Aldea Tapasbar — Restaurant in Haarlem

Great place for a drink, vibe is fun, good music. Lower rating because of a few things:

Service was disappointing. When we walked in, one of the servers pointed us to take a table at the back of the restaurant. It looked like someone was having a birthday party but we followed his instructions and took a seat anyway. We attempted to flag servers, we tried five different times different ways (eye contact, smiling with a slight hand up, a wave etc) and only got someone to finally approach us on the 5th try. He tells us we shouldn’t be sitting there since it was a private event 🤦🏻‍♀️

We sit at the bar and it takes 10 minutes for someone to acknowledge us. If they were just very busy, it would have been fine. But the people behind the bar were chatting with each other and looking at their phones. We finally got one of the servers behind the bar to talk to us and we asked for a menu. He excitedly said “sure!” Then started making drinks and completely forgot about us. We flagged someone again for menus and got it at the 2nd try.

After we ordered, server returns after a few minutes to let us know 2 of the 3 things we asked for were already out 🤦🏻‍♀️ we got the iberico ribs and calamari - both 4/5.

Throughout the night, the servers and chefs (open kitchen you can see from the bar) were having a great time (taking shots with other customers, chatting it up, etc) which does add to the fun atmosphere, but it takes away from them being attentive to the the rest of...

Fresh and delicious dishes are prepared quickly. It is fascinating to sit at the bar and watch the chefs cook fresh, well-prepared ingredients with skillful movements. Watching them cook so quickly and accurately a fairly large menu, I felt that the menu was really well-organized.

It is based on Spanish cuisine, and all the food, from starters to dessert, was excellent. The lively atmosphere and friendly, accurate service were also good.

I will definitely come back again and order the menu items I...

I just want to go here at night when I'm in Haarlem. The food, music, drinks and service, the decor and location, I love it all. I'd like some more vege options on the menu but I'll go anyway. Thanks to our waitress for being so welcoming. And the chef also. He left the kitchen to come and ask how we liked the food. Go here - you'll love it. I didn't take enough pictures as I was busy...