El Tapeo

What a find! I was exploring the “backstreets” of Zona Rosa this afternoon and chanced upon this little tapas restaurant. Despite having 9 five star-reviews on Google (none of which are likely planted, as the old man that runs the place probably doesn’t even know Google exists) you have to zoom all the way into the maximum zoom magnification for the place to even appear in Google maps.

As the name implies, it specializes in Spanish (Madrideño) tapas. I’ve been to about two dozen restaurants in Latin America in five major cities that claim to serve Spanish cuisine. Most don’t come close. They think if they put a Spanish name on the door and have some Spanish décor, that will suffice. Imposters!

But I’ve found a handful that are the real deal. Most owned by Spaniards or by Spanish international restaurant chains. This one is the real deal.

The décor at El Tapeo is nothing fancy but it’s pleasant enough. My waiter was efficient and amiable and could answer all my questions about each of the dishes. The owner is on site. He’s a Madrideño that relocated to Mexico in his 30’s. The menu is simple, but that’s good. It means the cook has a much a better chance of getting each dish right. And from what I saw at lunch today, that strategy is working.

To put the kitchen to the test, I decided to order four of the smaller tapas dishes. What you see in the photo slider are, left to right: Papita Rellena Gratinado de Queso de Cabra (Stuffed potato with Goat Cheese Gratín), Pimento de Piquillo con Relleno de Col de Res Estofado (Braised Beef stuffed Pepper), Chorizo Cocido al Vino Tinto (Spanish Chorizo Sausage cooked in Red Wine), and Butifarra Plancha con Aji-Oli (Italian Botifarra Sausage with Aioli).

Wow! Check out the images. They were beautifully plated. And each one tasted just a good as it looks. Maybe better. Spicy, but not hot. Just Spanish cuisine, done right.

So rare to see such excellent execution of Spanish dishes in Latin America. (Just because they speak Spanish doesn’t mean they can cook it, unfortunately.) These tapas were all delicious. And I’d say for such high-quality ingredients and superior execution, priced extremely well. The four tapas averaged about 27,50 pesos each (about US$1.50).

Those four little tapas were so good, I told the waiter to bring me his favorite dessert. Out came the “leche frita”. So simple. But delicious. Accompanied by a tasty cappuccino.

I note that although El Tapeo has placed its emphasis on hand-held and 3 bite tapas, they do have some casseroles that a bit more substantial. We’ll update the review after out next visit.

I regret to say that the list of beers, distilled spirits and wines is not all that impressive. Hopefully the owner will consider getting some quality artisanal beers and few good wines and mezcals on the menu to equal the fabulous finger foods.

In the meantime, do as the Madrideños do, drink a pitcher of sangria.