Tapas Calpé

Well, just moving a few years back from Chicago, we enjoyed tapas restaurants such as Café Iberico, which has many classics and over 50 menu items to choose from. I get that this is not the same, but the options are very limited, nothing tastes great (we ordered a goat cheese dish, it was a big bowl of sauce with a dabble of goat cheese floating in it). I was super excited for the paella (one of my favorite dishes) and it was so loaded with beans and dry (lacking moisture) that it was just yuck. Ceviche (also one of my favs) was soooo disappointing — I think the fish is actually boiled, instead of «cooked» by lime juice. It tasted like nothing. The service existed, not friendly, not mean. It is very pricey for what you get. Decent atmosphere, good location — revamp your tapas they are not good!

Had an early dinner on a Saturday night with my SO and the food and atmosphere were perfect. Had lobster Mac and cheese and chicken saltimbocca and both were delicious. We enjoyed a Spanish sparkling wine with our dinner and a gentleman playing guitar and singing made the evening perfect. I would recommend a reservation on a Saturday night but we were seated without one.

Just had the lemon
Vodka semolina cake with key lime curd I think and it was delicious! Happy hour Wednesday and Thursday’s 4 – 6

4 stars, my rule for I’m definitely coming back. For starters, I will say that my idea of tapas is a little different — I’ve always had even smaller portions but for a lot less $$ so that you can pick several and sample different things. We shared a salad, 2 crab cakes and 4 shrimp, plus the bread pudding for dessert. Not crazy expensive, but with a couple wines, any more would have been too much food, and a little too much for two for «tapas» that being said, the service was great, the atmosphere quaint, even with the «shop» in the background, and the food was delicious. I do prefer a more lump style crab cake, but for $ 6 a piece, felt like I was not being fed mostly filler. Look forward to trying this place again, will definitely get the spinach and balsamic salad every time, but will plan on mixing up the tapas orders.

I very much enjoy this little café in the corner of a meat market. I know it sounds weird but it works. They specialize in Spanish tapas. Note: Spanish is NOT Mexican. So do not expect tacos, etc. The tapas are traditional and more new world. There is also a changing special menu where entrée options are based on fresh locally sourced food. This is a good place to eat! The wines are excellent and Nick does a great job! The rest of the staff is also top notch. They can accommodate walk-​ins but reservations are encouraged.

Well this place could be awesome, after our first dinner we wanted more, everything was tasty and we love the ambiance. Went back a second time and were hugely disappointed with the seafood paella, it was soupy, had no saffron and instead was loaded with chilli powder it tasted nothing like true paella. The menu is a little lacking for true tapas and I’d live to see some different more authentic choices.

I have never been treated more rudely by a waitress than today. Ordered an glass of wine, hubby ordered a beer. Waitress came back with glass of wine and told hubby they were out of his brand of beer that was on the menu. We proceeded to ask if instead of the glass, can we have a bottle. Waitress was down right rude and smug. Since the glass came from an opened bottle we would have to pay for the glass and the bottle. Hubby explained if he knew they did not have his beer we would have gotten the bottle. If she would have been polite we would have understood. You come to a restaurant for the service. We politely asked for the check for one unfinished glass of wine and not one care from our waitress. We are regulars at the butcher that is attached and we will never come back.

I’ve been hearing about this place for a while from a friend of mine. The wife and I decided to try something new tonight and I remembered the place in the butcher shop. My friend was right, this is exactly what we’ve been looking for. We love small places that deliver big. The food, service, atmosphere, and Sangria are all great. This one will be on the regular rotation from now on.

Loved this place. would love to see maybe more grilled meat options since its in a butcher shop. The ribs were fantastic and the bread pudding was good. Thought there could have been a little more to the cheese and meat tray but all the selections were tasty. Good place to spend our first anniversary at! We will be back

We’ve eaten here twice now and both times have been thrilled with the food. Everything is fresh and delicious. We love to graze through meals so tapas are one of our favorite ways to eat. The menu is small but interesting and they always have great specials. They’re only open Wed thru Fri and close at 9 but definitely worth checking out. Bonus: If you feel like eating at home instead, check out the butcher shop and great wine selection on the other side of the restaurant.

Splendid environment. Moved here a year ago and this restaurant was an extremely pleasant find for such a sparse area. The food was great.

Great tapas! The food menu is good sized, and the specials menu always has something great on it. The wine menu is HUGE and even the cheapest glass is a pretty good wine. The place is a butcher shop by day so the meat is all as fresh as can be. Great beer selection and great service as well.

Cute little find in Cary! They were nice enough to put together a «champagne tasting» for a friend and me. Friendly without being over the top. Would love to go back for their tapas. A bit pricy… just under $ 40 for a tasting for two people.

Been here a few times the service and food in my mind is very good the ambiance is ok. But what. Looses the star rating is the smell, Hay I get it it’s a butcher shop. But I’m not in favor of eating expensive food with the Odo r of dead meat in the air
They really have to get some sort of odor masking in here or partition the butcher area off from the dinning area. Something

Just had an amazing meal. Ambiance, service and wonderful flavors of the food and wine were incredible. Unique location inside a meat market… My Grampa and Uncle were butchers. .brings back the memories. …Try this joint you’ll be happy you did! ! — feeling wonderful at Tapas Calpe

Decided to try two tapas plates and was not disappointed! I ordered the cheese flatbread and the crab cakes. Both were delicious; the crab cakes were nice and meaty, unlike some that are filled with bread crumbs. Wine choices are numerous and affordable.

Service, wine selection, location, atmosphere-​FIVE STARS! Everyone is so nice, knowledgable and it’s a really great place to have a unique dinner experience in the Cary area.
Sadly the food isn’t great. I so wish it were. The other perks above make it a place I frequent regardless. Love the butcher/​food area, too!
2 – 2015 update: they have recently stepped up their game! Added more specials, paying more attention to flavors and food is prepared better. THANK YOU! Extra star given!

Wow… what a great place. I was not sure about a meat shop/​tapas bar; but I am so glad I tried it. Great service, wine, food, and atmosphere. My husband and I had a great anniversary here! We’ll be back.

I have become a regular here because of the wonderful food, desserts, service, and wine! I have a gluten allergy and they are able to accommodate me and since they cook for scratch it is easy to determine what goes into their food. Honestly the food here is as good or better as compared to any Tapas’ in Arlington Heights. In terms of restaurants, this is one of the best in McHenry county! Highly recommend and if you have a gluten allergy, you should give them a try!

From the live music, selections of beer, to the down-​to-​earth service you receive this place ranks top for your local tapas and entrees. A deli by day and intimate restaurant by night, this is the place to enjoy some fine foods. You’ll definitely want to indulge in the delectable desserts — we had the strawberry chocolate soufflé cake and had zero regrets. It’s the perfect place to take your wife or even a few friends and have a beer.

Tapas Calpé offers a creative tapas menu that is not the same standard items you’ll find on many other larger tapas restaurants in the Chicagoland area. Most are very tasty, balancing flavors and textures — such as Dried Apricots with Iberico Cheese, Walnuts and Honey or a flatbread special with Pulled Pork, Dates, Cheese and a Citrus-​Ginger Chutney. But you’ll find some are reasonably priced and some are overpriced, and some portions are really small and others are quite large.
They’ve done a good job transforming the space from a butcher shop into a tapas bar, but we did noticed the absence of music. My husband said he could hear it very softly in the background but the rest of us at the table could not even hear it.
All in all, Tapas Calpé provides tasty tapas in a pleasant setting and should definitely be on your list if you enjoy a night out for tapas with friends.

For the location of this restaurant… this is as good as it gets. it deserves 5 stars!
It’s located in a very unassuming meat and wine shop, and at night it turns into a charming and romantic Tapas Bar. I have never had something here that I didn’t like. I trust the wait staff and their recommendations and have never been disappointed!
I’ve had everything from the goat cheese baked in tomato sauce to mixed olive salad. The wine is steal. they charge retail price for a bottle… not the two and a half times restaurant price.
Be adventurous and get something a little different, the portions are small so you can chose 5 or 6 items!