Malvarosa - Edinburgh

I have to admit, Tapas is never top of my list of food when choosing somewhere to go. I have nothing against Spanish food but I am always looking for something... read more I have to admit, Tapas is never top of my list of food when choosing somewhere to go. I have nothing against Spanish food but I am always looking for something that will blow me away. There are so many great flavours there and great potential. I ended up at Malvarosa in an attempt to find somewhere to eat after a trip to Fort Kinnaird. It's a small place, with a nice family feel. You end up sitting pretty close to the kitchen. We went for 5 tapas dishes (and some bread) between two of us. We weren't hugely hungry but this seemed a good amount. Overall it was mixed bag; the chorizo bread (which we didn't order but ended up with) was quite cold, and some other bread was a bit hard for my liking. Patas bravas tasted pretty much as it should with a nice kick. Chorizo in cider was nice but I wish it had a bit more punch. The haddock bites were a real high point however and the standout dish. Fresh and more-ish. The garlic chicken was also great. The goats cheese onion tarts arrived a while after we finished everything else and were fine but didn't blow me away. It was rounded off with a nice Rioja though. It doesn't quite make the 4 stars because although the staff were friendly, the service wasn't quite up to scratch. We had to wait for the dishwasher cycle to finish before getting some drinks, we waited quite a while with our menus and we received some dishes we didn't order and didn't receive some we did. I think if you like Tapas though this is a safe bet. The food tasted fresh, generally seemed of good quality, and prices are fair. I don't think I would make the trip out to Portobello to come here but if in the area I'd come back.

We've selected this place because of good reviews, but left disappointed in the end. I've ordered traditional garlic prawns Gambas, my wife had ordered calamari... read more We've selected this place because of good reviews, but left disappointed in the end. I've ordered traditional garlic prawns Gambas, my wife had ordered calamari and Bravas potatoes, my daughter had fried Ali Oli potatoes. This was the first time when I've seen prawns cooked not in the oil, but in the water mixed with oil. It was pretty flavourless in the end. Potatoes for my daughter were served 5 10 min after our food. Calamari was good, but they've forgot to make the Bravas potatoes for my wife, so she was left hungry : Calamari was £10, Gambas £15, and 0.5l of Sangria £10.

Hmmm...all the staff in here just seem plain bored! And it really does translate into the food as I can only describe it as lacklustre. Everything we ordered cr... read more Hmmm...all the staff in here just seem plain bored! And it really does translate into the food as I can only describe it as lacklustre. Everything we ordered craved to be dialled up a notch from the chorizo in cider where you could hardly depict any flavour to the haddock which was soggy. And to finish it off The churros were so so greasy and the sauce so bland that we left them (which is totally unlike me I can tell you! . As the only Spanish restaurant in the area I feel like they are serving whatever it is they can get away with. It's a shame really as the restaurant itself is romantic inside all it needs is some decent food. Spanish tapas is my favourite kind of food but unfortunately I won't be going back here.

Oooh, tapas in Portobello. Make it sunny, hit the beach, squint and it could be the Med with a bit of imagination. Having once considered moving here and discov... read more Oooh, tapas in Portobello. Make it sunny, hit the beach, squint and it could be the Med with a bit of imagination. Having once considered moving here and discovering there was a proper tapas restaurant, I had been itching to try it. It came highly recommended by my office mate who had tipped me off about the gluten free options : Malvarosa is a lovely Spanish enclave in the heart of Portobello. With its cosy decor, Spanish chefs and the lovely Alvaro making you feel welcome, it makes visiting Portobello on a rainy day a great option. I loved the food lots of GF options, all highlighted in grey. Went for paella and tapas to share between 3 and there was tons of food. My own staple request tortilla espanola was fab and cooked properly, the egg not looking too raw or dried out. The garlicky mushrooms were lipsmackingly good and very moreish. I loved the black pudding, milder than Scottish black pudding, but one of two varieties on offer. I the paella was fab, big chunks of chicken and chorizo, complete with veggies yum, yum. The service was excellent. This is very much a family restaurant. Alvaro the owner was interested in all his customers and after discovering we weren't local, was keen to know what brought us to Malvarosa. When I discussed my almost house move to Portobello and the office mates recommendation, I was told to thank said office mate for good review. Clearly an owner who cares about his business and his customer experience! Well worth a visit planning our next GF lunch here so hopefully returning within the next month yum, yum.

Malvarosa is a relatively new challenger to the Portobello High Street. It brings tapas much closer to my house, and for that I thank Malvarosa. And indeed, I t... read more Malvarosa is a relatively new challenger to the Portobello High Street. It brings tapas much closer to my house, and for that I thank Malvarosa. And indeed, I thank and praise it highly, for not only does it bring tapas closer, but it brings gooood tapas closer. The service last night was excellent, great banter with the guy front of house (Vegetarian? What kind of monster are you? I think in Spain, I might be burned as a witch (I jest, I jest . You are made to feel welcome, and not rushed, even when the restaurant were heaving, we were one of the first to arrive and one of the last to leave, supping on tasty sangria and enjoying a good catchup. To the food the menu is quite small, but not in a bad way just don't go in expecting a book of tapas. Malvarosa keeps it succinct but there is still a good amount of choice across meat, fish and vegetable spectrums. Patata bravas good, smoky paprika flavour with a good kick, although could do with a bit more of a hit of the sauce on the potatoes. A warm ensalada of broad beans, artichoke and spinach was delicious (also available with meat, the Spanish vegetarian option, hur hur hur . I'm still enjoying the thought of chickpeas, spinach and sultanas a tagine y style tapas which I couldn't get enough of. I could go on I'll admit, I forgot to ask my dinner date how the meat dishes were so I can't comment on those. I was too busy enjoying mine to think of anything else. For dessert, we tucked into chocolate cake (super rich, bit too heavy for me, with a stomach already groaning from our mains and flan (I got the last one hurrah! flan had a bit of an odd texture, so a little less enjoyable than I had hoped for. Overall, Malvarosa is a lovely place to spend an evening catching up with good friends. No rush, no stress, just good food and good times.