For Olivia's birthday, we gathered for dinner at La Paella La Paella, a tapas restaurant where the waitress recommends skipping Paella and sticking to the little plates. I'd hate to taste their Paella then, considering none of the tapas surpassed mediocre for me. Actually, I think this is the most consistently mediocre restaurant I've ever been to. All but one dish, the scallops which had a nasty, almost metallic taste, was mediocre, made with mediocre ingredients, executed with middle of the road skill, presented in a mediocre way.

Boring potatoes, tasted boiled and then sauced.

Dry (which you can actually see in the picture) Meatballs in red sauce.

Stuffed Squid with no defining flavors.

Poorly sliced Serrano that didn't have much flavor.

The simple Bruschetta Toasts might have been slightly better than the rest but who can't make this?


Decent clams but not memorable.

The Mixed Platter looked like a plate someone helped themselves to at a buffet. The omelet was a little tough. The skewer was so-so. The fried asparagus tasted like anything battered and fried. The Manchego was ultra mild (read flavorless) and serving roasted peppers out of a jar is embarrassing. What was supposed to be ceviche, was really just a cooked squid salad, like one from any deli.

Roasted Peppers Stuffed with Goat Cheese didn't really taste like goat cheese.

The octopus was just another dish, boiled and sauced.

The shrimp was just slightly over-cooked and not flavored at all. Just a little sea salt and herbs could have helped.

I won't be offended if you're bored by this post. This restaurant inspires yawning. For the same prices, you'll be better off at Pipa or Sala One Nine for tapas.