Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! Reviews

All the food was tasty but the octopus was the main attraction. It seemed almost perfect and stood out from the other tapas. The sangria was also done very well with fresh pieces of fruit in the drink. The place is larger than it looks and can get a bit noisy, but not horribly loud. Service was very good. Worth a visit if you are in the area.

We stopped here while waiting for a table at another restaurant and honestly, I wish we stayed for a meal here. We shared a half pitcher of the red sangria and it was outstanding. The bar server was fun and shared good info about the place. Good company. Will be back to try some of the great menu items.

Good - - All Tapas were well prepared. - Could find reservation the same day - We tried potato bravas, shishito peppers, stuffed mushrooms, garlic shrimp and few others. - Don't miss out on the chocolate cake, was the highlight of the dinner. - Could easily find parking. Could be improved - Extremely loud interiors. We could barely hear the waiter or anyone at our table - It is certainly not a quiet place to enjoy dinner - Paella was a big letdown, certainly not anywhere near an authentic Spanish restaurant. Rice was burnt, dry and hard as stones. we should have sent it back.

I wanted to try something different and came across this place. The tapas were sssoooo good! We had the appetizer sampler and about 5 other dishes. Their sangrias are fantastic! I had a passion fruit sangria that I’m going to have to figure out how to make at home. Can’t wait to go back!

Delicious tapas that can be shared and sangria. Fun atmosphere, ok service. As spanish as it gets in Chicago.

We had a great time at this restaurant in Chicago yesterday. Food was delicious and interesting and the wine was great. Service was friendly and helpful (thanks, Didi). It has been over 20 years since our last visit, but it is still a fantastic restaurant to visit.

Make a reservation. It is a busy place and that will make your experience better than waiting. Excellent wine list with some great Spanish options. The tapas and pintxos are very good. We enjoyed the stuffed olive with white anchovy's very much as well as the goat cheese in tomato sauce. The octopus was very tender. I had the white wine flight and would recommend that to anyone that wanted to try several options with varying taste profiles and styles. The service was prompt and attentive. Our server was very knowledgable of all of the menu items. The environment is very lively. As with most places that are busy it can be loud but that is to be expected. I could have done without the tv's in the dining area I was in. That is for a bar as far as I am concerned but I get it..Chicago...sports...whatever. It did not seem that the sound was on so that was good. Save room for dessert. The butterscotch flan was delicious. Overall I would say everything was very good and I would happily dine at Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba again.

Have dined here in the past and enjoyed experience. We have patronized other restaurants in this chain for years and always found them welcoming with friendly service. Not this time. My wife and I stopped to have lunch and before we could reach the isolated reception desk the receptionist barked that I had to put on a mask. I was already in fact pulling it over my chin to cover my nose. We elected to dine at a table in adjacent bar, but she lectured us 1st that we had to cover don our masks whenever staff came to the table, We said we would not and elected to leave when she said, "I'm sorry you don't care about our safety" This obvious millennial was snotty in a condescending manner which was offensive. If this restaurant wants to return to pre-pandemic business they wiil need to do a better job of training employees in appropriate customer service.

The tapas were great, the taste, selection and variety! Drinks were good. The staff was friendly, let us enjoy the night and helpful with the menu. We will come back!

Excellent food, service, sangria! Would highly recommend for large groups. Would definitely come back!

Creat Tapas and Paella Brunch Dish!!! Wonderful assortment of deviled egg, mini waffles, French toast, a killer Cubano sandwich and all reasonably priced... great plus great service!!

We came here for dinner with the family, and we were seated right away. The staff was very friendly, helpful, and very eager to please. We ordered a combination of tapas and Pinxtos which were good, but the best part of the meal was the cold “gazpacho” soup. The pear sorbet was good as well. Overall a good experience.

Our son found this place for our visit to Chicago.We had a reservations and were seated right away. Service was very good , food even better. Every option was very tasty. Lamb chop tapa THE BEST! Sangria was very good , but could have used a little more fruit, We will be back. Well done.

Went here on a busy weekend because it was restaurant week also We have reservations and was seated right away. They have a menu for restaurant week for $36 but for me it is not a deal since you only get 1 small apps, 1 tapas and dessert and a sangria. So we just ordered off the menu. The food was great but very small servings compared to the other tapas places We’ve been too except for the Paella. Everything was very tasty though. My fave is the grilled squid, spicy potato, fried chicken , seafood paella the dates wrapped in bacon.

Last week I decided to visit here and at 6pm all the tables in the outside front courtyard were sadly taken so I was seated inside the darkened but romantic inside portion of this adorable tapas restaurant. Because of the pandemic my temperature was taken first and I advise everyone reading this review to make advanced reservations if you prefer outside seating while summer lasts. Regardless service here was excellent. I ordered a tiny deviled egg, a wrapped date and bacon, tomato bread, grilled spicy potatoes with aioli sauce and grilled calamari. It was actually way too much food for me but I loved the textures, presentation and taste of every tapas I ordered. A warning though-- the grilled potatoes are decadent but made for sharing because it's extremely rich so if you order the spicy potatoes just don't overdo it or share with a good friend or your date. If you want the best value come here between 4pm till 6pm where happy hour is extremely well priced but seating is first come first served and you will be seated strictly at the bar for the happy hour price. My soda was refilled and my server was very good with bringing everything to me quickly and attending to my needs. Sorry for the dark photos of my food but honestly the restaurant was extremely dark. I highly recommend the tasty tomato bread and calamari. This tapas restaurant is definitely my first choice in all of Chicago!

I had an amazing dinner at Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba in Chicago! The tapas were delicious and perfectly paired with their signature sangria. The atmosphere was lively and cozy, making it a great spot for a night out. Service was friendly and attentive. Definitely a must-try for anyone craving tasty Spanish dishes!

This is a laid back place - casual and probably the best tapas we had in This country . Great food and great service. Just a winner all over . Do try their shrimps with garlics - one of the best I ever had :)

I LOVE THIS PLACE!! I would have to say this restuarant is by far my favorite in the whole city. We have a lot to offer here, but I always find myself coming here for happy hour. They have $16 pitchers of red sangria and some of their house favorites are $2-$3. Happy is from 4-6pm daily! Make sure you check in on Yelp for a free dessert!!!

This is a Spanish tapas restaurant (meaning "small plates"). Don't let that word fool you. Order two at a time. They DO fill you up. This is one of best tapas restaurants been to. Not our first time here. Very large, does get crowded, try reservations. All kind of alcoholic beverages. You can order individual items or tapas to share. Lots of tiny plates stacked up for sharing. There's dessert tapas too. Ask for warm bread if they don't' bring it. There's bacon wrapped dates and potatoes bravas - wow, the best. Sangria is amazing! They've several types and even flavor of day/week. Ask! They've seafood tapas, vegetarian, etc. You can also order paella rice dish to share (never had). I'd def try this place. Experiment and share

Had the trie delight of being introduced to Ba -Ba - Reeba whist on our Christmas Holiday in Chicago , started with a first trip on the EL for 10 minute ride to the wonderful Lincoln Park , 5 minute walk to Ba Ba Reeba was enjoyable . On entrance to the restaurant we were greeted with great charm , delivered to our table , and presented with a enormous selection on the menu , Sangria was surly ordered whilst our meal choices were being considered , on delivery it was a delight to have the dishes delivered in waves of consistency that allowed each dish to be appreciated before the arrival of the next , all of our dishes were of excellent quality , with a quite excellent selection of waiters all of which were professional in there presentation and delivery . In my opinion the value for money was quite excellent . I would nor hesitate in recommending this short trip to Armitage on the EL Brown Line to enjoy the entire experience for yourselves.

We were taken there by local friends and were wowed. The food was excellent (even compared to the food we’ve had in Spain) and the service was great and - well, it was all good. VERY worth a visit if you’re in Chicago. Seek it out and you won’t be disappointed.

Sangria , Tapas , Paella , dessert and coffee equals awesome dinner ! The restaurant has lot of seating and yet fully packed on Saturday night . Service was awesome and food was great amazing. Celebrated special occasion and glad we did !

Was part of a large group for cocktails and dinner. At least 8 dishes were served family-style and each one was delicious. The staff was friendly and accommodating. Would definitely go again!

Girls night out after wedding dress shopping. We had a small table in the back with an attentive and helpful waiter. The sangria pitcher was a great way to start! The variety is crazy and each of our chosen tapas dishes were delicious and freshly made. It was a very fun way to share a meal and experience a wide variety of items off the menu. Well done!

Great casual vibe with tapas to share. My favorite were bacon wrapped dates and goat cheese in tomato sauce. I am not a wine drinker but everyone else at our table LOVED the sangria. Save room for dessert because the butterscotch pudding is a game changer! Service was fantastic.

Food is always delicious, sangria yummy! They had a special of white asparagus- very small in size and not worth the money , I really should have had it taken off the bill !

It was a very nice dinner among friends. The tapas are great. Very flavorful and served hot and quick from the kitchen. The service was a little slow from the order taker and had to chase her down to get the check. This is a lively place and loud conversations. We were there for fun so it wasn’t an issue.

Went with a group of 16 ladies for a bachelorette dinner. Was a set menu with 2 salads and 5 tapas dishes. The Brussels sprouts salad was sooo good. Loved the goat cheese baked in tomato sauce There wasn’t even one dish that I didn’t like. And the Sangrias were delicious. Everyone agreed. And the service was outstanding.

Great food, tapas style to share with friends, everything we had was absolutely amazing! (Including the pitcher of Sangria!) Best sangria I’ve had, lots of fruit included. Wait staff was also great. Amazing, amazing meal!

On a late Friday night, my family and I were in Lincoln Park pretty late and still wanted to have a quality dinner in spite of the fact that many restaurants were either already closed or closing soon. My daughter recommended Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba. One word - feast! There are so many tapas on the menu, and most are served in shareable portions, so we had a number of questions before we placed our order. The waitress was friendly and helpful in assisting us with determining how many of each tapa we needed to order for our group. In the end, we ordered a variety of tapas that included deviled eggs with crispy jamón serrano, spicy potatoes with tomato alioli, beef empanadas, chicken empanadas, Moroccan-spiced lamb kebabs with cucumber yogurt, grilled squid with olive oil and garlic, calamari with tomato crudo and jalapeno alioli, and grilled Ibérico pork with red chimichurri. A menu was left at our table in case we wanted to add to our order. As explained by our waitress, the tapas arrived at the table at different times based on when they were ready. The cadence in which the food was served gave us time to pass around the tapas without being overwhelmed by receiving too many plates at once. Overall, it was an excellent experience. The food was very good, and the most fun part was passing the tapas around person to person so everyone could taste some of each dish. It was much more than we expected from a late night meal. We left with not only with our appetites satisfied, but with great memories over our tapas experience - a new experience for most in our group.

We have eaten here several times and have been fortunate to have hard working Joe S. as our server. The sangria is always a favorite and we are choosy about our sangria. The blue cheese beef is one of our favorites as well as the patatas bravas. This time we tried the seafood paella and it was not the flavor that we liked, so disappointed. We took it home thinking it might improve with age or we might like it better, nope...ended up throwing it out. Normally, we really enjoy paella just not here.

I was visiting a friend in Chicago from Australia and this one of the restaurants she took me too. The food was insane - so tasty, big serves and ridiculously good value. We ordered 4 different tapas plates, plus the beef empanada each and were so full. The Sangria was amazing too and I loved the different flavours. It was so cheap for the quality and portion size, and the service was great.

Highly recommend. True that all dietary restrictions can be met We had bacon wrapped dates. Chorizo wrapped dates, (favorite) shaved Brussels sprouts salad, shrimp, stuffed mushrooms, potatoes bravas, goat cheese tomato with bread, cheese cake, flan. All very good. The space is open and inviting. The staff excellent and welcoming.

A group of us went here as part of a business trip and recommendation It is a great place for a group of people to eat and to share food We had several dishes to cater for me as a pescatarian and my other meat eating colleagues The Brussels sprouts, octopus, bread, hummus, red snapper and lamb everyone joked as all dishes were beautifully cooked, nourish and plentiful All set in a beautiful surroundings

The seafood paella was extremely salty! They say it's a part of the cooking process? Everything else was solid. Dates, olives with anchovies, and garlic potato salad. Avoid the lamb skewers. Adequate service.

I have nothing bad to say! My daughter and I went for brunch. Food-amazing! Service-amazing! Atmosphere-amazing!! Definitely one of my new favorite places in Chicago!!

This is a great date night place to goto, and maybe even family. I love the location as this is where I live, and the establishment is great. I've been going for close to 20 years, and they always do it right. You might have your fav, but the bacon wrapped dates and the saganaki is great. The Skewers, both chicken and steak are great. I have a programmed menu in my mind and am going to challenge them with certification they can delivery upon for a new dish.

Wonderful lunch here. The Sangria flights are great! The paella is wonderful too. Try a few Tapas, the food is great here.

Here for a work holiday party and had an amazing experience! The food is unbelievable and one thing is better than the next! I highly recommend waiting for the paella!

Excellent variety of tapas, cosy ambience, flavours well combined with the candle lighting -all combined brought in an exceptional experience

Can't say enough about this place. Amazing food, great service, super friendly, reservations recommended for larger groups. Will return for lunch/dinner. Delia provided excellent service.

I went to the restaurant twice, the first time was kind a quickly visit, I really liked the food but they gave us the opportunity to eat only for an hour because they had another reservation, everything was very fast but we enjoyed it a lot, we came back and stayed longer in our second visit and with more calm, they served us very well, the food was excellent, very tasty, good music, but the restaurant is very small, I would like them to expand it a little more, the space is very small and reduce, we celebrated my sister's birthday that day, and we ordered a dessert but my sister went to the restroom and well they had bad timing because they brought the dessert with the candle and she was not at the table, I did not like that very much because you expect the waiter to notice and not make that mistake. In short, in general, very tasty and the prices are affordable. Don't celebrate bday maybe won't bring the dessert on time.

We were seated at a table for two in the patio room-very nice. Some of the other rooms in the back were not quite as attractive and more noisy. The food was very good as was the service. The idea of small plates to be shared is great. We would go back. Reservations recommended.

We booked a table for 2 just in case. Turns out that this "cafe" has plenty of outdoor dining area and even bigger inside seating. Our friend familiar with this Windy City told us it was a fun place to go. We agree, the inside ambiance was just so mellow with versions of Picasso covering the walls to complement Spanish ham dangling by the entrance. Here's how we'd rate the tapas we ordered: Item #31 - stuffed mushroom, came piping hot and delicious - 5 stars item #52 - beef empanada, also piping hot and tasty - 5 stars item #43 - octopus with potatoes, stayed hot, perfectly tender and great flavor, the best of our order - 5 stars item #64 - fried chicken thighs, tender and tasty - 5 stars Item #61 - iberico charcuterie, despite being among chef's recommendations, it was quite unexceptional and deserve a rating not higher than 3 stars Catalan "crystal bread," because of tomato puree topping, the bread was soggy and worthy of barely 2 stars I thought the price was reasonable for the quality of food and does not deserve $$$$ as some have rated.

Great selection, good service, and a fun environment. This has been a great place for decades and still is.

I've had several tapas dinners before, but never for brunch! What a great concept. You can get both sweet and savory. I LOVED the eggs benedict, chicken waffle stick and deviled egg. Also - what a cool vibe! This was my favorite meal during our weekend in Chicago.

This is the toughest review I have written yet because the night was a blur. Ba Ba Reeba is a tapas joint and we just kept ordering small plate after small plate, pitcher of sangria after pitcher of sangria. I tried to keep up with pictures, but during a meal—a really good meal with fun people—you just have to let go and just be in the moment. I missed a couple dishes and I can’t remember them, but know that they were delicious. You can create a meal with a variety of tapas, or choose a selection as an appetizer and enjoy one of their paellas as your main course. We ordered the Burrata Cheese with Catalan Tomato Bread ($11); the bread was toasted crisp and paired with the cheese and sauce well. The Spicy Potatoes with Tomato Aioli ($7.50) is a definite crowd pleaser with its tangy aioli and crispy-on-the-outside potato cubes and fluffy innards. The six of us had to arm wrestle for the three Bacalao Croquettes with Sherry Aioli ($2.50), but halved them and ordered more; this plate had a lot of flavor and good spice. Ba Ba Reeba’s infamous “Paella de Mariscos” with Shrimp, Squid, Preserved Mussels & Fennel ($17) was spectacular—true paella, cooked perfectly; you have to order it first, because it takes a while to make and then magically appears. Their Rioja-Braised Short Rib with Manchego Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Seasonal Vegetables & Rioja Wine Glaze ($14) was a show stopper; so tender and delicious, we tore into it before I could snap a picture. The Shrimp with Garlic, Olive Oil, Red Pepper Flakes ($9.50) was a solid plate with fresh, firm shrimp. My favorite plate was the Seared Scallops with Red Kuri Squash Purée, Maple Vinaigrette and Candied Pumpkin Seeds ($14); I would have ordered ten of these plates and been a happy man. My advice would be to make sure you leave room for dessert, which is hard to do because they have such a large, delicious offering of entree plates, you don’t want to stop. But stop, trust me. We ordered the Caramelized Banana ($3.50), with vanilla ice cream, quince syrup, and toasted pistachios; a great option to end a meal with a sweet, yet not-too-rich dessert. The Chocolate Truffle Cake ($3.50), with kahlua, whipped cream was rich and decadent—make sure your belly is ready for this delicous cake. Saving the best for last again was the Marcona Almond-Caramel Bar ($3.50) with whpped cream and a butter crust—YUM. This too was rich, so beware. This is a great place for couples, large groups, families, everything. You can order lots of small plates for every palette and picky eater. My only recommendation to Ba Ba Reeba is to get bigger tables—we had so many small plates, it was a glorious mess.

I went there because of the good reviews from Trip Advisor—-presumably the authors may have never been to Piscolabis in Barcelona. The papas Bravas were horrible.The pulpo was a scam, they put more potato’s than pulpo. The paella was akin to a fried rice from a cheap Chinese restaurant, albeit in minuscule or European portions. The bread was cold and stale. The only good thing was the sangria and the ambiance, which was very cozy. I loved the faux Picasso murals. In sum, it is a nice place to have drinks, but avoid it if you are into real Tapas.

Excellent happy hour. Offered daily 4-6p with a good selection of tapas from the full menu and select drinks. The tapas were delicious - meatballs and patatas bravas were among the favorites. Red sangria was the perfect drink to go along with the tapas.

Great place with great atmosphere with terrific service and good that is over the top! The Tapas menu is excellent and it is easy to recommend.

What a great place for a great family meal. Our niece and nephew hosted us, did all the ordering and we enjoyed! Excellent food! Calamari and aioli were outstanding. Patatas bravas!

This was our first visit and pleased we came Have a great selection of tapas and sangria We tried the white and Cava and had several jug fulls We of course sampled around 10 different tapas dishes Awesome Place

It had been 27 years since we got together with friends. We lived near Cafe Ba Ba Reeba and it was our special place. We returned to commemorate our reunion. It lived up to our expectations. Food was excellent. Service superior and ambiance was vibrant.

Cafe Babareeba is a fun, hip place to enjoy Brunch with family or friends. The food is creative and delicious. The wait staff is friendly, attentive and menu-knowledgeable! The restaurant, itself, is cozy and welcoming. It is a place to relax and enjoy great food and drink!

Always a family favorite! So much on the extensive menu to share. You have a hard time deciding what to order! Delicious and fun atmosphere

My son and I went for a quick dinner and enjoyed the small plates. Almost everything we had was delicious! Dates stuffed with cheese and wrapped in chorizo, scallops, octopus... Yum! The place is a little bit noisy, though - so not a good place to go for a cozy dinner with conversation.

Enjoyed an indulgent, snacky, potato-heavy meal delivered from Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba during my last visit to Chicago. My daughter and I split Garlic Potato Salad; Spicy Potatoes with Tomato Aioli; Brussels Sprouts Salad with Marcona Almond, Manchego Cheese (for balance, lol); Spinach & Manchego Stuffed Mushrooms and Goat Cheese Baked in Tomato Sauce. I had the Iberia Ham Croquetas all to myself. While it wasn’t the healthiest dinner I’ve ever had, everything was very tasty and well made. Brussels sprouts salad is new find for me - I really hate the taste of cooked Brussels sprouts, but raw and cut up thin for a salad - delicious! This is fun food. Side note, we had one small issue which management was very gracious about and fixed right away.

We had a large room set aside for us that easily accommodated the 45 people in attendance. A small dance floor that served us well for the Spanish guitarist and Flaminko dancers that we were able to book through the restaurant. Both were outstanding and entertaining as the dancers gave us dance lessons so we could all get involved. After carefully choosing the Tapas for the event the restaurant provided outstanding food, service and beverage. We were amazed how flawlessly the restaurant and staff performed. A big thank you to all the staff involved. A must try and guaranteed you will return.

While Cafe Baba Reeba has been in Chicago for decades, it was a new find for me. We had a wonderful family dinner here in August with Emma as our friendly and knowledgeable server! We shared multiple tapas plates, chicken/vegetable paella and classic red sangria. We loved it all and had no room for their dessert selections. Highly recommended & we will be back,

I’ve been here twice but it’s a whole different vibe with 5 people I also had two culinary trained chefs sitting at the table. The sausage tapas was plentiful and tasty. Even the blood sausage. The garlic potato salad could have used more garlic. The short rib was spectacular. Between their Bloody Mary make your own and the blood orange margarita everything was great. Just make sure you ask for the beer back for the dollar extra with the margarita. Our server got a bit testy with us and scolded us for not ordering the “bare back” at the same time. Go with a large group and enjoy the variety of incredibly tasty bites.

We are well versed in the art of pinxtos, small plates, and very much enjoyed the small plates from the excellent octopus, mushrooms stuffed with spinach and cheese, calamari, brussel sprouts salad and lastly the beef carpaccio! I'm not sure if they advertise as a Spanish restaurant although, they do the small plates in the Spanish style and they do a good job of it but, I wouldn't confuse them with being a Spanish restaurant. I've been to Spain and I know what it is about. We really liked this place and I would definitely come back. The service was very good with everyone pitching in with delivering the food or taking plates away.

My wife and I ate here for the first time recently. Make reservations as it is popular.We had the appetizer sampler plate and each ordered 2 tapas which was plenty of food. The octopus was fabulous as were the potatoes.

We loved everything about it. The tapas, the paella and the sangria. I hadn't eaten paella de mariscos in several years, and this one is a s good as I remembered them. The ambiance was also great.

We had a party of five and even at 4:00pm this place was rockin'. Our server Velibor was very informative and shared the featured menu items. This is a Tapas (small plates for sharing) restaurant so we ordered ten items including the Spicy Potato's, Citrus Salmon, Chicken Empanada, Garlic Shrimp, Skewered Chicken, Meatballs, Grilled Octopus, Stuffed Mushrooms, Goat Cheese baked in Tomato Sauce, Seared Scallops. All delicious!!! We also enjoyed Estrella Damm beer from Spain, Black Raspberry Sangria and Wiseacre IPA from the beverage menu. For dessert we ordered Passion Fruit Sorbet, Marcona Almond-Caramel Bar and Chocolate Truffle Cake. These too were enjoyed by all. Great time, great vibe, great food. They offer valet parking for $13.

I had a great time here with my friends, the food was delicious! I really enjoyed that a lot, the customer service was not the best but I'll say that it was because they were really busy! This place can be a little crazy at times, especially at rush hours. Other than that ... I had a great time

So excited to try this legendary tapas bar and it fell as flat as a Spanish pancake. The place is quite large and is crowded even in the late afternoon. The menu is hit or miss: the Brussels sprout salad was crisp and refreshing; the Spanish omelette was flavorful and not dry; but the paella came out wrong and the sweet potato soup tasted off. Our server was almost oblivious - she knew nothing about the wine list and didn’t bother to pour our wine. I’ve definitely had better service at a fast food restaurant. Don’t waste your time or $$ if you’re looking for a special experience.

Amazing food and fun ambience. The red wi e sangria was amazing. We had the grilled calamari, the hangar steak, peri peri chicken, parathas bravos, just too name a few. Amazing service as well.

Hadn’t really tried tapas for breakfast before but Ba-Ba-Reeba set the bar pretty high. Everything we had was real good: the omelette, spicy potato, beef empanadas, croquetas and the French toast to top it off. Service was prompt and attentive. I’d go back without hesitation.

A popular, long established restaurant – and packed on a Friday evening. Essentially its tapas and beers, a great combination any day. Great atmosphere and friendly staff. Mostly, the food is great, but surprisingly their signature dish – a paella – was dry and uninspiring (and quite pricey). Best to stick to the small stuff.

It is a fantastic spot for tapas and excellent food. The sangria was seasonal and fresh. We were three people and had 3 tapas and two main courses that we shared, and that was more than enough food. Leave space for dessert!

I went with a group of friends after my 1st Cub game. It was bustling with people. Everything was so good. The deviled eggs eggs were divine, like whipped butter. The meatballs are well seasoned. The heirloom tomatoe salad was one of the best I've had. The paella is also the best I've had. Its cooked and baked in a cast iron pot and comes directly out. All the seafood was so flavorful and tender. Theres even crispy rice at the edges! I think the Sangria put me over the top to a food coma, but no regrets here.

We had a fabulous time with friends and family. Excellent selection of tapas and also so good! We tried many and enjoyed the all. Excellent Sangria too. Just a bit loud

Really such a wonderful place! Such great food and atmosphere especially for tapas! Waiter was so helpful and the the olives I could eat everyday!!

Great atmosphere. Food was good - we ordered sharable tapas. Good value for the meal as prices were very reasonable. Staff was friendly and considerate. Would recommend.

After been around 8 years since we came here it was a great experience, a group of 20 we where nice and comfortably accommodated in a small private section of the restaurant, the tapas where great and very nice portions with 2 great paella at the end and delicious desserts, endless sangria and wine. Freindly staff, good service. Great dinner with the group, looking foward tonight for another of my favorite restaurant in Chicago.

Best sangria I have ever had and all the tapas were truly delicious! The croquettes and bacon wrapped dates were my favorite and the brussel sprout salad was light and delicious.

The vibrant atmosphere and authentic Spanish tapas menu made for a truly memorable dining experience. The service was attentive, and the staff provided helpful recommendations as we navigated the diverse menu. We sampled a variety of small plates, from the flavorful patatas bravas to the mouthwatering grilled octopus. The flavors were bold and the presentation was visually appealing. While the prices were a bit on the higher side, the quality of the food and the overall experience made it worth the splurge. We left feeling satisfied and eager to return.

There were 4 of us and we decided to order different dishes, the chef specialities (in red on the menu). The dishes started pouring in right away, each dish better than the last one. We all shared the dishes so we got to try a lot more than usual and we were not disappointed with any of them. It was a fun experience and I highly recommend it. The bacon wrapped dates, the chicken, potatoes and one of the steaks stood out.

Our family has gone to Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba a few times. We love the variety of tapas that we have to choose from; we've had tortilla espanola, ham croquetas, baked goat cheese with tomato sauce, plato de la casa - just to name a few dishes that we've tried. Everything we've tried has been very good. For people who have never been to a tapas restaurant, it's always good to go with a larger group, that way you can pick a larger variety of tapas to see what you like. Our servers have also been very good; they know when to come by to see if we want to order another round of tapas, or another drink. Also, a personal observation - I see other restaurant guests who order Miller Lite, Coors Light, etc. - I wish that they would step out of their comfort zone and order a Spanish beer (Estrella Damm), or a glass of Spanish wine - they don't know what they're missing!! We'll definitely be back!

Went to celebrate my birthday with friends. Great atmosphere, awesome sangria, service is superb and food is excellent. Highly recommended.

I brought my friends from out of town here, and they loved it! I’d been here before but it was great to hear them praise the food so much, and it did not disappoint. We ordered several rounds of tapas and did not regret any of the choices. This is an amazing place if you like to eat “family style”.

This place really was FUN and DELICIOUS! I loved the sangria to start and the tapas were one delish dish after another! I am SO glad I finally got to try this place and had a fun time with our great server too! The dishes were full of flavor and served at a good pace to enjoy! This is a strong recommend!

Great brunch. Good food. Spanish tapas. The happy hour is one of the best in Chicago. 7 days a week. Good sangria. Try the garlic potatoes. Top seller.

Crazy, crazy good tapas. This is so typical of the Lettuce Entertain You group - high quality food, ambience, service. We absolutely love this place, and will be on our list of “must do”. A word of caution, get reservations. This is a very busy place, but sooo worth it.

4 and 5 star reviews typically require great food, great drinks, great ambiance and great service. Cafe Ba-Ba-Reba only met the mark on 2 of 4. The food was solid and it’s definitely a cool space but the drinks and service weren’t impressive. We enjoyed the burrata and stuffed mushrooms. The paella was good but a bit too oily for my tastes. I didn’t enjoy the red sangria and cocktail options were very limited. Service was slow as my girlfriend and i waited 15 minutes before a server came to our table. Overall, this restaurant is average at best and in a city of excellent choices, we’ll choose a different spot during our next trip.

Have been here several times and it’s great every time. Paella, sangria, short ribs, potato omelet... just a few of our favorites. Everything has been consistently delicious. Great options for gluten free as well!

Expected more...the flavors were okay. Left hungry as even when not ordering from the Tapas menu, the portions were small. The servers bringing the food were rude and confused orders between tables. Our waiter Nick was great. Would not visit again if looking for a good meal. Maybe as a spot to stop at on the way to another restaurant.

This restaurant would be a perfect tourist trap if it was placed in the boardwalk of any pier or any major tourist area. Food - 2 Would not say that the Spanish food here is authentic or of high quality. Several of the dishes skimp out to give a quick meal in the masses. Biggest example is the bacon wrapped dates, thin crispy bacon wrapped in olive size dates. Where you would expect thick cut bacon wrapped in plum sized dates. Most dishes are overly sauced or drenched in oil. Service - 2 Since they are cramming as many tables in this place as possible, the wait staff is overwhelmed by the number of tables they service and being tapas style their table visit count should be higher and quicker. Overall they are just slow. Atmosphere - 3 Don’t come here with any anticipation of a fancy quiet meal. This is completely the opposite. Very noisy and crowded. If you want a rambunctious crowd with a vibrant feel, this is the spot. You will be crammed into this place but it will be a spot if your company is a little dull and a little distraction is needed. Would not return to this location. If you are looking for smaller intimate tapas fare Avec would be recommended.

Our favorite Cafe in Chicago , All the meetings with friends co-workers happening here and looks it will be same for long . Fast service tasty food and great stuff .

Came at 4 pm on a Sunday and it was packed. Waitstaff were very friendly. Bread had to be ordered separately. Croquetas were good, the alioli for them was excellent. Seafood Paella was very good, would have liked more tapas options.

The place was buzzing at 9:00 on a Saturday night when we showed up! Small plate menu allows for ordering many items and passing them around the table. I really liked the octopus dish!!! Everything was very good, and I'm sure we'll try it again someday when we are back in town.

I went to Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba and had the best time! Highlights included their chicken curry, bacon wrapped dates, short rib, and caramelized banana dessert. I loved the food and ambiance so much that I went again a week later. On my second visit, I tried their meatballs, charcuterie board, and goat cheese, chicken and beef empanadas, and their seasonal sorbet. The only thing that didn't win me over completely was their empanadas. However, service was phenomenal both times and they had a great drink menu to accompany their delicious plates. I will definitely be back soon!

Lively, hectic and authentic restaurant near Lincoln Park where you can enjoy delicious Spanish tapas, Sangria, Bloody Mary Bar and company of good friends. One thing I always appreciate about tapas settings is that you get to try and taste a variety of different dishes. Food quality was very good and service was great. It was our first visit and they have our thumbs up.

Restaurant was very clean, very well attended, and the service and staff in general were outstanding. If for nothing else The Bloody Mary Bar was worth the trip. Menu is tapas and as I like to EAT this does not meet my quantity needs. Some Entrees were cooked well but some were over cooked (dry). Best was the salmon though it took a LONG time to come out. Id go back but I would order off the brunch menu.

This was a return visit to this Chicao institution. The restaurant has been here for many years and remains a favorite for tapas. It is crowded so a reservation is handy. The menu is large and takes a while to study. All the items we tried were excellent. The grilled squid was great. So were the meatballs. Service was very good. Prices are not bad but the accumulated total can be shocking. Glad it has survived and prospered.

The restaurant is rather spacious; plenty of room. I like the atmosphere. We showed up with no reservations on a Saturday afternoon and there was no problem finding a table for us (although there were only 2 of us). Some of the food items were SUPER delicious and some of them were OK. Overall, it was a pleasant experience.

All I can say is that this was my second visit to Cafe BaBa Reeba and I loved it. The service was great - my food was outstanding and just a great vibe. We were there a bit later at night which was nice as it wasn't super crazy there... but I look forward to going back there again next time in Chicago

Had a mommies/grown daughters meal here. Kept busy with one tapas after the other. Then very pleased that they serve vegetarian paella. It was better paella than I had in Barcelona!

This outstanding Spanish tapas restaurant has not skipped the beat over 30 years. The tapas were outstanding. We have the paella mixtas which fantastic and with very generous portions. The service was very attentive. Restaurant still has a great vibe.

The absolute best Spanish Tapas in the US! Take a look at the pictures, they speak louder than words. We couldn’t even wait to eat, before taking each picture. You will love this place, as I have for many years. The sangria is amazing too! The Braised Short Ribs are out of this world. The Spicy 🌶 Potato’s are a must have as well.🔥

Stopped in last Friday for an early dinner. Johnny was our waiter and took good care of us. We decided to have a number of different tapas for our meal. We began with the bacon wrapped dates with the apple vinaigrette. The bacon is nicely browned and crunchy over the date and the saltiness and sweetness go wonderfully together. Our second tapas was the garlic potato salad - - sounds so plain right? Wrong! It is absolutely fantastic! It’s hard to describe how creamy and rich it is and like no other potato salad you’ve ever had. Our 3rd tapas was garlic shrimp. You get maybe 6 medium size shrimp laying in olive oil with lots of roasted garlic slices. The garlic is roasted so nicely that it is almost nutty in flavor. Our 4th tapas was the chicken and ham croquetas served with a aioli sauce - - crispy on the outside and the sauce is a great accompaniment to them. We also tried the Brussel sprout salad with candied marcona almonds and manchego cheese which was very good. Topped it all off with a pitcher of peach Sangria and we went away happy campers! Can’t wait to return. We had a party with 36 people here in January and the service and food were just wonderful! We had many of the tapas I mention above as well as chicken paella and the vegetarian paella which were delicious. I can’t remember our desserts but they were all a hit as well. Our guests loved the Bloody Mary Bar and people loved the Sangria and other mixed drinks they ordered. The room we reserved was very nice and we were able to bring in flower arrangements and decorations of our choice. They took really good care of us in every way. Allison was instrumental in all the planning and great to deal with.

We ordered pretty much one of everything on the menu as we were a big party and we wanted to try it all! The dates in bacon were to die for and had to be ordered twice - just to make sure you understand and nothing to do with being greedy! Nothing was too much trouble for the staff. Great atmosphere and lovely decor.

We ordered a variety of tapas, a sangria pitcher and a pallea. We had just recently been to Spain and we felt like we were back in Valencia! great food, great drinks and great staff. highly recommended.

Even with COVID, we were able to experience an amazing time here. Reservations a must! Tables set a good distance apart. Really fun small plates. The garlic potato salad . . . . yum. Who would have guessed?! Shrimp , excellent. Everything we had was outstanding. Service was great. Reservation was upheld appropriately. Would definitely go back!

My girlfriend and I were trying to sneak an open table reservation for two hours on a busy Saturday night, and fortunately a 7:45pm spot opened at 7:36. We scooped it up and were on our way. It is VERY apparent why it’s so hard to get in. The tapas menu offers a great variety of vegetarian, seafood, and meats. We felt like we ordered half the menu, and still had a dozen items we wanted to try. The spicy potatoes are great, but be careful not to fill up on them. ALWAYS order grilled octopus when you see it on a menu. The peach sangria was refreshing and turned out to be a good value at $28 per pitcher. We were able to get six glasses poured. Service was attentive, and the patio had great vibes.

The place is great. Everything was good, the food, the drinks and the services. Those tapas dishes are amazing. Besides the traditional dishes, the special lamb chops were just amazing. Will definitely come back soon ....

The tapas at Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba were excellent, both in presentation and taste. The waitstaff and manager were very friendly and attentive, and the sun-lit enclosed patio area was the perfect area for a summer afternoon lunch. And definitely order the sangria! While we were there, the power went out - a problem for the entire block - and the manager apologized profusedly, even giving each of us a $10 gift card to make up for our inconvenience. Excellent restaurant!

Love Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! Everything is always so good! We had the garlic shrimp, stuffed mushrooms, brussel sprout salad, chicken thighs, goat cheese, ham and cheese croquettes, and beef empanadas. Everything was so tastey! A pitcher of red sangria is great to share. This place is always busy, which tells you something. Really fun place to hang out with family and friends!

Our server Ari was awesome, and her recommendation of the hanger steak was spot on. Had the peach sangria which was also really good. Great food and great service!

Would advise to have reservations because it's a busy restaurant. We have enjoyed tapas and excellent sangria in Spain so it's hard to find great tapas elsewhere. The burrata needed a bit more flavor. The small garlic shrimp in olive oil and red pepper flakes was good. The beef tenderloin with bleu cheese could have had less bleu cheese which overpowered the beef. The pitcher of sangria was excellent with the perfect amount of flavors and sweetness. Our server, Joe S., worked hard during the busy night. Will return and of course order the pitcher of sangria but will probably try other tapas.

Booked a table last minute through Open Table on the 3rd of July for myself and my adult son who lives in the city and adult daughter (who suggested this place). I have eaten here a couple of times since the days I lived just up the street back in the late 1980s and this visit did not disappoint. The paella takes about 20 minutes to make but well worth the wait. We ordered the two-person portion for us three and it was plenty, especially with an awesome shrimp dish, a little beef empanada and the potato and onion omelette. Were sat in the small bar room area to the right as we walked in and it had a lot different feel than the patio but was really nice. Waitress was very good. Would go back to Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba in a Chicago-second!

Visited 3 times while recently staying in this area Good choice of menu and can cater for gluten free Place is always busy due to excellent quality of food so worth trying to book ahead Friendly staff who somehow keep the food coming despite being packed!

It was a number of years since we dined at Cafe Ba Ba Reeba, before this visit. We remembered it very good and were curious to find it was not very good, but excellent. Sangria's tasty, refreshing and generous. The Tapas excellent, whatever we selected, and of course desert a real treat. Service was first class and very attentive. Word of advise, we arrived at 4:30, spent 2 hours and when leaving, seating was scarce.

This is one of our favorite Tapas Bar restaurants in Chicago! We are never disappointed in the consistency of the food and Wait Staff. This visit we tried the Catalan Style Bread which is a tomato puree with olive oil and garlic. Honestly, we could've done with a little less of the tomato puree as the bread was very "squishy and messy" to eat. We are lovers of Gazpacho soup which is served cold. The soup was only okay as it is 100% pureed. We like adding ingredients to the Gazpacho: onion, tomatoes, green pepper and croutons, this is not an option at Cafe Baba Reeba. But it's still worth ordering. Our favorite items we always order are the beef skewers, blue cheese beef tenderloin, garlic shrimp and spicy potatoes. I was celebrating my Birthday so, I had to order the creamy Flan. Yummo! I usually order a 1/2 carafe of the white wine Sangria but, I saw a group of diners who had a FLIGHT of Sangria. Oh YEAH, this is a great way to sample a variety Sangria flavors. I Highly recommend making reservations, they get super busy. Street or valet parking available. But watch where you park....many streets are permit only.

Love love this place . Bacon wrapped dates are to die for , sangria is killer ! Love all the tapas , goat cheese and tomato is yummy , Totally recommend.

We have visited Chicago many times and Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba continues to be one of our favorite restaurants to eat. Since the plates are small and meant to be shared we get to try a variety of dishes. Cafe-Ba-Ba-Reeba has excellent food, attentive wait staff and great Sangria. Would highly recommend

Got 6 apps and ordered a portion of the seafood paella. Server said it was a 2 portion minimum and that it took 30 mins to make. We debated simply increasing the number of apps, but based in 30 mins to make should = it's good, agreed to the paella. Apps were good to very good. Octopus was a standout as was the spicy fried chicken thighs. We were really looking forward to the paella and it was a complete letdown. Overcooked to begin, but also lacked flavor. Complete miss after the hits the apps were. Mentioned this time the server who seemed to acknowledge that was the case. So definately visit, but stick to the apps. Friday evening had a 30 min wait.

I was just about to give this place 5 stars, but before leaving the restaurant I went to the restroom. Oh my!!! I always think the cleanliness of the restrooms tells a lot about the place (especially if we are talking about a place where you come to eat!). Women’s restroom was nasty! Toilette paper all over, even by the door outside the restroom. Nope... just unacceptable! Other than that, service was outstanding, food amazing, .. everything else great! If I’d come back?! ... let me think ...

Second visit here and it was very, very good. The wait staff (Linsey M) was very attentive and made the visit exceptional pushing it from a 4 to a 5. The food is very good and worth a visit.

This place is great!! The spanish food is unreal!! I love the paella, chicken and ham croquetas, hanger steak, brussel sprout salad, meatballs, the flan, truffle cake, and custard are all out of this world!! The sangria is delicious!!! My cousin had his wedding here!! It was awesome!!! I have been here so many times for bday party dinners too!! Never disappoints!! The service is great here!!!

Went for Sunday brunch, and what a brunch it was. Everything was so tasty and perfect. The service was excellent and loved the whole vibe of the place.

So... the name is Spanish? Yes!!! and the names of the food? Yes!!! But what happen when a Spanish go there and ask for “Jamón Ibérico 5 jotas”? Good question... this is not “5 Jotas” neither a good “Jamon iberico” it’s a correct ham but no more... The same with the “Iberican pork”... it isn’t iberican, it’s a normal pink pig. Do not expect very much here... correct but not a Spanish high quality food!!! 🤔

This is a really buzzy neighbourhood restaurant serving tapas. our table wasn't quite ready when we arrived so we enjoyed drinks at the bar, soaking in the manic atmosphere! For supper we shared various dishes between the four of us, some sampling them outside their comfort zone. What a great evening of fun, friendship and food!

This place is just the best; food, environment, staff, vibe, etc. The food is absolutely incredible. JUST GO and experience it for yourself!!! Any time my boyfriend and I have something to celebrate, this is where we go. It will never get old. I believe they rotate out some items, too, so it is easy to always try new things. One piece of advice is to space out your ordering so you can enjoy each dish as its own and not be juggling a bunch of different ones!

From the waiters to the busboy to the food everything was excellent! We'll definitely go here again. We has the garlic shrimp, stuffed mushrooms, bacon wrapped dates (out of our food comfort zone :-) - but the waiter highly recommended) with chocolate cake for dessert. Loved it all. Very busy at 3:30 in the afternoon - we had reservations and would definitely recommend getting reservations. Great for meetings, small groups and large groups.

You will enjoy every pincho and tapa you try at this place. Make sure you get reservation or you will wait a couple hours to be seated, specially on the weekend. Have some jamón de bellota.

We stopped here on our way to a show at Second City and they were packed so we grabbed a seat at the bar and received full (and fantastic) service. The food was amazing! Highly recommend if you are in the area!

My daughter and I showed up on a Saturday night at 7:30. 2 hour wait... but within 10 min 2 bar spots opened! Amy the Bartender was an awesome server! We basically let her pick out our orders.... everything we tried was delish... our favorites were the chorizo wrapped figs, the beef tenderloin with blue cheese and the chicken. The sangria was wonderful too! You can’t go wrong!

I have lived in Spain for 30 years my wife is Spanish and my daughters have been born there. And I can tell you apart from the wine there is nothing Spanish about this restaurant or it’s food. The cheese platter has non Spanish cheese the heirloom tomatoes salad is a joke and more of a side dish and the grilled squid is swimming in oil. More like a pil-pil. The staff have really no clue as they will serve you a muga rosado at room temperature. I guess it all makes sense when you read the paella recipes. Seafood paella with mussels out of a can and fennel ???? They also have a paella with confit pork shoulder. Try to find these items in any restaurant in valencia or any other place in Spain for that matter. I guess as the chef is from Sweden (Jorgenson) that’s what to expect.

We visited on a Thursday night and were happy we had a reservation. The atmosphere is fun and vibrant. The food is fantastic. Our waiter was knowledgeable and enthusiastic. My daughter felt like it on par with tapas in Spain! Great place.

Been too many tapas in New York, Chicago, and Vegas and this is my favorite place. All the dishes are excellent, but the standout is their Paella. Like mine crispy, theirs comes on on plate sizzling... Squid, scallops, salmon all excellent. Always come here when in Chicago. 5****+

Amazing service and incredible food. Really enjoyed the ambiance of the restaurant. Couldn’t go wrong with what we chose on the menu. Sangria was delicious as well. Favorite place for tapas!

When I visited some friends in July, they kept talking about wanting to go to Ba-Ba-Reeba. I tapas, but kept thinking, can it really be as good as they say? It was actually better. We were a party of 7, so we just ordered a bunch of food and some Sangria and everything was delicious. The deviled eggs were my favorite thing on the table and could have eaten 10 of them. Even the bread was really delicious and I kept finding myself going back to it. Simple things like the brussell sprout salad were really fresh and tasty. If I lived in Chicago, I'd be here constantly. Can't wait to go back on my next trip.

tapas rocks , This place is awesome. Really partial to dates wrapped with bacon and potato bravos. great place for family outings or dates.

Came to Chicago for 6 nights, on the 4th night in after some very poor and average meals we were sceptical. This meal was Chicago’s saving grace. We had a great server who was super friendly and thoughtful with great recommendations named Erin. Couldn’t recommend this place more - the Paella is a must and all the dishes we had were delicious

My husband and I came here for dinner on a Friday night in April. We didn't have a reservation but were told by the hostess to come before 7pm for first-come-first-serve seating at the bar. It worked like a charm. We arrived at 6:45pm and were seated within 20 min. About 20 people arrived around 7pm so we were lucky to beat the rush. If you want to have guaranteed seating, I recommend reserving. We lived in Europe for several years and vacationed in Spain annually for the last 6 years as its my husband's favorite destination. So we have had very good tapas/pintxos, especially in Bilbao and San Sebastian. We thought the food at Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba was comparable, but the portions were small by Spanish standards, and the wine selection was not the best. We chose the brut cava instead. My husband also tried the red sangria, which he enjoyed. I'm not fond of sangria and found it too sour. You can get good beef in the numerous steakhouses in Chicago, but there are not too many places that serve Iberico pork (Iberian black pig with a strict acorn diet) so we decided to order more pork dishes. We sampled the chorizo-wrapped dates, seared cana de cabra (cheese), grilled Iberico pork, jamon Iberico plate, and grilled pulpo (octopus). My husband loved the dates, which I found too sweet. The seared cheese was nothing special. We wouldn't order it again nor recommend. The pulpo was excellent - not too heavy on the sauce or seasoning. While I really enjoyed the jamon Iberico, which was authentic and shipped from Spain, I couldn't justify paying $20 for 4 slices. The real winner was the grilled Iberico pork. Even a dull butter knife cut into the pork as if it were butter. It was so good (and the portion was so small with only 5 bite-size pieces) that we ordered another serving. Although we sat at the bar, it didn't feel crowded or noisy, and service was very good. Prices were reasonable by Chicago standards. Our meal for two costs $100 excluding alcohol. We would definitely return, as long as they serve Iberico pork.

Start to finish, everything was exploding with flavor! Loved the margarita. Each tapas was better than the last.

We ate here prior to going to a IO performance and were glad we did! Fabulous tasty tapas in a fun environment: chickpea Moroccan dish, Pinxto sampler plate, caramelized banana dessert, fried calamari, beef empanada, etc., etc. And the price for 4 hungry visitors to Chicago was $100. Fabulous!

If I were to write all of the amazing qualities this would be the *longest* review ever. Service is top-notch. The best tapas I have ever had. The only minor thing is the noise level. There needs to be some kind of upholstery to cut down in the sound... especially with music blaring, too. People have to shout to hear each other. We will go again, and again, and again. Superb.

While the food we ended up getting was very flavorful and cooked well, it was hard to focus on enjoying the meal and experiencing the restaurant since it was absolutely freezing! My friend and I both ended up putting our winter hats and coats back on during the entire meal. For as popular and highly sought after that this place is, it was unacceptable to have this type of experience. I would suggest getting only take-out at this location, unless you enjoy eating meals feeling like you are in a cold, dungeon. Maybe we were just put in the wrong part of the restaurant, but it is hard to tell if other spots were better heated. Not a great first experience.

A wonderfully varied selection of Spanish dishes for sharing. The weekend bloody mary "fixings bar" was amazing (perhaps some bacon with your bloody?). Attentive service.

Came a few years ago, and they still bring the goods. Tapas are original and very good. Bacon-wrapped dates - yep! Even my finicky 11 yr. old loved that. Sangrias are to die for.

This place has been a Chicago establishment for many years, so it's a safe "go to" if you have tourists in for the weekend. Nothing very good about the menu, and service is average at best. Many other venues with far better value.

Great food and classic sangeria. This place has all small plates that is intended to be shared with the table. They suggest 2-3 small plates per person. We got the short ribs, garlic shrimp, goat cheese, potatoes, and chicken empendana . All were delicious. My favorite was the goat cheese and would highly recommend it. You need to make a reservation. It was a little loud and difficult to hear everyone in the party. I would highly recommend this restaurant.

Been around forever on Halsted and have visited multiple times because it was in neighborhood.. Seems to be always packed so must be appreciated. I thought this time it was mediocre food and selections. Perhaps because I am not-30 something anymore. What no sherry options on the wine list!? Maybe because we were there this time in afternoon but I asked for full menu which was limited and uninspired. OK, nice to have shrimp in the build your own Bloody Mary etc. but there is no challenge or excitement for me in this place. Probably the only restaurant I have had arguments in. Maybe the wait, traffic, wait, slow service, and loudness.

Excellent Spanish restaurant. Very authentic and very tasty. We all loved it The tapas were tasty and the paea was very good we ordered 1 for 2 kids and 2 adults and ot was enough. The place was full so better make a reservation.

Returned with European Clients to Ba-Ba-Reeba for the first time in 15 years, food was better than ever! Their servers are fantastic, just follow their recommendations. Bacon-wrapped Dates and Spicy Potatoes were memorable. A particularly nice touch was that our Server upon greeting us asked about after dinner plans. When I told him we had Second City Tickets, he staged our dishes to arrive in ideal progression, in addition to providing outstanding recommendations.

I brought my 19 year old daughter here for dinner. The tapas dishes feature unexpected ingredient combinations seasoned to perfection. So many flavors in each bite! Definitely try the sangria too. We ordered 4 tapas plates to share and were quite full afterward. I would have loved to sample more of them.

Loved...bacon wrapped dates, scallops Rockefeller, meatballs, bread Good...goat cheese in a tomato sauce with toasted bread, chicken empanadas Not a fan...grilled octopus, small chewy portion didn’t hit mark, deviled egg salty, grilled green peppers...super hot Service was fine. Nice wine list...average pours, cosmo good. Pricey...little dishes add up!

We received great service and excellent food. We started with the Pintxo Platter, followed with short ribs, seared sea scallops w cauliflower purée, grilled lamb chops, chorizo wrapped dates, goat cheese baked in tomato sauce and a mixed green salad. Every dish was great! We were in a bit of a rush so we did not order paella - we saw many orders delivered and it looked so good.

Amazing tapas! We had 10 different dishes, any one of which was absolutely delicious. Favorites were the bacon wrapped dates, patatas gravas, goat cheese bathed in tomato sauce, burrata with avocado toast and fried peppers. Simply wonderful!

It’s been decades since my last visit to Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba and I’m very glad to see the originality and quality are still there! We went for Sunday brunch and had make your own Bloody Marys and Pintxos, a creative spin on Spanish influenced breakfast tapas. Everything was delicious an exceeded our expectations from the menu description. Service was excellent. Won’t be as long before I’m back!

Love this place! Food is excellent and many great choices. I love the garlic shrimp tapas and my husband loves the scallops! We ordered a variety and sangria- yum! This is our fourth visit and we never tire of this place!

We had been here maybe 10-12 years ago with a big group and my memory was that it was meh, but this time we were just two and it was really good. It is harder to have a good tapas experience with only two people, but everything was good. Okay I wasn't thrilled about the sardines in a can (they serve it in the can) but everything else was really quite good. We went before a performance at the Steppenwolf and it was very convenient and the service was quite good. I'd go back, particularly with a group of 4 or so.

A good place for a family get-together! Lovely atmosphere, really good food and good service! Although it was very busy and noisy, we still enjoyed it! The food was delicious - one of the best Spanish Tapas restaurants!

We came for a date night away, Jess waited on us and she was simply amazing. She was very sweet, funny, welcoming & made us feel right at home as well as well taken care of. We felt like we knew her for years. The food of course was amazing as always. Bacon wrapped dates, goat cheese, beef skewers... all of it. Left full and very happy. Thanks again Jess for taking such good care of us. We will be back and make sure we see you, and cash I’m on your awesome bear hugs.

Went for an early dinner on a Friday. Was amazed by how packed it was at 5:15pm! We were seated (with reservation) right away. Bigger restaurant than what it appears to be from the facade; several rooms of tables and bars. Tapas. Menu accessed via QR code (not my favorite) and has photos of each dish. Four people were satiated by ordering 2 dishes each. Nice mix on the menu of vegetables, fish, chicken, and beef. Food was delivered in phases and was tasty. Nothing crazy original, but solid Spanish cuisine. Favorites were the chickpea stew, the canned tuna (beautiful presentation), the bacon-wrapped dates, and the octopus. Service was attentive and fast. Main server was friendly. Noisy and convivial atmosphere. Real mix of people (at least early), from dates to happy hour crowd to families.

Amazing service with all the people. Great food with many choices.. Kids seem to find favorites to eat.

We had to choose from a handful of caterers for our wedding on the First Lady Cruises downtown chicago. Each one had no idea how to create a vegan menu. Except Cafe Babareba. And they knocked it out of the park! Super deicious food the customized for us and the best staff you could imagine!! We brought our own cake and they set it up and served it. Everything was beautiful, delicious and professionally presesnted and served. Can't say enough great things about everyone including our coordinator - Emily . Five stars for everyone

A family group of four had tapas and sangria for dinner. The range of offerings is impressive. Good sangria. Excellent service. My favorite tapas were chorizo-wrapped date, Brussel sprout salad, stuffed mushrooms, and the house plate of ham, salami, and olives. We also had short ribs, anchovy toast, a Spanish omelette, and tomato spread and cheese toasts. The noise level is high which made conversation around the table difficult at times.

I've been going there for the last 15 years or so. We take our friends, children visiting family. The place is very lively and busy most of the time. The food is good and they maintain good quality, however over the years we've noticed that the prices went up and portions went down. Your sangria pitcher has more ice than it should etc.

This is one of our "go to" tapas places! The food is amazing! Our server Joe was very helpful and offered recommendations, which we all loved! We have been here at least 5 times, so I would say next time we are in Chicago, we will probably try and branch out to try something new. However, If you haven't been here before, I definitely recommend. Reservations are definitely recommended.

We went there for our anniversary. I have been in Spain countless times and I can say with confidence if you want to get a taste of Spain, this is the place to go! We chose the Paella de Mariscos, Rioja braised short rib with Manchego mashed potatoes, stuffed mushrooms, gazpacho and pintxos Everything was delicious. The staff is friendly and they know the menu. The only thing I didn’t enjoy that much was the music, I would prefer to listen to Spanish music but this is just my personal preference :-)

Our group of 17 people enjoyed the night. The white peach, black raspberry, gin and tonic and cava sangrias we are favorites. Highly recommend visiting if you’d like tapas and sangria.

I came here for my birthday with my bff on November 29. The food is great. The waiter thoroughly explained everything. There is ample metered street parking. The shrimp are wonderful, the mushrooms are excellent, just to name a couple.