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As we walked into Andaluz Tapas Bar y Mas… we were a little nervous, as the setting is rather dark (exactly like a traditional Tapas bar in Spain), but we were soon greeted by Kendy, the manager / owner and a very friendly as well as a polite waiter who took us to our table and made us feel instantly welcome and at ease (though his English was not what you would call fluent). Later, after we’d over-indulged ourselves on an incredible range of delicious food, we left satisfied, very happy and looking forward to our next visit, especially our next order of the uniquely delicious egg rolls!
The concept of Andaluz Tapas Bar y Mas… is that of a tapas bar – a place to have a relaxing drink in a low key atmosphere, with the option of a few light snacks as well as a good selection of platos fuertes. Of course with any new restaurant or bar they are still finding their feet and are slowing adding new items to their menu and adapting to suit customers needs and wants – as should always be the case. The bar interior has a rustic-modern feel, with wooden ceiling and walls and modern red and grey bar stools and seats. There is also a good sized flat-screen television, perfect for enjoying Torros game or other sporting activity.
Although the menu doesn’t technically include any ‘tapas’ labelled items – we tried a number of their ‘appetizers’ which were in essence tapas and in actuality, very delicious!
Here’s what we had and hence what we can recommend you try! Calamari (RD$250): Very good. Each piece had been delicately battered and fried and none were even remotely greasy! The squid inside was good quality, not chewy like in some low-quality calamari. Beef Carpaccio (RD$210): A nice large portion, plenty to share with a few people as a nice picadera, served with a small rocket salad and thin slices of good quality and tasty parmesan cheese. Cream of Pumpkin Soup (RD$150): Creamy, thick, delicious, with a great natural pumpkin flavour – made fresh daily and 100% delicious! Egg Rolls filled with vegetables, chicken and aurora sauce (RD$200): NOT your usual crispy, greasy egg roll – MUCH better, these eggrolls are delicious, honestly the best I think I’ve ever had. They are 100% in-house made; the tortilla part is made with local flour, which is thick, crispy on the outside yet soft and suave on the inside. Hiding inside is the chicken and vegetables, which have a delicious flavor with a hint of ginger. AWESOME dish: a must-try. Mini Brusquetta: The bread for these is made in-house and hence is much lighter and essentially better than most other Dominican breads, topped with tomato and onion, with a drizzle of olive oil, they have a good strong onion flavour, that is not overpowering. The Brusquetta are served in lieu of a bread basket, an original idea and a nice touch. Octopus Carpaccio (RD$200): Soft, fresh, delicious and needs nothing more than a squeeze of lemon – this comment was made by my boyfriend, who ate the entire plate all for himself, in a matter of minutes! I, sadly am a little squeamish about the idea of octopus and so decided not to try it – despite my boyfriend’s squeals of delight and half-hearted insisting that I give it a go! Lobster Bisque (RD$150): Creamy yet light and smooth with a good lobster flavor without it being too overpowering, we would definitely order this again.These photos are a gallery of the above dishes, in the same order as above – while they don’t do justice to the flavors, we hope it will help give you an idea of what to expect.
The Essential Facts! Restaurant: Andaluz Tapas y Mas… Cuisine: International Location: Calle Francisco Richiez esquina Altagracia, La Romana Telephone: 809-813-5219 Proprietors: Mrs. Gladys Quiñones & Mr. Ramon Montero (aka Kendy, former Chef of Limoncello).