Las Tapas De Lola — Restaurant in Dublin

This review is relatively easy to write.

First, make a reservation. I am a dumb American and I could already tell I needed to do that. So, I did. And guess what? I was met by quick and easy responses from the restaurant. If you arrive and can’t get a seat, that is on you. You have been warned.

Second, the ambience is amazing. It feels like you are in a different country, perhaps a different time. The tables vary, the people too. You look around and feel as if you are in . . . a happy place. I tend to get that feeling when I am in a restaurant that wants to cater to people who love to live and eat, not work and eat and wonder why the person next to them is . . . well, whatever. I hope you get my point. This is a place where all can find a place at the table.

Third, Vanessa and Michelle were amazing. They responded to my inquiries across the pond. They worked with me and my group. And when I arrived, there was Vanessa! She was the consummate owner. A quick smile, an easy reply, and an interest in why we were there to eat in the first place. We could have been just another table. We weren’t. And I hope our server gets his voice back soon!

Fourth, the food? AMAZING. While we all wanted more from the calamari, that was a minor quibble when it came to the rest of the dinner. I’ve had tapas in Spain and California, so I am not exactly a newbie. And I will put this restaurant up against any place I have eaten to this point. It is that good.

Fifth, it is that good because of the quality of the food, the warmth of the atmosphere, and the kindness of those who work there.

This was my group’s first time in Dublin. I hope it isn’t our last. And all of us have special memories of a lot of things. But we hold this restaurant, and this meal, close to our hearts.

Thanks, Vanessa. You made a great trip magical. Can’t wait to...

We experienced a deeply frustrating bait-and-switch. Our reservation, made specifically for Gordita via their website number, was unilaterally transferred to Las Tapas de Lola upon arrival, due to Gordita being overbooked. While restaurants can get busy, the lack of an apology or attempt to offer alternative solutions was unacceptable. We felt pressured to stay because we had provided a credit card for the booking. The service was disorganized, with part of our order completely forgotten (the octopus salad). The food quality was consistently poor: excessively salty spinach and chickpeas, inconsistent mussels (empty and chewy), cold-centered pig cheeks, and an onion-heavy octopus salad. Only the pan con tomate and mushrooms were satisfactory. Portion sizes were extremely small for the price, even by tapas standards. While the cost of the late-arriving pig cheeks was removed from the bill, the completely missed octopus salad was not. What truly compounded the issue was the dismissive attitude of the owners. They minimized the fact that our reservation was switched, missing the point entirely. The issue wasn't simply being moved; it was the lack of transparency and proactive communication. They should have informed us of the overbooking when we made the reservation or at least called to offer a choice between the two restaurants or cancellation. This overbooking practice, coupled with the noisy ambiance and disorganized service, suggests a restaurant operating beyond its capacity, ultimately sacrificing quality and customer experience. This is not how a reputable restaurant operates; it's more akin to a budget airline overbooking and disregarding customer...

Unfortunately, I must begin by highlighting that the service at the door is consistently brusque. On previous occasions, I attempted to enter without a reservation and encountered a rather rude staff. Today, we finally managed to get in, but were informed that we only had 35 minutes to eat due to the lack of a reservation.

Furthermore, we were required to order a minimum of two tapas dishes, which limited our freedom of choice. When we tried to order only two dishes initially and choose two others later, we were told that they could not accept our partial order! This policy seemed extremely inflexible and frustrating, as we wanted to sample the dishes gradually.

Regarding the food itself, the dishes are small considering the price, and while the flavor is okay, we found them to be very greasy. Unfortunately, the limited time did not allow us to even consider dessert, as we needed to leave.

In addition, the Patatas Bravas were tough and dry on the outside, and the accompanying mayonnaise had a strange texture. They were just fried potatoes; the appetizers did not adhere to a traditional recipe.

The croquettes were mushy on the inside, overly salty, and had a faint taste of ham.

As for the Calamari, they were rubbery and under-fried, and they arrived cold. :-/

Given this experience, I do not plan to return to the restaurant, nor would I recommend...