate consisting of a sauce, main component, accompaniment (vegetable or starch) and garnish. I expect to pay $8-15 for small plates and $5-9 for tapas. Avec is a small plate and not Tapas.

Also: the original Emilio's in Hillside (4100 W. Roosevelt Road, near Manheim), comes closest to an authentic Spanish taverna in feel and service; it seems to be designed after Casa Botin in Madrid, the oldest continuously operating restaurant in Europe. More conversation-friendly and service-oriented than the Lincoln Park location, it also seems to offer more wild game and larger portions on the hot plates than downtown.

Meson Sabika in Naperville:

http://www.mesonsabika.com/naperville/index.php

has the nicest setting of any tapas restaurant in Chicago in a beautiful 19th century mansion, and some principal dishes (lamb, lobster tail) are just as good as anything in Spain. If you go out that far, you're also rewarded with pretty reasonable prices on the small plates.

bobby z wrote:Interesting point. Avec is a "wine bar" yes? I do not consider tapas to be small plates. To me small plates are defined as a composed plate consisting of a sauce, main component, accompaniment (vegetable or starch) and garnish....Avec is a small plate and not Tapas.

Avec does not meet your description of "small plates". Plenty of their items do not fall within those criteria (stuffed dates, salumi, olives, crostini, small salads, and many others that I've had).

To me, Avec does Mediterranean-inspired small plates better than any tapas bar in Chicago does "authentic" tapas.

Santander wrote:Try Avec right as it opens, sit near the back, and you'll have a mind-blowing experience and can convince yourself for at least the first 45 minutes that you're in Jerez or Ronda.

Another tip for dining at Avec: if there's only two people in your group (maybe), sitting at the bar can be a nice option. You'll likely get seated a little faster. My experience has been that you also get a little more attention from the waitstaff (more specifically, you get attention from the person behind the bar).

Plus, I'm just not a big fan of picnic table-style seating. When I sit at the bar, I'm much less likely to have someone else intruding into my conversation, asking what I ordered, telling me what to order, asking about my job, etc. Yes, I'm a curmudgeon.

Darren72 wrote:Plus, I'm just not a big fan of picnic table-style seating. When I sit at the bar, I'm much less likely to have someone else intruding into my conversation, asking what I ordered, telling me what to order, asking about my job, etc. Yes, I'm a curmudgeon.

Has this really happened to you at Avec? Yikes!

aschie30 wrote:

Darren72 wrote:Plus, I'm just not a big fan of picnic table-style seating. When I sit at the bar, I'm much less likely to have someone else intruding into my conversation, asking what I ordered, telling me what to order, asking about my job, etc. Yes, I'm a curmudgeon.

Has this really happened to you at Avec? Yikes!

Well I think the group seating at Avec kind of encourages this. I presume this is what the restaurant wants to happen.

I was at Cafe Iberico a couple nights ago for a big group event. We had ordered one of the preset packages in advance so I can't recall exactly what we were served. I will also say what we were served would not have been my top picks, but overall I was pretty satisfied.

First of all, this place has really good, meaty olives. No bitterness, just a bit heavy on the salt, but really nice. We progressed through several rounds of cold tapas and platos that ranged from pretty good to good. There were fewer hot tapas than I would've liked, and what I sampled seemed to be a step down from the cold dishes. The paella was particularly disappointing, but I've yet to be served a good paella in a group setting. Mainly you get seasoned yellow rice with overcooked vegetables and seafood. Desserts were rather lacking too, but overall this place isn't awful. Certainly better than Babareeba.

I'd like to go back to try out some of the more interesting items I thought I saw on the online menu. More cured and canned items, some blood sausage, and perhaps some more esoteric seafood would've been my ideal meal.

Hi all,

I've been craving tapas for a while and am planning to hit a tapas place this weekend. My searches on the forum returned the following possibilities: People Tapas Lounge and Cafe Marbella. Any thoughts? Also, People Tapas is much closer (at least 1/2 hour closer) so if you vote for Cafe Marbella over People, can you let me know if it's worth the extra half hour on the L? Of course if you have other recommendations, I'm all ears.

Thanks!
hungry

My two places for tapas are Cafe Iberico and Mercat a la Planxa. Different styles and atmospheres (Iberico is a bit more "traditional" and less expensive, Mercat is a bit more creative and "sceney"...which isn't to say that Iberico doesn't have a scene of it's own, it's usually bustling), but both are very good.

Cafe Iberico
http://www.cafeiberico.com
737 N La Salle Dr
(312) 573-1510

Mercat a la Planxa
http://www.mercatchicago.com
638 Michigan Ave.
(312) 765-0524

Here are two threads that discuss Tapas restaurants:

viewtopic.php?p=136617

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=20445

I would avoid People. I was not impressed. It's fine if you aren't looking for a great restaurant experience and want to eat in the trendy Wicker Park area. But if you are craving tapas, go somewhere better.

Having said that, Chicago doesn't have many great tapas places. I've heard good things about Cafe Marbella, but haven't been there myself. I really like Cafe Iberico. I think it is quite authentic, though there can be long waits for a table (they don't take reservations). It's got a great atmosphere, in my opinion. It's loud and bustling.

If you aren't concerned about authenticity, go to Avec. You'll have the tapas experience in one of the best restaurants in town.

You'll like the decor and the food at Mercat.

I think Iberico gets unfairly knocked (elsewhere, there are good recommendations for it in this thread). You just have to go at slower times to get more careful preparations, and run with the specials when they have them.

I am impressed with Mercat - not perfect, but some good Adriaesque touches on solid Catalan / Valencian tapas (not so much Andalucian). Probably will have the strongest appeal for you based on what I've seen you're after in other threads.

Marbella is not worth the long trip IMHO. If you're going far, Emilio's in Hillside (where Emilio himself is most often) would be where I'd send you.

Have not been back to People this year, but again, my two visits last year were strong showings (mostly because we ordered specials, a running theme for good, fresh dining in Chicago).

Had our third meal today at Mercat; we've always gone for lunch. Still, we love Jamon Iberico and the staff has always obliged even though it isn't on the lunch menu (or weekend brunch menu; we seem to always go at lunch). Favourite items include the ham croquettes, ham and fig salad, the bacon wrapped date with an almond stuffed inside, the prawns, and the chorizo. Fun and creative wine list of Spanish wines--today we had an 04 from the Priorat (don't recall the name of the producer as I'm not an expert in Spanish wines) which was quite tasty. Great wait staff and we've gotten to know some of the chefs; all are personable and quite talented. Quickly becoming one of our regular haunts as new Chicago residents.

I thought people lounge was pretty below average. Nothing stood out, it was overpriced for the tapas plates and unmemorable, some of it was so bland it wasn't worth eating. Emilio's and Iberico are significantly better, and Mercat is on a different level, every plate at Mercat was first-class.

Thanks for all the tips you guys! I'm going to try out Cafe Iberico tonight. Will report back.

Cheers,
Hungry.

hungryinchicago wrote:Thanks for all the tips you guys! I'm going to try out Cafe Iberico tonight. Will report back.

Cheers,
Hungry.

Here's my report as promised.

The place does not take reservations, but the wait for a table around 8pm on a Wednesday was not bad - 10 minutes. We were seated in the middle of a rambunctious but barely decorated dining room at a smallish table. The room was full and the decibel level was high enough for us to have to practically shout to each other to be heard. No biggie - I'm no stranger to these kinds of conditions, although I always do appreciate when the restaurant takes the trouble to provide a bit of atmosphere and reduce the noise level by covering the walls with fabric or other sound reducing material.

We got a pitcher of red sangria, which I thought was good and realized towards the end of the evening was also quite potent. The menu had pictures of the dishes next to the descriptions, which is never a sign of a classy joint, not that this place had any pretensions to class. The list of dishes wasn't too extensive so we didn't take long to choose 7 small plates to share. I'll describe one at a time:

1. ENSALADA DE PIMIENTOS ASADOS $4.95
Three-color fire roasted peppers with olive oil and toasted bread.

The agreement at the table was that the roasted peppers were good, albeit a bit oily, but the bread wasn't.

2. TERNERA ASADA $5.95
Roasted veal served cold with raspberry vinaigrette.

I liked the veal. It was tender, thinly cut and not dry. However, I didn't taste any raspberry vinaigrette, only a citrusy reduction of some sort. Also, the veal was sprinkled with shavings of what looked to be mozzarella, which did not add anything to the dish.

3. PATATAS BRAVAS $4.95
Spicy potatoes with special tomato sauce.

Bitter disappointment. I was very much craving these and all I got was something I can't even describe as patatas bravas. The potatoes were soggy, mushy, covered with a pasty, completely spiceless tomato sauce and looked like they were just pulled out of a microwave after re-heating attempt number 5. A shame. Also, we initially ordered 2 portions of these for the table, but the waiter came back and told us that he eliminated one of the orders because there was a back-up in the kitchen. I thought that was pretty cheeky of the guy, but in the end I was happy we weren't stuck with 2 orders.

4. QUESO DE CABRA $6.95
Baked goat cheese with fresh tomato basil sauce.

This I thought was good, but the rest of our table didn't have much enthusiasm for it. It was basically a round of soft backed goat cheese surrounded by tomato sauce. Very down-to-earth but satisfying dish. Too bland for some perhaps, but I like bland on occasion.

5. CALAMARES A LA PLANCHA $5.95
Grilled squid with olive oil, garlic and lemon juice.

I liked this dish as well and so did my friends. Nothing spectacular about it, but the squid was not over-cooked, had a good amount of that smokiness from the grilling and was well seasoned. I wished there was a bit more of the squid and a bit less of the oil.

6. PULPO A LA PLANCHA $7.95
Grilled octopus with potatoes and olive oil.

This in my opinion was the winner of the evening. The octopus had great chewy texture and miniature fries were a good accompaniment.

7. PINCHO DE POLLO $4.95
Chicken brochette with caramelized onions and rice.

My friends ordered this dish. I did not try it since they said it was not good and I was already full.

I wasn't too full for desert though. We ordered:

1. FILLOA DE HELADO Y CREMA $ 3.95
Stuffed crepe with ice cream topped with whipped cream and strawberry sauce.

This dish is certainly for sharing. I would think it could easily satisfy 3 people. And satisfy it did, with yummy vanilla ice cream dripping out of a tasty crepe and covered with whipped cream. Who can resist?

2. CRÉMA CATALANA $ 3.95
Catalonian style cream custard covered with hard caramel.

This is essentially a Crème Brûlée, which last night was infused with white chocolate. It was very nice I thought.

Overall, Cafe Iberico was by far not all that I hoped for, but it wasn't a revolting or frustrating experience. I think it would gain greatly by improvement in the atmosphere. Is it worth a trip back? Frankly, not any time soon.

I am squarely in the Cafe Iberico camp.

Pros
Great location, near the brown line and close enough to river north/loop to meet after work or before going out downtown.
A lot of variety. The whole point of tapas is to go with a group and enjoy a lot of different flavors. They offer plenty of unique dishes to satisfy the adventurous and the cautious. Big thumbs up on the rotating specials that keep the experience interesting for those who go there fairly often (tapas works for picky eaters).
Reasonable wait times. They don't take reservations so most people would assume the wait can be 2-2.5 hours on Fridays and Saturdays. I've never had to wait over an hour, which is enough time to share a pitcher of sangria at the bar.
Very good food. I wouldn't call it great, but the plates vary from just ok to terrific. I've never had something I hated there, though I prefer their seafood and vegetarian dishes to their meat dishes.
Affordable! My friends and I are pretty big eaters. We always order a ton of food and sangria. Still it's never more than 20 bucks a person. In river north that is a STEAL.

Cons
Some of the food is oily. I've found this to be the case at most tapas restaurants, and Iberico is no exception. The artichoke dish would be a lot better if it weren't swimming in oil.
Boisterous atmosphere. It's a big place which is why you don't have to wait too long, but it does get loud. I like some noise, but would prefer not to have to yell.
3 women's bathrooms, 1 co-ed, no men's room. I've never seen anything like that. Maybe there's a men's room, but I couldn't find it.

So overall it's not perfect, but I will go there any day over Ba-Ba-Reeba or Emilio's. I haven't ventured much out of the Loop/River North/Lincoln Park/Lakeview area, but I don't feel like I need to in order to get great tapas for a reasonable price.

I've always preferred the Emilios on Fullerton to Iberico. It's been some time since I've been to either, but I went through a Emilios phase for a while and went maybe half a dozen times and can't remember a bad dish. The loud atmosphere at Iberico always turned me off and I never thought the food was as good as Emilio's. That said, I was quite disappointed by one trip to Emilio's in Streeterville (on Ohio?), so I'd avoid that one.

But Mercat is without question the best Spanish style tapas in Chicago. You'll pay more there than elsewhere, but it in every way a superior restaurant. I'd go into more detail here, but it has all been well documented on other threads. My only complaint is that the menu has not seemed to have changed since it opened. It would be nice to at least have a list of weekly specials to keep things interesting.