Spain Restaurant and Toma Bar

Love this place. They have a beautiful show and beautiful music. I will be going for the third time for my anniversary. I had a ladies night here as well. The food is good. I’m all about ambience and its there. Very authentic.

Best Cuban sandwich You will ever have in your life!!! I go almost everyday on my lunch break. I’m a creature of habit and for a long time I was going to urban cantina which is right next door and getting their steak fajitas (their soo good) but then a friend came to the office with this Cuban and I tried it and was Instantly addicted, now I can’t get enough! A MUST have if you have never tried it.

I got Ropa Vieja (spelling? old clothes but in Spanish.) with yellow rice. This place is obviously a locals favorite and most people here know each other. The lady in front of me was a repeat customer and told the guy behind the counter how she had seen him dancing with his wife at the music festival the night before. My food was very good but it was only lukewarm. Minus a star for food not being hot but it was very good.

This is a Spain cuisine restaurant with music venue at weekend. You can book a private event. It is quite a busy booking. Sometimes the booking is a wedding rehearsal or baby shower.
The food of the restaurant is average for Spain cuisine. But I would say try their tapas. It is great to enjoy their tapas at the weekend and have some wine with live flamenco guitar music. They have the music every week end. Please check their calendar.
The reason they are four stars is they have the flamenco dance and dinner show on every month. The show team has three female dancers and one male dancer. Man oh man! They are good. Very move is a posture of art. The flamenco guitar add the twist of the show. It almost like a whole band. I would said this is the best flamenco show in the Bay Area.

Service was good but food was not. We ordered 3 tapas items and all were very bland. Menu said homemade sauces but they served mayo and ketchup as their sauce. I do not recommend.

My wife and I took a last minute trip to Tampa over Valentine’s Day and were looking for an authentic Spanish restaurant. We have traveled in Spain and do not have a good Spanish restaurant where we live. Based on the reviews, we were excited to try this one. Sadly, we walked away disappointed.
The meal started out alright. They were selling a limited, 4 course, prix fixe menu for $ 45 per person, which sounded reasonable. There were multiple choices for each course. We started with croquetas and stuffed piquillo peppers, which were probably the best part of the meal. The salad was unremarkable; basically iceberg lettuce with some oil and vinegar.
The major disappointment was the entrees. We ordered mahi mahi and beef filete. The fish was so overcooked my wife didn’t even eat half of it, and we skipped lunch! It came with asparagus that was not properly trimmed of the fibrous ends and was so overcook it was mush. The beef, which was described on the menu like you would be getting filet mignon, literally looked and tasted like Lean Cuisine’s «Sweet and Spicy Korean-​Style Beef,» complete with small thin slices of who knows what cut of overcooked low grade beef. Both meals were anything but Spanish. Worse, the food was terrible. I cannot think of a worse meal I’ve had in a restaurant.
The service was likewise bad. The restaurant was about ¹⁄₃ full, if that, yet they rushed us through the meal from the start. I finished my peppers before my wife finished her croquetas, and they came and grabbed my plate and silverware immediately. They did they same thing during the salad course and the entrees. Clear the courses at one time, please, so the slower eater doesn’t feel rushed. On top of that, one waiter spilled water all over our table.
Dessert was more of the same. The flan was completely flavorless and the cheesecake was sunken (it fell during baking) and grainy in texture, though my wife said she didn’t mind (I think she was delirious from hunger at this point in the night).
The final straw was that they advertised live music, but couldn’t even get that right.
Go elsewhere.

I had two wonderful dinners at Spain on a recent trip to Tampa. First night: blackened mahi grilled and seasoned to perfection. Second evening: paella Valencia (seafood scramble)… All I can say is yum. The hosts, Fred and John, and the whole staff are as friendly as anyone can be. After two visits and a few Estrellas I felt like a regular. Added bonus: I stayed upstairs at an Airbnb rental unit… they even offered to deliver food and drinks to my door! But no matter where you stay, you’ll go right if you eat here.

I decided to try someplace new to me on the way to a Lightening Game and I love tapas, so this is the place I chose. What a find!
First, the ambiance. The restaurant has a sleek, modern feel to it and appeared very clean and comfortable. A solo guitarist playing Spanish-​styled instrumentals set the mood ~ not too loud, not too quiet, just right. I was there with a friend, but there were several couples and it would make a great place to have a date night.
We arrived around 6:30 pm and they have happy hour from 4 – 7 pm with $ 4 sangria and my friend had the red and I had the white. They were both very good, so I would get there before 7 pm, if possible. They had other happy hour specials too, but I can’t remember what they were.
Now the food… We started with the «tapas tasting» off the entrée menu to share. We asked our server, Dillon, for some suggestions and it must have been kismet because he recommended three of the four things we had discussed when reviewing the menu on the way to the restaurant. His recommendations were spot on.
We got the Pulpo a la Gallega, the Filete de Res and the Paella Valenciana. The Pulpo a la Gallega was fantastic. I love octopus when it is cooked correctly and can’t stand it when it is not. The octopus was cooked absolutely perfectly and the olive oil, garlic and paprika were ideally balanced to showcase the flavor rather than detract from it. The Filete de Res was also a perfectly balanced concoction of beef tenderloin, mushrooms and a sherry wine flambé. Sublime! The paella was also incredible with a good proportional mixture of ingredients.
At this point, we were getting pretty full, so we just decided to order a couple more tapas and walk off our meal on the way to the game. This time we got the Champiñones Extravaganza and the Empanadas de Carne. The sauce on the mushrooms was absolutely sinful. it was extremely rich and very filling, but we just couldn’t tear ourselves away from the plate. The empanadas were also superb, with a perfect beef mixture inside.
Overall, a splendid pick for a winning combination of service, atmosphere and marvelous food!

Good food and great service. Loved the experience. Loved the atmosphere also which was very cozy.

This place leaves me wondering how they have lasted in downtown tampa for this long. I’m sorry to say but Ceviche blows this place out of the water!
The pros:
1) sangria is good and a bottle of Tempranillo wine is $ 20
2) the guitar player is great
3) the wait is nonexistent (may be a direct correlation to my cons list)
4) the waiters are attentive
Cons:
1) the food is mediocre– the ceviche is $ 14 and you get about 4 – 6 shrimp with a load of tomato and red onion; the empanadas are decent; the milanesa was flavorless; the charcuterie board was underwhelming with selection
2) the food is completely overpriced. Average of $ 10 – 12 a tapas is absurd. The Gambas al ajillo were tiny shrimp, not the true gambas you would get in Spain. Again $ 14 ceviche for a «shrimpy» amount of seafood.
overall, 3 stars because some of the positives balance out the negatives. but the food needs a total revamp! Chefs– go take a «business trip» to Spain and explore the flavors. I studied in Spain and am ½ Spanish so know the flavors that make this food great.

While the all white interior was enough to make you feel a little off, the food really sealed the deal. Ordered the paella and was way underwhelmed.

We stopped in here late afternoon/​early evening (4:30). We’d just finished a downtown scavenger hunt. Got my son ice cream and water next door, but my bro who was in town wanted something a little more refreshing. We peeked in and they all waved us in. I thought it was just a bar, but wowww… Great place! Man the bartender was just stellar and so kind. I had a mojito and I swear it’s the best I’ve had. My brother was offered samples of beer when he had a question. The bartender even offered my son a refreshing virgin drink. They also gave us samples of empanadas (delicious!). They were trying to design/​concoct their Halloween signature drink so we got to watch that and everyone had suggestions. We were only there about 45 min, but this place was so much fun! Based on the empanadas, I’d definitely go eat there!!! (We only didn’t because we already had plans at 6). Definitely go and get the signature Halloween drink, though, they’ve been working hard on it!!! I’ll be back with a group for sure!

My steak was way to tough to eat like beef jerky very bland my partners paella was bland and the seafood was not fresh and was so over cooked it tasted like rubber … I was so excited to try this place from the decent reviews but sadly will not be returning or recommend the croquettes were good … Don’t see this place making it much longer .: nice atmosphere I will say server was very pleasant

Best Spanish croquettes in Tampa. Friendly servers, beautiful, intimate place. Their Spanish show is amazing, truly worth a visit. Not too fond of their caldo gallego, the taste was pretty bad. Other than that, everything I have tried is very good. Love their pimientos de piquillo. Great Spanish Rioja wines.

I was staying at the Hilton downtown and figured I’d give Spain Restaurant a try, since I am a huge fan of Tapas. The restaurant itself was not particularly appealing upon our arrival; however, the hostess was really friendly. The atmosphere reminded me a little of a hospital, white walls with very little decorations and color, and an awkward seating chart. We ordered the cheese tablet, the patatas bravas, the mariscada and the empanadas. Our server was actually very friendly and did a great job at taking our orders. The empanadas was the only dish that actually had some flavor to it (and only the empanadas because the accompanying mango sauce was the strangest combination I’ve had… and I’ve had Tapas all over the world). The patatas bravas were overcooked, the mariscada had absolutely no flavor to it (I don’t even think there was any seasoning of sort). The chorizo/​cheese tablet may have been one of the most poorly presented charcuterie tablet I have ever seen (it definitely does not live up to the description on the menu); picture a white plate with three slices of salami and three slices of manchego cheese, coupled with two olives… at a price of $ 15! Needless to say we did not stay too long since we wanted to make sure room service was still serving by the time we got back to the hotel. I really did appreciate our waiter because he was very nice and saved this experience from earning a one star. I don’t know Tampa well, but I can assure you there has to be better choices for a Tapas dinner.

Ok it took half an hour to get a bottle of wine and some bread, 6 waiters and 9 tables when we arrived. Tables filled up around 9. Food was not hot even though the waiter said he was bringing it out as fast as they put it up. Calamri was not good. Rice in the paella was a little under done. Never refilled our water glasses. They have a guitarist on Friday night and charge a cover.
Not as good as I remembered actually left here still hungry!

My friends and I went here on New Year’s eve for dinner before heading to Aloft for their New Year’s party. The menu was prix fixe with a appetizer, salad, entrée and dessert. They had a flamenco show with a 3 man band. This was a nice thought but in reality verged on obnoxious. We were seated at a long table that ran long-​ways right up to the stage. We were one of the last couples to arrive and so we were unfortunately seated right next to the stage. We were literally screaming over each other to be heard and finally just stopped trying to converse because it was futile. The flamenco dancers were beautiful and talented. But the loud foot stopping so characteristic of flamenco made us feel like they were dancing on our heads. I had a raging headache throughout dinner. Serendipitously, the Sangria was delicious (possibly the best in Tampa) and it cured my headache nicely.
Overall, the food was decent. The show was good. Just ask to be seated in the farthest corner away from the stage if you want to save your hearing and your sanity. Or just order lots of Sangria.

I used to come here back in the mid 90s when I worked downtown. Finally returned for lunch and had a regular Cuban. It did not disappoint. Fresh roasted pork makes it delicious. One of my favorite Cubans in the Tampa area for sure. I’ll be coming back to try more of their dishes. The lunch buffet also looked great.

Im going to go with 3.5 stars on this one.
This is a pretty small location but they’re really attracting large crowds because of the delicious food, drinks, & live music. There is plenty of free street parking nearby too.
The crowd is very outgoing and you’ll find everyone from the mid to late 20s — 60s. Truly a fun environment to come with friends or family. Everything is appropriately priced and aside from feeling VERY crammed with the table set up the food is GREAT! The service is very laid back and it appears typical for a large group to sit for dinner and drinks and stay for 3 – 4 hours enjoying the live music.
Felt refreshing to discover this environment in Downtown Tampa!
Theres also a few table tops where you can order drinks and/​or appetizers by the bar if you decide to pop by later in the evening and are not looking for dinner. They have a large bar.
(please note this is based on a single visit, will update when I visit again)

My favorite part of this restaurant is the Flamenco music. It makes us so happy to hear it. Today we were celebrating my hubby’s birthday. I called ahead of time to let them know. We were seated at a perfect table right in the middle with perfect view of the flamenco guitar players. Once we were finished eating, they brought my hubby a very tasty flan w candle, and they sang a personal happy birthday song to him, flamenco style. He was quite happy about it.
We chose Spain Restaurant because of the flamenco guitar that we love, as well as the food that we previously liked. The food quality has seemed to go down. Perhaps, a new chef. I don’t know. I didn’t read the recent reviews bc I knew how much we loved it there. We still really liked the filete de res. the filete de cerdo (pork) was like pork tenderloin w a flour like Crème sauce sauce w pepper with little flavor. We liked this a lot last time. We also ordered the championes (mushroom w creamy sauce w goat cheese on bread. Just seemed like the same base sauce as the cerdo. Not impressed. We ordered the rollitos pork which are fried springs. I didn’t understand how that was a Spanish cuisine. Our favorites were the flan and my mango mojitos. Besides that, the flamenco music kept us happy.
Not sure I will be back. Perhaps if they change up their menu. I might come back though for a Flamenco show on the last Saturday of the month, as well as flan and mango mojitos.

I am a huge fan of Spain and the family and staff that make it the great downtown spot that it is. Their lunch buffet is ideal for business and or friendly lunch meetings.
They offer $ 4 Mojitos and Sangria for happy hour and usually throw in a couple of sample tapas bites. Dining with a date or small group at night or during the Flamenco show on Friday or Saturday is certain to please.
Insider Tip: While they don’t really promote it, they are open for breakfast weekdays and offer a great Café Con Leche with some traditional Spanish and Cuban breakfast choices.

Enjoyed myself immensely. Happy Hour White Sangria was quite yummy! I had the shrimp in garlic sauce and it was amazing. And for happy hour, the bring our small tapas on the house. The tomato bruchetta was truly the best I have ever had.
It is a quieter place but I really enjoyed it.

We went to Spain Restaurant for Valentine’s Day. I liked the idea of romantic flamenco music and tapas.
I was disappointed to find out that we only had a limited set menu that night. No Serrano ham for me. :(Instead, I had the shrimp croquetas (well fried, but practically no shrimp), the house salad (very good), the lamb shank (tough, not slow cooked), and the flan (great). My husband had the pork rolls (okay, but certainly not very Spanish), the salad, the shrimp and rice (again, not very Spanish), and the crepes for dessert.
I liked the setting. Very modern. And I liked the flamenco guitarist, even if he was playing a standard (not flamenco) guitar and was mostly playing pop music.
The wine list really wasn’t much to write home about. We brought our own wine (they charge a $ 15 corkage), but as they were out of decanters, we decided not to open our bottle and picked something off their list. Most of their wines are young, all are $ 50 or less. To me, that means all are hangover generators. The cocktail list was a little more promising.
They don’t have valet, but on your average non-​romantic holiday, there’s probably plenty of street parking.

I really was hoping I would like this place but we were very disappointed.
Nothing we ate was that great, everything was just ok. If the prices were cheap, we would not have minded but when you are paying $ 13 per small tapa, you expect better. Each of us ordered around 4 tapas per person and none of us were impressed.
We went on a Saturday night and the server was not very friendly which did not help!
We felt like the food could have been much much better for the price.
Also, we hoped to at least see the Flamenco dancers in hopes that that would make up for the mediocre food but they did not perform like we had hoped. They were on their schedule online but no one ever came.
Also, they charged $ 1.00 per person for the guitarist… when your bill comes out to $ 80-​$ 100, charging $ 1.00 for music seems a little silly.
Not going to go there again.

Tapas is my all time favorite kind of food and I usually have it at least once a week. I had never been here before this weekend, but kept seeing them featured on Groupon, so I decided to give it a try.
We arrived around 7 pm on Friday and were asked at least twice at the door if we had reservations. We did not. I found it odd that they kept asking as at least 75% of the tables in the restaurant were unoccupied and nobody else was waiting to be seated.
So we were seated at a nice table by the wall and I began to look around and check out the décor (all the while thinking about what I would write in this Unilocal review). The entire place is white, which had a nice chic feel and I did like the environment in here alot. Also, there was live Spanish guitar music (beware of the $ 1 «entertainment» charge as other reviews have mentioned. I mean really, who charges for music at a restaurant where we are already spending money on food and drinks?)
Upon inspecting the wine list, my friend and I each got a glass of red wine, although I have no idea what brand it was. Then for our meal, we decided to go with the «Tapas Tasting» option, which states on the menu that you can pick a mix of 4 tapas for $ 30. Most of the tapas were in the $ 10-​$ 13 range, so we thought it would be nice to try a few different options. After we ordered, the server informed us that the tapas tasting portions were all «mini». So we all know that tapas are small plates and this was an even smaller portion than normal.
We ended up choosing the vieiras corunesa (scallops in manchego cheese), camarones al ajillo (sauteed shrimp), gambas a la plancha (grilled shrimp in lemon) and tortas de cangrejo (crab cakes). A short time later, our food arrived, and we noticed that it sure was «mini» size. The vieiras corunesa was pretty tasty, but we literally got one small-​medium sized scallop. Other than that, All of the food was just mediocre. None of it was particularly flavorful or something I would be dying to try again. Wasn’t worth the $ 30 that they charge for the tasting sampler. For dessert, we had churros with hot chocolate, which was hot and fresh. Unfortunately, overall the meal was just not anywhere near the standards I was expecting and have experienced at other tapas restaurants in the past.
I will say the server was friendly throughout our whole experience, but not very attentive (I.E. disappearing, then taking 20 minutes to return with our credit cards at the end of the meal when it didn’t really seem all that busy in there)
I *might* give it a try again sometime and order different things, but sadly I just wasn’t that impressed with the food overall this time.