TAPAteria — Restaurant in Colorado Springs

A fun experience, tons of variety!

HIGHLY RECOMMEND RESERVATIONS! ... that being said, we were able to walk in at 5:30 and they were able to squeeze us in, if we'd be finished by 6:30. Considering we didn't have a huge appetite after going to the Zoo, and wanted something unique before heading north to our hometown, we were fine with the time constraint and happy they could fit us in! Only one table, inside, was sat... half the outside was sat, so they were pretty booked with expected reservations.

Server was good at explaining menu options and making suggestions. She explained the specials, I took her up on the Sangria (Sunday Special: $3 for a glass, $10 for a carafe).

Server recommended that my bf and I order 3 plates at a time; we ordered 6 plates, total, in our 1hr 10 min stay, and shared everything. Unfortunately, service was a bit slow. We weren't in a rush, but it may be worth considering if you think the small plates will be expedited. Perhaps the interior had filled and had gotten busy? We had to ask for drink refills.

This is a great place for tasting a bit of everything, and conversation over drinks. The food was good and each dish had their own distinct flavor profiles!

Our favorites: Gambas y Semolina (basically Shrimp & Grits, but from someone that doesn't usually like that, this was the best!) Charcuterie & Cheese (especially the bleu cheese) Garlic Mushrooms

Also ordered, which were decent, but I wouldn't necessarily order again: Chorizo & Figs Caramel Gelato (not a strong Caramel flavor, could have easily been mistaken for vanilla, but was still good) Chocolate Toast (with olive oil, and was missing the pink Himalayan salt)

I would return to try their seafood dishes. Seems their menu changes occasionally, considering several other options from comments were...

What can I say... I haven't even eaten or tried this place and I already dislike it. I'll tell you why.

A few weeks ago my friend and I were out late and just wanted to grab a quick bite. We walked past this place at around 10ish, the doors were wide open and it was packed with people. We walked in and took a seat at the bar. The restaurant staff saw us walk in and take a seat. We looked at the menu, and waited for someone to help us. It was after 10mins that I asked if we could order and we were told that the kitchen was closed. I asked if we could order a drink and we were told they weren't selling anything anymore. I wondered why they didn't tell us this when we walked in. Everyone was still eating and being waited on. Not cool.

Today after visiting the Ice Cream Lab (totally check it out!) my daughter had an ice cream taco on a plate that she was finishing up. As soon as we entered a gentleman saw it and said really loudly "I don't think you can bring that here" then he said he would check with the manager. We stood there like idiots while everyone stared. Then the manager came and said she couldn't sit us because they are a no gluten restaurant. I asked if she could tuck us in a corner and she said that "there are people with celiac disease that come here and we wouldn't want to contaminate the place" we of course had to do the walk of shame.

Correct me if I'm wrong but how is a waffle cone on a plate going to contaminate or even harm someone with celiac??? Don't they have to ingest it in order to have a reaction? Even if this was completely true they could have treated us with a bit more care.

I'm not interested...

TLDR: great food, great service, small plates (apparently that's par the course for tapas), and a very small but cozy space. All items gluten free.

It was a really great experience, and we will definitely come back.

Our first time having tapas, and I'm glad it was here. The ENTIRE MENU IS GLUTEN FREE, something super important to my wife who has celiac disease.

So we tried nearly 10 different things and only spent about $55 total.

The prices are reasonable, and the flavors are great.

I tend to prefer larger plates, so tapas would normally not be something I would be into (the "portions" are really just tastes--don't expect a full meal out of any one item, especially if you're sharing each of them like we were.

But despite that, the experience was better having the small plates. It allowed us to chat and experience each flavor slowly. We ended up staying for two hours.

My only complaint is that the space is pretty cramped. We called ahead for a reservation (which I had to call back again and confirm 2 hours later... (Whats up with that?) And on the phone I asked for a secluded table if possible because we were celebrating our seventh anniversary. Instead of telling me they didn't have anything remotely secluded because of how small the space is, they said nothing about the request. As a result we ended up seated literally in the middle of the room. Not the most romantic setting. I would have preferred to have been told over the phone that secluded seating wasn't available.

That being said, they did give us a free dessert because it was our...