Castilla Restaurant and Tapas Bar

Castilla Restaurant and Tapas Bar in Bellevue offers a vibrant Spanish dining experience. The decor is modern and eclectic, creating a lively atmosphere. Guests rave about the tapas, particularly the bacon-wrapped dates and paella, which is prepared in an open kitchen. While service can be slow during peak hours, the friendly staff and quick food delivery enhance the experience. Prices are considered reasonable for the quality offered. Overall, Castilla is a solid choice for those seeking authentic Spanish cuisine in a casual setting.

Went with a party of six and ordered about two dozen menu items. Everything was fantastic. I was actually surprised by how much I enjoyed the place. Service was a tad slow, and the cocktails weren’t as good as the food, but we will certainly return.

Food and drinks tasted great! I loved the cocktails, gazpacho, bacon-,wrapped dates, and flourless chocolate cake. Some appetizers and desserts were awfully small for the price (and there was VERY little smoked salmon in the salmon stuffed artichoke hearts), but the paella servings were generous! The general vibe of the place was very pleasant, but the very high chairs around our tall table weren't terribly comfortable, and it was difficult to hear our servers across the table and over the general hubbub. Definitely plan to go back though!

I'm taking my mom on a date to Bellevue Square Mall. I didn't make any restaurant reservations because it's a Thursday dinner, but I saw that Castillo has good reviews and a great menu. We tried the Fresh Mozzarella, Tomatoes and Arugula, Gazpacho Raw Vegetable Soup, Lamb Chops, and Mozzarella, Tomato, Basil, Pesto, and Ham. It was nice to know we could sit at the bar counter. The food and service were excellent, and the surroundings were pleasant, even the bathroom was nice. Just keep in mind that it's a bar, so it can get pretty lively with people talking a lot!

Awesome food and ambience. Went on a weekday lunch with prior reservations and got our table immediately. We ordered chicken flatbread, roasted Mediterranean chicken and seafood stew. All of that were delicious and the service was super quick too. Overall highly recommended.

Great service and decent food. We had the Brie flatbread, the bacon wrapped dates, the lamb chops, and the garlic shrimp Favorite was the lamb chops. Just a little pricey for the amount in my opinion. You need around 4-5 tapas for two people (we were satisfied with 4)

Loved the ambiance but food didn’t meet our expectations. Drinks and dessert were good. Also, note that happy hour is only at the bar so make sure you’re seated in the correct area.

My mom and I went and tried this place since it had amazing curb appeal. I ordered the mussels since I wanted to try something new, while my mom ordered the lentil soup and fried tapas. Her food was delicious, but my mussels were SUPER fishy tasting. It tasted like how the ocean smells like. Honestly wouldn't order that plate again, but I would definitely return to try something else.

We had a Saturday date night at Castilla and the ambiance was great. We were seated promptly and our orders arrived quite fast. We got the following: 1. Bacon Wrapped Dates - delicious! love the sweet, salty, and spicy flavor combination and the variety in textures 2. Beef Medallions with Tempranillo Wine - good flavor but the meat was a little tough for me 3. Lamb Chops - enjoyed this one 4. Chorizo & Caramelized Onions Empanadas - good flavor, the portion size of the filling is a bit too much for me 5. Wild Mushrooms & Basil Croquetas - I liked this too 6. Brie Cheese, Caramelized Apples & Pecans Flatbread - good flavor combination but I'm not a fan of the flatbread texture 7. Glass of Sangria Roja - delicious 8. Carmelita - good fruity non-alcoholic drink Overall, we enjoyed our meal and we are likely to return.

The food is always cooked perfectly. We had great service every time we went there. The restaurant is with a cute ambiance, that makes you feel comfortable. We love their sangria.

Overall the place has good interior and food taste wise is good. The service is below expectations considering how expensive this restaurant is. We went there for family dinner service was really bad and guess what who cares they add 20% gratuity by default (well we all know tipping is out of control recently). So good service or bad service who cares they get their money. Pretty disappointing overall.

Amazing authentic Spanish ambiance. I was seated quickly and my server was knowledgeable and friendly. He suggested an amazing Tempranillo, the Lar de Maria, full body, pomegranate, with hints of vanilla, amazing. I then ordered the bacon wrapped dates. Crispy, spicy, sweet, savory! Followed by the Brie cheese , carmelozed apples and pecans flatbread, light sweet and delicious. Next up was the Mixta Paella. I wanted this to be amazing but it fell short in my opinion with a more generic flavor , a few of my mussels weren't even open, clams tiny, room for improvement but, everything else is amazing. I had the bread pudding for dessert , I wanted it to be amazing, but it was more custard or flan than bread. All in all this place has so many choices, most of them delicious, and the vibe alone is a great reason to come here. I'll be back at least for that amazing Tempranillo!

Too busy, too long of wait for everything, even with a reservations. Service was friendly but sparse. Clearly way too busy. Food, okay. Good vegan options. Empanadas were great. Paella was okay. It had all the vegetables I love but needed a kick of spice or depth.? Ambiance is good but again too busy. Overall, disappointing.

In my opinion, there is no better dining experience than ordering a number of plates and sharing among the table to get a taste of everything. Castilla is perfect for this! Two of us arrived at 3:00P with the thought that we could order from the Happy Hour menu, however, we learned it is only available in the bar area. While the regular menu is quite large, we decided to select a few items from the "Hot Tapas" section, which turned out to be just the right amount of food. + BEEF MEDALLIONS w/ TEMPRANILLO WINE ($14): The beef was cooked to a perfect medium and was very tender albeit also being a leaner cut. The flavor of the wine was fairly subtle, so it didn't overpower the true taste of the beef. + CALAMARI TENDERS ($13): Unfortunately, we didn't love these. The calamari itself was somewhat spongey and I found the fried exterior to be quite salty. The serrano aioli livened them up, adding a bright peppery flavor and slight acidity. + MUSSELS ($17): Despite being served in a smoky salsa brava with creamy garlic aioli drizzled on top, the mussels still retained their natural flavor and were cooked pretty well. Plus, all the shells were open! Two pieces of bread came with the dish to mop up any leftover sauce. + SMOKED SALMON STUFFED ARTICHOKES ($14): I rarely eat artichokes, so I enjoyed trying something outside of my norm. They were lightly marinated and filled with a cream cheese salmon filling. I actually didn't see nor taste much salmon per se (so I'm not sure they're worth the value), but it was a cohesive dish overall. A cup of crisps, reminiscent of cornmeal thins, came served on the side. + BACON-WRAPPED SHRIMP ($16): Our favorite plate of the night, although we may be biased since we love shrimp. The mojo verde drizzled on the plate added some freshness, complementing the smoky bacon. However, for four skewered shrimp, this is pricey for what you receive. The waitstaff was friendly and our food was actually delivered much quicker than expected. On this Saturday, the restaurant was pretty quiet at 3:00P, but started to fill up when we left around 5:15P. Overall, Castilla is a solid pick if you're seeking tapas, especially since there aren't many other comparable restaurants in the area.

It was a shame that when we visited they had some kitchen issues which limited the availability of many items, but we still enjoyed the ambiance! Pizzas were pretty good, cheese board was solid. Server failed to tell us they tagged on the large party tip which was a bit disappointing.

great place for a gathering，forget to order the flatbread in woodfire，the tapas here are different from Spains but overall good

In the City of Bellevue, if you're looking for something simple, classy and accessible look no further than the Bellevue Square and Castilla. On street level Castilla is friendly and accessible. Once you walk in, it's hip and the decor definitely transports you away from what can be considered the very mono-cultural world of Bellevue into that 21st century modern eclectic-European Spanish place you were absolutely looking for. You could call for a reservation, but if you get there early enough you can find yourself with a space for two and enjoy the tapas menu and a few adult cocktails on their menu. While not wholly Spanish themed at their bar they do have some on-tap brews that pair well with your appetizers. Be advised, the menu can change, where one of their specialties for dinner does include paella made in their open kitchen ovens. Forgive the review as I don't have the Spanish names, but a spice-marinated roasted steak with mashed potatoes is a great way to start. Also tender, medium rare sliced steak along with roasted brussel sprouts with prosciutto. Magnificent. Go here with friends and make a reservation to get deeper into their menu with tasty salmon, lamb, and other plant based options to be explored. With parking in the mall, you'll come back. And do come back to Castilla.

Each time I come here, I always get a paella and the bacon wrapped dates! All the tapas I've tried are great (particularly the lamb shank). I'm only giving it 4/5 because I don't think the food is worth the price. The service here is a little slow at times and there are only two independent stalls for the entire restaurant. The restaurant is beautiful in the summer, especially if you sit along the street when the windows are open. At night, it's a dim romantic date spot!

Nice restaurant, a bit pricey but not out of the ordinary for this area. All the food was well prepared and the staff was professional.

Fun and lively restaurant with a wood oven. The restaurant was extremely full so it was uncomfortably warm and service was quite slow. The food, however, was a delicious! Highly recommend the chorizo empanadas, lamb chops and artichoke. Be sure to order the paella early as it takes a while to cook. Sazerac cocktail is a nice show being smoked table side but was on the sweet side.

Really pretty decor, good ambience other than the loud music. Servers were nice, not exceptional. Food was good, nothing amazing. A lot of spicy options, which was a bit of a bummer because we have two children under 5 and with my pregnancy we were limited to the few non-spicy selections. It's a tapas place, so most dishes are "shareable" for two people, not more than that. The flatbread only had the toppings in the middle, they didn't even cover the surface. Four tiny slices of Brie, a few crumbs of dried apricot.. did not live up to our expectations. I was annoyed at the server who included our 2 and 4 year-olds to get the automatic 20% tip. I've never heard of children being part of the paying count. With so many other restaurants to explore, we won't be back.

Wow! What a gem! The hubs and I had a date night and we normally go ham on some sushi, but we decided to try Castilla for their well known tapas. We planned on trying a few of their light bites/ hot tapas and man, are we sure excited to go back. We started with some sangria, he had the Red and I had the sparkling- both delicious, but my preference was the sparkling because it was sweeter. We then ordered the octopus, which was charred and on a bed of creamed potatoes. We have had octopus before and we weren't sure if it was supposed to be slimy/gummy (given the description was that it was charred) so the staff took it off our bill. They recommended the salmon & artichoke dip (hot), the mussels with chorizo and the bacon wrapped pork tenderloin. The salmon artichoke dip was good, I probably wouldn't get it again and would want to try something more unique. The mussels and CB Lexi were fantastic, the bread (wish it was toasted though) and broth was to die for. We also had the Chorizo and Caramelized onion empanadas which were fine- probably would try another style, but would really go back for the paella next time. The gem of the night was the bacon wrapped pork tenderloin, which was sitting in a blue cheese/sweet sauce. It was SO GOOD. We ended the night with the warm bread pudding and the flourless chocolate cake which were both delicious. Next time we will try the flan! Ambiance was great and romantic, the only drawback is there's only 2 single bathrooms and there was always a line. Other than that, it was a perfect evening and we would 100% go back.

The food is good--decent. It doesn't knock me out of my socks, but it is good, and the drinks are nice as well. I would return. The ambiance was nice, and my service during happy hour was good. Thumbs Up.

Popped in for an early dinner one Saturday night. Not a lot of experience with Spanish food and paella, so we were eager to try. The good: -Great ambiance and extensive menu. -Empanadas are fantastic. -Vegetarian/vegan paella was "pretty good", but I don't know if it justifies the price since it's the same as the rabbit, squid ink, etc. paella. The bad: -Service was friendly but not super attentive. The ugly: -What grinds my gears is when you make reservations, but are seated 15min+ after your reserved time. This time, it was 30min for a 5pm res nonetheless.

I'm taking my mom on a date to Bellevue Square Mall. I didn't make any restaurant reservations because it's a Thursday dinner, but I saw that Castillo has good reviews and a great menu. We tried the Fresh Mozzarella, Tomatoes and Arugula, Gazpacho Raw Vegetable Soup, Lamb Chops, and Mozzarella, Tomato, Basil, Pesto, and Ham. It was nice to know we could sit at the bar counter. The food and service were excellent, and the surroundings were pleasant, even the bathroom was nice. Just keep in mind that it's a bar, so it can get pretty lively with people talking a lot!

Castilla is one of my go-to spots for a fire Happy Hour (3-5pm & 9-11pm daily at the bar) in downtown Bellevue! The HH menu is so extensive with so many great food options to share with the table! Their bacon wrapped dates has to be my favorite HH plate. The staff are fun & helpful, which make a great experience! The restaurant is such an open space w/ cool vibes for some drinks & meal w/ others :)

I came in for an impromptu dinner with my coworkers. We were ID'd to even sit in this particular part of the restaurant and never explained why until we questioned it. They explained that we were in the bar area. No one previously told us anything about this setup. None of us had ordered any drinks containing alcohol as we were on business time. I ordered the phenomenal chicken wings and the wild mushroom croquets which were also fantastic. Paella was not traditional and for $32 a person, it was nothing to be excited about. The mussels were overcooked and we had to take out 2 meats because of dietary restrictions. They took it out and never replaced the portions removed and still charged us the full amount. At the end of the meal, we requested to-go cups for our non-alcoholic drinks since they were pricey and barely touched. The waiter ignored us for so long that we flagged down the white male host who was nice right up until we asked for the to-go cups. He said, "No, I'll get your waiter." Then he walked off abruptly with an attitude as if we offended him. The encounter was so strange that we asked the waiter why something like that would take place. He explained that they don't have to-go cups and gave us a soup container because they don't allow drinks containing alcohol to be removed from the restaurant. Understandably we agreed as its the law but none of us had any alcohol and the host never offered any explanation. This was not a pleasant meal for us and we probably will not return. The restaurant is beautiful and the atmosphere was inviting but the service and the food lacked tremendously.

I've been here several times now, twice with friends and once with coworkers. With friends I came in groups of max 4 and coworkers we had 12. The experience was honestly quite different for the two. The up-to-four number was a great experience- we were seated in booths near the window. The food was delicious- I really liked the large beans and patatas, the paella was good as well. The rabbit is delicious. However for the much larger group, they don't seem to have good seating? We were put at an extremely long bar table (theoretically everyone would also needed to be carded). Since we ordered tapas and they were easy to move around everyone was able to eat, but the place was far too noisy to have conversation outside of the closest couple people, which wasn't great for our group.

Food was delicious! I do have to say I came here starving so I feel like portions were tiny but then again it is a tapas bar... lol We went family style and shared the paella, seafood stew and had some of the tapas as appetizers. Great service and ambiance, definitely will be back to try out more of the tapas dishes we missed this time around!

Last year, I had an incredibly disappointing experience at Castilla Restaurant and Tapas Bar with my 8-year-old daughter. After waiting for about 20 minutes, a staff member seated us at a bar table. Just as we were about to order, an older man with white hair, who seemed to be the manager, came over and rudely told me that my daughter couldn't sit there. When I explained that we had been seated there by their staff, he condescendingly asked, "Do you understand what I'm saying?" Seriously? "Do you understand what I'm saying?" Who does he think he's talking to? Just because I'm not fluent in two languages, does that give him the right to treat me like this? I was absolutely furious. I had just moved to the U.S. at the time, and my English wasn't great, but that doesn't mean I deserve to be spoken to like a child. This was the first and only time I've ever felt discriminated against since living here, and it was a horrible feeling. Instead of apologizing for their mistake and helping us find a proper table, he chose to be dismissive and downright rude. In a place like Bellevue, with such a large Asian community, it's shocking that a restaurant would treat its customers this way. It makes you wonder what kind of care they put into the food they serve if this is how they handle their service. What should have been a pleasant meal was completely ruined by this awful experience. I expected so much better from this restaurant, and I was thoroughly disappointed.

Wow! Finally got around to trying this which was wait too late!! We could have been going here instead of other places that are not as good (which means you can stop reading now and just go). We ordered 4 appetizers, a salad and 2 meals and LOVED (we rarely love anything when eating out) all of it! The next time we went, we ordered two different salads and loved those! So I have a feeling this is the type if place where everything is good The service is always good. Staff knows the menu well including what is gluten-free (and cross-contam and not) and dairy-free, etc. Plus they have a cheat sheet so they can be 100% sure. My wish is since they already know, that they just take the 1-2 hours and add those symbols to the menu for easy and quick reference for us food-challenged people. Heck, I will be willing to do it for them for free! (Hear that restaurant mgmt? Take me up in it!) Love the ambiance! Classy booths, nice tables, different areas have their own feels. Just a great place. So when you go, just let me get in line ahead of you, okay?

The service was garbage. Food took forever even after the waiter said the appetizers would only be 8 minutes was more like 40min. Most likely because the way we looked. I still left a cash tip. Then today I had a notice they added a 37% tip on my card. That makes it theft!

We had a phenomenal meal! Andy our server & also the bartender took absolutely amazing care of us! He was definitely slammed from the time we arrived (7pm on a Friday till about 10:30p) and still managed incredibly phenomenal service. Food was all very very yummy. Definitely took us back to our Spanish Style Meals in Spain. Place was alive and filled with all sorts of people which was amazing to see. Definitely Madrid vibes. My wife and I adore Spain so much so this place made us very happy. We don't get to Bellevue often, as we live in the South Sound but would definitely come back if we are out in the area. Great wine, really great food, great atmosphere, incredibly service. What more could you want from a meal?!!? Definitely come here with friends and share everything. There were 4 in our party and all the tapas were big enough for us to all munch on. Place is super affordable IMO. For 4 people bill was under $250 (without tip) and that included 4 glasses of wine, 3 cocktails, & like 6-7 different shareable tapas. Also Andy if you read this, you are a bartender extraordinaire ... yes take the compliment. Thanks for making our double date night spectacular!

We went for happy hours. It was slow and got seat right away. Order bread and garlic aioli, the garlic aioli was good, garlic and creme. Spicy chorizo with potato was best dish. It was not that spicy. Beef dish with wine sauce was ok. Beef was tender not too tough. Small dishes, you have ordered main dishes or many small dish if you hungry. Service was good. He came to check on us often.

I went here during a business trip; food was good, service was friendly, I did many apps and they came out quick. Lamb and pa poo as bravadas were delicious. The house sangria was yummy!

This place offers decent to good Spanish food, but the price is on the higher side. The restaurant itself is located adjacent to Bellevue Square, close the the Cheesecake Factory. Entrance is street-side. The paella takes about 30 minutes to cook, so order that first to have the kitchen start working on it. In terms of the food, I found the flavors to be good. Unfortunately, the paella's rice came out undercooked. Also, the waiter had a small accident spilling a dirty spoon onto my sweater when I was eating here. The place gets 4.5 stars for food (if the paella were cooked right the first time), 2 stars for service, and 4 stars for ambiance.

We came here to meet with a friend and her husband a little over a year ago. She'd already been here before and really likes the place because there was a lot of vegetarian and dairy-free options for her. She went ahead and ordered the plates she already knew she liked and we ordered some other meat plates that the rest of us could share. Everything we tried was tasty, and service was great. I'd wanna come back to try the paella.

So very disappointing. The paella is supposed to be the star of the meal but the seafood paella just fell flat. Very bland, the seafood pieces were chewy, and there were no crispy bits at the edge/bottom of the pan. It was an absolute disaster. We also got the garlic shrimp which came out luke warm. The bread it came with was tasteless, very underwhelming. The only good menu item is the chorizo empanada! This was absolutely fantastic - packed with flavor. The breading was crispy and light. Sadly, because most of the meal was terrible, we will not be back.

Great restaurant for larger groups or an intimate dinner. Love the variety of options for people that are both meat eaters and vegetarian. Love the atmosphere in Castilla for a more upscale vibe but is still casual enough for a low key lunch or dinner. The lamb was recommended - this is a must try! Also the patatas were delicious with the sauce drizzled on top. Lots of flatbread options but liked the margarita the best. Overall this is a really great option for a restaurant downtown Bellevue. You can find free parking in the nearby garages and they have nice seating options by the window if you can request via rsvp.

Food was mostly fair to good except one dish. service was less than fair. It was attentive but not so friendly. Will we go back? Yes, 'cause there aren't too many restaurant in Puget Sound area that are better than mediocre.

Wow, this was SO good! I made a reservation with my friends for a casual weeknight dinner, and we were all blown away by the food and service. Our waiter was friendly and super helpful with answering our many questions about the menu, and I definitely appreciated his patience in dealing with our large party of 6. He even recommended a special sauce of his own concoction for us to try with the food we ordered, and it was super good and paired well with our paella. Between the six of us, we ordered a wide selection of items on the menu. My favorite tapas were the Brussels sprouts (sweet and crispy, just the way I like them!) and garlic mushrooms (so so garlicky!). We also ordered the grilled octopus leg and Spanish cured meat and cheese board, both of which I think were pretty lackluster and could probably skip out on next time. But the real star of the show was the paella! We ordered two for the table, one mixta and one vegetarian. The rice was fragrant and seasoned perfectly. Both the vegetarian and standard paella were filled with plenty of mix-ins, and each ingredient tasted great individually and exceptional in a spoonful mixed with everything else. The portion sizes were perfect, and we ended up having a bit leftover for people to take home. Everyone left feeling very satisfied and stuffed, and I'd definitely recommend this restaurant to others in the Bellevue area. Our meal ended up coming out to about $50 per person, so a bit on the pricier side for just a casual meal, but definitely worth the experience.

Castilla's dining experience was underwhelming; the food was mediocre, and the service disappointing. Despite a pleasant ambiance, repeated errors marred the meal, with cold and incorrect flatbreads served multiple times. Although the staff eventually corrected the mistake, the initial oversight detracted from the overall dining experience. Improvement in service efficiency and food quality is necessary for Castilla to live up to its potential.

Castilla is a solid choice in Bellevue. We went once last week (for tapas) and had to come back this week for the paella. We got a nice booth by the window and had a lovely dinner. The squid ink paella was delicious though we did miss the crispy bits of rice at the bottom. That said, the patatas bravas was so good and we enjoyed everything we ordered. Our server Leo was super nice and the timing of the food was perfect. Dishes came out quickly but were well-paced so that we weren't overwhelmed. Worth a visit for sure!

Pricey restaurant but delicious flavors and food. The restaurant itself is in the Bellevue square region so you'll need to park in the square parking and walk to Castilla. They have some really well made Spanish tapas and big plates. We tried the patatas bravas and the vegetarian paella. The ambience is great but its also very crowded and sometimes that can kill the ambience coz they'll seat people too close to each other and that causes a community dining experience without intending it. The staff is friendly and helpful but they're too busy if it's crowded.

I love love love this place! The tapas are tasty, the wine is delicious and the staff are hilarious. One of my favorite places for a girls night!

The food is amazing most especially the Paella. Service was grrat anf perfect ambiance.

Great service and decent food. We had the Brie flatbread, the bacon wrapped dates, the lamb chops, and the garlic shrimp Favorite was the lamb chops. Just a little pricey for the amount in my opinion. You need around 4-5 tapas for two people (we were satisfied with 4)

Got into the waiting list with an estimated time to seat at 7:10pm. By 8:20 pm they were still telling us that we were next. 5 parties went in before us since that was said. They kept us there without the option of going around the shopping. Never again!

Castilla is a nice Spanish restaurant right in the middle of Bellevue downtown. Park in the macys parking lot and climb down the stairs to enter the restaurant from the outside. The restaurant has great tapas dishes that are easy to share. We had the flatbreads, sardines, calamari and shrimp. Everything tasted fresh. Prices are a bit on the higher side and service was just ok, we didn't have anyone check on us when we needed stuff, but nothing bad to be honest. I would visit again and try more tapas.

Great service and ambiance but the food could be better. We went on a Saturday evening and joined the waitlist and was shortly seated after even though we were 11th in the waitlist. We ordered 5 tapas between 2 people, which was plenty of food. Tapas: Bacon wrapped shrimp - our favorite dish we ordered, the sauce was so good we scraped it off the plate to finish it Lamb chop - 2nd favorite dish, great flavor and the lamb chop was very tender and juicy Brussel sprouts - pretty good, also very flavorful Beef medallion - the wine flavor in the sauce was a little strong, could be reduced a little more Butternut squash dip - we did not really like it, it had too many spices, but if you like butternut you can try it; also not enough crackers for the dip! Came out to be about $90 - a bit pricey Overall, this would be a fun place to grab a drink and a bite with friends. Would come back here again to try the other tapas

The garlic mushrooms app was surprisingly soo good, especially with that super spongey bread that it comes with. Dont know what kind of bread it was but loved it so much that we asked for more of it (yes extra bread is an extra charge). Got the mixta paella for two for entree. Was good but not great, esp for the price point. Chicken in the paella was dry. Flavors overall were nice. Wouldn't necessarily come back here for paella. Total bill with gratuity was just over 100 which is kinda crazy for mushrooms and paella.

Good was great. We ordered a few apps but for our main course we had the paella. The paella is beyond amazing. It's good for more than 2 people if you order apps.

Excellent Tapas restaurant, with a few selections that are a bit less frequently found. The octopus stew was memorable. Some very interesting cocktails as well. They have a craft bar as eclectic as their dishes. The ambience was great for a very large tapas place. It tries to retain some level of intimacy. They have the in-dining prep areas. While not quite to the level of José Andreas' Jaleo, it is now one of my top three Tapas places in the US. Walked, so parking is a mystery. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Service was excellent!

Coming back from Spain and Portugal, I was missing the food. The croquettes and empanadas did not disappoint! We ordered wild mushroom & basil croquettes, chorizo & caramelized onion empanadas, garlic shrimp, brie cheese & caramelized apples/pecans flat bread. Croquettes: Oh my oh my. Croquettes were to die for. The crunchiness of the croquette complimented the soft mix of the mushroom and filling. The aioli sauce was delish as well. I could eat this all day. Empanadas: Very well fried empanadas with delicious chorizo filling. The sauce that came with it had a spicy kick to it. Flatbread: This was disappointing. Seeing the oven, I thought the dough would be crunchy, but it felt a bit undercooked. The toppings were underwhelming. I would never order a flatbread again from this restaurant. Garlic shrimp: The olive oil base was good, and shrimp was juicy. The bread that came with it was a disappointment, though. It was plain and not soft on the inside. The ambiance was fun yet intimate. Service was fast and friendly. Make sure you make reservations in advance or check in through Yelp. I really enjoyed the croquettes, so I'll be back for more.

An incredible experience where you order magnificent wine and small plates. Service is great but reservations should be made, especially on weekends.

Everything but especially the food. Mussels were so overcooked and dried out and tasted like sea water. Worst thing we have ever had at a restaurant. Peppers were flavorless and waiter didn't give. A shit. Even out drinks sucked. Never again

During a recent visit to Bellevue, we happened upon Castilla Restaurant and Tapas Bar. Big fans of tapas, we decided it sounded like just the place for our dinner. We could not have chosen better. Ushered into the bar area, bartender Javier did double duty as our server. He started out by making some excellent suggestions for wines to pair with the solid food yet to come: a Kentia Albariño from Rias Baxias, Spain for my wife ($12) and a Flowerhead Sauvignon Blanc from the Columbia Valley of Washington for me ($14). He was also gracious and encouraging as I attempted to use my minimal Spanish language skills. Our dinner started with a bowl of creamy gazpacho, unlike the chunkier, more rustic varieties I'm used to. Once I got past the textural surprise, I quite enjoyed it. The puree of tomato, cucumber, sherry vinegar and spices was topped with a splash of olive oil, and contained slices of what I believe were Kalamata olives ($7 for a small: $12 for a large). Then it was on to several selections from the "Hot Tapas" section of the menu. The grilled sardines were surprisingly unfishy ($15). Clams with ham and fennel in a sherry sauce practically begged us to dunk our bread in and sop up the sauce ($16). Bacon-wrapped dates from the Para Picar (to snack) menu provided a touch of sweetness ($10). Not quite sated, we opted for a second order of the grilled sardines and a grilled flatbread topped with beef steak, pickled grapes, parmesan and arugula ($15). NOW we were stuffed! In addition to tapas, Castilla offers croquetas, empanadas, a selection of salads and soups, and four different kinds of paella: mixta, rabbit, squid ink and vegetarian. Paellas are all $32 per person with a minimum of two people, but the paella comes in a traditional serving dish and it's HUGE. We're saving that for a time when we can have another couple or two join us, but very much looking forward to it. The place also has a selection of Tablas (boards) on which are piled cheese and jam, one of three different varieties of Spanish jamon (ham), a selection of Spanish cheeses, or a mix of Spanish cured meat and cheese. The room is "live" acoustically, meaning it can get a little bit loud, but that seems to add to the energy of the place. Considering the quality of both the food and service, we're anticipating many more trips to Bellevue as we work our way through the extensive menu. Give it a try; I don't think you'll be disappointed.