T'ahpas 529 Restaurant — Restaurant in Melrose

Restaurant Review: T'ahpas 529 – A Spanish Tapas Gem in Melrose

📍 529 Franklin St, Melrose, MA 02176

T'ahpas 529 is bringing authentic Spanish flavors to the North Shore, serving up classic tapas, rich paellas, and indulgent desserts in a cozy, brick-lined atmosphere. Whether you’re a seasoned tapas lover or a newcomer to Spanish cuisine, this spot has plenty to offer. Just make sure you come hungry!

🥖 Charcuterie Board (8/10) A well-balanced assortment of cured meats and cheeses from New England’s finest artisans, complemented by fig jam, olives, and spiced pecans. This board is perfect for sharing, offering a mix of savory, creamy, and nutty flavors in every bite.

🥓 Dátiles (8/10) Bacon-wrapped medjool dates stuffed with marcona almonds and drizzled with a blue cheese aioli—a bold and unexpected flavor combination that works surprisingly well. Think of bacon-wrapped scallops but with a rich, sweet twist from the dates.

🍞 Pan de Casa (9/10)Their warm rosemary focaccia is a simple but absolute must-order. Lightly crisp on the outside, soft on the inside, and topped with sea salt flakes and olive oil, it’s the perfect bread to pair with all the other rich, saucy dishes.

🦐 Gambas al Ajillo (8/10)These sautéed shrimp come swimming in a garlicky olive oil infused with dried guindilla peppers. They’re tender, juicy, and perfectly cooked, with just a hint of heat that doesn’t overpower the natural sweetness of the shrimp.

🧀 Queso de Cabra (9/10)If you love goat cheese, this dish is for you! A panko-crusted, golden-fried ball of creamy goat cheese is paired with Pedro Ximénez honey, giving it a perfect balance of crunchy, creamy, tangy, and sweet flavors. One of the best bites of the night!

🥟 Chicken Empanadas (8/10) Two crispy turnovers filled with seasoned chicken and served with a smoky chipotle aioli. While the filling was a bit dry, the aioli saved the dish by adding a much-needed creamy kick. Still fresh, flavorful, and worth a try.

🥔 Croquetas de Jamón (8/10) Crispy bolitos of serrano ham served with a tangy, slightly spicy brava sauce. Simple, but an easy must-get—you really can’t go wrong with.

🦑 Frutti De Mare (8/10)This squid ink pasta dish with mussels, clams, shrimp, and calamari was the biggest surprise of the night! Squid ink can sometimes be overpowering, but this one had a perfectly balanced, subtly briny flavor that let the seafood shine. If you’ve been hesitant to try squid ink pasta, this is a great introduction!

🔥 Paella Alicante (10/10) – The Star of the Night! If you order only one thing, make it the paella. This seafood-packed dish is filled with shrimp, calamari, clams, and mussels, all simmered in a deeply flavorful, saffron-infused rice. I don’t know where else on the North Shore you can get paella this authentic and delicious—do not leave without trying this!

🥩 Churrasquito (5/10)Unfortunately, this grilled minute steak with chimichurri was way too salty—a total salt bomb that overpowered the steak's natural flavors. The meat itself was decently cooked, but the excessive salt made it difficult to enjoy. I really wanted to love this one, but I’d skip it next time.

Desserts:

🍩 Churros (8/10)These crispy, golden-brown churros are dusted with cinnamon sugar and served with a warm hazelnut fudge sauce. They’re light, not too oily, and perfectly crunchy on the outside with a soft center—a solid dessert choice for anyone with a sweet tooth.

🥧 Pecan Tart (8/10) This house-made pecan tart topped with vanilla ice cream is like pecan pie in mini format, but even more buttery and indulgent. The crust was flaky, the filling rich and nutty, and the cold ice cream balanced out the sweetness beautifully.

Final Thoughts:

🍽 Food: 9/10 – Delicious, well-executed Spanish flavors, with the paella, queso de cabra, and squid ink pasta as must-tries.

🏠 Ambiance: 7/10 – Cozy, brick-walled setting, perfect for date nights or intimate group dinners.💰 Affordability: 7/10 – A little on the pricier side, but the quality and portion sizes...

Love this little gem in Melrose. Spanish style tapas with a small menu. But everything is cooked well and high quality. The experience here is truly lovely.

Came here on a Friday night and they had loud music and it was BUSY. Although it was a bit hectic I appreciated it cause it was my first time here and that usually means the place is good.

The service is definitely tapas style they do take time to order, as everything is made fresh. As for food, my husband and I don’t eat pork so there were definitely limitations in the menu, since almost half the small plates have pork in it. That being said we really enjoyed everything we tried, the only exception being the shrimp/gambas. It was really…boring? Basic is okay, the batatas bravas are basic but they are done perfectly and are delicious, we even got. A second order. We also got steak tips, fried goat cheese, and chicken empanadas. I truly enjoyed each plate.

Dessert was sangria infused brownie with ice cream and it was very decadent but delicious.

Drinks we tried the tamarind cocktail, passion fruit mojito, and sangria. All were fine but the mojito was delicious. 😋

Overall a great experience and would definitely come here again for maybe one or two small plates and to try the paella!!!

UPDATE: came here again after a horrible experience at a nearby restaurant. We had drinks and small plates. I really appreciated the level of service, quality of food, and the atmosphere. It really is a great spot for locals, a romantic date night, just a quick stop for the evening…anything. We had a glass of wine and sangria and we were allowed to try the wine before committing. For plates we had lamb chops, patatas bravas (again), and the corn and the cob. Everything is tasty and really well thought out, although the lamb chops and potatoes stood out. Amazing...

OMG.... Came here with my husband for the first time tonight, because I saw it on Phantom Gourmet.... And love the whole Tapas concept. For picky people like myself with an open mind, and what I consider myself to be a "foodie", this is a dream spot.

Duck confi empanadas are delicious!! This was my first tapas. I then ordered the grilled octopus, (which I normally love, but have only had in Greek restaurants.) This I DID NOT LIKE. It was soooooo chewy I had to send it back! Traditionally it is supposed to be boiled first for like 5 hours, then marinated, then grilled. I think they skipped the first step totally... ( That will be my only disappointment of the night btw) Was pleasantly surprised with the baby lamb chops. And the Churrasquito ( grilled skirt steak w/ chimichuri sauce) was mouth watering... We then ordered a primi (large plate...that we shared) called the Parrillada. It was a mixed grill that consisted of grilled steak, chicken and chorizo accompanied by delicious fried potato chunks w a delicious pepper ioli. Sooooo delicious. We finished with the Pie de Limon ( a super amped up version of key lime pie...which is the owners mother's recipe, handed down and crafted to his wife) Veryyyy good and zesty. My husband ordered the Flan de Naranja. (Orange Flan). He is from Chile and was raised on the stuff...lol He was not sure about the orange taste but ate the whole thing. All in all, we had a fantastic date night, trying someplace different, and will definitely be back. The waitress was very helpful explaining how the tapas concept worked, and offering suggestions. The owner even brought us our drinks, and was very friendly. She works the front of the house, while her husband and co owner is the chef. Melrose is really coming up! My belly is full...