El Lugar — Restaurant in Columbus

Went in here last night hoping to support a local business for my girlfriends birthday. Thoughts were…a small tapas place in an intimate location?? What could go wrong? My god it went wrong. This total experience left so much to be desired. The host took us over 5 minutes to be seated when there were only 6 other people in the whole location. Once we were seated the initial service was prompt but we were basically left to our own devices once we ordered. The mushroom Wellington and the scallop were amazing apps but the potatas bravas (a staple for tapas) were so soggy and undercooked that they were practically inedible. The shrimp and grits were SOMEHOW EVEN WORSE. The grits were cooked to a lumpy mushy cake that was truthfully disgusting and the shrimp were reduced to rubber. I was so embarrassed for thinking this would be a good experience for my partner and I to enjoy a few plates but were sorely mistaken. Your kitchen needs some serious work. 3/10 would absolutely not recommend to anyone. We left our plates almost full without asking for boxes or takeaway I hope the staff got the message. If you’re charging $80 for a meal for two I’m hoping to spare other peoples time with this review. Don’t go here. Don’t bring your...

After spending time in the Tapas Bars in Barcelona last spring I was really hopeful this would bring a bit of the Spanish nightlife to Columbus. I was disappointed. The house sangria was ok. The tapas was very expensive ($5 for a single Scallop). The Scallop was the highlight of the meal, it was a very enjoyable, perfectly cooked, nicely seasoned scallop. Unfortunately the rest of our experience was disappointing. The selection of pinchos was uninspired (cheese and meet on a skewer, meatballs on a skewer among others) compared to what I experienced in Barcelona. The tomato sauce on the papas bravas was bland, not "bravas." We also ordered the brussel sprouts, they were ok. The shallots served with them had a very strong lemon taste that I found surprising and discordant. The most dissapointing though was the jamon Iberico. I've had this a number of places, including here in the states, it lacked the rich fatty taste one expects and even worse had an aftertaste of mold. $70 later we left still hungry. So going in with great hopes of being a fan of this new restaurant, I'm disappointed to have to give this restaurant a...

El Lugar is a fantastic, hidden gem in picturesque German Village. The owners are very sweet and generous, always happy to make suggestions and create the best experience for you. Lovely selection of wines, and a good variety of small tapas. Do not come here thinking you will get a full plate of food and leave full to bursting--that is not the point. This is a place where you can try a bunch of different bites, leisurely drink a bottle of wine, and enjoy the service of a proprietor who genuinely cares about his customers. They also just opened their patio, cozy and bright with flowers. My recommendations for food: steak and wine flight (perfect for two), truffle scallop, charcuterie board, apple manchego pincho, Spanish tortilla, jamon puff... really everything is good, never tried something I didn't...