Glad to see I'm not one of the only ones to LOVE Cafe Iberico!

I've been there many times and it's always just as good as the last time I went. Highly recommended. You can see some photos here: http://chewonthatblog.com/2008/02/26/top-this-tapas/

I've been to Cafe Iberico ( love the place, I wrote about it on my blog) and Cafe Ba Ba Reeba but I want to see what else is out there.

I'm going on a tapas double date and want to recommend a new place. I've heard Emilio's is good? Anyone been or have any other suggestions?

http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=14089

I really really like Mercat a la Planxa in the Blackstone hotel. I believe that they are coming up on their 1 year anniversary. I have been there twice now, and really enjoyed each meal. There are quite a few positive recommendations on this site as well.

I like Emilio's on Fullerton and Clark. Generally, I think the food is of the same quality as Iberico, but its easier to get a table on peak nights. That said, the atmosphere at Iberico's is a bit more lively, if that's what you are going for.

Without a doubt, my favorite tapas in the city is Mercat A La Planxa. The setting is stunning, and the dishes are inventive and unique. Expect to spend $50-$80 a head depending on how many drinks you have. This is considerably more expensive than either Emilio or Iberico, where I have gotten out spending less than $30.

If it's a special occasion, and you can spare the loot, go for Mercat. If not, Iberico or Emilio will provide hearty, reliable plates.

Mercat a La Planxa
638 S. Michigan
Chicago, IL
312-765-0524

i am firmly with Iberico WAY WAY over Cafe Ba Ba Reeba...

the only thing worth going to ba ba reeba for is their *daily* bar special where you can get $2.95 tapas from 2-5 at the bar...

it's a special bar menu though, which they have on their web site... http://www.cafebabareeba.com/chicago/_r ... s12.08.pdf ...this new revised list is disappointingly not what it used to be... but alas they still have it, so it's a decent option if in the area anyway during those times. $3 Tapas Monday-Sunday from 4:00PM -6:00PM. Friday & Saturday Nights 10:00PM-12:00AM ... last time i was there, the grilled squid wasn't worth eating even though.. the dates are probably the only real memorable thing.


in the old days, my answer to the question of best tapas would have been Arco De Cuchilleros. I have been there a few times lately and it doesn't seem like it's what it used to be. but some of the best tapas dishes i've ever had have been from there... i used to also enjoy the fact that every time i went in, the faces were all recognizable and had been there forever. I don't think this is really the case anymore... ...they are on the restaurant.com selection list though so it's still worth going. and the food is good still, i'd still compare it closely with iberico.

I would also go with Iberico as a better option than BaBaReeba, but I'm generally only willing to go during the middle of the week. While the food is good, I don't enjoy it enough to wait for an hour (or occasionally more).

I would agree that the dates at BaBaReeba are enjoyable, but my favorite preparation of bacon-wrapped dates would have to be at Emilio's - my personal choice for best tapas in Chicago. And like some other posters, I would have to say that the Hillside location is the best of them - better atmosphere, better food, and I frequently see Emilio himself strolling through the dining area to get opinions on things from his customers.

The Ohio St. location should definitely be skipped. The Fullerton location is much better, though not quite as good as the original in Hillside.

Another big vote for Mercat. Very stylish. The bar is cozy. Unless you're a real sophisticate, this is a nice fancy place - fancy without the shmancy, as they say.

Cafe Iberico is OK if slow. It's like hanging out at a very crowded bus station most nights. Also, keep an eye on your belongings - that crush of humanity is good cover for thieves - someone took the wallet out of my date's handbag, & by the time she discovered it they had rung up more than a thousand bucks. Clearly the work of professionals. (No, she didn't get stuck with the bill!)

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Tapas Barcelona in Evanston. It's not the greatest, but is comfy and has a fairly authentic feel and food. (Having spent time in Spain, I can tell you that most tapas bars there are nothing so special - they're just normal little taverns. I mean, I LOVE them, but they're places you hang out every day, not some kind of Destination for the Discerning Foodie places.)

Tapas Barcelona
1615 Chicago Avenue
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 866-9900

Best Italian tapas is Quartino. Get the veal meatballs, they are out of this world.

626 N. State St.
(Corner of State and Ontario)

Any updates on Tapas Barcelona? I chaperoned a field trip last week to Cafe Iberico and loved it but my friends want to try the Evanston spot....

Thanks.

Any updates on Tapas Barcelona?

It's in our regular rotation and I still think it's very good, certainly not the best example in town but very competent. I am a sucker for their sangria. And when their outdoor seating opens it makes for a great evening out.

If this town had a Calle Van Dyck (off the beaten path tapas zone in Salamanca) I would never complain ever again.....about anything. Chicago sorely lacks any sort of authentic Spanish restaurant. IMO, Mercat a la Planxa is the best Spanish restaurant, although not tapas focused.

rmtraut wrote:IMO, Mercat a la Planxa is the best Spanish restaurant, although not tapas focused.

Huh? I can't think of a restaurant that is more focused on tapas than Mercat a la Planxa.

nsxtasy wrote:

rmtraut wrote:IMO, Mercat a la Planxa is the best Spanish restaurant, although not tapas focused.

Huh? I can't think of a restaurant that is more focused on tapas than Mercat a la Planxa.

Cafe Iberico is much more similar to a traditional tapas restaurant that one would find in Spain.

Mercat's tapas offerings are good, but the things that really shine there are the grilled entrees - reflected in the name "Market on the Grill" (not "Meerkat on a Plank").

nsxtasy wrote: Huh? I can't think of a restaurant that is more focused on tapas than Mercat a la Planxa.

I mildly disagree in that Mercat also has a pretty strong focus on its main courses. Their tapas selection is almost a supplement. Don't get me wrong, I love the place - but would like to see a more casual and authentic tapas place in Chicago.

rmtraut wrote:I mildly disagree in that Mercat also has a pretty strong focus on its main courses. Their tapas selection is almost a supplement.

I still don't understand. What you are calling their "main courses" are not labeled or presented as such; they are still somewhat small plates that are expected to be shared, as are most of the items on the menu. Virtually the entire menu is a selection of tapas. That's how it has been presented to us and that's how we've considered it when we've eaten there. We sit down and go through the menu as a group, "Let's get this and this and this and this" without worrying about whether a dish is served earlier or later in the meal or is larger or smaller, letting the restaurant figure all that out for us. Isn't that what tapas are all about?

Heck, if anything, Cafe Iberico has less of an emphasis on tapas, because they actually label some of their dishes as "entrees", rather than categories for meats and fish the way Mercat a la Planxa does.

nsxtasy wrote:

rmtraut wrote:I mildly disagree in that Mercat also has a pretty strong focus on its main courses. Their tapas selection is almost a supplement.

I still don't understand. What you are calling their "main courses" are not labeled or presented as such; they are still somewhat small plates that are expected to be shared, as are most of the items on the menu. Virtually the entire menu is a selection of tapas. That's how it has been presented to us and that's how we've considered it when we've eaten there. We sit down and go through the menu as a group, "Let's get this and this and this and this" without worrying about whether a dish is served earlier or later in the meal or is larger or smaller, letting the restaurant figure all that out for us. Isn't that what tapas are all about?

Heck, if anything, Cafe Iberico has less of an emphasis on tapas, because they actually label some of their dishes as "entrees", rather than categories for meats and fish the way Mercat a la Planxa does.

If labels matter that much to you read Mercat's website. There are tapas but there are other things listed in the main description of the restaurant (grilled steaks, market fresh seafood, etc.). Sure the food is served small plates style, but that doesn't make it an authentic tapas experience.

Cafe Iberico describes itself as a tapas bar. The front bar area at Cafe Iberico is the closest I've experienced in Chicago to the tapas bars I went to in Spain last summer. Have you eaten tapas in Spain? If so, do you really think Mercat is a more representative experience than Cafe Iberico?

I've never been to Spain (but I kind of like the music), and I don't understand what you and others mean when you keep referring to "an authentic tapas experience" without saying what that means or why one place has it and another doesn't. You keep saying that one place is more like Spain than another, but that doesn't mean anything to anyone who hasn't been there. Care to explain?

The more traditional tapas experience involves going to a small space, likely dominated by a bar. You snack on small plates, both hot and cold, while sipping reasonably priced wine. The entire experience is without pretension and about as casual as it gets. You're more than welcome to eat a plate or two and then move on to the next spot.

While I enjoy Mercat it doesn't really provide this type of experience. It's more of a proper restaurant that just happens to serve some tapas (I certainly didn't encounter any tapas bars in Spain where you could order a whole pig 24 hours in advance). Cafe Iberico (in particular the bar in the front of the restaurant) better captures the spirit of what one would find in Spain. The menu also has a lot more traditional tapas that you would encounter in Spain.

All of that being said, I don't think anyplace in Chicago perfectly captures what you would find in Spain. Tapas is such an ingrained part of the culture that it really can't be entirely "transported" somewhere else. But, Iberico (IMO) comes closest.

It sounds like you're saying that, in addition to the small plates menu, Cafe Iberico is closer to that experience primarily because it's smaller, more casual, and less expensive, because it emphasizes the bar, and because it's not necessarily expected that people would eat an entire dinner there. Is that correct?

Based on that, one place that immediately comes to mind as close to that experience would be Hopleaf. Maybe Avec is another. If I understand the concept correctly...

When I see the Subject, "What is the best Tapas restaurant in Chicago?" I immediately think of a Spanish restaurant, because Spain invented tapas!! My wife is from Spain and we go see her family, who live in the Galician region, as often as possible. Jesteinf explained a Spanish tapas bar very well. It's a casual experieice. Each tapas restaurant typically has it's speciality along with several other offerings in a "small plate format". Most places also have raciones (larger plates), but that isn't typically the focus. If you are in a tapas zone in Spain, you don't see a Mercat type restaurant, but rather something like an Iberico. Which I also have to agree with Jesteinf, in that it has the most authentic Spanish tapas restaurant feel in Chicago. I just don't think the food is very good, or authentic. BTW, my wife and I were at the Publican last week and she said that the smell reminded her of home...... must've of been the pig smell.

nsxtasy wrote:It sounds like you're saying that, in addition to the small plates menu, Cafe Iberico is closer to that experience primarily because it's smaller, more casual, and less expensive, because it emphasizes the bar, and because it's not necessarily expected that people would eat an entire dinner there. Is that correct?

Based on that, one place that immediately comes to mind as close to that experience would be Hopleaf. Maybe Avec is another. If I understand the concept correctly...

Avec is probably closest.

rmtraut wrote:When I see the Subject, "What is the best Tapas restaurant in Chicago?" I immediately think of a Spanish restaurant, because Spain invented tapas!!

Although I mentioned Hopleaf and Avec because I was trying to understand the concept and the distinction that was being drawn, the word "tapas" in the States usually does indeed connote Spanish food. Restaurants with other types of food (e.g. Quartino) are more often labeled with the term "small plates" which connotes the grazing and portion size concepts also associated with tapas, but not the Spanish cuisine.

However, if small plates restaurants of all stripes continue to proliferate, it would not surprise me if the term "tapas" became used more often to refer to other types of food. That's just the nature of language and buzzwords.

jesteinf wrote:

nsxtasy wrote:It sounds like you're saying that, in addition to the small plates menu, Cafe Iberico is closer to that experience primarily because it's smaller, more casual, and less expensive, because it emphasizes the bar, and because it's not necessarily expected that people would eat an entire dinner there. Is that correct?

Based on that, one place that immediately comes to mind as close to that experience would be Hopleaf. Maybe Avec is another. If I understand the concept correctly...

Avec is probably closest.

Yeah, Avec is close but no cigar (and, inexplicably, labeled as a "Spanish" restaurant in our GNRs list ). This discussion highlights just how diluted the term "tapas" has become in the US. Jesteinf explained what tapas are, and that explanation comports with my experience with Spanish tapas as well (FWIW, I've been to Spain). Here, tapas, which are, in essence, Spanish bar snacks, are interchangeable with "small plates," which are not necessarily bar snacks, but dishes portioned small enough so that foodies can graze the entire menu in one visit, combining discordant taste after taste . . . Under any definition, Hopleaf, a Belgian-style beer pub, does not serve tapas.

I think MikeG posted some tapas bar pics from Spain that should give anyone who is still confused good insight into what the authentic experience is ike.

While I've never been to Spain, I can say that I have fully enjoyed every meal I've had at Cafe Bull-Eh-Dias. We live close by, and other than Tango Sur is one of the only walkable places to us that isn't filled with the awful-types that frequent Southport. Service is stunning, their red sangria is delicious, cheap & your glass never goes empty. Since it's so close & such a welcoming atmosphere, we've taken many out of town & local guests there for dinner. Vegetarians, meat eaters, everyone seems to love it as much as we do. They recently switched the menu, but before that we'd tried everything on it. The low point being the fried calamari—not because it's bad, but just because it's not stunning. The pulpo a la plancha is a must order every time we go (sometimes multiple orders, depending on the size of the group) & the patatas bravas are perfectly crisped every time. Bills are relatively inexpensive, & we've never had a bad time. I've never brought a camera, and haven't been there in a few months to give a better review, but go & try it for yourself.

I encourage all of you to go check it out. While they're never empty, they don't pick up the neighborhood traffic so they're never full either. I'd hate to see them go the way of other decent places in the area (Winston's). It's baffling to me how decent places around here close but things like Mystic Celt stay open. Anyway, go & enjoy!

Cafe Bull-Eh-Dias
3651 N Southport Ave
(between Addison St & Waveland Ave)
Chicago, IL 60613

http://www.bull-eh-dias.com

I like Tapas Valencia in the South Loop. Other than a couple of paellas, some specialty desserts and salads, they only serve traditional tapas, and if you go around happy hour (to take advantage of frequent half-price specials) where everyone is pretty much congregated around the bar, you might think (if it weren't 6:00, two hours before any true Spaniard would even think about stepping out to graze) you were in Madrid (well, not really; but it's as close as I've found in Chicago):

http://chicago.menupages.com/restaurant ... ia/menu#p5

As mentioned above, tapas are generally served in bars and meant to accompany drinking. Although many people make meals out of them (often hopping from one bar to the next) they are usually considered preliminary to a full-scale sit-down meal which quite often doesn't begin in, say, Madrid until many of us Americans are preparing to go to sleep.

All good points mentioned,

Agreed Bull-eh-dias is a great neighborhood spot. As far as the other debate it is hard to label anything as authentic Spanish Tapas because the food and culture vary greatly from region to region in Spain. I do not think Mercat bills itself as a tapas bar as much as a catalan specialized restaurant that offers tapas portions which is not uncommon in Barcelona. It is a bit more cosmopolitan and international city then say Madrid or Seville. Plus the chefs in Catalonia and Basque region are world famous for their interpretations of traditional recipe, so how can we define "authentic."

In Madrid you will find long strips of tiny tapas bars where the bartender - is the chef - is the owner- and you can only fit 15-20 people in the bar MAX. This is typical tapas for that region but I wouldn't say represents all of Spain.

In any case- All restaurants mentioned are great places and great people IMO.

Yes, it's definitely the snackness. Snackiness? Snackitude.

Even if you could call what you get at, say, Cal Pep's front room, "small plates", I don't at all see it the same way here in the US. Sitting at the bar at Avec, it's kind of close, but it's definitely not the same. And definitely not in the back at Iberico or at Mercat in the main dining upstairs.

The downstairs bar at Mercat, for all 12 people who can hang out there, reminds me of a place in BCN. Ginger, I think it was called, that had upstairs and downstairs, and front and back little rooms. But it was more of a wine bar than a tapas bar.

So I can't think of a tapas place in Spain (that I have been in) that had sit down meals as its focus - though there were restaurants that had sit down in the back (where it seemed like older people and families went) and tapas in the front (a bar, where people stood around with drinks and ate a bit of this or a bit of that). Heck, there were places that had no chairs at all, not even bar stools.

Because tapas isn't really meant to be a meal.