Bota Tapas & Paella Bar

Having lived in Spain for several months, it is always a challenge to find excellent Spanish food stateside. Bota, however, exceeded all expectations. Keith, our waiter, provided us with wonderful service with great recommendations and some friendly banter. The gin and tonic and sangria were both excellent, and we enjoyed them as we began with a favorite - patatas bravas with just the slightest bite. The chicken cannelloni was tasty, too, but my absolute favorite was the grilled octopus. It was the best octopus I have ever had! 😋 And I try it many places trying to find what I discovered at Bota. I would come back repeatedly for the octopus alone. ☺️ We ordered three desserts between the two of us - Crema Catalana, Santiago and Churros. Having the crema to add to both the churros and the Santiago was amazing. We had such a wonderful meal and enjoyed ourselves immensely. We highly recommend you try Bota (and especially the octopus!!!).

Service was great. I even got a birthday special a day early. Shared the paella valencianna, and the smoked oyster.

Alicia Pomonorte

We picked Bota for a special birthday dinner because it had so many 5 star reviews; we were not disappointed. It was spectacular, one of the best meals I’ve had anywhere (and with generous portions). We started with cocktails (I had the Bota martini mixed with a deeply satisfying oloroso). We had three appetizers, gazpacho, lamb chops, and ibérico all magnificently prepared. The 3 tantalizing lamb chops came on a bed of frisée with delicata squash and pomegranate balsamic drizzle. They were cooked just right, melting as I chewed. The plate of ibérico was a gustatory pleasure. Yet, as great as the appetizers were, they were just the prelude to the exquisite surf and turf paella, which was the star of the show—lots of delicious chorizo, mussels all around the edge, perfectly cooked prawns and beef and a bomba that could hold the saffron . The desserts were masterpieces. We had the poached pears and the ganache. And to top it all off, our waiter, Keith, was exceptional—attentive and charming. Bota deserves six stars. Yum!

Jess

This was a great find! Nice boutique restaurant with a relaxing warm atmosphere. We were guests at the Warwick and saw the menu in the room so were tempted to try the restaurant. We literally visited Spain recently but still had the best paellas we ever had here, particularly the squid ink one. All the tapas were amazing (especially the ox tail and mussels). The Chardonnay was excellent and service was great as well. Highly recommend. Will come try breakfast here soon

Erika Gardner

We really enjoyed our meal at Bota! Dio, our server, was super friendly and really hustled. The food is outstanding although pricey (but hey that's SF). Everything was so clean, fresh and tasty!

Heidi Haynes

What a gem of a place! Conveniently located in the Union Square area, Bota offers a genuine tapas and paella experience. The atmosphere is relaxed, with a nice view into the kitchen while the chef prepares your order. Staff was courteous and friendly. We were having a late lunch but were in time for the special, $39 includes a choice of seafood soup, tomato salad or olives; paella (we choice seafood) and then to finish off a dessert. We went with the ganache. The olives were amazing and enough to share. The seafood was fresh and bountiful! The ganache was rich and delicious, so much so that we could only eat half our serving and took it back to the hotel for a late night snack. Highly recommend this place and would visit again.

Tamara Baksht

Very tasty Spanish food- oxtail, three solid lamb chops , perfect shrimps , nice vibe, guitar music, good for seating and talking Will return!

James Herbst

Just stopped in to grab a small bite after my flight...the Grilled Octopus was AMAZING! I almost ordered another but decided I should have some veggies and went with Pear Confit instead...also Amazing!! Will definitely be back to try some more Tapas & Paella!

Cristian Frazzini

We hosted a large event at Bota Tapas Bar in SF, and it was fantastic! Chef Roberto took charge and delivered an incredible experience with delicious tapas, paella, drinks, and more. The space is special, but the staff, led by Chef Roberto, made it truly unforgettable. We’ll definitely be back! Thank you, Chef Roberto and team!

Allison Brightfield

After living in Spain for a year, it’s been hard to find actual good Spanish food in the US, this place was phenomenal and meet those expectations. Che was our waiter and they were amazing, with wonderful service and going above and beyond. We celebrated a birthday and they definitely made it special. The octopus was incredible and the reason we came, totally worth it. The seafood paella was wonderful with those familiar flavors, and a lot of seafood. We were shocked by the price for such good food, just one of those great restaurant experiences that make you sit down and write a review! Thank you again.

A L

Great vibes, chill ambiance and delicious food! Our serve Keith went above and beyond from start - explaining the menu and all the way to deserts! Would definitely come back here when in SFO. I don’t have much photos bec it was demolished.

Pranav Sanghadia

Extremely friendly staff, very quick service and there are few vegetarian restaurants. The eggplant and potato were delicious. I highly recommend this restaurant for vegetarians.

Loves Traveling

Having lived in Spain for several months, it is always a challenge to find excellent Spanish food stateside. Bota, however, exceeded all expectations. Keith, our waiter, provided us with wonderful service with great recommendations and some friendly banter. The gin and tonic and sangria were both excellent, and we enjoyed them as we began with a favorite - patatas bravas with just the slightest bite. The chicken cannelloni was tasty, too, but my absolute favorite was the grilled octopus. It was the best octopus I have ever had! 😋 And I try it many places trying to find what I discovered at Bota. I would come back repeatedly for the octopus alone. ☺️ We ordered three desserts between the two of us - Crema Catalana, Santiago and Churros. Having the crema to add to both the churros and the Santiago was amazing. We had such a wonderful meal and enjoyed ourselves immensely. We highly recommend you try Bota (and especially the octopus!!!).

Bill Patterson

Service was great. I even got a birthday special a day early. Shared the paella valencianna, and the smoked oyster.

Pops Nomad

Stumbled across this Tapas resto on first evening in SF. Nice service, great food and chill ambiance. We had salad , lamb chop, meat balls, patatas bravas., chocolate Grenache plus two glasses of red wines. All delicious 😋

I recently had a fantastic dining experience at Bota Tapas & Paella Bar with a group of two. Our waiter welcomed us with a warm smile and introduced us to the menu, going the extra mile by offering some valuable recommendations. We decided to try a variety of dishes, and we were not disappointed. We started with the Patatas Bravas, a delightful dish with fried potatoes in a flavorful brava sauce and creamy garlic aioli. Our waiter's top recommendation was the Brussels sprouts, which came topped with San Simone cheese and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. The addition of chorizo gave it that extra kick of flavor. This dish was a pleasant surprise, and I can see why it's a must-try. The best dish of the night was the Fideuà Surf and Turf Paella. It had a mix of ingredients like rice, saffron-flavored beef, big prawns, mussels, tasty fish, juicy chicken, and spicy chorizo. The mix of seafood and land-based meats was delicious, and the rice was full of flavor, bringing it all together beautifully. What impressed us most about Bota Tapas & Paella Bar was not just the delicious food but also the exceptional service. Our waiter's recommendations were spot-on, and his attentiveness throughout the meal made the evening even more enjoyable. We can't wait to return to try the Seafood Paella and Grilled Octopus next time.

Went to eat here after attending a show at the theater across the street. The ambience was good and it's a nice little restaurant. The service was slow mainly because it looked like there was only one server at the time. There was no bartender when I went so I could not order any cocktails. We had the octopus, the grilled prawns, the secreto iberico (black pork), the vegetarian paella and, for dessert, the pantxineta (custard inside a puff pastry). I was underwhelmed by almost everything. The pork was delicious, but everything else was under seasoned. We had to ask for salt. Also, the paella had too many vegetables for my liking. It seemed the rice to vegetable ratio was off. This place could stand to improve a little.

Went to dinner for 2 prior to show at the Playhouse a block away. Food: basically small plates and paella. We got a few small plates including octopus, smoked oysters, meatballs. We also got the regular squid ink paella and a couple of glasses of red wine. The octopus was average, and meatballs were meh. I was disappointed by the smoked oysters which weren't really smoked. It was more of a presentation thing. It was hard to taste the actual raw oyster with all the chorizo on top. Plenty of food though and we were definitely full by the end. Server was attentive and timely. Except for when an olive fell on the floor in front of her feet because I was trying to cut it and she totally saw didn't pick it up. I thought that was a bit odd. Ambiance was great. Company was great. Across the street from the Tony rembi theater. Super convenient for pre-theater dining. Would go back because of that but otherwise there are better restaurants in the city. Extra 6% in the fine print on top of tax and tip.

Michael Hunter

Went to eat here after attending a show at the theater across the street. The ambience was good and it's a nice little restaurant. The service was slow mainly because it looked like there was only one server at the time. There was no bartender when I went so I could not order any cocktails. We had the octopus, the grilled prawns, the secreto iberico (black pork), the vegetarian paella and, for dessert, the pantxineta (custard inside a puff pastry). I was underwhelmed by almost everything. The pork was delicious, but everything else was under seasoned. We had to ask for salt. Also, the paella had too many vegetables for my liking. It seemed the rice to vegetable ratio was off. This place could stand to improve a little.

Alice Hou

I recently had a fantastic dining experience at Bota Tapas & Paella Bar with a group of two. Our waiter welcomed us with a warm smile and introduced us to the menu, going the extra mile by offering some valuable recommendations. We decided to try a variety of dishes, and we were not disappointed. We started with the Patatas Bravas, a delightful dish with fried potatoes in a flavorful brava sauce and creamy garlic aioli. Our waiter's top recommendation was the Brussels sprouts, which came topped with San Simone cheese and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. The addition of chorizo gave it that extra kick of flavor. This dish was a pleasant surprise, and I can see why it's a must-try. The best dish of the night was the Fideuà Surf and Turf Paella. It had a mix of ingredients like rice, saffron-flavored beef, big prawns, mussels, tasty fish, juicy chicken, and spicy chorizo. The mix of seafood and land-based meats was delicious, and the rice was full of flavor, bringing it all together beautifully. What impressed us most about Bota Tapas & Paella Bar was not just the delicious food but also the exceptional service. Our waiter's recommendations were spot-on, and his attentiveness throughout the meal made the evening even more enjoyable. We can't wait to return to try the Seafood Paella and Grilled Octopus next time.

Joann Kuo

Went to dinner for 2 prior to show at the Playhouse a block away. Food: basically small plates and paella. We got a few small plates including octopus, smoked oysters, meatballs. We also got the regular squid ink paella and a couple of glasses of red wine. The octopus was average, and meatballs were meh. I was disappointed by the smoked oysters which weren't really smoked. It was more of a presentation thing. It was hard to taste the actual raw oyster with all the chorizo on top. Plenty of food though and we were definitely full by the end. Server was attentive and timely. Except for when an olive fell on the floor in front of her feet because I was trying to cut it and she totally saw didn't pick it up. I thought that was a bit odd. Ambiance was great. Company was great. Across the street from the Tony rembi theater. Super convenient for pre-theater dining. Would go back because of that but otherwise there are better restaurants in the city. Extra 6% in the fine print on top of tax and tip.

Very disappointing Tapas Restaurant. The meat paella was not good at all. Was not cooked long enough. Was spicy and did not even get the spicy chorizo in it. The bell peppers and onions tottaly did not go in there. It was not crispy on the bottom like it was supposed to be. The only thing I liked was the bacon wrapped dates. I would not go back there again.

Keith was our waiter, and he was amazing. The food didn't really meet our expectations. The oxtail was cold in the center.. The seafood paella was good but lacked a bit of salt and pepper to be great. The grilled octopus was on the rubbery side. The sangria was good. Here, it's more on the dry side, which is not bad. However, they should have a sweet option as well. The garlic prawns were delicious. The oil it was in was so tasteful. We ordered bread to dip in it. In addition, we also liked the sauce the meatballs were in. The ambiance is a 5 out of 5. We really enjoyed the music selection here. It was a great variety of Spanish music. Next time, we will have to try different options on the menu and hopefully be able to give more than 3 stars.

A. T.

Keith was our waiter, and he was amazing. The food didn't really meet our expectations. The oxtail was cold in the center.. The seafood paella was good but lacked a bit of salt and pepper to be great. The grilled octopus was on the rubbery side. The sangria was good. Here, it's more on the dry side, which is not bad. However, they should have a sweet option as well. The garlic prawns were delicious. The oil it was in was so tasteful. We ordered bread to dip in it. In addition, we also liked the sauce the meatballs were in. The ambiance is a 5 out of 5. We really enjoyed the music selection here. It was a great variety of Spanish music. Next time, we will have to try different options on the menu and hopefully be able to give more than 3 stars.

Angelique Turner

Very disappointing Tapas Restaurant. The meat paella was not good at all. Was not cooked long enough. Was spicy and did not even get the spicy chorizo in it. The bell peppers and onions tottaly did not go in there. It was not crispy on the bottom like it was supposed to be. The only thing I liked was the bacon wrapped dates. I would not go back there again.

I was in the area for a work trip and stopped by for some good old Spanish food… the drinks were watered down and they burnt the surf and turf pasta… I get it that the proteins are going to be charred but the pasta was barely edible since it was charred and stuck to the pan. The waitress barely came around and didn’t even pick up the empty plates from the appetizer that I finished… Save your tummy and don’t bother going here

Jake

I was in the area for a work trip and stopped by for some good old Spanish food… the drinks were watered down and they burnt the surf and turf pasta… I get it that the proteins are going to be charred but the pasta was barely edible since it was charred and stuck to the pan. The waitress barely came around and didn’t even pick up the empty plates from the appetizer that I finished… Save your tummy and don’t bother going here

I want to express my deep frustration and disappointment with the service I recently received. About 15 days ago, I spoke directly with the chef to order two trays of seafood paella for 15 people for my son’s birthday. He confirmed the order, which made me fully trust that everything would be ready on the agreed date. However, when I arrived on the day of the event, I was simply informed that the chef was not there, that he had gone on a trip, and that my order was not in the system. This lack of responsibility and communication not only ruined my plans, but also made me look bad in front of 15 guests who were expecting the food. It is truly embarrassing to go through something like this, especially on such an important day for my son. In the end, they were only able to sell me a small portion for 5 people, which was completely insufficient and left most of my guests without food. I find it unbelievable that someone who calls himself a professional could not honor an order placed with so much anticipation or, at the very least, be upfront from the beginning and say he could not fulfill it. That would have been the most honest thing to do and would have avoided this terrible situation. I am extremely upset and disappointed. I demand that a responsible manager contacts me and that this situation is taken seriously in order to improve organization and communication, because what happened is unacceptable. As a customer, I deserve respect and professionalism, especially when I place my trust in your business for such a special occasion.

Really wanted to leave a positive review and was hesitant to even write this but I can’t unsee the fact that I was here and a cockroach! For context I came here for dinner over the weekend and went downstairs to the bathroom in the middle of it. As i was going downstairs I saw a roach alongside the wall in the corner of my eye scurry through the cracks!!! It looked huge and was definitely a cockroach !!! definitely lost my appetite after that. Unfortunately the food was mid, not so good. The service was good but yeah never coming here again. They have roaches :(

Eduardo Ixcoy

I want to express my deep frustration and disappointment with the service I recently received. About 15 days ago, I spoke directly with the chef to order two trays of seafood paella for 15 people for my son’s birthday. He confirmed the order, which made me fully trust that everything would be ready on the agreed date. However, when I arrived on the day of the event, I was simply informed that the chef was not there, that he had gone on a trip, and that my order was not in the system. This lack of responsibility and communication not only ruined my plans, but also made me look bad in front of 15 guests who were expecting the food. It is truly embarrassing to go through something like this, especially on such an important day for my son. In the end, they were only able to sell me a small portion for 5 people, which was completely insufficient and left most of my guests without food. I find it unbelievable that someone who calls himself a professional could not honor an order placed with so much anticipation or, at the very least, be upfront from the beginning and say he could not fulfill it. That would have been the most honest thing to do and would have avoided this terrible situation. I am extremely upset and disappointed. I demand that a responsible manager contacts me and that this situation is taken seriously in order to improve organization and communication, because what happened is unacceptable. As a customer, I deserve respect and professionalism, especially when I place my trust in your business for such a special occasion.