Esperpento

3.9 / 5 Tapas are an acquired flavor, for those who can appreciate smaller dishes. I used to love it here, over the 10 years I been coming here it has always been good not great. Consistency they are good at. Flavors are solid with plenty of lemon on the side.I usually order the fish and veg options as well as the classic sauce they serve with the bread. Service is a bit slow, ambiance is dated but kinda cute. Try it out and see for yourself!

The best Paella in the Bay Area!!! I've been to Teleferic in Palo Alto and Los Gatos but Paella of Esperpento is the best in my opinion, taste wise and lots of fresh ingredients !!! Fast and friendly owner and servers . Ambiance is okay as well . Parking is just across or near the restaurant . Highly recommended!

I'm a Paella connoisseur so I tried it out. It was ok, not delectable as it should be. Price is right but something flavorful was missing. Prosciutto tapa was bomba! Sangria was average, not delicious but does the job. I did my good deed but will def try elsewhere.

How I love thee Esperpento! Feeling fancy but on a budget? Esperpento has a cure for that. Hungover and need soul cpr? Esperpento has a cure for that too. Oxtail stew for life! There's a reason why this gem has survived all of the mission neighborhood changes. It's epic, budget friendly, Spanish comfort foodNot sure what to get? The staff will gladly help you have an amazing experience. Definitely recommend in person over delivery for the full food high .

Warning, street parking can be tough. We had an absolute blast, eating our hearts out. Tip: It is best to order, eat, rest, order again and eat again. :)There were some confusion with our orders, but it got resolved. Nevertheless, we had an absolute great experience with our servers. Place was clean; restrooms were clean. Tapas were yummy. The paella was just OK for me only because I was too full with the tapas. Anchovies is a must; green beans was yummy. Oxtail was great. Calamari was to die for.

My husband and I were revisiting our favorite date-night spots and we stopped by Latin American Club to have one of their mean margaritas. We've always noticed Esperpento multiple times across the street and always talked about trying it out and this time, we finally took the leap!!I do want to preface this by saying I've lived in Spain for half a year and have revisited different parts of the country 7x since so I may be a paella/spanish food snob.We ordered the tortilla de patata and the Paella de Carne and a bottle of wine to share. The tortilla de patata came out quickly but unfortunately, it was nothing to write home about. It was quite dry and flavorless. Finally, the paella de carne came out and it looked like it was filled with a variety of meats. I was excited to dig in but was disappointed with the lack of flavor, no socarrat, and not even a hint of saffron. MEHHHH. So dissapointing!This place is a "no" for me, fam!

Came here on a Tuesday night with 6 friends and had no wait. The interior of the restaurant is cozy and cute, and the staff is super nice. We all loved the bread and garlicky aioli and appreciated the refills! The food was also pretty okay but kind of pricey imo. The squid ink paella was delicious but I do wish there was more seafood. The seafood to rice ratio for each bite was a bit off. For 6 people we got the 4person paella and it was more than enough- definitely had some to go. The sangria pitcher was $19 and a great deal to split amongst the group.

I was in the neighborhood and decided to give it a try. Spanish food is always a good option but sadly, this place disappointed me.The service is attentive and friendly, inside fees cozy and welcoming. There were 2 guys that played the guitar. I appreciated it but I wish the establishment pay them instead of making them go around the tables asking for tips.The food:-Meatballs. Under seasoned. Bland.-Gambas al ajillo. Nothing special. I appreciate they removed the intestines.-Patatas bravas were good.-Artichokes. Bland.-Pan con tomate. It had a tomato paste instead of fresh ones. Meh. Why did they add onions? Dessert:Churros. Didn't say they were filled with raspberry jam, that's not traditional in Spanish cuisine. But it was good. Nice consistency and flavor! I recommend it.Points for having Inca Cola.I won't comeback.

Food was delicious. Served very hot. We got different appetizers and a paella plate. They do tell you it takes 30 minutes but it goes but fast. I recommend getting appetizers if you get paella. The restaurant has inside and outside seating. They give you bread too which is very good.

Great service, good food, good deal, very fresh seafoodJust went to eat at Esperpento. We use to go all of the time nearly 10 years ago and it is just as good as it was. The first thing I noticed eating the seafood was that it was very fresh and soft. I really appreciate that. This is how it should be. We had the mixed paella, sangria, cod croquettes, grilled artichoke, mushrooms, shrimp, tortilla, and calamari. The tortilla was really good--nice and fluffy. My wife is Cuban and very critical of croquettes--they were solid. Grilled veggies were great and sangria yummy. We finished with flan--which my family is also very critical because it is served every major holiday. It was good. The only gripe--the espresso didn't taste right. It was pretty bad. Any place that serves european or Latin food needs to serve good espresso. Maybe the beans were old. Not sure. Esperpento --Please try to address this. Otherwise--my family loves your restaurant and can't wait to go back. Technically I would give 4.25 to 4.5, but I'll round up because they are underscored on average.