Barlata Tapas Bar

We arrived here to make our 9:45 (open until 11:00) reservation after a loooong day of driving. When scoping out places to eat, I noticed that Austin now has several tapas options, so we opted to try this one out. The last tapas I’d eaten in Austin were at Fino, which wasn’t very good the times that I went, and which I believe closed a year or so ago.
So, the upshot is, we were looking forward to tapas in our old stomping grounds! Things started out well; my sparkling spritzer was herbal, fruity, and a little bitter, his sangria was tasty, and our cheese plate and gazpacho arrived promptly. After that, though, our server became more and more scarce, and we could see her doing side-​work by the line. That’s fine, but it’s no reason to ignore your last couple of tables. We sat for a good 15 minutes waiting for our final tapas plates to be cleared, and then waited a while longer for dessert menus. No offers for a coffee warm-​up or a check-​in on dessert itself were forthcoming.
Here’s a run-​down of the food without regard to the good devolving into absent service.
A step above:
–Mussels with sofrito: these were scrumptious, served in a lovely broth that I couldn’t help but dip the very good house bread into.
–Almond tarta: this twist on a traditional Spanish almond cake was divine: just sweet enough with a dense texture served with a blueberry compote and a light semifreddo. I have a feeling that desserts may be a strength.
On cue:
–Gazpacho: this was fine, if a little salty. I always like versions with almonds, and the vegetable flavor was good.
–Cheese plate: this was served with some quince paste and fig jam. The cheeses were all solid, but only a couple were truly delicious.
–Tinned baby squid: these were interesting to try. They were a bit fishy for me, but my fellow diner liked them a lot.
–Brandada: I cannot not order something with bacalao when having tapas, and this version was solid, though again a bit heavy on the added salt (outside of the salt cod itself).
Misstep:
–Lobster and grapefruit salad: this was far too acerbic, and I know it is supposed to be sour. I mean, I make a version of this salad myself. A little honey in the dressing would go a long way toward adding much-​needed balance too this dish.
If only the service wouldn’t have fallen apart, we would have enjoyed our experience a lot more!

This is the third time I’ve been to this place, and I’m officially crossing it off my list. I ordered their summer heirloom salad and the description included this: summer peaches, goat cheese, basil, vinaigrette, and tomato. It came and was extreeeemely underwhelming. My goodness, I can’t believe you can even say this included peaches. For $ 14 I got a bunch of tomatoes drenched in olive oil. It was horrendous. My server was very understanding and sweet, but this is unacceptable. She brought a complimentary glass of cava, but I just wish they comped my salad instead. Trendy should not mean over-​priced and skimpy food. I do not recommend.

Went to this Happy Hour once and was hooked. It became our weekly meeting spot at the large, communal bar seating. I love that bar. Just don’t take the corner seats — they’re ours.
The menu has a decent variety of dishes from vegetarian to meat and all priced around $ 4-​$ 8 for happy hour. Most items are above average. The ceviche is a winner, so is the beet salad and the calamari, most of the meat choices as well. And always the shishito peppers! I always get the house white wine but have even tried a good Old Fashioned. You can’t go wrong with those choices!
Service is pretty shotty. Not the friendliest of faces on occasion, now they charge for extra bread (not cool but that dipping sauce is to die for), and you can often times wait forever to get another drink or order in…
Despite the negatives, the positives far outweigh. I highly enjoy this place and I’ve never even sat outside. We will continue to frequent. Tapas

I would need to come back to see if this changes. The wine prices was a little high but good selection. I did like the space though, felt comfortable. Food was just ok would need to try more. I would recommend the ceviche.

Don’t know why this isn’t a happy hour regular.
The HH house red is damn tasty! And there’s a great selection of tapas. I really enjoyed the lamb empanadas — don’t hate.
With onsite parking and a cute patio on Lamar, I’m putting this into the regular HH rotation.

Came back to Bar (de) Lata yesterday because we like the tapas entries when we dined here last Tuesday. Unlike the great reception we got from Justine the first time we came; this time the reception person was on his cellphone and did not even give us the courtesy of a glance (not nice). Before moving on, I would like to compliment the waite staff who served us the first time we came: roll call: Ryan, Dante & Elaina plus Miguel who brought out some tapas plates we ordered. Okay, move forward to Wednesday, our server forgot to bring here smile today. She was quick and fast but what about customer service (or that little skit); maybe she was just having a bad start of her shift. Enough said.
What we liked and think brings us back some childhood memories: pulpo; grilled manchego and jamón Serrano; the pāta negra was very good as well as the jamón over bread smeared with tomato; the chorizo & Spanish salami plate; ox tail (small) was great; paella Barlata had the flavor we where looking for; the paella tinta fedué pulpo had the flavor but had very little pulpo (don’t mind paying a little bit more to get that pulpo flavor); the lamb empanadas was not bad, but the lamb skewer was really good. Maybe I forgot some more entries that we ordered but I think we got the length and breadth of their menu. I will still go back because of the flavor of the food (kudos chef) and maybe we will get the more friendlier staff next time.

My spouse and I tried this place last night. It definitely has some hits and some misses…
The good:
Mussels «en escabeche» pimenton oil, duck leg with prunes and pine nuts, Mel I Mato (goat cheese mouse dessert… highly recommend!), the sangria (not overly sweet. which is perfect to me). They also had a special last night that consisted of a slice of beef with pureed cauliflower and celery salad. I cannot remember the name… but it was AMAZING!!!
The bad:
Our waiter did not tell us about the specials when we were seated. We actually overheard him telling another table. Once he brought our first dish out, we had to ask him about the specials for the night.
The other issue I had with the service was that the waiter took our empty wine glasses without asking if we wanted anything else. He didn’t say a word. I just saw an arm reach over my shoulder, grab the glasses and quickly walk away. For a second I thought it was one of the other staff members who were keeping water filled and such, but it was our waiter. When he came back again later, we were able to order some of that delicious sangria!
One dish that I was really looking forward to was the Ahi tuna *en escabeche” pimenton oil. It turned out to be a huge disappointment. It was a weird sort of gray color. like it was not cooked properly. The flavor the dish was ok, but it was hard to get over the presentation of tuna.
Lastly, the noise is horrible in this place. I could barely hear myself talk. I would not go here for a romantic evening unless you know sign language!
I think this place is worth trying. We had a very mixed experience, but the things that were good… were REALLY good.

The atmosphere was lively and the Spanish-​inspired interior with vibrant colors really enhanced a mini Barcelona in Austin experience. On one side of the restaurant where the bar is, there are only high-​top tables and on the other side are all low-​top. The high-​top tables only have bar stools to sit on which were a bit uncomfortable for me. However, I was with a party of 11 people on a Friday night where the reservation was made the night before — so I understand that we may not have gotten the best seating option.
The food I got to try was the quail, the paella barlata, and ceviche. My favorite was definitely the ceviche! I was very satisfied with the mixture of shrimp, octopus and scallops in a nicely made citrus/​tomato based sauce. Ceviche as a starter is always a great option and I would recommend getting this if you go to Barlata. The quail came with a fresh garlic sauce and the quail actually came out a bit dry. I ordered the smaller size of paella barlata which consisted of saffron rice, shrimp, clams, and chicken chorizo, some vegetables. The seafood taste was prominent which some people may find enjoyable — for me personally, I thought it was okay.
I shared these three dishes with one other person and I was still a bit hungry. The food is a bit on the pricier side especially for t its portion size but I did not find this surprising at all since it is a bit difficult to find a nice Barcelona-​y kind of restaurant in Austin.
Atmosphere 3.5÷5
Service ⁴⁄₅
Food ³⁄₅
Note: I would recommend coming in for happy hour to get more of your money’s worth!

Having been in Austin for 7 years, not having tried a Tapas restaurant is almost inexcusable. Granted, four of those years I was a poor college student and three of which having no transportation. Anyways, I scoped around and found Barlata. I was super stoked about a ton of items on their menu! Their prices are relatively inexpensive as well.
Let’s start with the parking. Barlata has a parking garage, but it can still be pretty packed during the rush hour. During dinner time on a Saturday night, I drove in and had to turn back out. Tip: if you can’t find a parking space, drive into the parking garage and turn left instead of right. There’s a couple parking spaces in that tucked in corner that I completely missed the first time.
Tonight was apparently an unusually packed night. There were multiple birthday and bachelorette parties and the place was super loud. Not an intimate place, but definitely fun and exciting. We had reservations, but still had to wait a good 10 – 15 minutes to get a seat along the wall. A Bee’s Knee’s was ordered and it was tasty and refreshing. A nice change of pace after the parking madness.
The two of us shared six dishes between us. The first one up was a baby squid stuffed with sausage in squid ink, and it was a doozy. I admit, I wasn’t accustomed to having an entire squid on my place before me, so it was partially mental to get through this dish. Overall, it wasn’t bad, but not anything I would get excited about. The Tiradito of Escolar and Escalivada was next and it wasn’t that much better. I was stoked about the escolar from my sushi experiences, but the texture and flavors weren’t what I was expecting and left much to be desired.
I must agree with those who said that the Braised Oxtail on mashed potatoes tastes essentially like pot roast. I enjoyed the flavors and the fat content, but I personally feel that the oxtail would be best experienced with the bone on. The intensity of the flavors and the presentation would greatly benefit that way. Not wanting to be outdone, the Paella Barlata was a hit! Flavors were on point and the shrimp were large and perfectly cooked. The small was a good size to share, but I’m sure we would’ve gladly taken down the large version as well. The pan was licked clean. The pork belly was also good, although it was a bit strange being served in thin broth and was no where near the best I’ve had.
For dessert, we ordered the Mel I Mato. Overall we both liked it a lot as it was sweet, but not over the top. The combination of the mousse, torte, and the ice cream was excellent with a great presentation on the plate.
Now, the service. Our servers were overall really nice and friendly. I understand that the place was super busy, but there were times where we, a mere table of two, felt ignored and almost pushed out the door. Not that it was anything severe enough that could count as offensive, but with a lot of the dishes we ordered tasting mediocre, the service didn’t help improve the experience.
Would I come back? With so many great Tapas choices in Austin, it’s hard to dwell on a place that didn’t absolutely meet my expectations.

I love tapas but haven’t been overly impressed by any place I’ve been in the last few years. We met some friends for dinner here the other day who had been before. Their thoughts before we went, «it was good and quality last time but some dishes were so-​so.» After eating, «man, they have really stepped up their game. Everything was excellent.»
Yes, everything we had was excellent and we tried a large portion of the menu. What I loved is every dish was prepared perfectly and carried it’s own weight at the table. No dish lacked, which was might impressive.
Here is what we tried. I would recommend all of them!
First, drinks really quick:
— White Walker ($ 11) — Dolin Blanco Vermouth, Ford’s Gin, Club Soda) — a near perfect drink in my opinion. I don’t like things sweet. This was refreshing but the vermouth gave it a nice complexity.
— Bee’s Knees ($ 10) — very nice drink as well. The honey gave it some sweetness but not too much. Still refreshing.
— Fig Old Fashion ($ 12) — great take on an old fashioned. Not over the top frills which is good in an old fashioned.
*I didn’t order all of these, I tried everyone’s at the table. Just a disclaimer so you didn’t think I was wasted and elaborating on the food review)
Second, Food… oh the amazing food:
— Baby squid /​fennel sausage /​squid ink ($ 10) — I haven’t had a place properly do a squid ink dish in years. Barlata knocked it out of the park. The portion is two baby squid stuffed with a delicious sausage and a rich, well spiced squid in sauce. Ask you server for extra bread because if you’re like us you’ll be wanting to lick the can. Bread is the more publicly acceptable approach.
— Bravas ($ 8 — Fried​potatoes /​spicy tomato /​allioli) — I was shocked how good they could make a simple potato. The dressing were excellent and potatoes fried perfectly. Perfect dish to help fill you up during tapas but keep you impressed all at the same time.
— Grilled Shitake Mushrooms (9) — holy hell, who knew a mushroom could be so good. This one is a tapas dish with Asian flair of sake and mirin, but man my mouth is watering again just thinking about these. Serving is two skewers of halved mushrooms.
— Fire Roasted Shishito Peppers ($ 8) — again, another simple but executed perfectly dish. Lightly salted and perfectly roasted.
— Brandada ($ 11) — I’d never had this dish before but so glad I tried it based on our friends recommendation. It’s a kind of whipped potato soufflé with shredded salted cod mixed throughout. It was new and delicious.
— Boquerones ($ 8) — a perfectly layered dish of flavors. I was a little intimiated by the anchovies not having had too many before, but the pear and cheese with the salty fish… mmmmm heaven.
— House Cured Salmon ($ 12) — heaven on a plate. Buttery tender salmon cured perfectly and topped with a delicious crème.
— Gambas Ajillo ($ 13) — simple and delicious. Shrimp cooked to perfection. Another one to ask for extra bread because that garlicy oil left behind in divine!
— Croquetas Of Jamon Iberico and Serrano ($ 8.5) — I’ve never had croquetas as superb as these. Little bites of heaven. They have forever ruined me for crappy croquetas.
— Order of jamon Iberico ($ 19) — our friends said this was a must have. It’s a special type of jamon (prosciutto) where the pigs are only fed acorns. This is one of the best jamon items I’ve ever had. Just meaty enough with a melt in your mouth quality. There I go drooling again.
Lastly, desserts:
— Hojaldre de Pera ($ 9) — fantastic and great for sharing. Comes with two generous sized pockets you could cut in half in need be. And the Valdeon & Fig Ice Cream — no words, just a happy face.
— Blackberry & Mezcal Sorbet ($ 6) — unique and flavorful. Almost had a hint of spice to it. Definitely worth trying.
— Meyer Lemon Sorbet ($ 6) — tart, bright and palate cleansing.
As you can see, we tried to eat the whole menu! I was impressed that each dish seemed to get better and better. My advice is to go with at least four people so you can try a variety of dishes.
I was so impressed, I plan to go back to see if their paella can hold up to the rest of the menu.

Brunch at Barlota is so amazing, you must try it!
The huevos con crema and jamon is a dish I could eat everyday!
The atmosphere is warm and very Spanish!
The staff is engaging and lovely!!!
Bianca was our perfect wait person!

Happy Hour Review: Highly anticipated visit — L.O.V.E. tapas!
[HH Sun-​Thurs 5−7PM; discounted food & drinks]
Could have easily been a 4 or even 5 star rating IMHO due to the nice atmosphere, good HH prices on food and drink ($ 4 Estrella Damn Beer), and the quality and presentation of the traditional (albeit ultra simple and hard to screw up) tapas such as a bowl of olives and Catalan toast… and the off HH menu Baby Squid stuffed with fennel sausage covered in a wonderful squid ink sauce creatively served in a sardine-​like can (this is a MUST try if venturing to Barlata; absolutely fantastic!)…however, my overall positive impression quickly decreased for TWO reasons:
1. The last item that was transported to the counter bar I was sitting at was the HH paella. I must premise this WAS the HH paella, so no I was not expecting a steaming, crispy rice bottom paella platter to be delivered (however, after scanning several other reviews I failed to noticed many people raving about any of Barlata’s paella — so sad!), but oh my f!!! The stench of rancid seafood immediately slapped me in the face harder than any contender in a smack-​o-​thon contest could have. Not just «fishy» — B.A.D. — as in «don’t eat that!» I tried a tiny bite of rice and the flavor from the assorted seafood was revolting enough to make me gag. I’m not exaggerating. A Unilocal «no-​no» is to state «I really wanted to like this,» but I really wanted to like this. Such a huge disappointment after having a pretty good experience up until then.
2. The bartender did notice the look on my face, she did apologize and proceeded to take it away without any request on my part, offered to take the charge off the bill (which she did), but then when I explained my possible health concerns to her for others, Lisa replied «nobody else has complained.» Hhrrrrmmmm.
Another must mention, I am a bit suspicious of the braised «oxtail.» While yummy, it tasted more like pot roast than any other tail I’ve had before… and I’ve had a lot of tail; both at home and in restaurants. It was served off the bone (which is fine), but didn’t have the same deep flavor and almost gelatinous texture oxtail typically does (at least in some bites). Hmm… just an interesting side note. No finger pointing.
Overall: If in the area, I would certainly return for HH drinks (Lisa was very friendly all the way through service despite her blasé comment) and order a Jamon y Queso, and most definitely the Squid in a Can, but nothing more exciting than that. I’m torn = 3 stars.

4.5 Star
Atmosphere was soothing yet not too relaxed. I havent had a good paella since my trip to Spain, so I was really looking forward to this place. I was not disappointed at all! Food was pretty good! We ordered the ceviche, lobster paella, arroz negre, gambas ajillos, potatas bravas, and grilled octopus.
Lobster paella was good! A good portion and well worth it. Their signature arros negre was delicious! Their gambas ajillos was so good we had to order it twice. The bravas was decent as well as the grilled octopus and ceviche. I was very happy with the authenticity of the flavors. I would highly recommend this place to anyone looking for good spanish food!

My boyfriend and I chose this spot for Valentine’s Day. It had a great atmosphere with 30 and 40-​somethings in attendance, though because it was so noisy, it was a bit difficult to hold a conversation without shouting.
The food was okay while the wine was superb. The paella came out looking beautiful, but we found the rice to be undercooked. The lamb empanadas were our favorite, and the beef cannelloni was perfectly cooked, but lacked flavor. Not a bad place to try, but we prefer the Odd Duck down the road for tapas. (The nice thing about Barlata is their portion size– you get a lot more here than at Odd Duck.)

My bf and I celebrate Valentine’s Day here. They told us dinner tables were full when we make reservation 2 days ago. Fortunately, we call Barlata ask is there place to eat at 5:00 on Valentine’s Day. We got the yes!
We ordered sangria, ink noodle paella and 3 small dishes. Respectively are mushroom, quail and pock belly that the waitress recommend. The ink paella is different with I eat in Venice, Italy. I wanna to say I prefer Italy style maybe. Three dishes aren’t what I’d expected. I’m okay but my bf totally dislike them. Errr… The environment of Barlata is good. As well as the service.

I’ve been looking for a good tapas restaurant in ATX. We started with the cheese plate which came with a nice variety of 5 or 6 cheeses to try with quince paste and house bread with olive oil. The oxtail with mashed potatoes was really delicious and was very similar to a great pot roast. Patatas bravas were yummy with a delicious garlic sauce on top. The other items we had (Coca flatbread, piquillo peppers) were ok but nothing outstanding.
I was impressed by how knowledgeable our waitress was about everything on the menu from the cocktails to the cheeses to the desserts. However, the timing of our meal was a little off as it took a long time for some items to come out. Overall a good experience.

Barlata is a great date night spot. We arrived early, ahead of our reservation and planned to sit at the bar for some pre-​dinner cocktails. The bar was full! The hostess was kind enough to go ahead and seat us early anyway. Our server seemed young but was well versed in their menu and wine. I started out with the Bee’s Knees (under their classic cocktails list). I loved it! Still trying to wrap my head around the fact that I like gin. The drink was a nice blend of gin, lemon and honey. Their menu has a good selection of vegetarian tapas. We would have probably ordered all the veg options (there’s 8) but we tend to focus more on the drinking/​conversing versus being big appetite eaters.
We ordered the shishito peppers, grilled shitake mushrooms, potatoes bravas, white spanish asparagus, and the tortilla espanola. The potatoes were my favorite: simple and not too crazy actually. I’ve had shishito peppers at several other places and they were pretty standard with that I’ve had elsewhere. I found the white asparagus to be weird because it was cold and I wasn’t expecting that. My least favorite was the tortillas espanola (basically a flat flavorless omelette). The mushrooms were a nice surprise and had great flavor and almost tasted like teriyaki. I’m not sure what about anything we had was very Spanish but it was good and didn’t make us uncomfortably full.
I really loved the wine we ordered. I wanted a red (of course) and I wish I could remember what we ordered. Our server was very knowledgeable of the wine and helped us decide on a bottle to order. It was a blend, under the garnacha section and it was excellent! I would come again just for the great cocktails and wine. The food didn’t blow me away, but I appreciate they had a vegetarian section on the menu and the service was amazing. I wouldn’t have been as happy if they hadn’t sat us in a booth. The other odd tables were placed strangely close to each other throughout the restaurant with servers squeezing by. So definitely make a reservation and get a booth.

In my experience, tapas restaurants outside of Spain can feel pretentious and make what is supposed to be a relaxed, informal meal feel like it has to be reserved for special occasions. But Barlata is perfect — trendy without being hipster, welcoming without being Chilis, delicious without making it difficult for me to pay rent the following month. We tested it out with a happy hour dinner, but I would (will) gladly go back and pay full price to explore the rest of the menu. Possibly tonight.

Barlata has become our favorite place to gather with friends or celebrate a birthday. Fun atmosphere, friendly and great service, and amazing food! Tonight we celebrated three family birthdays with a party of 11. This is a small plate restaurant but everything is so delicious. We started with the Shishito peppers, Bravas (potatoes with spicy tomato aioli, crispy on the outside and delicious!), torta espanola, and meatballs. Two orders of each for 12 to share. Everything was perfect.
We then ordered the Gambas Ajillo, chorizo with squid ink (incredible!), two paella dishes — all were perfect. Seven more entrée type dishes. Total of 19 for our table of 11. Six desserts were also ordered and they were excellent.
After eating here over a half dozen times we recommend ordering a round of first courses to start with — about ¾ of the number in your party. Then after you have nibbled, decide on about ½ that number for your next round. By then we have usually had enough but you can order another round if still hungry. This is the fun of a tapas restaurant! We always enjoy eating here!

Came in here for happy hour. Really great ambience and cozy little joint. I really dig the chorizo plate and the different varieties they offered. Cheese spread was pretty amazing too! They have a few other things that she’s my interest so I will Come back soon to try the rest. Daily paella being one of them!

We were here for my spouse’s birthday, with her Mom who is an expert cook in Cuban cuisine. I’ve never seen her so happy during and after a dinner… same goes for all of us: as good as it gets in Austin, for Spanish style food. Excellent tapas, great paella and exquisite, original after-​dinner sweets! Shrimps like you forgot how they should taste. Top that off with great house wine and super-​friendly service.
We’ll be back, next birthday or earlier!

Started off promising with the sun choke and spinach and bravas, but everything after was disappointing. The rice in the paella was undercooked, the flank steak was chewy instead of tender, the jambon was smoky but otherwise tasteless and not paired with anything. Most of the other dishes were oversalted, and the ahi tuna tasted off. Server seemed overwhelmed and did not ask what was wrong when food was left untouched. Food came out quickly. Maybe it was an off night because it was extremely crowded and I had heard good things.

Ambiance clean and bright.
Waitstaff attentive and friendly.
Food came promptly.
Dishes: Spanish Migas– Delicious, crunchy little bits of toasted crostini with poached eggs and sausage had a burst of wine flavor. Yum
Chimichurri french fries– yummy, crisp little french fries with a tangy and earthy chimichurri flavor
Pa amb tomaquet– super yummy, crisp toasted bread tossed in oil and topped with slices of jamon serrano.
Pincho moruno– bleh. lamb was not tender and soft. instead it was tough and kind of chewy.
sea bass wrapped in bacon– meh. boring.
Arroz negre paella– meh. the rice was not al dente, very, very slightly undercooked but it had a nice salty flavor.
Overall it was a fine place. I’m being super super picky because Austin really has some fantastic restaurants and the bar has been set very high.

First visit last evening, sat at the bar and mingled with other customers. The place was quite busy for a Wednesday evening which was good to see. Managed to catch the tail end of Happy Hour and was able to enjoy the ceviche, paelland jamon on toast — all outstanding! I just wish I was there earlier to enjoy more small plates at Happy Hour prices! Finished dinner with Gambas al Ajillo (very good) and gezpacho — great tastes woven into the gezpacho! Service was excellent and friendly — I would definitely go back! Everyone in the place seemed to be having a nice time an enjoying the food. Sangria was pretty good, not necessarily the best I’ve had, but it was good.

Came here for brunch with the bf and wonder why we never tried this place sooner! I had the poached eggs with Jamon Iberico and Pimenton hollandaise and the bf had the grilled steak with huevos fritos and salsa brava. I really enjoyed our meal, the food was completely above reproach. I did want something else on the menu, but they were out of it so I asked our server for a recommendation and was not disappointed. Really cool looking restaurant, with great service (and nice bathrooms!) and conventient location.
Took one star off becauses they were out of the ingredients for my first choice and they didnt have too many sweet breakfast options, but will definnitely be back, as the food was great!

We came here for my mother’s birthday dinner. We were a party of 8, so they sat us at the high tables in the back of the restaurant. We ordered 30 tapas, 3 paellas, and 2 desserts. While the waiter recommended for us to order 20 tapas, 30 seemed like the perfect amount for our hungry bunch.
While the dishes were a bit pricy for their size, they were all unique and delicious!
My favorites were the arros negre, fideua negre, braised oxtail, bravas, ceviche, and seared iberico tenderloin. The sangria was also amazing!

I’m a sucker for a good tapas bar, and Barlata didn’t disappoint. The dishes are traditional Spanish small plates, with lots of spice and flavor. The wines on the menu match them well, with lots of full-​bodied reds.
On my visit, I happened to go solo for dinner and sat at the bar. The bartender not only helped me pick out great dishes and a good wine to match, but he was also good conversation for the evening. The combination of good food and great service makes this place a win for me.

Cheapest trip I ever took to Madrid! I was transported by the deliciousness of the patatas bravas, crunchy cubes of fried potatoes swimming in a delicious blend of aioli and slightly spicy tomato sauce, then moving on to a sizable salad of pickled beets, arugula and creamy goat cheese dressed perfectly in oil and balsamic vinegar. I finished my meal with a trio of perfectly cooked shrimp, scallop and mussels in a tangy romanesco sauce. Oh, and finally a sweet/​savory dessert choice — Rosemary cake served in an acidic pear glaze with chunks of pear and a dollop of fresh made whipped cream. I’m very happy right now.

We came here expecting good things because we heard good things. The food was weird. We found the menu to be almost too creative, like we didn’t know what to order weird.
When we got the food it was super super salty. We left this meal hungry and unhappy.
I would avoid.

Si, si, si!!!
Everything Bullfight wishes it could be. Paella is authentic and legit… as was everything else on the menu. The garlic shrimp = perfection since they leave the heads on. Fennel sausage stuffed squid in squid ink… omg! Eat it all… you will not be disappointed.

My husband, 2 year old and I (I’m pregnant) showed up at 6:00 on a Monday evening. Prior to showing up I checked the website to verify a happy hour food menu and the time frame.
When we arrived we were told we could only take advantage of happy hour in the bar area which has 3 booths and the rest bar height tables. All three booths were occupied. I requested to sit in main dining (which only had about 3 or 4 occupied tables) at a waist height table with our 2 year old and still be able to take advantage of happy hour and was told we could not. Seeing as how the restaurant had plenty of open tables, I thought it was ridiculous that my family should have to wait for a booth in the bar area.
If you do not want to accommodate families or people who do not wish to /​cannot sit at bar height tables for an extended period of time, that’s fine. But please post this on your website so that they do not show up.

We had a birthday party of 16 come in Saturday evening and not only was the food delicious but the customer service far exceeded expectations! Our server Juliet was organized and split our check by couples without any issues (unlike other dining establishments). Not only that, she was great about taking our drink/​food orders throughout the evening. The impressive Barlata team worked together cohesively to bring out dishes as they were ready and clear the table promptly. We will be coming back soon!
Must try: Ceviche, Paella Barceloneta, Oxtail

Come for Tapas and if you want happy hour, sit in the bar area because you won’t be getting it in the restaurant.
I love the oxtail and mashed potatoes. It tastes like the most yummy pot roast and the homemade mashed potatoes are incredible. I honestly wish this was a meal with some roasted carrots. I would come more often if this was a meal.
The shrimp and toast were delicious. Flavorful and buttery.
The paella was so great, but so expensive. You will want to order a small one, because of the price. But, you truly need a big one to make sure you have enough.
There’s a large availability of booze and the servers are friendly.

I dream of this place; the food there gave me a mouthgasm.
The gambas al ajillo were these perfectly cooked shrimp. They were cooked in what seemed like chorizo and garlic. Yes. Let that sink in for a while.
The cured salmon with pickled​red onions, caper berries and crème agria was to die for. The saltiness of their house cured salmon and the crema paired perfectly. So simple yet tons of flavor.
We agreed that although everything we had was scrumptious, the one dish that blew our minds was the paella. As I write this review and think about the pealla, it’s a study of Pavlov’s dog; my damn mouth is watering.
Their paella had sausage, clams, oysters, calamari and octopus. Goddamn that was good!
Their cocktails are both interestingly different but shine on their own. Perfect pairings for their dishes.

Barlata would make a great date-​night spot, hint hint! Not quite as upscale-​feeling as other trendy new restaurants in the So-​La area, Barlata still whips up fine Spanish-​style tapas & other cuisine that’s to die for. They, as other happening hot spots in that area, get really packed during the peak weekend hours but if you go after 9PM it’s not so bad & finding a seat shouldn’t be too bad. My recommendation: The seafood paella. Best I’ve had!

Jarra de Sangria a 35 dólares = Robo a mano armada !

I wanted to try this place for a while. I was meeting a friend for a drink down the street and had already eaten, but since I was so close I figured I had to stop in for a quick small bite to see what it was all about. I got the following two dishes off their happy hour menu:
Shrimp and Octopus ceviche
–I’m very passionate about the way octopus should to be prepared and I have been spoiled with some superb octopus in my life. The texture is key. If you ask me, rubbery means the chef doesn’t know what they are doing, firm and tender means they have my respect (like at Odd Duck where they do octopus and pretty much everything else right). The octopus was firm and tender here so that I liked. The overall dish was good and the little pieces of scallops were a pleasant surprise.
Oxtail (Braised served with garlic mash potato and Red Wine sauce)
–Eh, it was ok, but, and I feel bad saying this, it tasted on par with the quality of a tv dinner. The potatoes were way to light as if made from a box of instant mashed potatoes. The meat was decent, but the flavor of everything echoed my scars of microwave tv dinners from my childhood. I will say there was one fatty bite that was pretty good, but that was it.
Atmosphere was open, clean, and fun. Service was really good and their menu is so expansive I’d definitely like to give them another shot on some of their other items. If only they did true tapas here like they do in parts of Spain (free tapas as long as you drink). A boy can dream.

First traditional tapas experience for Ol’ Rooster selecting Barlata as a brunch destination. This also brought to in part by Mrs. Rooster and her generous selection of restaurant gift cards that I received for Christmas. Lucky me and or smooth move as she gets to tag along on my dining adventures.
The food was great starting with Gambas Ajillo. Flavorful rub on plenty of good size shrimp served in a small skillet with sliced garlic and adobo. Next, a simple romaine salad with romesco and Idiazabal cheese. In the drank category, I recommend the Lucia though a small glass for the $ 13 price tag.
Entrees tried included the steak frites with spicy salsa brava and the poached eggs with Jamon Iberico and pimenton hollandaise. Perhaps less the worldly ingredients its about the same as any other brunch in Austin. Don’t get me wrong, it was really good vittles. Maybe my gripe is with the brunch; doesn’t stand out compared to other Austin hot spots.
Finally, it seemed our waitress had ebola. Every time she went from the kitchen to our table she was coughing, wiping her nose, and barely keeping it together. Our dishes were mostly expedited by others; but she still came around for orders and drink refills. We’re fairly used to germs with a first grader; yet we were worried.
Management should have stepped in when she arrived. I realize having worked in the industry at one time that her even showing up was a blessing. If a server is not presentable to customers, they should be replaced. Next week Barlata will be on Best New Restaurant in America on Bravo. Colicchio would have sent her home.