Sí Tapas Restaurant Bar

I had reservations for Friday night...after a $700 tab we were asked to leave by the owner because he "needed the table." Several people still had wine in their glasses, and another had asked to order another bottle. Despite this, he still wanted the table. The food and wine were good but certainly not anything special. Next time we will be going to Cafe Madrid.

We arrived late around 11:00 on a Friday night - not only was the staff was welcoming - the food was truly beyond our expectations. The potato ommlet a tapas staple was the best I've ever had. Loved the calimari and the seared tuna. I could list our entire order and say honestly I would recommend all of it, so I will, Mushrooms, asparagus, charizo, manchego cheese & bread. We should have ordered more!

"THERE it is!" "No one's there, let's go." "No, let's do another drive by, please?" "Ah, see, it looks nice in there. Come on, Let's try it."

That conversation might be playing out between couples each time they pass Si Tapas on Allen. It's tucked between two single or multi family homes in a little converted house on Allen Street. I'm so glad we gave it a try.

The atmosphere is warm and the dining room is surprisingly large, with a simple but spacious patio area in the back. We opted to sit outside since it was a relatively cool night and I happen to think that Sangria always tastes better when you're copping a little sweat.

We ordered all at once: arugula, beet and jicama salad with beautifully fresh, with the peppery arugula tamed by the jicama and beets and stood up to by the citrus vinaigrette; Spanish cheeses, olives and chorizo which all tasted the same or slightly better than you can buy at Central Market; green beans with serrano ham and a mustardy shallot sauce which was pungent but excellent and our final dinner item, which was a chicken stew, bone-in chicken falling off the bone is a salty, vegetable and wine sauce which was excellent.

Dessert was the strawberries and oranges in Grand Marnier with black pepper ice cream which was excellent and a sage poached pear with passion fruit and chocolate which wasn't my favorite but was well prepared.

All of that, plus three glasses on Sangria and one glass of Albarino was $98 plus tip. Not cheap but I think the quality of the food was worth it. My only quibbles with Si Tapas is that the service was a tad slow for me and the outside patio chairs are unbelieveable uncomfortable. I actually thought my chair was broken because it was so painful to sit in.

Hard to find but well worth it.

Ate here on a Sunday, late lunch. Too hot to sit outside so picked the bar area. Their bar is very cool, love the wine bottle front. Tried fried smelts (fresh and crisp), a very refreshing arugalua salad with beets and jicama in the lightest vinaigrette - something I know I will eat all summer long. The green beans with serrano ham were the bomb, wonderful dressing, maybe the best green beans I have had all year. I am not a dessert person, but since it was a new place tried the strawberries and oranges with black pepper ice cream; it was subtle and delicious.Very well priced wine list.