Bulla Gastrobar — Restaurant in Tampa

Had two amazing dining experiences here, back to back, which alone is worth five stars in my book. The first one was a last minute drop by for something to drink and some Tapas while awaiting our table at another restaurant. We never went to the other restaurant. Sitting at the bar where Anna, Rebekah, and Neil were keeping food and beverage flowing and going seemingly effortlessly we decided to settle in. We ended up adding the Chicken Paella to our order – which already included the Tuna Tartar on fried wanton Skins and the Manchego Serrano – and went on from there. Again, Anna, Rebekah and Neil were busy, pleasant, present, and on point at a bar that was running between 80 and 90 percent capacity for the time we were there. The food arrived, as is always the case with Tapas, as it was ready and the presentation was most impressive. The flavor however exceeded the presentation by several degrees. The Tuna Tartar got high marks from my wife who felt she not only found a new favorite location, but a new challenge to her own Tuna Tartar and she spent much time considering and praising the smoky element present with the fresh flavors. The Manchego Serrano was perfect for us to nibble at and assemble small bits as our fancy took us. But the hands down winner was the Paella which my wife, again feeling a food challenge in this, saved part of for later analysis and nibbling. Dessert, yes we were tempted, was the Cremoso De Chocolate. At this point my wife’s competitive nature gave way to the general stupor induced by that much amazing flavor in a spoonful of dessert.

We decided, despite our rule never to eat back-to-back at a good or great first experience, to push our luck and came back the next day with a family member for brunch. This time we were served by Hannah who was again on point, fully present, and very informative. We were given options, guidance, and had our orders in and food out to us in under thirty minutes. The food this time was the Bulla Benedict, French Toast, and the Chicken and Waffles. Again, great presentation, again, flavors that moved beyond expectation and returned empty plates and discussion of future visits. Prices are quite reasonable and the service has been...

I spent a great afternoon at Bulla Gastrobar and enjoyed great food and a great time with my family. The place is immaculate, the food was delicious, tasted fresh, flavors were on point and our waitress Stefany did amazing, she handled the amount of tapas, dishes and drinks we kept ordering, with a smile and with a great outgoing personality, she was really awesome. The Sangria, definitely one of the best I've had, tasted really good, refreshing, no bitter taste or strong wine taste. Compliments to the chef and kitchen staff, all the food we had tasted fresh, every single dish I tried tasted fresh, clean and absolutely delicious. The croquettes are probably the best I've had, they feel like melting in your mouth, nice and crispy on the outside but creamy in the inside. The Spinach Salad with Salmon had a clean touch and the pair of purple and golden beets with the dressing and the salmon is a winning combination. The albondigas (meatballs) were so good, they came with this amazing red sauce that were infused with Latin flavors and accompanied with bread, really good bread. The Cuban sandwich is probably the best I've had in this area but I'm not exaggerating, they took this staple of South Florida Latin food and elevated with that delicious marinated pork and everything about it, felt like an unit. The pan con tomate was so nice, the tomatoes tasted clean with the serrano ham and the bread and sauce, again another example of how every component of the dish felt like an unit. The Garbanzo Frito is their version of the Spanish bean soup and it is a winner in my opinion, the broth was amazing, not salty, the ham, the garbanzo are there in abundance and they add kale to it which gives it another dimension. Now for the dessert, the coconut flan and passion fruit sorbet makes it on the list of best desserts, the taste of the coconut is strong, yet warm like flan should be and then you have the passion fruit sorbet that really shows the emphasis they put on freshness, we enjoyed it. I have to say I already feel like I need to go back to Bulla just to eat more of the food, some many options, I totally...

Fellow Asian folks, beware — I have never experienced such an unpleasantly racist restaurant. Save yourselves the trip and the money.

We found this restaurant boasting a stellar 4.9 rating from over 13,000 visitors. As huge fans of Spanish cuisine, we were excited to book it for a special-occasion dinner, expecting to be blown away.

Yes, we were blown away — but in the exact opposite direction of what we anticipated.

Dirty table: We were seated at a table that still bore the remnants of its previous occupants — crumbs scattered across a sticky surface.

Neglected for service: We waited 20 minutes without so much as a glass of water before going to the front to ask for a server. We were told their system had completely “omitted” us (something I’ve never seen happen at any restaurant). Another 10 minutes passed before anyone came. When the server finally arrived, I asked her to clean the table — she did, but only halfway, leaving my side untouched. No one apologized for the omission or the lack of timely service.

Food placement issues: When our food arrived, every plate was placed at the edge of the table. The server even warned, “The plate is hot,” yet still left it precariously at the edge (we were seated on the inner side of the table) and left us to reposition the dangerously hot dishes ourselves.

Straw given for Cocktails: as shown in the picture, they served ‘wet’ straws.

No water refills: The only time our water glasses were filled was when we first placed our order. They were never refilled again until the check came — even though we had placed our glasses in plain view on the aisle side to make it easier for servers to see and pour.

Noise and food quality: The deafening noise from college students may be part of the intended “vibe,” so I won’t fault that specifically. However, the food’s taste was average at best and did not match the high ratings.

This place offered neither the food quality nor the hospitality its ratings promised — only the most blatant discrimination I’ve personally experienced in a restaurant. Save your time, money,...