Esperpento Restaurant

Best TAPAS in SF and reasonably priced. Happy hour has sangria pitchers $20 5-7pm

The food was ok. Nothing special. We ordered paella, calamari, patatas bravas and Sangria

Delightful restaurant with a true home feeling! The paella de mariscos was probably more than enough for the 2 of us, but we’re glad we tried the tapas too. The garlic shrimp was wonderfully garlicky, and the potato and onion omelet was delicious as well. They even had a mariachi band playing the Wednesday night that went! Would definitely come back.

The paella fell a bit short for me—the flavor profile didn’t quite land, and they’re using an alternate grain instead of traditional bomba rice. That said, the almejas, chorizo, gambas, and mejillones were excellent, and absolutely worth ordering. Despite the paella miss, this is still one of the more authentically Spanish spots in the city, and I’ll definitely be back to explore the rest of the menu. In my experience, most places around here struggle with paella—there simply aren’t many Spanish chefs—but I appreciate that this kitchen aims for the real thing. Definitely miss zarzuela.

First time having Paella. My girl recommended so we took advantage. It was great. We had left overs and ate them today. Still amazing. The wine was strong. The bread soft. The papas bravas were amazing (her favorite).