Lucinda O'Sullivan's Ireland

About The Restaurant

Tapas seemed to take Ireland, and indeed the world, by storm some years back, and it has only become more and more popular as time goes on. People love the concept because it’s so adaptable. I can eat light, while you eat heavy, or maybe we both share several different dishes for variation or maybe we order a charcuterie board or…well, you get the idea. You can do whatever you want, without being locked into the same old starters and mains dynamic.

Grabbing my attention recently, TAPA restaurant in Stepaside is sure to delight the diners of Dublin. The head chef here is Manuel Alfaro, who says his aim is to bring a little bit of Spain to Stepaside, and with a suberb selection of authentic eclectic dishes and wines, it would be easy to forget that you’re sitting in South Dublin and not in a wine bar somewhere on the southern Spanish coast.

Kicking things off, the Tapas menu offers a great variety of light snacks to whet the appetite, such as salted Marcona almonds, fried Padron peppers, not to mention Cantabrian anchovy pinxtos served with various accompaniments.

The seafood dishes here are a pleasure, with lots of great gambas to enjoy, be they batter fried, grilled in garlic and lemon, or cooked in garlic, chilli and olive oil. There’s scallops with a garlic and white wine emulsion, and the old crowd favourite of calamares fritos, the tasty fried rings being served with lemon and garlic aioli. If you’re feeling a little spicy, try the Galician-style octopus with Tetilla cheese and paprika.

The meat-minded won’t be forgotten, with fab dishes like meatballs in tomato sauce with grated Manchego cheese; a spinach, chickpea and chorizo stew, along with Iberian pork burgers with aioli, Iberico ham and Manchego cheese. Vegetarians too will be pleased, with a fab variety of plant-based selections such as fried aubergine served with honey, patatas bravas, grilled asparagus with truffled cheese and salmorejo, or a sautéed mushroom medley in garlic and parsley.

Cheese and charcuterie boards are also a popular choice at TAPA, the delectable platters proving a perfect accompaniment to a bottle (or two) of vino from their extensive selection of wines.

On Saturdays and Sundays from 11am, they offer a terrific Spanish brunch menu with great dishes from Spanish baguette sambos to Iberico pork sliders to Huevos Rotos con Jamon – sautéed potatoes with fried eggs, ham and salmorejo. A Spanish frittata is served with mixed leaves, cherry tomatoes, cucumber and red onion, while Moroccan chicken skewers are with a chickpea, spinach and chorizo cassoulet. There’s tapas galore and plenty of brunchtime drinks from bottomless sangrias to mimosas to a Valencia Island spritz.

Indulge your sweet tooth too, perhaps with Spanish bread pudding with crème Anglaise and fruit jam, a slice of layered chocolate and biscuit cake, or a tasty Spanish crème brulee.

Map

Enquire

Send to a friend

Member Comments

Please log in to add a comment. Click here to log in or sign up