Tapa Barra y Restaurante
- Food served: Sun–Thu noon–9pm; Fri/Sat noon–10pm.
- Bar open: Mon–Sun noon–11pm.
- Number of wines sold by the glass: 8
- Private dining: Up to 60 covers
- Also offers: Vegetarian options (at least ¼ main courses), Children's portions, Children's high chairs, Wheelchair access, Live music, Free wi-fi
- Music on stereo: Traditional Spanish music
- Opening times: Mon–Sun 11am–midnight
- Capacity: 80
- Largest group: 60
- Open since: 2009
Tell us more about this place.
- Average price:
£10 (set lunch)
£22 (evening meal) - House wine: £12.50 per bottle
The 2012 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).
This review is taken from the current (2012) edition.
Surrounded by the Michelin stars and old-fashioned pubs of Leith, Tapa comes as a bit of a breath of fresh air. This converted dockhouse has a clean, airy interior, high ceilings and whitewashed walls, and feels summery even in the depths of winter. A strong crowd of regulars come for the reliably unfussy tapas and stay for a drinks menu that evokes memories of sunnier climes, even if Sangria on a rainy day in Leith doesn’t quite cut it. There’s a small globe-trotting section in the otherwise conservative tapas menu, offering dishes such as fried brie or moroccan lamb chops. The latter, while tender and sweet, lack the promised Moorish touch and fall a bit flat. The old favourites, however, are more reliable: Pisto Manchego, a sort of Spanish ratatouille, is a lovely herby, rich and giving dish, while Calamaris are crisp and fresh and cooked to a T. Portions here stray beyond tapas and into raçiones, and sharing six or seven between two can feel a little overwhelming, so pick wisely, and be prepared to fill your boots.
- High point: Tasty and enormous tapas that can work out good value for money
- Low point: Some dishes could do with a little more attention to detail
Reviews of Tapa Barra y Restaurante (19 Shore Place, Edinburgh)
- 5. EDR, Edin – 17 August 2010, 2:10am
Tapa Barra y RestauranteReport -
Been here 4 or 5 times over the last couple of years and yet to have a bad meal. Food always good and service is always quick and staff very friendly and helpful. Only problem we've had was that we ordered a lot of dishes between us on the last visit and one never appeared but it was removed from our bill without quibble when we pointed it out.
- 4. Yvonne, Leith – 29 July 2010, 12:16pm
Tapa Barra y RestauranteReport -
I was looking forward to a lovely birthday experience after reading the reviews and was sadly disappointed. Some of the food was OK but nothing special. My favourite was the aubergine chips with honey and the cod in batter was nice. We ordered two blackboard specials and they were horrible. The langoustines and paella were both overcooked. The langoustines were like rubber and the paella was a black mess. I'd never seen paella like it either here or in Spain. We were asked if we enjoyed the meal and we said the langoustines were bad but nothing was done about it. We left nearly all the paella 3 out of 5 langoustines yet nobody came to see why. In the case of the paella it must have been apparent why as you could used it for wallpaper paste. I'm not a fussy eater and have had excellent meals at The Kings Wark, Compass, Nobles, Roseleaf and Guilty Lily lately and have polished my plate. I'll be going up to town for tapas in future.
- 3. Alana, Leith – 17 October 2009, 7:47am
Tapa Barra y RestauranteReport -
There is not enough stars to rate this restaurant. We have eaten here several times now and it will be hard to believe but it just gets better and better. Robert and Kate have the most friendly staff and as for the food it beats some of the more exclusive restaurants in Leith. If you have never been you must try it and I bet you will keep going back just like my partner and I have.
- 2. tapa, 19 shore place – 4 October 2009, 3:51pmTapa Barra y RestauranteReport
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Authentic tapas at really great value. It was quite hard to find at first but now we go regularly. I have noticed its getting busier each time we visit, the word must be spreading how good Tapa is even in Leith.
- 1. tapa, leith edinburgh – 13 July 2009, 6:28pmTapa Barra y RestauranteReport
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Fantastic spanish tapas bar / restaurant in leith edinburgh. I went there after seeing the review in the list magazine and I do agree with you vote as best Spanish tapas bar in Edinburgh. Thanks, great find now.
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