My first attempt to visit for a bite on a whim was thwarted. So when looking for a spot to have drinks and small bites at, with a long lost girlfriend, this was tops on my list.
Having peeked in previously, I knew what to expect today. A rich colourful explosion in the decor and warming ambiance. Whereas we couldn’t get the attention of any service staff on a Saturday night, there was no wait to be seated on a Wednesday. We would grab a couple of stools adjacent to their blue bar.
Looking over their fresh sheet, the pacific razor clams and uni was what I was eyeing the hardest, but unfortunately they were both not available. However what we did have did not disappoint. And spoiler, I would love to return to try the two items above, as well as more of the offerings, if it is anything like what we had below.
We started with some drinks. They had two margaritas specials: watermelon and pineapple made with actual purée fruit. The bar ran out of fruit to garnish on the latter. Each was refreshing and sweet, given a dash of heat from the lime chilli rim.
Whereas my guest ordered another, for round 2, I went for their Sevilla Spritz made with Tanqueray Seville Orange Gin, Aperol, Cava, and Tonic. An effervescent light cocktail that would help to balance out the saltier and oiler dishes below.
As good as the drinks were, the food definitely overshadowed our glasses. Whenever I see it on the menu, shishito peppers are a must order for me. Charred blackened and crispy, these not-so-spicy peppers give you the taste of chilli without all that heat. And at La Boqueria they are lightly fried with salt and pepper; and have the option of being topped with Tuna Bonito Flakes. The flakes gives them an extra salty pop with a nice fishy flavour to finish.
The Patatas Bravas Con Chorizo Barbacoa was a heavier small plate. House Bravas Sauce and Fried Chorizo over Scalloped Potatoes with Aoili and all the fixings. If you love potatoes, this is the dish for you. Perfectly prepared firm potatoes with rustic tomatoes and a hearty salty and spicy sausage side. Get them all together on your fork for the perfect bite.
But the Pulpo a la Gallega, Octopus with potato, mayo and bittersweet paprika was my favourite. It looks like it is saturated heavily in oil, but actually isn’t oily. The octopus slices were in the perfect proportion to the potato medallions that they sat on. They had a nice gentle chew along side the smokey paprika. I would recommend this one for sure.
And given that they have it listed on their exterior, you ought to try their pintxos aka pinchos. Single serving tapas originating from the Basque region of Spain, which happens to be the cuisine that La Boqueria specializes in.
It is essentially toppings over a baguette, with each flavour combination representing different regions. There are 7 different options to try, available in platters of 3 or 5. We would order the former.
We went with the Negitoro? after I heard it was not on the menu, thinking it was a limited release menu item. Only to find out it just wasn’t printed on the menu.
Tuna belly, chopped green onion, radish, Lemon oil, and Tobiko. Described as tuna tartare and just as mild. It was the least exciting and tasty of our toasted trio. The large chunks of tuna and egg roe that pops would have been nice as a side at a Japanese restaurant, but felt underwhelming in this exotic setting.
In contrast the Ultimate Saradine was both our favourite and the one we would recommend. High praise considering this was my guest’s first time having the salty fish. Sardine with Spanish olive oil, cod fish liver pate with yuzu ponzu, smoked Spanish paprika, and roasted red pepper. You could taste the quality in the olive oil, that was super fresh. A perfect partner to the fish sweetened with mayonnaise and the bursts of freshness from the tomato.
The Sierra ate like a solid ham and cheese sandwich. Jamon Serrano, Spanish quince paste, and manchego 6 mo. This crispy baguette was topping generously with thinly sliced ribbons of quality cured meat. Not too salty that you could make out the mild notes of the sharp cheese, the tangy olive purée and the sweet fruit jam. The fig was definitely the highlight, pulling the bites together.
In short, this is an amazing stop. A cozy, lively setting to post up at and enjoy delicious drinks and sumptuous small plates at. I cannot recommend them more for something different and noteworthy for your next girl’s celebration or date night.
La Boqueria Tapas and Pintxos Bar
291 E Pender St, Vancouver, BC V6A 1T8
(236) 995-1943
boqueria.ca
