Matt Kav

4 of us were in Austin for a days of golf and music, and had dinner in El Raval on the evening of 12/4. We all opted for the $75 tapas plate. Selection was fantastic. Seasoning was spot on. Flavors were great. I have never been to Barcelona but those of our group who had been said El Raval "nailed it". Service was friendly, professional and knowledgeable. Ambience was lively without being too loud for conversation. Next time I'm in Austin, I'll return. True 5 stars.

Mercedes M

I just went for some authentic Spanish paella and was surprised at how delicious all the food was! All the tapas we tried were delicious but to our surprise there was live flamenco dancers and singing. Great little trio of musicians as we watched the fascinating flamenco dancers! Will definitely go back when in San Antonio!

Steven Schultz

My family went to El Raval to celebrate a birthday and it was an excellent idea. We had Dominique as our waiter and he was outstanding. He provided several recommendations before we decided on the Feed Me Experience which is 8 courses of the Chef's selection and it was excellent. Everyone at El Raval provided us with an excellent experience.

+1

Diana Pastore

We really enjoyed the food - every single dish was on point and even our toddler (who they kindly accommodated with spicy sauce on the side, etc.) ate quite a bit of food. He also loved playing with the armadillo statues out front. The retail parking made this so convenient and stress free. The vegetarian paella was stellar!

Darren Suto

Raval was a great experience! This was our first time here and it did not disappoint. Our waiter Ben was fantastic. Super personable, a big fan of the food there and just a great energy to make us feel welcomed to the restaurant. We also had the pleasure of briefly chatting with the GM Derrick and he was just as much of a gem. It’s always a good feeling when the GMs or owners walk around to make sure everyone is enjoying their experience. We had a number of the tapas dishes including the potatas bravas, the croquettes, short ribs & Octopus. The ribs were unbelievably tender and the octopus was unreal, I would go back just for the Octopus and a drink tbh… delicious!! If you’re into Tapas/Paella and a Lively, Friendly vibe, this is the place for you! Highly recommend and bring your appetite!! :)

Daniella Chaney

I had the most amazing experience here. We did a friends dinner and all got the chefs experience. When I tell you.. everything was delicious! It was!! I can’t wait to come back and enjoy some paella. All their appetizers were great as well as the service.

Geddy Pontiff

We had two tapas, the duck paella and cream brûlée. The patatas bravas had excellent flavor and spice but the tomato sauce on top was cold which was an odd choice. Brussel sprouts were perfectly charred and served with an excellent sauce/pickled carrots & onions. The duck paella was rich and the duck itself was cooked very well (would come back for this!)…it says a portion for two but by Texas standards this was a one person portion if you are hungry.

Kasia Czeczkowska

It was very delicious! One of the best octopus I ever tried. Super soft and full of flavor. Interesting, creative menu. Definitely will come back. The only downside was the outdoor chairs — hard plastic and oddly angled, so you felt like you were sliding forward the whole time.

Foodie Jo

Was here for dinner and tried a couple of dishes. Almost at 80% authenticity to Spanish cuisine which is great for a place in the US. The server was really fun and the vibe overall is fantastic. We ordered the shrimps and it was very tasty. With the sauce/ oil at the right spice point and very flavorful. The breads served is also amazingly good and distinctively great quality. The cocktail was good however the Sangria was a disappointment. If you are in Austin, definitely recommend checking this one for a taste of Europe.

+1

Mariana Maia

Fantastic experience at El Raval! The food was absolutely delicious — the paella was totally worth the wait, and we loved all the appetizers. The arroz con leche for dessert was the perfect sweet ending. The staff was excellent and super friendly. Special thanks to Gi the host! We’ll definitely be back!

+1

Jake Hewitt

El Raval- incredible evening filled with delicious authentic food from Barcelona!! This was the best way to spend my birthday! Chef Laila Bazahm, thank you for the wonderful dishes. Joe and Chelsea, I appreciate you guys as well for making it a great night. The drinks from the bar- great variety and quite tasty. Every dish we ordered, I’d get again. I could go on and on about the food. We started with ceviche de hamachi, then got suquet de marisco- all I can say is wow! Highlight dish for me with amazing flavors. We finished the main courses with paella de pato. Yum! And of course you need dessert. The Basque cheesecake and arroz con leche were excellent!! The entire night was one to remember and I’ve been telling everyone about El Raval!!

+16

Stacie Papineau

Apparently, it was National Paella Day yesterday so my friend made a reservation for a group of us. I, of course, got there early so treated myself to a happy hour Mule and some Patatas. I have to tell you it was the best Mule I ever had. When I told Lucas(?) how much I liked it, he told me they make their own ginger beer! 😊 Once everyone arrived we were seated right away. Francis served us and did a fantastic job. We ordered a few more plates and we got the seafood and duck Paella. OMG! Everything was fantastic. It was so good, I probably could have eaten one order of Paella on my own even though they are meant for two people. They are right up Lamar from my job and on Monday, happy hour is all night. I may have to treat myself again soon!

Lisa Fox

We traveled 3 hours for Paella and were so impressed. Tapas menu but portions were good. The mussels were outstanding and the seafood paella was great. You have to try their grilled bread. We also had a nice Spanish white wine our waiter, Jay, recommended. Price was surprisingly less than I’d expected. We will be back!

+1

We had a 6:00 PM reservation and were seated right away, which was great. Our main server was nice and attentive. The only reason for 4 stars instead of 5 was the service from the staff handling water and clearing dishes — they felt a bit dry and somewhat rude, giving very short answers when we asked questions. On the positive side, the manager (I believe he was the manager) who served the sparkling wine with the porrón was incredibly friendly and made us feel at home the entire time — that was a great touch. The food was absolutely amazing! We had the black paella, pulpo a la brasa, and gambas al ajillo — everything was delicious and full of flavor. We will definitely be coming back!

Alberto Battaglino

One of the closest things to a true Spanish food we found in Austin so far. The tapas were good — and while they’re considered “small plates” by local standards, they’re still noticeably larger than what you’d get in Spain. I suppose that’s fair when you’re paying $20–30 for items that in most bars in Spain, often show up free with a caña (small beer). Still, the flavors were solid and captured well the spirit of Spanish tapas. The seafood paella was also quite good, especially considering we’re landlocked. The rice had nice flavor and the seafood tasted fresh. I do think the alioli would be better served on a small plate instead of inside the paellera, and I missed the traditional socarrat — that delicious, crispy layer at the bottom. If they nail that, it’ll really elevate the dish. Overall, El Raval delivers a very enjoyable Spanish-style meal and comes impressively close to the real thing. Would happily return.

S B

Great spot to try once, but really overpriced. I like the idea of mixing the mediterranean, North African, and Spanish cuisines, but most of the dishes were just nice, not evocative. The Gambas al Ajillo and Setas al Carbon were definitely our favs. Our server was nice too, but didn't have basic answers (e.g. is there sunchoke in the hummus for the setas?). The Solera y Fuego cocktail sounded great, but drank very basic. Great looking plates, some stand out dishes, and amazing, amazing lighting lol, like seriously impressive light fixtures, but yea not worth $100/person.