Esperpento Restaurant

Friendly service, delicious dinner and good prices. Muchas Gracias 🙏

Delightful restaurant with a true home feeling! The paella de mariscos was probably more than enough for the 2 of us, but we’re glad we tried the tapas too. The garlic shrimp was wonderfully garlicky, and the potato and onion omelet was delicious as well. They even had a mariachi band playing the Wednesday night that went! Would definitely come back.

The food was delicious. But there was a guy walking around and playing his guitar and singing. And a very rowdy large table was singing along. The guy was a good performer and him alone would have been fine for a few songs. But with the table songing, it was piercing and echoed throughout the small dining room. He played non-stop for over an hour, starting before we sat down and continued even after we left. It completely ruined our dinner. I couldn’t hear anything anyone was saying at our table, even the person sitting next to me. I put on ear plugs and it was barely tolerable. Almost everyone around us was eating quickly and leaving fast. The food was delicious and server was very nice. But I was too much and I don’t know how soon I will return.

First time having Paella. My girl recommended so we took advantage. It was great. We had left overs and ate them today. Still amazing. The wine was strong. The bread soft. The papas bravas were amazing (her favorite).

Still one of the absolute best in the city for no frills but deliciously prepared Spanish tapas and traditional sangria.

this restaurant is my go-to. good price, good vibes, good food. perfect. just come. I've been here probably 20 times or so. my favorite item is the rabbit stew

I ordered a grilled salmon, which was pretty good. The mushrooms soup was really good too. I thought the cabbage that came with it was cooked, but it was actually like a side salad, which was ok. All in all, I would return again.

Food was very good, service attentive. Atmosphere was pretty loud (painfully so when the mariachis came in). All good until we got home and double checked the bill. For our party of six they snuck a $9 per person “banquet fee” into the bill and neglected to point it out. Bad form, won’t be back.

Our friends took us here saying it was authentic Spanish food and that we needed to try it. I was craving paella for a while so I was happy to go. Paellas did not disappoint! The squid ink paella was crispier around the edges more so than the seafood, so i think i prefer that one! Other than that, everything was good but the meat was a bit dry. Staff was wonderfully nice - I requested to be moved to a better seat and they did everything they could to accommodate us. Friendly crew. If you want authentic paellas in a no fuss or frills, bustling and hustling Spanish resto, this is the right place to go.

Best Happy Hour deal in town, $20 a Sangria pitcher 5pm-7pm (yes, 7pm)...Paellas are delicious too.

The best Paella in the Bay Area!!! I've been to Teleferic in Palo Alto and Los Gatos but Paella of Esperpento is the best in my opinion, taste wise and lots of fresh ingredients !!! Fast and friendly owner and servers . Ambiance is okay as well . Parking is just across or near the restaurant . Highly recommended!

3.9 / 5 Tapas are an acquired flavor, for those who can appreciate smaller dishes. I used to love it here, over the 10 years I been coming here it has always been good not great. Consistency they are good at. Flavors are solid with plenty of lemon on the side. I usually order the fish and veg options as well as the classic sauce they serve with the bread. Service is a bit slow, ambiance is dated but kinda cute. Try it out and see for yourself!

How I love thee Esperpento! Feeling fancy but on a budget? Esperpento has a cure for that. Hungover and need soul cpr? Esperpento has a cure for that too. Oxtail stew for life! There's a reason why this gem has survived all of the mission neighborhood changes. It's epic, budget friendly, Spanish comfort food Not sure what to get? The staff will gladly help you have an amazing experience. Definitely recommend in person over delivery for the full food high .

Warning, street parking can be tough. We had an absolute blast, eating our hearts out. Tip: It is best to order, eat, rest, order again and eat again. :) There were some confusion with our orders, but it got resolved. Nevertheless, we had an absolute great experience with our servers. Place was clean; restrooms were clean. Tapas were yummy. The paella was just OK for me only because I was too full with the tapas. Anchovies is a must; green beans was yummy. Oxtail was great. Calamari was to die for.

The only good thing in this place is the sangria! For the paella they used the cheapest seafood and meat ! I don't recommend this place!

I'm a Paella connoisseur so I tried it out. It was ok, not delectable as it should be. Price is right but something flavorful was missing. Prosciutto tapa was bomba! Sangria was average, not delicious but does the job. I did my good deed but will def try elsewhere.

What first seemed like a fun little adventure into a "Spanish" bistro-style restaurant in San Francisco ended up being a total rip-off. The portions were extremely small, the ingredients were old and low quality, and the preparation was just plain bad. I wouldn't recommend this restaurant. Esperpento - grotesque indeed.

My husband and I were revisiting our favorite date-night spots and we stopped by Latin American Club to have one of their mean margaritas. We've always noticed Esperpento multiple times across the street and always talked about trying it out and this time, we finally took the leap!! I do want to preface this by saying I've lived in Spain for half a year and have revisited different parts of the country 7x since so I may be a paella/spanish food snob. We ordered the tortilla de patata and the Paella de Carne and a bottle of wine to share. The tortilla de patata came out quickly but unfortunately, it was nothing to write home about. It was quite dry and flavorless. Finally, the paella de carne came out and it looked like it was filled with a variety of meats. I was excited to dig in but was disappointed with the lack of flavor, no socarrat, and not even a hint of saffron. MEHHHH. So dissapointing! This place is a "no" for me, fam!

Came here on a Tuesday night with 6 friends and had no wait. The interior of the restaurant is cozy and cute, and the staff is super nice. We all loved the bread and garlicky aioli and appreciated the refills! The food was also pretty okay but kind of pricey imo. The squid ink paella was delicious but I do wish there was more seafood. The seafood to rice ratio for each bite was a bit off. For 6 people we got the 4person paella and it was more than enough- definitely had some to go. The sangria pitcher was $19 and a great deal to split amongst the group.

I was in the neighborhood and decided to give it a try. Spanish food is always a good option but sadly, this place disappointed me. The service is attentive and friendly, inside fees cozy and welcoming. There were 2 guys that played the guitar. I appreciated it but I wish the establishment pay them instead of making them go around the tables asking for tips. The food: -Meatballs. Under seasoned. Bland. -Gambas al ajillo. Nothing special. I appreciate they removed the intestines. -Patatas bravas were good. -Artichokes. Bland. -Pan con tomate. It had a tomato paste instead of fresh ones. Meh. Why did they add onions? Dessert: Churros. Didn't say they were filled with raspberry jam, that's not traditional in Spanish cuisine. But it was good. Nice consistency and flavor! I recommend it. Points for having Inca Cola. I won't comeback.

Food was delicious. Served very hot. We got different appetizers and a paella plate. They do tell you it takes 30 minutes but it goes but fast. I recommend getting appetizers if you get paella. The restaurant has inside and outside seating. They give you bread too which is very good.

Loved this food so much!! Definitely sit outside to enjoy the atmosphere. Enjoyed the sangria pitcher.

Great service, good food, good deal, very fresh seafood Just went to eat at Esperpento. We use to go all of the time nearly 10 years ago and it is just as good as it was. The first thing I noticed eating the seafood was that it was very fresh and soft. I really appreciate that. This is how it should be. We had the mixed paella, sangria, cod croquettes, grilled artichoke, mushrooms, shrimp, tortilla, and calamari. The tortilla was really good--nice and fluffy. My wife is Cuban and very critical of croquettes--they were solid. Grilled veggies were great and sangria yummy. We finished with flan--which my family is also very critical because it is served every major holiday. It was good. The only gripe--the espresso didn't taste right. It was pretty bad. Any place that serves european or Latin food needs to serve good espresso. Maybe the beans were old. Not sure. Esperpento --Please try to address this. Otherwise--my family loves your restaurant and can't wait to go back. Technically I would give 4.25 to 4.5, but I'll round up because they are underscored on average.

Amazing food! We'll definitely come back again. Ambiance is nice and comfortable. Service was very nice and attentive.

Delicious food! Ate pescatarian and loved the meal! We at the grilled artichokes, the red snapper strips, and the potato/onion/egg pancake thing. All were soooo good! Then we had the vegetarian paella, a lot of food for two people! It was delicious and happy to take home leftovers. Would definitely return!

This review is based on the customer service skills that this restaurant is lacking. Arrived early for our 715 reservation, for my sisters bday dinner in January, they sat us but since we had a couple more people coming than we anticipated we asked to move tables. Immediately got eye rolls from all the workers working that night. They were full upstairs for a large party so they had no where to accommodate us. But eventually they moved us to a bigger table. They made us feel very uncomfortable the WHOLE time despite the fact that we ordered a bunch of food. The worst part is someone from our table ordered a plate that didn't match the description on the menu she didn't even touch it and ask to take it back for something else but some woman with a stank ass attitude said no she wouldn't take it back, eventually, she called her boss and only she knows what she told her boss that they came back and told my friend they wouldn't serve her anymore that she had to leave. Honestly I have never seen anymone have such bad manners and customer service skills towards anyone. I guess you can't expect much from a small business restaurant. The food wasn't even that special save yourself and go somewhere else!

We order a lot ink paella Over cook seafood Is a space to improve for an authentic paella with out any dressing We were 12 ppl and we all agreed the ink paella without the dressings was very plain and not flavored Service is good the are very nice and serving fast and help accommodate our vegetarian friends

Service was good. Ambience wasn't great, obnoxious reggaeton the whole time. The food was worst though. Very garlicky, tons of mayonnaise and "spicy sauce" which is a spicy garlicky mayonnaise. The patatas bravas are SWIMMING in the spicy sauce. Prawns were ok but only 4 of them. The boquerones had raw garlic all over them including on the lemon it was served with. Even the veggie grilled salad, my favorite item, had a vast quantity of garlic in it. I didn't touch the tub of mayonnaise or the tub of spicy sauce it was served with. Even the bread was accompanied by a tub of spicy sauce. I left wondering how i would clear the garlic taste. This place is for Spanish tapas on nightmarish steroids. I definitely won't be back.

Spanish cuisine in a lively atmosphere! I ordered the patatas bravas and the grilled artichokes. The sauce on potatoes was delicious and the artichokes paired well. However, I would probably come here for a small meal, as I did, rather than shelling out more money for several tapas or a paella.

Delicious food and a relaxing setting is all you can wish for! We ordered the seafood paella, escalvida, and almejas à la marinera! Our favorite was the almejas but the escalvida was also delicious! I wish the paella was a little more flavorful but it was still good. There was always someone refilling our water and bread but otherwise, we were left in peace which was great to catch up with a friend.

A jewel in the Mission. Reminded us of our visit to Spain, and the service was exceptional. The restaurant was light & airy and not too crowded with room to move. Very friendly and personable service throughout the dining experience. The food was beyond compare. Everything from the tapas & paella was amazing. Definitely coming back here again!

I was walking through the Mission yesterday night and stopped by Esperpento to pick up food for dinner. I was surprised by how affordable the menu was, especially the lunch menu! There were lots of options under $15. They also have a daily happy hour from 5-7pm, with $14 sangria pitchers which normally would be the price of one drink anywhere else! I saw a lot of groups trying the pitcher while i was waiting for my food. The Sopa De Mariscos (seafood soup) was 5/5 lots of different seafood including jumbo shrimp, calimari, clams, and a big slice of tilapia I believe. The broth was warm and hearty. The dinner combo plate with steak was 4/5- everything tasted delicious especially the creamed spinach, I did think they could've given more meat They gave us 5 or 6 slices of bread with this amazing spicy mayo dipping sauce that I could not stop eating. Overall great stop in the Mission for cheap good food and nice happy hour deal!

My friend recommended this spot to me since she always goes here for Spanish food. My boyfriend and I were craving Spanish food and decided to check her recommendation out -- it didn't disappoint! Walked in on a Saturday night and it wasn't buys -- got seated right away. I thought the service was great! The food came out fast. The paella was yummy, although, I wish I could've tried their squid ink paella but since I'm allergic to shrimp we decided to try the paella with chicken, pork, and clams. I loved the patatas bravas especially with the sauce that it came with. It was my first time having tortilla de patatas (spanish potato and onion omelette) and it was so good! I didn't have this when I went to Spain and I wish I did. The salted cod croquettes were delicious as well - could really taste the cod flavor. Also had to order a pitcher of sangria to have with the meal. Overall, I enjoyed this restaurant and I'm so happy we got to check it out!

Enjoyed coming to this place. It's small restaurant but the staff are very friendly and accommodating. We had a group to 8 people and were able to wait at the bar across the street until our table was ready.... And they came and got us! Super nice. Food was great. Get a Paella to share. We also got several appetizers like patatas bravas and potato pancake. It was all delicious and food came out pretty quickly. Would come back here again. It's a smaller space but really enjoyed the family owned restaurant vibe and it was bustling. Great value place for groups as well.

My husband landed here on his day in the city and called me to meet him. Turns out, he celebrated the birthday of a good friend here, some years ago and it was a return visit for him. The menu was interesting. The food was fine/ok, but it wouldn't be a destination spot for me. But our waitress was really nice and when I mis-ordered a small plate, beans and sausage (which was served on bread), she took it back. I felt so bad, but she said no apologies and suggested some things that I could eat. I really appreciated this and it's why they have four stars. I had the crema brule and usually I like it, but theirs had orange zest in it, and I don't like floaties in things that I eat or drink. Also, orange isn't my fave, but my husband wolfed it down. The texture wasn't as solid as I would have liked. But, not a deal breaker for me. So, if I were in the area and had to go back, I'd do so willingly. Knowing that they had something for me to eat.

I really loved the service. I love the food, the colorful ambience, the coziness of it, of it all. The pie was a sight to see beautiful presentation and delicious. It had great flavor a nice place to go to when you want to relax and have a lot of fun! Savor!!

I consider Esperpento a very good Spanish restaurant. I've been to several Spanish restaurants in Europe and this one is as good as options outside Spain can be. The staff is super friendly and the food repeatedly good. Good flavors all around. I recommend going there during their sangria happy hour!

Update: Saw other reviewers saying their tip got changed without their knowledge after leaving. Just checked my credit card statement and thankfully that didn't happen to me but maybe take a picture of your receipt just in case! It was more like a 3.5 star experience, but rounding it up to give them the benefit of the doubt as we didn't try their signature dish. And also because their salsa brava is bomb. My friend and I stumbled in here after walking around the Mission looking for indoor dining to avoid the cold weather. The paella is their specialty here, but we were too hungry to bear the 30 minute necessary wait so we opted for the chicken adobo combo plate with rice and potatoes and a gambas al ajillo (garlic shrimp) to share. Major pro for our hungry selves: The service here was extremely quick. All our dishes were brought out within 10 minutes, and they started us off with some bread while we waited. We were also seated immediately; the indoor dining area was very spacious with 6 feet distance between all the tables. There's also outdoor dining available for the extra-cautious! Unfortunately, while the food came quickly it was mostly lackluster. The gambas al ajillo had no garlic flavour, not even in the sauce. While the chicken adobo was tastier, it only consisted of a measly five small pieces of chicken just bathing in a surplus of sauce. The potatoes and rice sides were good, but overall unremarkable. The rice was a little too salty for our taste. One exception to this though was their salsa brava. We were served the salsa with our bread appetizer and while the bread itself was cold and slightly stale it was okay because that salsa!!! more than made up for it. It was perfectly tangy and just the right amount of paprika to give it that good kick that lingers in your throat a little. The bread just became a socially acceptable spoon-substitute for us to inhale the salsa. In fact, as the other dishes we ordered started arriving, they quickly also became vehicles for eating the salsa. It was that good. While we were eating, a table nearby had their paella arrive and ngl, it looked way better than anything on our table. They seemed to be enjoying it too (lol yes i know i'm creepy), which tracks with most of the reviews I'm seeing on here. I guess we learned our lesson about delayed gratification! Stanford marshmallow experiment, meet the Esperpento paella experiment. We clearly failed, but maybe we'll come back to try again.

This place is fantastic and the owner and waiter were extremely attentive and sweet We had choices off the lunch menu Grilled snapper with spinach bechamel and cabbage Meatballs with salad and roasted potatoes We also had the grilled artichoke appetizer and it comes with a soup of the day (ours was potato and carrot cream ) For desert creama Catalan (similar to creme brûlée with an orange zest and espresso Everything was fantastic. And we overheard customers saying they came here for 30 years and it's always fabulous

The pollo Al ajillo tasted like fish , it was not good ! I'd only recommend the patatas bravas

OMG the sauce they give you with the bread is SO FIRE. So garlicky and packed with flavor you would not expect it. Not me asking for two baskets of bread coz it's so good Everything else here is amazing too would especially recommend the seafood!

This place is a gem! Reasonable prices. Food is delicious, their sangria is a must! Service is always good. Great for groups celebrating an occasion etc.

I Chose the Esperpento Restaurant in the Mission for the paella nothing to complaint for the tapas, that I have ordered before the Paella but when the paellas arrived it was a real disaster rice heated up with the various added ingredients without flavor and a very salty cuttlefish ink the worst I have ever had. I kindly pointed this out to the waiter but he couldn't care less, and when he told the cook they both were not interested in the complaint. I will never go back to this restaurant, especially for their paella!!

Best place for delicious Spanish food, tapas my favorite entrees but for the langosta paella blows my mouth, live music with, Mission Bohemia trio Fridays super lovely music.

I used to love going to this Spanish restaurant for tapas and paella. Thanks to Covid they have built a small parklet for outside dining which could be useful if the wait lines for inside eating are long. I went with 4 friends and we ordered two paellas, the mixed seafood and squid ink black paella. Since they take about 30 minutes to cook we also ordered some tapas and a carafe of Sangria. The tapas, roast peppers, artichokes, and croquetas were all good and filled the time waiting for our main course. Disappointingly we were all underwhelmed with our paellas. They were tasteless, lacked the crunchy consistency of authentic paella and it was obvious that the seafood wasn't cooked in the rice but thrown on top before serving. Basically we were eating boiled rice with a few ingredients, including frozen peas, thrown on the top at the last minute. This was a poor attempt at paella and we left most of the food. The squid ink paella was also very salty. The front of house staff deliver good service. If we go back we won't be ordering paella.

The last time I was here was more than a decade ago. It looks to be about the same, and I sat at the same table a decade ago from my visit yesterday. Damn, I'm "gettin" old! Haha.... Oh one cool upgrade that is new, their bathroom. What I love most about Esperpento is their casual dining, with a touch of La Familia. I am not a tapas specialist, but I have had them over the years. Their menu here is simple and homey. Nothing fancy, but their taste are flavorful. I highly recommend ordering any of their Paellas. It is their specialty. My all time favorite is their Black Squid Paella. It's so flavorful. Be patient though as it takes about, half hour to cook. I suggest ordering them right away before ordering your drinks and appetizers. The other suggestion is to order their blood sausage. They have a nice crunchiness. Lastly, they get super busy during the weekends especially for brunch so I highly recommend making a reservations. We lucked out as we got in a few minutes after they opened. Cheers!

The service here is very good... food delicious but the sangria tops it off.. servers are on the look out if you need anything...

Oh dear oh dear. Their paella used to be spectacular. Now look, it's mush. No soccarat on the bottom. A let down. HOWEVER, the tapas were very good (Grilled artichoke, patatas bravas) and their snapper was well received. But anyone who knows traditional Spanish paella will miss the crusty bottom. If you don't mind Spanish 'risotto', then by all means go for it.

Yum, yum, yum My mom has been coming here since I was a kid and we have come back 2x this year after many years away and it taste like we never left. We also had Sangria but drank it all before I remembered to take a picture. Small place with outdoor seating, we go early like right when they open because it does get busy as the day goes on. Food comes out super fast, extra time for paella but it's worth the wait. We always put that order in first and then order the rest of the menu. Hard to choose so many great options, take a lot of people so you can try multiple items.

surprisingly decent vegetarian options for a tapas place! i thought the servings would be minuscule given the low prices but they were HUGE. a single 2-person veggie paella ($25) plus their free bread is more than enough food for 2 people. the potato egg omelet was tasty. the vegetable platter was exciting and very filling but i thought everything except the bechamel and braised cabbage was underseasoned. the veggie paella had a lovely assortment of vegetables in it and didn't disappoint, though i wished it were saltier.

Great food, and excellent customer service Highly recommend I've hadChorizo Salteado Fried Calamari Paella De Mariscos Sauteed Mushrooms Garlic Shrimp

Everything was amazing ! from the food, to the service to the ambiance. Esperpento will take you back to that one hot summer in Spain you spent dining all over from Madrid to Malaga with that one hottie and his tattoos.

We absolutely love the concept of tapas, but we can't stand that so many places in the Bay Area overcharge for them. A couple of friends in town were in the mood for Catalan food, and there are only so many tapas places in the Bay Area that are affordable. Lucky for us, we stumbled upon this place, and we're so glad we did! Food was so tasty, and the tapas portions were definitely enough to share between the four of us. Got the meat paella for the four of us, and it was more than enough! Super yummy, plenty of meat/sausage and even some veggies in it, so it felt like a complete meal. For tapas, we got the following: - patatas bravas - patatas alioli - sautéed cabbage - roasted eggplant - chicken croquettes - cod croquettes Everything was tasty, and we can't wait to go back! So much better than the more expensive places! Felt like homestyle tapas, and the food was clearly made with love. Great service too! The man working there was so kind and attentive! It helped that we were the very first customers on a late Sunday morning. Thank you, Esperpento, for giving us our best and most delicious Bay Area tapas experience ever!

I had a delicious artichoke here. But it was expensive for the amount. I also had a whole bunch of sangria that was delightfully stringent and sweet.

TL;DR - So delicious!!! We ordered take out and we loved the portion, the price point, and the tastebud dances. The location does have outdoor seating. However you want to support local businesses, please do! Chorizo Salteado "Cantimpalitos" (little sausages) - These were SO flavorful. These small little chorizos pack absolute flavor. I'd recommend eating this with rice or paella because of that fact. Pimientos de Padron (Blistered Shishito peppers) - Perfectly seasoned. Though, I'd recommend getting something else, just because you can get this at /so/ many other places too. Judias Verdes Rehogadas (green beans) - Delightfully simple and really great palate cleanser. They were blistered to perfection. Paella de Carnes y Mariscos (meat and seafood) - Yum! The rice was seasoned well. Every bite was a delight. I hated the chicken wings in it though haha, so weird. I think next time I'd just get the squid ink or just seafood one. Cola de Langosta (lobster) - A bit pricy for half a tail, but it was garlicy and done really well. I licked the shell.

Food was sub par even with my low expectations. Green beans were cooked to mush stage, Potatoes undercooked with no little exterior crunch, slightly raw center, and an overdose of aioli over the top. Quail was ok. Everything else was unremarkable. Service was attentive. Table was sticky.

Soooooo good Awesome service Outdoor seating with heat lamps Mos def go back Check em out