Adele C.
Yelp
Pamplona is Lafayette's only tapas restaurant, so we are fortunate that it's also amazing. The menu changes a bit from time to time but the favorites like duck fat fries and lamb sliders always remain. The cocktail program is the best and most extensive in town, and the wine list is extensive and reasonably priced to boot.
This year, Pamplona is one of only three Louisiana restaurants featuring the Miracle Christmas Pop Up Bar. It's super fun and we are glad we caught it. The kitschy decor is over the top and in your face, but in a good way. The Christmas themed cocktails are served in cute themed glassware, but more impressively actually taste great. They are Christmas in a glass while being incredibly balanced. We tried the Run run rudolf and the Snowball old fashioned.
For food, we ordered Chorizo stuffed piquillo peppers, which were a special that evening. They were an excellent combination of flavor and texture and weren't greasy, which often happens with chorizo. The crawfish croquettes were perfectly crisp on the outside and creamy inside. We split the Arugula and manchego salad, which is a lovely refreshing break from the richness of the rest of the small plates. We ordered the boquerones prepared the old way, with a simple herbed vinaigrette with pequillo peppers. For another seafood selection, we chose the mussels with a loaf of ciabatta for soaking up the broth. The mussels were nicely plum, cooked perfectly, and the saffron cream sauce is good enough to lick the bowl clean. Finally, the Duck fat fries are everything I want in a fry - served piping hot, crunchy on the outside, creamy on the inside, and perfectly seasoned with salt and rich with duck fat flavor. Ketchup and aoli are served on the side, with the aoli being my go to.
We didn't have room for dessert after all of this food, and we left full and happy.
If you can catch Miracle before it is gone, do it! Even if you can't, Pamplona is great anytime for a date night or group meal.