Tapas restaurants are truly one of the best choices for restaurant dining in the city of Chicago. Although the city is known for their famous deep-dish style pizza, tapas should be what they are really known for. Tapas restuarnats are dotted throughout the city of Chicago and really are what the city is all about. Small plates of rich food, perfect for sharing with friends and family that are washed down with lots of red wine sangria. The food is great, the atmosphere relaxed, and the price is right. I highly recommend checking out these great local tapas restaurants the next time you are in the city of Chicago.
Bravo Tapas and Lounge is one of my favorite Tapas bars in Chicago. They have a huge patio, perfect for the mild Chicago summers. It is located on Division Street and draws a huge crowd on the weekends. While all of the tapas dishes are very good, my favorite is the Empanadas de Pollo. You can never go wrong with chicken wrapped in dough and then fried. Although this may be a somewhat safe choice, don’t worry, the whole point of eating tapas is to share you little appetizer with everyone at the table. Bravo Tapas and Lounge is located at 2047 West Division Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60622. You can’t miss it. They have a very contemporary exterior that is well lit by a neon light. They definitley stand out on Division Street. I went on a Friday and it was crowded, so we took the first available table. If you can request a table upstairs though, it is the perfect place to sit and people watch. You can call ahead for reservations at (773) 278-2727.
Café Ba-Ba-Reeba! Is one of those great colorful restaurants that are perfect for brightening up your cold gray winter day. The walls in this tapas restaurant are a brilliant lime green. It really pops against the red seating. The menu is the real reason to visit Chicago’s Café Ba-Ba-Reeba! It has a huge selection of tapas. All in all there is a hot and cold tapas on the menu for everyone. My waiter recommended the beef skewers and she was right! They were so flavorful and fresh. The specialty of the house seems to be the paella. I saw about ten different tables order this dish while I was there. Our waiter did recommend the paella, but she said it would be a 40-minute wait, so we decided to order something a little faster. Café Ba-Ba-Reeba! is located at 2024 North Halstead Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60614. They are open Monday throughThursday 5pm – 10pm, Fridays 5pm -Midnight, Saturdays, Noon to Midnight and Sundays Noon to 10pm. You can reach them for direction or reservations at (773) 935-5000.
Emilio’s Sol y Nieve is located at 215 East Ohio Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60611. I have eaten at Emilio’s Sol y Nieve three times. Not only is the food good, but also they are about two blocks form my home. For something a little unusual I recommend the bacon wrapped dates tapas at this restaurant. I know that may sound a little odd if you have never eaten at a tapas restaurant, but it is a great dish. Plus, it will make you feel like you are really eating something unusual. They also serve up a great warm goat cheese tapas perfect for dipping bread into. It can really get crowded at Emilio’s Sol y Nieve because the restaurant is located only a few blocks off of Michigan Avenue. You can call ahead for reservations at (312) 467-7177. Be prepared with a credit card number because they require one to hold a table. They do have outdoor dining on the sidewalk out front in the summer, but the inside is lit perfectly with a romantic glow.
