Pepin

Well, that’s the last night that this restaurant will be opened. Yes. They closing after 22 years! This restaurant didn’t get the best reviews, but it was definitely different than all the other restaurants in town. I miss this place already but I guess that nothing last forever…

Outstanding food with authentic environment. We loved the sangria! You can tell that the server had 20+ years of experience. It is also the best spot for salsa dancing in Phoenix. If you are interested in having a unique experience in Phoenix, I would recommend this restaurant. You can’t beat the location and the salsa music. Gotta try it!

Best Paella de Pescado y Marisco!

This review is solely on the bartender here since my friends and I only came here for drinks and salsa night tonight. She was phenomenal. The kind of bartender you wish was at every bar you visited because she took care of us, made us feel at home, and started our night off right. I wish I had gotten her name so I could give her a shout out here, but she had a cool hairstyle, if that helps. Oh yeah, the dancing/​music was also very fun, and management was on top of the situation when someone bumped me so hard I dropped (and broke) my margarita glass on the dance floor. Thanks for a memorable night Pepin!!!

To begin with, search for a Groupon coupon before you go here. For what you get, it is rather pricey unless you use a groupon. But with a groupon for two or four, it is an OK deal. All the food offerings are OK — nothing spectacular or special, but not bad. We had 5 of us and ordered 3 apps — 2 cold (smoked salmon with capers and the cured meats and cheese plate) and one hot (shrimps with garlic and olive oil). The cold ones were 4 stars, and hot one maybe 3 stars. We had paella (2) and chicken over pasta with a creamy cheese sauce… sorta like a Spanish version of chicken alfredo. Both types of dishes were pretty good. Flan for dessert. We were all full and satisfied. But again, you gotta have a groupon or you will be dissatisfied.

I ordered a Caesar Salad with grilled/​roasted chicken. It was mediocre, not bad but not great either. The service was poor but friendly. I don’t think I will go back.

I TRIED to make a reservation for valentines night, bec I purchased a Groupon so I could finally try this place. Whomever answered the phone was EXTREMELY rude and said that Groupons were not allowed on that day. No where in the groupon rules did it state this and I was given a refund for this. Due to the extreme rudeness of whomever answered the phone, I will probably never try Pepin. Dishonestly and attitudes don’t make me want to spend $ at your establishment.

The food is good, not great. For the price, I would even say so-​so.
We shared the seafood paella and the salmon. They did not use the right kind of rice for paella and they skimped on the seafood. Also the saffron flavor was weak.
The salmon was decent on its own, but it was sitting in a «goopy» sauce that lacked flavor.
Sadly, the sangria was dull also. It didn’t taste like much at all and there was no fruit in it.
Overall the food lacked the Spanish flavors I expected. It was not horrible, but I would not eat here again as it is way overpriced for the quality.

I want to love this place. Really, I do. It would be a perfect restaurant for one of those «please update our business for us» 911 renovation shows. The dusty fake plants and ultra old décor don’t support the more expensive menu. The dancing was cool but VERY LOUD. We had to yell to talk to each other, there were only 4 of us. The paella is good, but if we order wine and tapas and a paella to share and the bill is pretty substantial… I would love for it to be in a place where I don’t have to yell and doesn’t look like a 24 hour burrito shop in south Phoenix inside. Our waiter pushed an appetizer on us because we mentioned we were pretty hungry and the paella «takes a while». He didn’t mention that they bring out complementary bread. There was also a random employee, maybe a busboy?, kind of standing behind a post across from us just watching. Maybe he gets into trouble for not immediately filling up waters or taking plates? I don’t know. but it was kind of creepy.

This place brought me back to my Spanish travels. The owner is amazing and there’s free live music/​dancing. Definitely coming back

Purchased a Groupon to try the restaurant. Seemed like a great way to try out a new restaurant at a good price. The décor was outdated. Its very old and has no dining atmosphere. The service and food was ok. The problem came when we received the bill. It seems that the wait staff decides what amount to tip. The waiter took it upon himself to give himself a $ 30 tip which was the full 20%. He brought the check with the tip added into the bill before I had a chance to decided for myself. I am NOT opposed to tipping, I am opposed to someone deciding the amount for me. I realize that Groupon encourages the tip based on the full amount before the discount. Tipping is not mandatory nor requirement when you go out to eat. It is to show whether or not you’ve received excellent service and food based on the amount of tip you leave. It’s a courtesy. I know we are all aware of the basics in tipping. I do resent having a waiter decide what amount of tip he’s going to receive. Since when does a waiter decide? That decision is based on the customer and the experience he received while dining. It’s not the wait staffs place to decide what I’m going to tip !! The food was not that great, and over priced!! Next time I’m in the area, I will walk around the corner and go to the Mission. Much nicer restaurant, food is better, and the waiters do not decided their tips and tell you what your going to give as a tip.
Will not be back to Pepin because of what the waiter did! Very distasteful!!!

Wine menu full of interesting, dry reds. The tapas are flavorful enough to slap you upside the head. The prices are rather pricey, but it includes a show: You come here for flamenco guitar and dancing. It also makes a good date place located as it is near the strolling– and people-​watching grounds of Scottsdale Civic Center.
Architecture and interior design could probably use a freshening. Looks like it hasn’t changed in 22 years. But then a lot of Spanish restaurants in Spain haven’t changed in 200 years. So. ..

Three simple reasons for each pros and cons:
Pros– Great show, great people, and main dishes are great.
Cons– side dishes like vegatables tasted like it came from frozen bag, a bit pricey, and their atmosphere isn’t that bad, except for their painting job and need to tune up the place.

We originally only went because of a coupon we got but were pleasantly surprised with the authentic Spanish dishes… Paella was amazing, perfectly cooked and even the crème fraîche for the free bread was delicious We got a nice window view of the mall park If they just spruced up the décor I would give them five stars

Totally agreed with the reviewer that mentioned that this place had a distinct foreign flavor. Barcelona without the plane ticket, I’d say. Stopped in on the way to SMOCA for a drink and stumbled upon happy hour. Yummy tapas, futbol on the telly, and the owner served us himself at the bar. Lovely, wonderful man who takes great pride in his heritage and food. The sweetbreads are simply not to be missed.
Very friendly staff, and deserves to be recognized as «the real thing».

Went for the Latin/​Salsa nights advertised on the website. I think the DJ played maybe 6 Latin songs, one salsa, a few merenge, some reggaeton and then it all went to hell. I think some of the patrons requested some not so «Latin» music and next thing you know, it was time for «let me take a selfie». I can see why the crowd was so small since they likely do not stick to the advertised music. I wrote the DJ a note, «It is Latin/​Salsa night, you should play that sh** meng» with an unhappy face.
I doubt I’ll be back. Although for those few songs, it was fun.

Last time we were there it was Valentine’s Day. We enjoyed the home-​style atmosphere. The interior is a little dated and worn, but it reminds me of my travels to Central American Spanish restaurants.
The service was fine. The owner was available and checked-​in on guests. (Which may have been because of the poor reviews of late)
The reason I’m giving it 4 stars is because of the scrumptious Paella that we had and the delicious Red Sangria.
We are returning tomorrow evening with the Groupon deal. I will let you know!

We also went on the Groupon deal. the food was ok, I wasn’t blow away. I’ve had better tapas in the Valley. We tried the surf and turf meal and the negro paella. The bathroom was akin to a gas station’s…sketch. The entertainment was a little loud for my preference and we were probably at the farthest table from the stage. I liked the Red Sangria :).

My boyfriend and I purchased a Groupon that provided one appetizer, two entrées and a small pitcher of sangria. We got to choose between red and white sangria so we picked the red which was delicious. We each ordered the «pollo pepin» which was a dish consisting of chicken strips in a type of tobasco sauce. I also ordered vegetable soup which tasted good, but seemed very similar to something made by campbells. To be honest, I could cook a home meal that is much better than the one we ate there. However, the meal is really not what you’re paying for at Pepin. we went for the atmosphere and the live dancing entertainment and had a great evening. The service was also quick and our waitress was highly attentive. If the food had been more impressive than it would have been worth returning without the Groupon deal.

Too bad can’t indicate zero. Used a Groupon. Food was poor, service indifferent. Décor takes you back to the 80s but not in a good way (like a banquet hall of a Holiday Inn in Muncie Indiana). Had fun surprise of additional charges on my credit card which I had to dispute.
If you want good tapas /​Spanish food, go to Tapas Papas Fritas.

Found this place via Living Social and have been here several times since. It’s a classic Spanish Tapas joint. It gets busy on the weekends when they have live entertainment and Flamenco dancers on the stage. When that happens, it can get loud and crowded in the lower seating area next to the stage. We sat there once and didn’t like it… it was uncomfortable and The Better Half and I couldn’t have a conversation because it was too loud. It’s worth checking out at least once though.
Over our visits, we’ve tried the following menu items:
Pan con Tomate, $ 9
Empanada Gallega, $ 9
Croquetas, $ 11
Spanish Sausage, $ 9
Peppers & Goat Cheese, $ 12
Spanish Fritatta, $ 8
Out of the bunch, my favorites are the Peppers and Goat Cheese, Empanada, and the Spanish Sausage. The others are just OK.
The service here is hit/​miss and the Wine selection is not very good. There are a lot of Spanish Wines on the menu, but they didn’t taste good… I’ve sampled many of them and ended up disappointed every time.
Overall, it’s just an OK joint.
Return Factor — 50%