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Tapas is trendy these days. Originally Spanish in origin, it seems
everyone is getting in the business of serving little plates of
appetizers, combinations of which make a full meal.
For West
Hartford residents, the obviously named Tapas restaurant is a dining
cornerstone. But don’t expect precious niblets of chorizo sausage and
gourmet cheese here. Friendly to both vegetarians and meat eaters,
Tapas serves up generous portions of fresh dishes from around the
globe, with an emphasis on Greek fare. And the fare really is fresh:
ingredients are purchased daily and never frozen—there’s not even a
freezer on site.
Food: An eclectic menu of Greek, Spanish, French, Israeli and Mexican foods with a twist. The tapas on the menu are circles of flat bread or tortilla (your choice) topped with meat and vegetables. They taste more like a hot open-faced sandwich than a pizza and are very filling. But the menu extends beyond that: For a great light lunch, get the salad and soup combo with a choice of their amazing sherried New England clam chowder, vegetarian chili, or soup of the day. The Greek salad is topped by Tapas' "Almost-Famous Salad Dressing," which is available to take home by the bottle. For heartier fare, try the ultimate gyro (a gyro on steroids), veggie burrito, or grilled lamb patties. Most entrees are cheap: under $10 alone or about $13 for a platter, which includes a salad and rice pilaf. Check the blackboard for specials.
Décor: Simple but inviting, Tapas manages to look both rustic and sophisticated. Tapas is suitable for dates, although the noise level may hinder conversation.
Crowd: The most common denominator of the Tapas crowd is that there always seems to be one. Other than that, Tapas takes all kinds and is often filled to the brim with college kids to retirees.
Service: Because the dining room is so small, diners should not have trouble getting the attention of their server. Waiters are friendly but very busy. Food is promptly served and the kitchen is accommodating.
Sounds: The downside to eating at Tapas is the noise. The right side dining room is a corridor that, when full, creates a cacophony one would expect from a larger restaurant. The left side is a little more open, but contains the kitchen and a steady stream of take-out patrons weaving through tables to get to the register.
Dress Code: Casual, but a suit and tie is not out of place among the post-work or lunch break diners.
Bottom Line: Tapas is a favorite place of many Hartford-area diners because the food is some of the best in the area. The large menu and daily specials provide enough variety to bring first-time diners back again and again. Come early, because the small dining areas fill up during busy hours. If you find the wait’s too long, there's a take-out service, or check out one of the two other locations, in Hartford and Bloomfield.
Tapas
1150 New Britain Ave., West Hartford
860-521-4609
Sun.-Thu., 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri.-Sat., 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
