Spain Club Haeundae — Restaurant in Busan

I usually don’t write reviews and especially bad ones but I felt I needed to for this restaurant. We ate here twice, the first time it was fine and as it was just after the busy holiday weekend here in South Korea a few things we wanted were ‘sold out’. We booked to go back a couple of nights later to try some of these dishes and were advised they still were not available as they could not get the ingredients, however we noticed that the same ingredients were actually in most of the other dishes on the menu… so we felt this was maybe a convenient excuse. As we had eaten there before we decided to try the Paella and also an entree… both dishes were tasteless and extremely disappointing. The seafood in the paella ( what little existed) was overcooked so much that the mussels were almost empty and the shrimp completely floury and devoid of any taste. In fact the entire dish was dry and tasteless, it was nothing like Spanish food!

Service was also poor esp on our second visit, they were a bit attentive the first time and asked how our meal was but on the second visit when the meal was so poor, there was no attention at all… not surprised. The staff just stood around all night and delivered the food and drinks if you waved them over. For the price of this place ( approx $50 aud for most main dishes and over $20 aud for a tiny entree), there should be a bit...

This restaurant unfortunately left me with a less-than-positive impression.

While some of the staff were friendly, others seemed a bit preoccupied and could have been more attentive to our needs. It would have been nice to experience a bit more warmth and hospitality during our visit.

Given the restaurant's location, I imagine it attracts many tourists who are only in Haeundae for a short while. It would be a shame if their experience here left them with a negative impression of Busan's overall hospitality.

The food, while plentiful, didn't quite hit the mark for me personally. The menu seemed more geared towards bar snacks, and the prices were a bit on the higher side. We were especially disappointed with the paella, which took quite a while to prepare but didn't live up to our expectations. It's a pity, as we were hoping to enjoy a truly authentic Spanish dish at a restaurant with "Spain" in its name.

Overall, I'm not sure I would recommend this particular restaurant, given the...

Incredible… I second the review that remarked “the best Spanish food outside Spain”… atmosphere is amazing. Beach front sidewalk tables …. Late September visit was prefect weather in Busan. The “Valencia” cocktail which was similar to Aqua de Valencia…. Very good. The punte negra …. incredible. Honestly been a few years since I had it in Spain but was better than I remember it. The gambas …. Exquisite!! The paella mixta … amazing. In truth I don’t love paella… but I respect the dish and the restaurant does it justice!! My wife’s only complaint was not carry out option. She wanted a paella for the road!! But I respect it … is like living life … enjoy it while you can then it is over. No take aways or do overs...