Bota Tapas & Paella Bar Reviews

Clean, neat and expensive..... Good service. Did not have paella, but it looked good. Tomato soup too acidic. Cheese platter beautiful and very tasty. Mussels were excellent Brussels sprouts yummy. Potatoes too spicy for me. Sangria good.

A great night with friends topped off with great food and drink. Everything from the paella to the tapas are worth the journey.

The food was awesome! The portions were large and everything was excellent. The wait staff was good overall and made good suggestions. It is a bit cramped inside if they are busy.

This is presented as a tapas bar, but looks more like a MidWest airport restaurant, no character, no atmosphere, terrible lights. Good service, but not at all authentic Spanish. Food just decent, incredibly overpriced, my suggestion is to stay away.

We had an amazing dining experience there! Service was great, every dish we ordered was tasty, and the atmosphere was perfect. I highly recommend trying this place. We loved the lamb, oxtail with prawns, and the pear salad. The chocolate ganache with the creme brûlée was an awesome combo too.

Wow, stumbled onto Bota by chance, located on Geary just off Powell, convenient to Union Square. The menu was authentic, excellently prepared and super-tasty, and the staff couldn't have been more friendly. If your lucky, sit at the open kitchen serving bar, with just 3 seats. The wait staff, hostess and the chef were all engaging, knowledgeable and welcoming, and made me feel at home from the minute I walked in the door. Will definitely return!

Four of us visited here last night. We ordered some food, beers and 2x glasses of wine. The paella took about 45 minutes to arrive and when it did arrive the rice and mussels were dried out and hard (as if it had been under the heating light for far too long before the waitress grabbed it). We had a major fuss with the bill at the end of the meal. We were overcharged on the first bill - we queried this and a full bottle of wine was added instead of the 2x small glasses. An amended bill came back ten minutes later (after the waitress had to get the manager to adjust). A second amended bill came back ten minutes later (again, manager had to adjust). This time we were overcharged for 2x deserts (which we didn’t have). The final bill came back which all appeared ok, but when checking our bank accounts this morning, it looks like we were still overcharged. At this point we’ve given up. Keep an eye on your bill/receipt here.

Chose this place because of proximity to hotel, our late arrival to the city and the menu. Our table had pear confit salad and salmorejo, garlic shrimp, and chicken canalonas de pollo. To be honest, I didn't love the chicken dish ---but I think it was more because I was unfamiliar with it and was just trying something new. I didn't realize the chicken would be ground up and there would be SO much creamy stuff. But -- the flavor was good. My friend had the garlic prawns. Now THAT was Deliciuos. The soup and salad choices were very good as well (so am thinking the chicken thing was just me). The overall atmosphere is very friendly, noisy and bustling. I'd definitely go again.

We only really popped in after a lot of travelling but it was perfect for our needs. We got padron peppers, patatas bravas and meatballs, and drinks. It was a fierce game of padron pepper roulette!! Fine service and food was tasty.

After ditching through long wait at another place around the corner, we happily came across this gem. If you enjoy tapas, you'll appreciate the quality of the food here. We shared potatoes & the seafood paella, and that was totally enough food. Kitchen had already run out of two main dish paella choices as well as at least one side (on a Monday night?) Service was friendly but hard to flag down for check. Red sangria made well, buy don't look for any actual fruit in your glass. Maybe if you order the $44 pitcher?

Tapas is tasty and fresh, good wine selection and overall happy atmosphere and friendly staff. Brussels sprouts might be the best I ever had, being vegan eating them all the time, that say something... 😉🥬 Walking distance from Parc55 and right close to Crest theater. Will visit again.

We arrived to our hotel in San Francisco after 5pm and we found this restaurant not far from it and there were only a few people. As usually we got glass of water straight after taking seats. We ordered regular meat paella ($49) which we shared. We waited over 30 minutes and when we have been served we've been a bit disappointed with the size of the dish as for the price we paid it was overpriced. At the end we paid $56.42 incl. tax of $4.48 and SF Mandate $2.94. Note: I finally found what is SF Mandate : "Since 2008, San Francisco in particular has required businesses with more than 20 employees to contribute toward worker health care — which has in turn spurred many restaurants to add on “S.F. Mandates” or “Healthy SF” fees to cover insurance costs." I am absolutely disgusted that the businesses, not just this restaurant as we found strange charge nearly on every bill, not paying this contribution to their employees but we - customers.

This restaurant has decent tapas but nothing to go out of your way to find. Service was very good and the ambience is nice.

Bota was a short walk from our hotel which made it an easy choice. We ordered 4 dishes — olives, Brussels sprouts, patatas bravas, and shrimp in garlic sauce. Since there was only two of us, we ended up with leftovers. Every bite was delicious. Our service was excellent. Our server was gracious and knowledgeable, and the food delivery was well paced. The olives for the starter, followed after a reasonable time by the other three dishes. We ordered a nice bottle of wine that neither of us had tried and our server asked if we’d had it before. When we said we hadn’t, she took a moment to describe it (and she was exactly right). One very minor complaint was that the garlic shrimp included 3 shrimp, wish they’d included 1 more so we each could have had 2. 🤗. In terms of pricing, the tapas were quite reasonably priced. In fact, the bottle of wine cost more than the tapas. Would definitely eat there again and next time I’ll try the paella. (Note on category below on bar/pub food. I marked yes because I think of tapas as appetizers. They do not serve traditional American bar/pub food.)

Great service and very yummy, authentic food. Certainly recommend this restaurant if you like tapas!

Bota was the place I was looking for simple and delicious food, good wine and a casual conversation. It fulfilled my expectations at every level. Service was a plus, prices were on high end.

This was a great place near us while staying at the St. Francis. We were craving oysters, which is one of many things they have, and were also interested in having tapas. A great combination. We started with an “individual” order of seafood paella, since it takes 30 minutes to prepare. It is not on the menu, but is available if you ask, especially if trying to take in more small plates with it. We also tried the Brussel sprouts with chorizo and cheese, which were surprisingly good to me as a Brussel sprout avoider. We had the roasted pork shoulder with potatoes and garlic that was great. We also had the smoked oysters, which were raw but infused with smoke under a glass hood along with a lemon foam and chorizo. They were excellent. Paella came out last and we were almost full by the time it did. Couldn’t finish the individual portion between the two of us and took it to go. Server was wonderful and had a great talk with us on locals-recommended places to go for the rest of our trip. I would happily come back here again.

Great restaurant lovely food. Very accommodating when my daughter decided to get grumpy as they didn't have her favourite Spanish dish. Relatively speaking it was also good value too. Overall very impressed.

I was staying at the hotel, so had dinner downstairs one evening, it was good, but the selection is limited.

A friend took me here for dinner. The food was great! Each dish was so tasty. My favourite was Scret Iberico - black port meat, don't know how long it was marinated, the taste just burst in my mouth. Grilled Octopus, Brussel Sprouts, meat ball, are great. Highly recommended. Make sure you make booking though. I went back for lunch the next day myself. I walked in without booking at 12noon, and was told they were full. I walked out but with my curiosity I checked online, and got a table at "open table" for 12:15pm! I am not sure when I walked back into the restaurant, the waitress recognised me. I got a table that was a bit too high for the seat, but hey, I got to have Screte Iberico again!

Very disappointing Tapas Restaurant. The meat paella was not good at all. Was not cooked long enough. Was spicy and did not even get the spicy chorizo in it. The bell peppers and onions tottaly did not go in there. It was not crispy on the bottom like it was supposed to be. The only thing I liked was the bacon wrapped dates. I would not go back there again.

Precooked and low quality food! Tiny portions! Packaged bread! Very hasty and unkind waitress! Very expensive for the quality and quantity.

We love coming to this joint because of its authentic Spanish flair. We have enjoyed their tapas, paella’s and sangria. Love the ambience. It’s literally steps from where we stay when in SFO and we couldn’t thank the hotel concierge enough for the excellent recommendation. We were there last week and we thank Storm for being such a wonderful waiter! He was friendly yet very professional, very personable and just delightful and we are grateful for having him serve us. Storm, you rock, thank you!

Very Nice place! Everything is just right. The furniture, design, waiter, food, wine... we loved all of it

My wife and kids and I decided to give this place a try, since going to a Tapas place provides the opportunity to try a few dishes and share with everyone at the table, which my 8yr old daughter loves, because she wants to try EVERYTHING. My 8yr old son on the other hand, is on the other end of that spectrum, and just wants chicken. He's hard to please. The one thing that concerned me when we walked in was the strong seafood smell, which unfortunately for my wife and I, smelled like what shrimp shells smell like when they've been left in the trash overnight. That smell dissipated when we got to our table. Our server, Kevin, was awesome. He was incredibly helpful and made sure the kids and us were taken care of with drinks right away. He was available to answer any questions we had about the menu and was always within earshot if we needed him. He's truly and asset to this restaurant. We tried a great many things on the tapas menu....the Salmorejo, (cold tomato soup), the patatas bravas (spicy potatoes), the brussel sprouts, the garlic prawns, the garlic chicken, and the rabas de pollo (fried chicken strips for my son). Finally, my adventurous side told me to try the Rabo de Buey, which is Oxtail and Prawns. We wanted Paella, but for the money and people who would eat it, we felt it would be overkill, but I probably missed out on something good. Back to what we ordered.....the cold soup was good and my daughter loved it. The patatas bravas were great and had a serious kick to them, loved it. The brussel sprouts were also good, but could have used another minute or two of being cooked to our better liking. The garlic prawns were a big hit, as they were delicious. The garlic chicken was just ok. I think the chicken they cooked must have been a baby, because the chicken parts were so small....or maybe the chicken somehow missed it's steroid injections! My son enjoyed his fried chicken strips, and while it was an experience, I don't think I'll be ordering oxtail any time soon again. It was just ok and I wasn't a big fan of the sauce they used for this meal. All in all, I'd give the tapas we ordered a 50/50 experience with what we liked and didn't like. Remember that your mileage may vary depending on what you order. The decor of the place is very nice and perfect for a night out for a couple or an adventurous family like ours. If I ever went back, I'd probably try the paella, just to get a good view of the menu!!

A real nice surprise for this Spanish-sounding restaurant. Everything is tasty and we find cuisine of a European level that no longer has anything to do with American cuisine. Well done. And it feels good. The service is impeccable and Leslie is very friendly.

We ordered paella and it was eons away from a real seafood paella. I have lived in Spain and my fried was born in Barcelona so I know what I'm talking about. Don't bother to pay a fortune for a fake, badly prepared paella. Bota calls itself a Spanish restaurant but is nothing more than over-expensive Mexican cantina. A real insult to pretend they serve food from Spain. Abrazos in San Francisco does offer real paella in a very nice environment, but it was closed that evening...

We enjoyed our dining experience at Bota. Service was friendly and efficient. Food was delicious, the Paella in particular is a must. The restaurant is pricey but fine by San Fran standards, portions are small but we like this as we are not big eaters. Would recommend you try it if you are in the mood for tapas and paellas while in San Fran.

We started our gastronomic experience in San Francisco at the restaurant Bota, and could not have been better! Our first breakfast was amazing: we ordered a dish with bacon, potatoes, eggs and a cappuccino, and everything was delicious. We just love! In addition to the delicious food, we need to highlight Augustin, an amazing and super receptive Argentine, who made our experience at Bota even more special. Immaculate attention!

Wanted to try something different and saw Bota while on Muni. Made reservations and was seated immediately. Service was a little slow, but we finally got our drinks. Wife’s martini was good but my sangria was not. Server said they had a great reputation for one of the best in SF...WRONG!! It was mostly red wine with a little peach brandy in a small tumbler for $14!!! Tapas were great, although expensive. Wife had potatas brava and chicken strips with a spicy sauce and I had the bacalau salad, garlic shrimp, served bubbly hot and lamb chops. There were four shrimp and four chops. All my tapas were delicious. Bottom line: pricey meal, but good, Just don’t order the Sangria...that drink is a ripoff!!!

The service was good but the food was disappointing (and overpriced). Seafood paella looked delicious but lacked flavour. Rice was bland and seafood was overcooked (except for the jumbo shrimp). Beef skewers tapas was too well done and chewy.

Had a very nice eggs royal in La Bota as a breakfast. They didn't had in the menu, but very kindly made thise for me. I have to say the potatios were a little bit hard, and that usually I like less potatos and some fruit side, that they did not have as such. I was expensive for an american breakfast, i miss again the combos (eggs+fruit+coffe); but from a flavour point of view, I recommend it

A good selection of great tasting tapas. No loud music so we could actually have a conversation. The waiter gave good recommendations and excellent service.

We were looking for a light dinner and came across this restaurant across from our hotel. We ordered two drinks from the bar and had two different tapas- dates wrapped in bacon, and scallops. The dates were outstanding, very tasty, and the scallops okay. There is a younger crowd at this restaurant which is part of the Warwick Hotel in the city. The tapas were a bit on the pricey side at $12/14 for a very small quantity seemed to be too much. But it was fun.

We had tickets for Harry Potter Parts 1 and 2 with limited time in between, so we wanted dinner close by. Bota was almost directly across the street from the Curran. They were well prepared for the sudden influx of theatrical folks just after 5. As doors opened, they had plenty of help to get people seated and orders turned in. The food was excellent. As a starter we had smoked octopus, which was truly excellent. Then two different paellas shared by 3 people. Loads of food, unusual offerings. The rabbit on top was tender, juicy, and very flavorful, the rice had wonderful bits of rabbit and mushrooms. The seafood in the second paella was cooked just right, the rice was spiced perfectly but a tiny bit dry. I do wish we had not bothered with dessert-the mango sorbet was good, but the other choices such as the chocolate ganache were just average. It was pricey, but you are paying for the location and the quality of the food. Next time we go to the Curran, we will eat here again.

The restaurant was perfectly wonderful, but we had a very unpleasant encounter arriving and a quite dangerous situation leaving this restaurant. I would not recommend walking to the Warwick or the Bota after dark. My husband was physically threatened in a manner that frightened our entire group of ten that were waiting for various rides to different hotels after our dinner. When we went into the Warwick lobby to ask for assistance we were told that there was nothing they could do about the person who threatened us. That they "had tried" and the police did nothing about this person. I know this sounds like a one off, but I would say that walking back to our hotel only a couple of blocks away would indicate it was not. This is just not a safe place to be after dark.

Grilled Octopus, Patatas Bravada, Bacon wrapped dates and the seafood Paella were all really good. Really did remind me of being in Spain. Caramel Churros didn't last very long as they were gobbled up.

We liked this place so much we went twice in one week. Coming from Asheville where Curate, one of the best tapas restaurants in the US is located we were a bit reluctant to try Bota - we were not disappointed. We shared the dates wrapped in bacon, the garlic prawns, padron peppers, mussels and pork. All of them were really delicious. Great bottle of Carlos Serres Gran Reserva wine was perfect with all the food. For dessert we had the coconut and the caramel ice cream - they come from a local producer and were both very yummy. For our second visit we had the dates, prawns and pork and had dessert, the ganache - it was a bit much for me; I did enjoy the caramel ice cream. The service was really good! Our waiter was attentive and very likeable. The first visit it was very loud, just people having a good time on a Saturday night. Much quieter on Wednesday. Definitely would recommend Bota!

My wife and I really enjoyed our visit to Bota Tapas and Paella Bar - and yes we had both Tapas and Paella. It was a really enjoyable upscale yet also casual atmosphere. Highly recommend it.

Had dinner before a show. Good tapas and disappointed I did not have time to try the paella. I did think the prices were a bit high and some of the dishes were a bit on the cool side. The service and servers were excellent. I do think for tapas, my preference would be Picaro in the Mission. A bit more divey and crowded, but the food is better and cheaper.

Visited on a Monday night; potato appetizer was phenomenal; shrimp pretty good; the paella was a generous serving for two and could not have been better if in Spain. Very nice atmosphere. Had a wonderful dinner. We will be back.

Great variety of tapas! They come out fast, too. Paella is bland. Stick to tapas all night long!!! Three blocks from Union Square on Geary Street. Lots of homeless peeps out at night.

Wouldnt bother again, found this pricey and somewhat tasteless. We had three dishes that the waitress recommended non of which lived up to any expectation, we had ordered a fourth but cancelled it. The drinks were silly expensive

We were excited to try a tapas meal in San Fran and we were pleased! The service was attentive and the food was tasty! We shared the meat paella, the portion size was reasonable. It’s more on the pricey end but then tapas is in most places.

As an Anglo growing up in Miami I'm used to a yellow rice big pot paella. This white rice version in a smaller pan was different but still very good. We also had the Canelones DePollo as an appetizer and a dessert that I don't remember the name of that was a kind of vanilla custard with a caramelized hard sugar cap. All were very good. Service to our table was just fine as we had all evening with no rush. We did notice though, that the table next to us had tickets to a show and had to cancel their paella as there was some sort of mix up in the kitchen that couldn't get it out on time, so be sure to allow plenty of time for your order to be served..

Luckily, this restaurant has some "healthy" breakfast selections. They advertise steel cut oats but it's not steel cut, it is more like sloppy quick oats for $11. The healthy egg white scramble isn't healthy because it's doused in grease and heavy oil. Overall, it's better than most places because it's quiet, there's plenty of seating, and has very friendly service. $70 for breakfast for two leaving very full. Just to compare, the packed coffee shop down the street is $50.00 for one.

Very popular Tapas with lots of choice. Very popular and busy, the staff were helpful in at times a little overwhelmed. Reasonably priced but dependant on what is ordered.

We spent the night at the Warwick Hotel where the Bota is located. Breakfast was provided in our room rate. Breakfast was an unexpected pleasure. Special aspects of our meal included; grilled tomato with my wife's omelet, and fresh fruit on the side of my eggs, potatoes, and toast. First-rate service, Recommend.

Good food and service. Relatively small tapas menu but all the selections I went for were well prepared and tasted good.

We enjoyed dinner at Bota Tapas. It is a quite intimate spot. Service was great . The 3 of use shared 3 appetizers and a small paella. The olives , Brussels sprouts , and meat balls were very good . The paella was also excellent. We chose the smaller size and that was perfect for 3. The combo of sea food and meat was very good. It is hard to find someone who does paella well and this place does .

My mom spotted this place. They were booked solid til late, but they gave us a reservation at the bar, which actually has tables. The decor is really nice. The service was exceptional, and I have nothing articulate to say about the food, except that it is spectacular. We got the Brussels sprouts, some blistered peppers, and the seafood paella plus the cheese plate for dessert. Top notch.

We ate here with our son & his girlfriend. They enjoyed the Paella. We got a number of Tapas. The dates wrapped in Bacon were amazing. Also enjoyed the brussel sprouts.

Not having eaten there before I wasn’t sure what to expect but overall it was a nice evening. Service is really great, friendly and welcoming. We were seated quickly, the environment is fun and not stuffy given that it’s right downtown. The size of the portions were solid; the quality of the individual products were good. Everything was beautifully plated. However almost everything was on the “flat tasting” side. I don’t know if it lack of salt or am acid. But almost all the dishes were missing the depth of flavor that makes you go “hmmm”. Several of us commented on it after the meal. Even the salad lacked an acid to balance the dressing. The almond tort had great texture and was tasty. I would give it another shot as a just in case it was an off night

We had dinner here. Friendly service, food was okay/good but too pricey. five small pieces of fried chicken with sauce for usd 14 plus taxes and service charge. That is just too much. I would have given four stars if the pricing was more reasonable.

Booked pre-show dinner for the family as their menu had some vegetarian and vegan options. Service was meh, and not super helpful. We said we had never been there and had minimal guidance for our order. For example, we ordered a steak dish thinking it was a normal entree, but it was actually family sized and could have easily fed 2-3 people, so lots of $$ wasted there since we couldn't exactly transport leftovers. That said, everything we ordered was tasty and delicious both tapas (the Brussels sprouts were a standout) and paella. The vegetarians were happy with their choices and every bit of paella ordered, both meat & veg, were eaten. The next time I want paella, I'll remember this place. If you're seeing a show at the Curran theater it's right across the street in the Hotel Warwick. About a 15 min walk downhill to the Orpheum theater.

I was looking forward to visiting this restaurant, and I love tapas. The food was less than mediocre and the service was the same. The only dish we liked at all was the lamb chop. Everything else was blah!

We had dinner here last week - we were a fairly large group in town for work. The food and service were excellent. The portions (although listed as tapas) were generous and plenty enough for us to all share. The paella was amazing and the wine list was good (the pours were hefty as well)! Next time I'm back in SF, I plan on dining there again!!

This pretentious but remarkably mediocre joint of a tapas bar has earn the DASM award (Dumb A** Stupid Management). Why? Exhibit A: As a lover of Spanish food, I was pleasantly surprised to find an alternative to the nearby and always reliable B44. Every time I passed and attempted to enter, it was either closed, or completely empty, with just a couple of people at the back kitchen but without a hostess or servers. Strike 1. Exhibit B. I walk in at 4:40pm and a truly unpleasant gum-chewing lady sprawled at one of the side tables tells me the kitchen opens at 5, and without apologizing the apparent manager, frowning and puffing, gestures me out and cordons off the entrance. Exhibit C: I return at 5:15 willing to give it a last chance. The floor is completely empty, no hostess, no servers. I approach the bar, and another unpleasant chef-hatted person informs me I "have to" wait for the hostess to sit me. "But there's no host," I say. No matter, I'm invited not to sit at the bar until she returns. A minute later, she rushes in from nowhere, and you guessed it, she was the gum-chewing lady of a half hour earlier. I complain about the rude treatment of the "chef" and she agrees with him: "You have to wait for me to seat you." Unwilling to sit anywhere near the counter, I point at a side table on the other end of the empty restaurant, to which she reacts as if she has been insulted. Begrudgingly, she throws the menu on the table inviting me to sit. Strike 3, and it's out.I order the overpriced and forgettable Spanish Meats, pay the check an leave, never to return. Off to the consistently fun and delicious B44, or the new and outstanding Bellota on Brannan St. Whoever owns this joint has no idea what damage its staff are doing it. I predict it won't last more than a couple more years. Therefore, the platinum DASM aware goes to Bota.

The breakfasts are delicious!!! Paella and Tapas were prepared perfectly. The staff was friendly....

We came here for breakfast twice during our stay in San Francisco. I ordered the Fresh Fruit Bowl (greek yogurt and fruit) while my husband ordered the Healthy Start omelet which he was able to modify without issue (eggs instead of egg whites). The fruit bowl was very large and contained a wide variety of fruits including honeydew, cantaloupe, pineapple, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries. The servers were all very nice and overall it was a very pleasurable experience.

First, the good stuff. Serving staff are great. 'Michael' was attentive and helpful. Food came out quickly, even though I was told a personal-sized paella would take 30 minutes. The ambience was bland but more than serviceable. The selections good. The mediocre- food was not authentic, as others have said. Squid was not 'su tinta', as is the classic way. The mussels were small, shrivelled and uninspired. Not even a hint of saffron to be seen/tasted. A couple of nice prawns, and the rice well done. The appetizer tray for one person of meats, cheeses and olives was excellent, but priced at $28. The bad- my bill came to $92 before tip with a glass of Rioja and a dessert. The wine (Carlos Serres) normally runs about $21/bottle and they charged $16 for a glass. Extortionist. SF adds a 'mandate' tax, so the taxes were over 15%. That is not the restaurant's fault...but we pay, and I did not see that line item at other places I ate.

The paella was absolutely perfect, coming in a very generous portion for 2. The desserts were delicious too, the chocolate ganache in particular was a m a z i n g! The staff was friendly and very helpful. Highly recommended restaurant!

First of all, we found the prices very high for the quantity provided. We were still hungry when we finished, which is unacceptable when you spend 15 dollars. It was very minimal. And the plates were put on the table in a very bad way. But the plates weren’t disastrous. Contrary to the service, which was at the edge of amateurism. We waited 20 minutes to pay ; first of all, it wasn’t possible to pay separately. Then the bill didn’t contain the taxes so we waited another couple of minutes to have our separate and full bills. Finally, I waited at least 5 minutes (5 REAL minutes) to receive my change ( 11 dollars...) . Nobody to tell you goodbye. The restaurant was almost empty full : why did they take all this time to make us pay ?

I ate here with my work colleagues while we were attending a conference in town. I absolutely loved their tapas offerings and the sangria was so good (maybe a little too good). But for me, the star of the show was the paella. I really loved every bite even though I overindulged (which is so easy to do here).

Stayed overnight in San Francisco to enjoy the holiday decorations and stumbled into this wonderful find of a restaurant. Started with the Spanish Old Fashioned, a nice twist on a standard mixed with Templeton Rye: sweet, fruity and aromatic. Balances well against the spiced flavors of the menu options we selected: Tapas included a tender meatball in thick tomato sauce, chicken canalones with a bechamel like sauce plus garlic prawns in an amazing olive oil spiked with peppers and served with a toasted crostini. Each option stood on its own, but we played mix and match using the sauces after having ordered a side of the toasted crostini to sop them up . . . but first we dipped each slice of perfectly toasted bread into the ajillo, scooping up the peppers and garlic before adding a new sauce. We were happy right there but had also ordered a regular meat paella to split which turned out to be a very generous portion. The rice was perfection, seasoned to complement the meat (beef, chorizo, chicken and pork)--which I give snaps for being chopped into bite size pieces so that it was easy to create the perfect bite of paella. Also want to compliment the restaurant’s warm and welcoming ambiance establishing a Spanish flair which was carried through even to the selection of table and glassware. Service was also impeccable despite the fact that we arrived a half hour earlier than our reservation.

Excellent tapas bar, food was great and the service was fast. We were seated very quickly, but it might be better to make a reservation as the lines for long after we sat down. The bacon wrapped dates are awesome!!

Get a reservation on a weekend as this place gets busy. The service was good, the oysters were really small, the margaritas great, and the skid ink seafood paella was wonderful. I highly recommend.

Staying at a nearby hotel I saw their breakfast menu the night before I visited. The atmosphere looked fun and their bagel with salmon stayed in my head that night. Like many places the delivery truck with bagels had not arrived for my appetite to be subdued. Saying that, I’m happy to profess their service was perfect. My French toast was way above good, and I’d go back despite the bagel dilemma.

Really good. The tapas was great and service excellent. Was great to be able to see the kitchen in action as I am a chef and am usually on the other side.

Looking for a place to bite something I found this place by chance and the experience was amazing. Great fresh oysters with a nice wine, ending with a fantastic Spanish way oxtail with ships. The service supper. The bill was ok for the service vs offer. Would definitely recommend and repeat.

This is actually a nice place. Good variety of tapas and other plates. The 5Js Bellota Ham was really good. Akisha was always smiling and helping us throughout the night. All this makes me want to come back again.

4.5 stars. All the tapas we had were delicious. A multitude of paella options, including some without seafood, which I enjoyed. 10 stars for the bacon wrapped dates; I woke up dreaming about those. Great service and pacing of the food, which is especially important to me with the many tapas plates. Would definitely repeat. Go here.

We were going to the theater so decided to have an early dinner at Bota. Had never been there before. Everything was really good - great service, good wine list, and well-prepared tasty food. The brussels sprouts were fantastic, but what was worthy of The French Laundry were the smoked oysters. Still fresh, but smoky, and absolutely incredible.

We shared everything. We started with the Pera Confitada - pear salad with greens and goat cheese and other veggies. We then had the Salmorejo - a cold, garlicy tomato soup. Both dishes were very tasty and flavorful. For the second act we had the Lamb Chops and the Garlic Chicken. Both were perfectly prepared, tasty, flavorful and yummy. Our ending dessert was the Compress Salad which was apple, watermelon and pineapple marinated in various flavors. Service was good, friendly and attentive.

We enjoyed our visit to this tapas restaurant and indulged in about half the menu. These prices are equivalent to the restaurants in our areas, so we weren't surprised, but it is on the pricier side. Perhaps that's Union Square, perhaps that's just because they can get away with it. Service was slow. They had a busy weekend due to toned down PRIDE, so were out of red sangria. I tried the white and would not go there again. The food, every bite was delicious, but would especially recommend the ox-tails, Iberico meatball, and the lambchops. Their shishito peppers and brussels were typical to any Spanish restaurant. And the seafood was all very fresh and wonderful. Wish I had tried the paella.

We were a group of ladies having a night out during the week. The place didn't have very many patrons but we had our own group so that didn't matter. The service was very good. We enjoyed the Spanish wine and the tapas esp the pork and brussels, our paella was a bit burnt but we had eaten so much by that point and it was toward the end of the meal so we didn't complain. We were celebrating a birthday so they brought out candles and a nice plate- I am gluten free and I had lots of choices. Overall a good time.

We had family and friends visiting from out of town so we decided to treat them to a great meal in San Francisco. My wife and I also just came back from a 10 day trip in Spain and were craving for authentic Spanish dishes. After looking for the top restaurants in Yelp we immediately made reservations at Bota Tapas and Paella Bar. On the positive side, the Servers were really nice and the restaurant looked like fine dining. I give the service a 4 star and leave it open to fine dining service improvements. For starters, don't have Servers wear jeans. The Lamb Chop, Canalones de Pollo, and Brussel Sprout tapas were delicious and I highly recommend them. On the negative side, the Pulpo a la Gallega was not fresh and compared to Pulpo dishes in Spain, it definitely did not come close. The biggest disappointment was the Seafood Paella. While they prepared and cooked everything from the start, it was over cooked with what seemed like packaged frozen seafood mix. The seafood was not fresh and were tiny sizes like the ones you would get from a grocery frozen packaged section. I expected fresh large seafood servings from a fine-dining and high-priced restaurant with a claim to Spanish dish authenticity. The rice was dry and did not have that authentic moist and spice flavors that we enjoyed at Madrid and Santiago, Spain. Not sure if the owners decided to cut down on cost or just have bad choices in ingredients. It could also have been an error from the Chef allowing to serve an over-cooked dish. Either way, if it's fine dining with claim to authenticity, don't cut down on ingredients and spices. Plus never serve any dish that does not pass quality standards. We also had the Rabbit Paella, which was a little better. It was not over-cooked but still lacked authentic flavors. The desert menu was limited and not authentic. One of the most common and top deserts in Spain is actually Churros with thick chocolate dip. We even had that at the Fairmont hotel and they don't serve at the Bota. A cup of regular coffee was $10 each. Really! I don't mind paying for fine dining but I could have gotten better coffee from Starbucks. Lastly, the Paella pans seemed over-used like chinese cooking pots that have been used a hundred time. I'm not an expert but they do need to be upgraded. The Paellas that were served in Spain were always on cast iron, which I know provide a much better heating and flavor when cooking Paella. The coasters for the Paella pans were a joke. They were too small and would always wiggle the pans. It makes the restaurant look cheap versus what it's supposed to be. The plates also need to be replaced. While they look good, the utensils keep falling off the sides. They are poorly designed plates and should be immadiately replaced.

Oysters to die for; followed by a pear kale confit salad and black pork and baby potatoes. Dessert was an almond torte all washed down with 2 glasses of red wine and I was one happy traveler

Fun ambiance and very tasty food. Perfect meal before the theater. Service by Dio was excellent. Highly recommend this restaurant.

I had eaten at Bota 4 times in 2 days and the problem was the menu is inflated for some reason to be overly expensive for whatever reason and then actually not that good. One redeeming dish is their breakfast fruit bowl, I must say that was amazing. But shouldn't be the reason you choose this place

Booked lunch reservation for three (3) people through OpenTable. Menu available online fairly expansive. Arrived. No staff visible. Took a while to get seated. Asked many times for water. Staff not organized. When queried, staff replied that lunch was a new service Bota was providing and staff was working out the kinks. (Huh? It's a restaurant, you work here, . . . .) I bit my lip. Good thing we brought our own wine as the service was so bad that we would have been miserable. Not all of the items from the more limited lunch menu were available. The seafood paella was good. Papas are papas. Not sure why I would elect to eat here again. And, to add insult to injury, Bota refused to award my 100 OpenTable points.

Bota is a nice tapas bar near Union Square and I actually went there two times during my recent trip. Located in a hotel, it has a rather limited menu, but all of the tapas on the menu were very delicious and, paired with one of their excellent wines, made for a great evening. The atmosphere is bar noise level, although if you have a seat away from the bar, it is a little quieter, but still lively. You have a choice of high seating, which is bar stool height, or low seating. One tapas item which cannot be missed is the grilled octopus - it was amazing. Tender, moist and not at all rubbery or chewy. This was probably the best dish we had. The smoked oysters were delicious, as were the lamb chops. We also ordered the seafood paella, and while it was good, I did not find anything extraordinary about this dish - perhaps because we were still raving about the octopus. Bota has a good wine selection. We ordered the Shaya - a Spanish white which was quite good. All in all, this was a great place, with good food, good wine and good value at a reasonable (although not cheap) price. I will be back.

Absolutely without doubt a standout. The food was authentic and of a very high standard. Staff were extremely attentive and friendly. Will definitely be returning and would recommend.

Booked an early dinner before a show across the street at the Curran theatre. Was so empty at first we were worried about it. But, no reason to worry. The drinks and dishes were all very good. The pastas bravas, prawns, and fresh oysters(!) were top notch, as were the chocolate ganache tacos for dessert. Seems like an under-appreciated place, which is unusual in SF. Which means you can go without a reservation months in advance!

After a “not that good” paels and tapas diner and a mandatory 30% tip, on a Thursday night it’s not 9h30 and we are kicked out… we are closing… not a way to treat guest!

Well balanced slap. Paella well served and very tasty in a small and simple atmosphere. We were served very well, but there was only one waiter in the restaurant.

If you're looking to make an evening meal out of the tapas menu, dream on. It's short and sweet and when it comes it's pretty average. Overlooked squid and tasteless exceptionally garlic prawns are the notable elements of the tapas. If you don't like Paella don't expect any other Spanish delicacies to tempt you either , as there aren't any!! Having spent a lot of time in Spain I can't tell you how wrong they have got this place. It's not fun, service is curt and slow and without doubt there has to be a better option. Sorry, we tried!

Food is freshly made and plentiful. Was a noisy atmosphere and seemed all patrons were enjoying themselves. We ordered a starter pear salad and seafood paella. Both were outstanding.

Nice selection of tapas, Spanish wines, including the delicious Muga Rioja Blanco, and surprisingly good cocktails. The gin drinks were tasty and interesting. The tapas sampled were all very good - lamb, queso manchego, oysters, gambaas al aljillo, brusell sprouts and the requisite patatas bravas. Good service, friendly if a little languid, not unlike that in Spain itself

Long grain rice in paella? It doesn't work...the creaminess was missing. However, our tomato salad appetizer was tasty and so was the dessert crema. Too bad.

Delicious food. Fantastic service. Yes, maybe a little pricey compared to other restaurants but then good tapas always is. Contrary to some previous reviews there was plenty of fruit in the sangria. Keith was particularly helpful and knowledgeable as a waiter and seemed genuinely interested. Lamb chops were a particular highlight and, who knew, brussel sprouts can be delicious!

Had a great meal here on a busy Saturday night. Service really excellent from the front of the house to our waiter. Perfect food and wine suggestions. The paella is a must of course but the tapas were a great way to start while the paella cooks (40 minutes). Bacon wrapped dates, Iberico pork and a chicken cannelloni we had to order seconds of. A bit pricey but worth the splurge.

We decided to give Bota a try as we were staying at the Warwick where the restaurant is located. We enjoyed out dinner very much. The cocktails were very good, our appetizers were nicely prepared and tasty. I had the grilled octopus and it was superb.

We made reservations at this restaurant specifically in order to try their paella. Although it could have been spicey for our tastes, we still enjoyed the meal very much. The bacon wrapped figs which we had to fill in the paella cooking time ( approx. 30 minutes) very an usual tapas for us and we enjoyed them a lot. A regular order of paella is pricey but enough for two. We appreciated that we were allowed to try the sangria (too sweet) before committing to a drink order.

We were just walking by and liked the idea of Spanish tapas in SF. It did not disappoint us at all, loved the food, enjoyed the service. Conveniently located near Union Square. Would go back.

Not worth the effort to get there. Had to deal with traffic and expensive parking. Food was not that good. Burned the seafood paella. Glad I don't have to clean that pan. Burnt rice takes away from otherwise pretty good seafood. There are much better choices.

Tapas were delicious. In my opinion, the best were the oysters. The wine suggested by the waiter was very good. Paellas were a little bit too dry and bland.

Six of us enjoyed our dinner here. Service was excellent. The room was noisy, filled with patrons. The sangria was excellent. We shared some tapas and a large serving of paella. The paella was flavorful, but a little dry.

We went there on our last night in San Francisco. There were 3 of us. I made reservations through Open Table & this place was within walking distance of our hotel. I rec'd a phone call the day before just to make sure we were still planning on going. When we did arrive, we were seated right away & we chose the tall tables. This was our first visit there & we weren't that hungry so this place was good. Server took our beverage orders right away. When beverages were delivered, he advised us about the menu. Single (smaller portions) however the center items on the menu are meant to be shared (& more expensive). He advised that those items take a minimum of 25 minutes to prepare & cook (& to be patient). We opted for the single, smaller portions which came out surprisingly quick. We were all done w/our meals within a half hour of being seated. It was a good place to eat. We were not disappointed. It was just a bit pricey. The name of this place is in all lower case letters, though (according to their sign & business card).

This was a disappointing experience on a couple of levels. We made reservations to have dinner prior to a show at the Rembi theater. We got there on time and stood waiting at the podium. Servers were rushing around, and the staff saw us, but it was a while before we were seated. Our server took our drink order as well as our tapas order. In a relatively short period of time, all of our tapas arrived, but no drinks. I asked the server where the drinks were...."they're coming." A while later, after we already started eating, the drinks did arrive. The drinks were very 'meh.' I'd stick with wine if I were to return. The food was okay. Not great, but not bad either. The paella was dry and the lamb was tough. The server never returned, so we were flagging down people to get our water refilled. Total for 3 people was about $220 (not including tip). The location was ideal as it was so close to the theater. And, even with the disappointing culinary and service experience, the atmosphere was rather upbeat.

Went here on a whim and was pleasantly surprised. The food was good, and the service excellent. The price was reasonable as well.

Arriving early for our reservation, the hostess offered that the full menu was available in the bar. We walked to the bar and saw that in addition to the ornate, old-school bar area, there was an adjacent lounge area with tables. One of the bartenders told us that we were free to pick any seat at the bar or in the lounge. So, we took a table in the lounge. Asking the bartender/server about the menu, he said the garlic prawns “are OK.” So, I asked about the octopus and he replied “about the same.” So, we avoided the seafood options and ordered the items he recommended: Patatas Bravas, Bacon-wrapped dates Iberico Meatballs and Chicken Canalones Everything we had was okay. Nothing was outstanding or particularly memorable. So, if this was the best of the menu, I am really glad we didn’t try the octopus or prawns.

We loved this place - great small plates and atmosphere. We loved the octopus - it was so good. We also really the chocolate ganache and patates bravas. Service was also great

Great food, good variety and excellent service from Nicolas! The paella was delicious and the various tapas were very good. I especially enjoyed the dates and meatballs.

It was fine, but I really missed the Spanisch taste. Not really fine and the price is a bit expensive for the whole quality.

This Spanish themed restauarant is actually attached to the excellent Warwick Hotel. It's busy, buzzy and we had to wait a while for a table but the staff came to find us in the hotel bar when our table we ready. It's not cheap but hey, it's San Francisco! If you are staying at or near the Warwick save yourself ages walking about trying to find the perfect atmospheric eating place and head for Bota.

Dined here on our last night in San Francisco, location was just across the road from our hotel. Not cheap to eat here but reasonable, we had not booked and we managed to get a table. we ordered Patatas Bravas (which were excellent) Tomato salad, Blackened Pork, meatballs, Bread and lamb chops. the service was good and its a nice friendly atmosphere. Would eat here again

Not a good experience overall. Prices are a joke. 3 small meatballs for $16. Seriously? This place is a ripoff. All portions are super small and EXTREMELY expensive. You'd better buy a Spanish cured meat / cheese platter at Trader Joe's. It is going to be better and way less expensive. Bread was not fresh. The only thing that was ok was the wine. I do not see how this place cannot eventually fail....

Lotta fun and good food for the price. Atmosphere was colorful and comfortable. Service was OK but could have been better.

Limited and authentic menu expertly prepared and served by VERY pleasant and informed folks. We enjoyed a really great time and meal (and wine) on our last night in SF...makes me want to return ASAP (before Bota earns any Stars and becomes tough to book). We shared the tomato salad and traditional paella and marveled at the great looking tapas served to other guests.

We walked a good amount looking for something "different " and Tapas fit the bill. The energy was lively when we walked in. Being a foodie, the wine list represented some of the top wineries in Spain and we found the food the be very authentic! Even more unusual for a bigger city was the incredible service! If you are in the area stop in for authentic Tapas, so glad we did! I will definitely come back the next time I am in San Francisco.

The worst paella ever eaten. The waiter seemed like he was drunk. Apetizers were good but the portions were very little for the price and paella didn't taste good

Bota Tapas & Paella Bar is located in the theater district (not that there are that many theaters there) making it suitable for a bite before or after a show. The cuisine is a good take on Spanish dishes with an excellent selection of Paellas. The night we went we had an olive appetizer (a good sized portion of generic olives) and a rabbit Paella. We ordered a large size which was more than sufficient for three. A group of four would need one or two additional appetizers. The Paella was meaty and flavorful but wetter than it should have been. A solo diner would be overwhelmed even with the regular sized Paella. The restaurant is divided into two spaces. The left space, which includes a bar, is mostly high tables. The right side room is all regular tables. The left bar space is a bit quieter though that is relative as the right space is obnoxiously loud. There are no tables that I would recommend over others. Service is average but can be somewhat exasperating when it gets busy. The wine list is not strong. Given that a group of three or more can have a well priced meal with some bold flavor, I give Bota a plus. Otherwise, it’s not all that convincing. Then again, for a tourist area, it’s a pretty good deal.

Very close to the Hilton San Francisco Union Square. Had the seafood paella which was excellent and the torte de Santiago which was also very good. Waiter Keith was excellent and explained options and recommended favorites.