La Gran Tapa

permanently closed — and deservedly so !! 9÷15÷14.

Great service with friendly servers from Spain. The tapas were very tasty and sangria delicious. Try the gazpacho

Went there for my Best Friends Birthday
First time there. it was real nice… staff was great… entertainment was wonderful, even had the opportunity to dance on stage and be taught how to do the Flamenco.

Dear Gran Tapa,
There are lots of restaurants competing with you. If you ignore me as I stand at the bar waiting to order (that’s how this restaurant works — customers order at the bar, and take numbers to their tables), and I am the only person standing there, and you continue to ignore me, and you don’t even say, I’ll be with you in a moment, but you simply continue to ignore me, and then you continue to ignore me, even though I am the only person standing there, and my party is waiting and waiting and waiting at the table for me to place the order, eventually my money and I will choose to go elsewhere.

This is my second visit to this establishment. I was here approximately three years ago. Back then we ordered just tapas. This time we thought we would try the paella.
I ordered the meat paella. Instead I got the red pepper paella. My wife and I could not find the advertised Spanish sausage. I think they gave it to us somewhere other than the paella.
Otherwise, we really liked the tapas and the staff was very friendly. The flamenco show was not half bad. Maestro Juan was an excellent guitar player.
The place had a bit of a decrepit ambience. I think they would do well to spend a little bit of money on updating the establishment.

I’m basing my review on just the bar/​happy hour service. I’ve read through some of the other comments and they have unfortunately not had the best dinner service which is a shame because I think La Gran Tapa has great potential to be a definite «go to» place.
The happy hour here is awesome! They have a huge selection of tapa for $ 4 and under plus drink specials. The bartender, Jessica is friendly and speedy! I’ve been here a few times and never have had to follow-​up on anything. Jessica has always been very diligent about the service.
The music is great too! Not too many places downtown that actually have good live music. La Tapa definitely is place where you can have a cocktail, listen to some great music and still be able to have a conversation with someone.
I would definitely recommend this place based on my experience during happy hour. Hope the dinner service improves because the place has great potential just waiting to burst !

Poor service, mediocre food, it used to be a place that I would recommend when people asked me where they should go in San Diego to eat authentic tapas. I am from Spain and the only authentic thing is somewhat the atmosphere. That is it. Sorry to say but the food has gone tasteless, you can wait and no one seems to care and they only thing I would recommend is the Flamenco shows if you only drink some wine or sangria and pass the food (do not even think about eating paella unless you love soggy rice with rubber like chicken in it). They offer free parking, so something positive.

If you’re going to come here make sure you’ve got time built into your schedule.
First impression when we walked in was that it was cute and not overly crowded. We were seated promptly. Our drink orders came quickly. My friend had a beer and I had a sangria. The sangria was ok. It was too sweet for me though and I usually like my drinks sweet (it’s the south in me).
Our order was taken soon after and so far so good. We also mentioned to the waiter that we were heading to the symphony so he would be aware in case we had to rush the check. Our fault for cutting it a little too close. And then… we waited. And waited for the food. We both ordered the paella combo which was the $ 20 special. Finally the food came out.
It was just ok. My friend liked it, but I didn’t think it was anything special and not worth $ 20. The salad part was nice and fresh, but the paella was just missing that special something.
The waiter never came back to see if we needed a drink refill or to ask how the food was. He seemed pretty rushed despite what seems like 4 or 5 other waiters. The restaurant wasn’t that crowded. My friend did point out when we left that there was another room in the back. Maybe that was it.
We asked for the check when our food was served and it took the waiter 15 min to bring it out and then another 15 to run our cards. It looked like they were either having trouble with the machine or training new waiters on how to run the cards.
We didn’t have a great experience here at all. There was a lot of waiting and inattention. We saw several couples leave not looking too happy either. We decided it was either because we were in a bit of a hurry, they were going for the European atmosphere (which is generally slower than what most Americans are used to), or they were training new people/​understaffed. Or a combination of all 3.
Maybe next time will be better when we have more time.

A place worth visiting in downtown San Diego. This unique venue offers exquisite service with great Flamenco dancing shows. Top it off with some quality Tapas and wine, I quickly fell in love with it and the people there. This is a can’t miss spot for a date night in San Diego especially when they have live Flamenco.
Call to ask about where the best place is to park, they have a nearby spot where you can validate the parking.

I love this place– great wine and good tapas but we are sitting here at the bar being completely ignored. When I got up and asked the bartender if we could order drinks and tapas he said yes, but there’s a wait. Even for a drink? We’ve been here for 10 minutes. This is sad and frustrating.
Jose, I accidentally deleted your response. I appreciated your apology. My husband took me there for my birthday one year and it was awesome. I’m hoping to have that same experience in the future. Would you please re-​send your message? Thank you!

This place was great! They opened it up just for us because we were there so early. The owner personally welcomed us and made sure all of our needs were met, and the chef also. The owner and the rest of the staff is very friendly.
Everything we ordered was perfect: bread with 2 different dips, roasted garlic shrimp and lamb shank. For dessert the crème brûlée and watermelon sangria that I couldn’t get enough of.
All the decorations have a family history and the music flows perfect with the ambiance.
I can’t wait to come back, around 7pm next time, as there are performances every night.

Wow. While I wasn’t expecting Jaleo, I certainly wasn’t expecting service and overall food quality to be so poor.
It took 50 minutes to get our food, another server circled the restaurant 5 times before finding out the dish he was holding was mine. It’s as though there are no table numbers or organization, and the servers just «wing it» when they get a plate.
When I got my paella dish (which was a $ 20 special) it was cold, and the type of clumpy rice and rubbery old chicken that made me think it must be, perhaps, 3 days old and recycled. It was less than a handful of mediocre rice, a handful of greens with parmesan shavings and no dressing, and a mealy tomato with mozzarella. Holy hell. I wanted dessert, but they even screwed up the sangria (tasted like sno-​cone syrup), so I changed my mind. I could go on, but I think Gordon Ramsay from «Kitchen Nightmares» will be arriving here at any moment. Dated décor, clueless staff, horrible food, and incompetent management if this is all happening at once.
FYI: you can’t tip because they automatically add a 17.5% gratuity to every bill regardless. Be prepared to be underwhelmed by La Gran Tapa.

I can appreciated good food and good service. And when a joint delivers on both, well that’s a good thing.
La Gran Tapa prides itself on being unique and providing excellent service, so much so they build in the tip for the servers, in order to provide a «living wage» and if your not happy with the service, they will refund your check or double it in future food credit. I have mixed emotions on this… but that’s another issue and what’s important is the food.
We had a nice variety of tapas and the service was all right. Could have been better.
We started with steak tapas and tortilla española Both were delicious. The steak was served on garlicky tastey greens. Nice addition to the steak.
We then ordered chicken ratatouille Provençal and calamari fritos.
I think the ratatouille would have been then prize dish of the night were it not for the eggplant being a bit undercooked and tough and on the menu it said there was tomatoes in the dish… none in sight!
Calamari was very good, lightly breaded fresh with a red spicy dipping sauce that was delicious.
We enjoyed our meal with their mango sangria, which was light and refreshing. I could drink that all day long on the beach.
For dessert we had Crème brûlée and Basilios gran marnier sundae. Both were good, but not life changing. The sundae didn’t need the alcohol, especially if you have a drink of absinthe to start meal off.
Honestly, it was an enjoyable 2 hours with live music and dancing. I did think it peculiar when the band started singing an Alejandro Sanz song. I didn’t know he was flamenco…
If you like tapas its worth a shot. A bit pricey which is why if I could I would give this joint 3.5 stars but I wi give them the half.

Tried this place on October 8, 2013. Thought I’d try it before seeing the Pet Shop Boys at Copley. Restaurant was convenient enough and the parking was «free»… That’s where the good part ended.
1. We were seated fairly quickly. The bench seat we had was «blown out» and unsupported. It was bad enough that my friend asked me to swap seats with her… It was pretty bad but I figured it wasn’t worth complaining about. The servers began telling people the wait time was 30 minute almost immediately after we were seated. The problem with this is — the place wasn’t ½ full. I counted 8 – 9 4 tops empty inside and almost all of the outdoor seating was available. We weren’t told there would be a delay and I had no reason to think there would be because it was really empty.
2. Ordered a glass house white wine for my friend and a beer for me. This is where is started to fall really apart. The beer came first (and I ordered it 5 min after the wine). The wine came… almost 15 minutes after and I had to remind our server — which is when he told us it was super busy… I could see the bartender and he was jabber jawing away with bar customers so…
3. Tapas — ordered 3 tapas. Warm Mushrooms, Potatoes and Shrimp. Server brought us the wrong mushrooms 15min in (cold vs hot). Then he blamed us because he was sure we meant cold. Awesome. Remaining 2 tapas came 10 min later and the replacement mushrooms 10min after that.
4. Check please… Asked for the check twice. It took 15 min to get it. The party next to us was complaining about their service as well as not receiving one of their dishes. It’s at that point I mentioned the 100% satisfaction guarantee advertised. They decided not to pursue it. I did. I complained that we weren’t at all satisfied with the service and the food was just average and certainly NOT good enough for the 60+ we spent there for what would be 3 small apps and 2 drinks. I’m glad they deducted the automatic 17.5% gratuity (YES, THEY ADD IT TO ALL PARTY CHECKS) and discounted 10% off the bill but we still ended up paying $ 47 and I remain firm that it wasn’t worth it.
I don’t mind slower a slower pace or smaller plates AS LONG AS the food AND the service is good. Pay me some attention — I could pick so many other places. Neither of it was good from my experience here. I can’t recommend anyone come for food or drinks or service and they will not ever get another penny of mine or my friends.
PS — I’ll gladly pay the $ 6 for parking and pick up a hot dog down the street I’ll be happier.

Worst Service in San DIego! Our waiter was rude.
Be prepared for European level of service. Poor service, pricey mediocre food. PASS! Never again.

Another place in DTSD that I used to frequent regularly years ago. The décor has not changed one iota in the 25 (?) years since my first visit. But that is not a bad thing since it is supposed to resemble old Europe. The service can sometimes be a bit frustrating, especially when there is show nearby, as it is very popular with the before symphony crowd.
On our visit last Thursday we showed up early for what their calendar called live samba music. Turns out it was a lone guitarist playing a variety of samba, and flaminco selections. We felt a little let down until we listened to a few tunes. This young man can really play! We ended up staying longer than we planned since the show crowd emptied out and we were about the only ppl left. We felt this guitarist deserved an appreciative audience, even if it was just us. Turns out he is a UCI grad and plays here every Thursday. His name is Nate Ware, look for him on their calendar for your next visit and enjoy.
We had a late lunch so were not very hungry until it was booze soaking up time. Their gazpacho andaluz was possibly the very best gazpacho I have ever had, with loads of flavor and a nice bite. Excellent. The calamares negras were too greasy, but the tasty garlic aioli saved it.
One important thing to note: a 17.5% gratuity is already added in, and the menu states that if you still feel the need to leave some extra behind, they give it to the musicians. That part is cool, but it might explain the uneven service as the staff gets the 17.5 no matter what. We were sat at the bar when we first arrived because of the after work crowd and symphony fans filled the place up, and the bartendress was great. When we moved down to hang with Nate, the service dropped off noticeably, even though we were practically the only patrons.
I would still highly recommend for a unique dining experience, and depending on the night of your visit, some very enjoyable entertainment.

Now, I’m a fan of any place with Tapas and drinks. Especially a place with amazing tapas and paella. It just so happens this place has it.
However, the major downfall is customer service. Now, I understand its a busy establishment downtown San Diego across from the Symphony, but its bad when multiple table are trying to flag down waiters/​waitresses. Plus, it seemed that after 6pm menu items, including dessert, seem to be scarce.
When asked to see a manager, only to ask about the lacking menu items at 7pm, we were just blown off. Waited for 10 min and never saw a manager, nor the server again.
Ended up just paying the bill, still leaving a generous tip, and enjoying the rest of the night at the Symphony hall.
I can’t say I would never go back, but I hope the service turns out to be as good as the food was.

Had a great experience here a few weeks ago.
I came her on a Friday with a large group of people for my friends birthday. The staff was extremely accomidating and let us have the back room (which you usually have to reserve ahead of time). We had white and red sangrias and basically tried everything on the menu! When it was time for the flamico dancing (they have it every Friday) the owner moved us to the front so we could have a better view. He even waived the cover for us! The dancers were awesome and everyone had so much fun! We ended the night with a complementary bottle of champagne for the birthday girl! I havent had a dining experience like that in a LONG time!

This was so delicious!
Came here with a friend after seeing a show in a nearby Copley Symphony Hall. I can’t believe that after living in San Diego for almost seven years I have never spotted this place!
We ordered red and white sangria for drinks. I liked the red one a little more, it was more sweet, but white is also a good pick when you are not a sweets freak like me.
For tapas we ordered roasted beets and eggplant dish. So tasty! The beets at around $ 6 for a good size portion were beating many other fancy beet appetizers that I tasted at many more «fine dining» establishments. The eggplant dish was a great complement to this little late night snack. Not too heavy on the cheese and just perfect with a warm baguette.
The space was still very lively on a late Friday night. It has a nice European feel to it and definitely adds something new and exciting to San Diego dining scene.

I have to start out by saying that I wasn’t a Unilocaler at the time I went to La Gran Tapa, so my review is a bit late, but better late than never.
I had the opportunity to visit La Gran Tapa when my boyfriend was meeting Basilo about a gig there for New Year’s and I have to say that both him & his wife were two of the loveliest people I’ve met, they invited us to stay for dinner and later the Flamenco show. (how’s that for an interview?)
We started out with the Burgundy Escargot which was outstanding, for dinner I had Tortilla Espanola & Jack had Tapa de salmon, we never had Spanish food before but I can say it was not only beautiful to look but wonderful to eat. Last but not least was trying Absinthe for the first time, now that was an experience to behold.
The Grande Finale was the Flamenco show. The music and dancing we witnessed was so passionate and beyond words for me. Just go check it out for yourself.
And even though my boyfriend was technically «the help» for NYE the owners and the wait staff still treated us like family they were just as warm, friendly and lovely. That night we had the opportunity to try their paella and the Sangria. I’m a lover of Tequila but I can say that the Sangria they serve will be the bar at which I measure all other Sangrias.
One last thing, the Restaurant itself is absolutely gorgeous! So old World, very inviting and warm. I’ve never been to Spain but I bet it looks a lot like La Gran Tapa.
After viewing the pictures that I’ve taken to remind me of our time here & to help with my review, my boyfriend and I realized that we really liked this place so much that we plan to go here again.

Checked it out because I have been seriously hankering for some Spanish plates lately! Had done some research on the website to find it was 18% service charge with no tips welcome, and that there was live music every night. Although I am usually timid about going to restaurants with live music (aren’t most restaurants loud enough already?), La Gran Tapa really surprised me!
Parking was easy with instructions on their website, and the security guy at the desk knew exactly where to direct us to get there. Upon entering, it was seat yourself and grab a few menus. There was a man playing Spanish guitar to the left of the entrance across from the bar, so choosing how close we wanted to sit to him was perfect. The guitar player was lovely, the volume level was right, and the ambience was pleasant. We could have sat there for hours if it stayed like that all night. Actually, we did sit there for hours.
Chose the tortilla espanola, the cheese platter, and the patatas a la brava. Que fantastico! The overall serving sizes were true to Spain (unlike many Spanish restaurants I have seen with only 6 lonely patatas on a plate), and the three plates were more than enough for me and my date. The flavors themselves were also true to a decent restaurant in Barcelona.
We also had a few glasses of wine, which paired very nicely with the food and atmosphere. I would definitely recommend asking the server/​bartender for advice on which glass to get if you know what you like. I usually stick to Tempranillos but the one they had on the menu was less what I was looking for than the Cab Sauv, and the bartender nailed it.

To anyone who has never had tapas before, find out what it is before you start complaining and giving restaurants 1 star. I wanted to simply write about what a great place this is, but after reading the bad reviews, I wanted to share the details of what it means to go to a tapas restaurant in general. I can tell that the unhappiness from some of these stories is based on the lack of knowledge they have for tapas and the idea that they expect this Spanish restaurant to be like a Mexican restaurant. If you’re looking for a quick bite in the Mexican realm of flavors, go to MxN or Albertos, or Cotixan.
Tapas are my favorite! Small plates of delicious food which should be shared. Ordering multiple plates can equate to a full meal which is better than most traditional restaurants because you get to taste so much more in one place.
We had the best server, Megan. She brought out our tapas one at a time, was very knowledgeable and pleasant. What I like about the time space between tapas is that you actually get to enjoy each plate, let your tummy rest and then boom, another plate arrives. Even better, you get fuller faster.
We order the Caprese, Gambas al Ajillo, Crème Brulee, Flan and Sangrias. The first batch of bread came crispy, the second, soft & warm, which was fine that we got to try both. Also, for those who don’t know, like one of the guys who posted here, there is no butter! You use oil & vinegar. Even Macaroni Grill does not have butter.
This place charges 17.5% gratuity automatically and the menu clearly states this. It also states that if you don’t feel the service was good enough, to let them know and they will provide your payment back. The people who are complaining after the fact are cowards. If you don’t like something, tell them right away so they can fix it. It you come on Unilocal and complain about it later = Your problem. My boyfriend and I had a great time, the prices were decent and we will definitely go back.