Tapas in Phoenix

50 W. Jefferson Central Phoenix

480-719-5005

American, Bar Food, Tapas, Bars and Clubs, Best Of, Menu

The beer gods have given downtown Phoenix a gift, and they also happen to be live music fans. CityScape's Copper Blues boasts a 60-tap draught beer menu packed with everything from standard domestics to handcrafted artisanal beers and even their own in-house brew. A whole lot of top-shelf liquor gets the vibe going at this warm, dimly-lit blues bar, where bands keep the beat on a stage lined with taps, one of the spot's two bars. The second floor location gives views of Central Avenue and the downtown skyline, while plush leather couches and dozens of tables keep things comfortable in the massive indoor space. Though the bar is essentially an expansion of CityScape's comedy club, Stand Up Live, Copper Blues has carved out a niche of its own.

16 articles

CoR Tapas

4500 N. 12th St. Central Phoenix

602-264-8471

Tapas, Spanish, Mediterranean

CoR Tapas & Wine is a Spanish-styled tapas bar that brings the tapas concept to midtown Phoenix, complete with a menu of homemade sangria cocktails. CoR exceeds expectations with a streamlined menu of artful, beautifully executed small plates like gambas al ajillo, a garlic shrimp plate featuring a wonderfully rich garlic aioli. Simple and classic dishes like patatas bravas are upgraded through presentation and a very good, spicy aioli sauce. Chef Casey LaRue makes many of the house breads and cheeses, and he demonstrates a special knack for extracting maximum flavor out of simple vegetable dishes like charred Brussels sprouts.

1 article

Dahlia Tapas Tequila & Wine

2221 N 7th St Downtown Phoenix

602-582-2157

Tapas, Essentials

Want to impress a date? Take them to Dahlia, one of the most romantic spots in town. Deep purple walls, fresh flowers on each table and candlelight set the tone for a delicious dinner and drinks. The menu is split into three sections: small and large tapas and charcuterie boards. Start with the fresh pan con tomate and make sure to get in an order of the potato croquettes. Dishes such as steaks are available, and there’s a rotation of specials, so make sure to ask. Our favorite way to end the night at this downtown haunt is with a tipple that combines a cocktail with dessert. In the Beso de Noche, cookie dough whiskey is topped with vanilla whip and chocolate shavings.

El Hefe Super Macho Taqueria

4425 N. Saddlebag Trail #101 Central Scottsdale

480-945-6200

Mexican, Tapas, Bars and Clubs, Slideshow

Along with an ingenious invention called table taps, self-serve beer taps of Coors Light and Dos Equis at each booth, there are a few decent food offerings to go along with the good times in this Mexican-themed bar and restaurant in Scottsdale’s entertainment district. The Sonoran-style menu, created by former Noca sous chef Steven Smith, features a humble offering of surprisingly wallet-friendly traditional standards with a few twists. Satisfying fare includes the macho nachos and the house made churros, but the best dish is the least Mexican one: the hamburger. Enjoy one paired with a selection of several alcoholic offerings from El Hefe (the name a play on the word jefe, the Spanish word for "boss”), in an atmosphere more metrosexual than macho.

36 articles

The Living Room Wine Café & Lounge

4905 E. Ray Rd. Ste. 107 Ahwatukee

480-454-3599

Tapas, Wine Bar

Any dinner here can start with delicious appetizers like the artisan cheese platter (which also makes a nice end-of-meal dessert, too) and the Prosciutto and Brie plate, with figs, balsamic reduction, and roasted red pepper jam. Before charging straight into dinner, we like to linger over the Crusted Caprese, with Burrata mozzarella, pesto, roasted grape tomatoes, and a balsamic reduction. Where we go from there is anyone's guess, since the daily chef specials here are as wonderful as the starters.

The Living Room Wine Cafe & Lounge

2475 W. Queen Creek Rd., #1 Chandler

480-855-2848

Wine Bar, Tapas

Some claim that this place offers the best happy hour in Chandler, thanks in part to the $5 skinny cocktails from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. It doesn't hurt that any dinner here can start with delicious appetizers like the artisan cheese platter (which also makes a nice end-of-meal dessert, too) and the Prosciutto and Brie plate, with figs, balsamic reduction, and roasted red pepper jam. Before charging straight into dinner, we like to linger over the Crusted Caprese, with Burrata mozzarella, pesto, roasted grape tomatoes, and a balsamic reduction. Where we go from there is anyone's guess, since the daily chef specials here are as wonderful as the starters.

1 article

The Living Room Wine Cafe and Lounge

20751 N. Pima Rd. #120 North Scottsdale

480-404-7465

Tapas, Wine Bar

Any dinner here can start with delicious appetizers like the artisan cheese platter (which also makes a nice end-of-meal dessert, too) and the Prosciutto and Brie plate, with figs, balsamic reduction, and roasted red pepper jam. Before charging straight into dinner, we like to linger over the Crusted Caprese, with Burrata mozzarella, pesto, roasted grape tomatoes, and a balsamic reduction. Where we go from there is anyone's guess, since the daily chef specials here are as wonderful as the starters.

3 articles

Lola Tapas

800 E. Camelback Rd. Central Phoenix

602-265-4519

European, Spanish, Tapas, Wine Bar, Bars and Clubs

1 article

Pa'La

132 E. Washington St. Downtown Phoenix

602-368-3052

Tapas, Fusion, Best Of

This restaurant is a temple to simple food in the form of a 24th Street bungalow. Or maybe it's more of a low-key barracks: There's a spartan rigor to the approach to ingredients. The very best and often the most obscure, commonly from Italy: olio nuovo, heirloom beans, Tuscan pecorino, high-end polenta, heady wines. There's also the best of what's locally available, including marine life like skate and scallops from Nelson's Meat + Fish, and sausage and steak from Arcadia Meat Market. Dishes have few parts. The food is solidly Italian, but not tied to any one region or regular classic preparations. Pa'La is small, almost half patio, and the heart of the eatery is a wood-fired oven. Beautiful breads emerge from its flames. Cast iron pans of colored zucchini frittata and crisp-skinned bluefish emerge, and once you bite in, the olden rusticity of the food washes you in a timeless warmth. You can taste the commitment in plates as humble as grain bowls, or as starters of bread, cheese, and cured meat. Seating is limited inside but takeout is always available.

1 article

Superstition Downtown

1110 E. Washington St. Downtown Phoenix

602-368-3257

Tapas, Wine Bar, Best Of

Jeff and Jen Herbert, the pair behind Prescott’s Superstition Meadery, have opened a Phoenix outpost called Superstition Downtown. This ain’t the place for vodka-sodas and IPAs. It’s a true meadery, with bottles, jugs, and 24 taps of mostly meads and ciders. They’re offered as 1-ounce pours, which we’ve found to be an excellent way to sample Superstition’s selections. The staff, a friendly crew on the other side of the lengthy bar (it’s made with wood salvaged in the splintery wake of a west-of-Flagstaff tornado), is happy to guide you through the menu, which also contains some damn-fine tapas and a stunner of a soft shell crab sandwich. This place opened in fall 2020, but it already has the feel of a decades-old neighborhood classic.

7 articles

Tapas Papa Frita

7114 E. Stetson Dr., #210 Central Scottsdale

480-699-5004

Spanish, Tapas, Vegetarian

Tapas, traditional Spanish small plates, are the specialty at Tapas Papa Frita, a casually upscale restaurant and bar with views of the Scottsdale Waterfront. The restaurant offers a menu of about 50 tapas and 20 entrees, including crowd favorites like tortilla española (potato omelet) and paella (which the kitchen can prepare in seven different styles, including vegetarian). Simple, rustic tapas like boquerones (fresh anchovies cooked in olive oil and lemon) and chanquetes (flash fried silver fish) delight with bold, fresh flavor. But dishes like berejenas con centollos (crab and eggplant tart) and paella valenciana (the restaurant’s most popular entrée) suffer from bland, underseasoned treatment, making for a hit-or-miss dining experience.

6 articles

V95 Wine Lounge

7014 E Camelback Rd. Central Scottsdale

480-947-0025

Coffeehouse, Tapas, Wine Bar

4 articles

Tapas in Phoenix

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