Casa Madrid Tapas & More!

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rtomson

Joined 3 years ago

What A Great Restaurant. My wife and I were looking for a nice restaurant for our date night. I read the reviews and I wasn't quite sure. We have tried several other restaurants in Pleasanton and have found our favorites. My wife convinced me to give it a try. She was right (as always :-) ). Casa Madrid is now on our favorite list. Since that initial visit we have returned twice more. Each time we had a different meal, but a consistent and very pleasing experience. On our first visit we tried the Eggplant Tapa and the Lamb Tapa. They were both very good. I think my wife enjoyed the Eggplant a little more than I did (not a big Eggplant fan), however, I still thought it was very flavorful. The Lamb we both enjoyed very much. It was prepared with a seasoning that I couldn't quite put my finger on, but we loved the taste. We shared the main entree, which was called Costa Del Sol. This was a very nice plate of veal with a thick sauce. The veal was tender and cooked perfectly. The sauce was just wonderful with Sun Dried Tomato and Mushrooms. It was very very good. We liked that dish a lot. We had wine with our meal and took the recommendation of our server and tried one of the Spanish wines. It was perfect for the meal and just the right balance for us. We did not have dessert on that visit, but the look and the description from our server made them sound wonderful. We decided we would return and try it again before we left that evening. On our next two visits I can still say excellent, excellent, excellent. We have tried several different Tapas now, all of which have been tasty and satisfying, albeit a touch pricey for a couple of them, but on the balance everything was quite right. We have tried the Chicken Stuffed with Prawns for dinner with another wine recommendation from our server. This was another great tasting meal and another great evening for us. We had the Paella on our last visit. Once again we had a wonderful evening and a meal to match. This last time we tried the dessert, the "Pecan" cake. I must say, I didn’t think the name fit the dessert. It is not a Pecan Cake. Our server explained to us how the name was picked, and after tasting the dessert, we had to agree that it all made sense. The dessert was uniquely delicious. We'll have that one again. We highly recommend this place. It has a very warn and cozy interior, the service is right on top, and the food is very very good. The only downside is that the bathroom is outside. Not difficult to get to, and we felt perfectly safe, but it would be better if we could access it from the dining room.

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patrodriguez

Joined 6 years ago

Disappointed.... At Casa Madrid, the service was quick, the staff friendly, and the atmosphere attractive. Unfortunately, the food did not fit the bill.

The paella was the biggest let down. It had all the dressings of a paella valenciana, and the presentation was excellent, but the taste was sub-par. I lived in Spain for many years (including a long stay in Valencia - the paella mecca of the world), and this paella did not even come close to tasting like any that I've had in Spain. Not only was the rice mushy (overcooked perhaps?), it was very bland - I actually had to reach for the salt shaker. In the end, I am not sure I would even call it a paella.

The tapas were better than the paella. Though I was surprised to find that the manchego cheese was dry and lacking flavor. For the price, I expected better. The chorizo was not very good either.

I was excited to see that they had Ribera del Duero on the wine list, but unfortunately they were all out. Given the priciness, I would have liked to see a more interesting list of Spanish wine, but the bottle of Marques de Caceres that we had (a common, but very tasty Rioja) was just fine.

If you must go here, I would suggest sticking with the tapas. The desserts looked good - though we didn't have any, other people seemed to be enjoying them. Overall I must say that this place was a disappointment. If you're looking for "authentic" Spanish food, I would look elsewhere.

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Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

Editorial Review by Citysearch editors. Where patrons can enjoy Spanish and American cuisine set in a cozy, historical background.

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rnlivingston

Joined 6 years ago

Paella Valenciana was just like being in Spain. My husband and I ate here on February 10th. We had been to Spain recently and wanted to try the food here

to see if it was authentic. It was wonderful! We had tapas (large enough for two to share) I had the Paella, and my husband had a lamb dish. We were very, very pleased and the service was superb. We really loved the atmosphere, comfortable and quiet enough to have a romantic conversation.

I would highly recommend this place to my friends. Over all a really nice evening. However, the bathroom is located in the back of the building and you have to walk outside to reach it.