Pamplona Tapas Bar

Pamplona Tapas Bar is this gem in downtown Lafayette, Louisiana, on Jefferson Street—it’s got that cozy, rustic Spanish vibe inspired by the real Pamplona in Spain. Standouts include the award-winning Paella—folks say order it early ‘cause it’s worth the wait, with perfect seafood or classic Valenciana. Tonight I tried the Classic Valenciana, very authentic and delicious. Excellent service and delicious food, a winning combination. Friendly and efficient servers.

Lafayette’s coolest place to dine in my opinion! When you book ask for Caleb! My Guy & I went in October & the whole place was decked out for Halloween! Caleb made sure the whole experience was fabulous & after watching some Baddies do a ski shot I had to share a shot called “On Wednesdays We Wear Pink” with him. From one baddie to another!!!! Pamona busted my escargot cherry too! #FoodieGoals

Exquisite experience, food was top tier. Only little issue was the size of the oysters, aside from that, no real big deal. The drink selection was amazing. There are plenty of spirits to choose from, plenty of shareable plates, very comfortable atmosphere. Lafayette never ceases to amaze the senses, way better option for food variety and localized fun compared to New Orleans.

Oh my God, this was my 1st experience here. Other than the fact that I were with my favorite people in the world. The food and service were great. Drinks were amazing. Old fashion!

One of my favourite places in lafayette. Very dish was delicious. Charcoal grilled oysters were amazing. Skirt steak, pork tenderloin, lamb sliders, flatbread, calamari, beet salad, and olives were extremely delicious. Crab fitters was a little too much crust and not enough meats inside. Meatballs were also whatever. Waiters were great and made great cocktails.

I travel a lot. This was the best meal and service I’ve had in a long time. The Paella was better than what I had at top rated restaurants in Barcelona. And Anna was the most amazing server. Knowledgeable, great recommendations, timed everything perfectly! Ask for her you will NOT regret it. I’ll be back!

One of the best Tapa's Restaurants I've ever been to. Their Surf & Turf Paella is incredible! A succulent duck, shrimp and in-house chorizo amongst a vegetable medley. Their other amazing tapa dishes are well thought out and taste divine! We're from California and plan to revisit this amazing jewel!

This was my favorite spot to get a burger for lunch downtown. Unfortunately just from the time I ordered last week the price went from $14 for a burger and fries to $22 after tax! Its good, but hard to justify. There must have been some burger tariffs I didn't know about 😅

This place is amazing! The vibe was fantastic and the food was even better! Everyone who worked there was so friendly and joyful! We can't wait to get back!

This is a very popular restaurant. We could not get reservations on the evening we were there so we were put on a wait list. I never heard back so I called around 6:30 to see if there were any open seats at the bar. There wasn't but the person who answered said the bar seats change over pretty quickly. We took a chance and when we arrived got the only 2 seats left at the bar.Score!! By 7:30 there were plenty of seats at the bar and several tables available. This is definitely a local place and we had a great time talking with the people near us. The food was good. Carpaccio was good but in my opinion there were way too many crispy onions on top that distracted from the dish. The shrimp were cooked perfectly. The escargot were tasty. The octopus was tasty but the few tiny pieces on the plate were really weak for the price. I had a Malbec that was delicious.

I love Pamplona; the food, ambiance, & service are usually top-notch. Unfortunately, last night the blonde bartender with short hair immediately made us feel unwelcome and proceeded to talk to us as if our existence was causing him physical discomfort and the only cure was to be rude and judgmental. I am back in town for my mother's unexpected death so I was really hoping to have a good time at dinner last night but we ended up leaving much sooner than we intended because of this behavior. Maybe a talk with him about how to treat patrons would be beneficial.

I've been told I've eaten here before, but it has been many years. I'm sure the food was good. This review is purely for the Christmas pop up, which was a blast. We just went for drinks and ambiance for Christmas. I looked like a Christmas explosion in there. It was amazing. Stuff everywhere, grinch stole Christmas projected on the wall. The bartenders were amazing. Let us try out the different mugs even if the drink didn't call for it. All the drinks were good. Took a shot that tasted exactly how Christmas feels. Even bought a krampus mug for the house. Had a great time, very fun event, if they do it again might have to come back for it.

This place really was the highlight of our trip to Lafayette. We liked it so much the first time, we came back the second night. The staff, food, drinks were all top notch. Hard to really pin down what was the best since it was all 5-star. We sat at the bar both times and the interaction was really fantastic. The staff recommendations on oysters was a highlight for me. I loved the Point Pearl Oysters so much I went two rounds which I rarely do. Their octopus was amazing as well. We did a deep dive on their wines and can recommend the Vinho Verde and the Albarino all day long. I had a Capirinha as well and it was very good. We would come here every weekend if we lived in Lafayette. If you're visiting from another city and want the perfect launch to a night out or just a cool vibe with small plates, this is the spot, hands down.

The service was friendly and fast! The food was delicious with a variety of fresh raw oysters! Love the drinks here! The atmosphere is dim lighting which creates a romantic sexy vibe! Perfect for a date! Yes, I recommend this place!

Visited for Valentine's Day. This place has a really cozy feel to it, although I don't quite understand the somewhat cult following. Cocktails were definitely above average, and the small plates were nice. Chargrilled oysters were the highlight. Bar service was spot on.

This was an absolutely fun experience! We did not have reservations so we made sure to get there right when they opened to get seats at the bar. I didn't know what to expect, so I was overwhelmed (in a good way) over the abundance of decorations and the festive outfits that the employees all wore. They had the Grinch movie playing on two huge screens closer to where the tables were placed which was a nice touch. The cocktails were fun and came in festive drink ware that was available for purchase. After several fun and festive cocktails we all walked out with some fun glassware to take home. I can't wait to go back again!

Attending Halloween happy hour at the Pamploma for the Nightmare Pop-Up! Here with friends. The food is amazing, the service is quick, and the drinks are spooktacular with a spooky Halloween ambiance

Horrible customer service. Over priced and over rated. Tons of better restaurants in Lafayette!

This is probably the only restaurant in Lafayette that I love the food!!!! I know I can go there or even order delivery and be food satisfied. The carpaccio is something I could eat every day!!! The greens are crispy and delish, and flavorful. I've been eating here since it first opened. Have ordered full fish, steak, almost all small plates. Wish they'd make Crema Catalana-- you can get farm cream here to make it They make a flan but not like crema catalana. Staff is always great. Service good. Been to their Halloween and Christmas themed dinners, not a fan of all the hoopla, but not much else here in Lafayette.

The service is always great, be sure to make a reservation! The restaurant is cozy and generally busy. Cocktails are always great as well. Our server helped me pick a great wine that would complement the tapas I chose for the night.

This place has great ambience and food it is really a great spot for small plates and drinks

ABSOFCKNLUTELY yes !!!!!!! This place is straight FIRE! So good, so delicious! So flavorful! Everything, literally everything was so packed with flavor, from the drinks to the tapas. Everything we got was amazing. Service was top notch. 10/10 to my boy our server, RUDY! we love him! Vibes were spooky lol Halloween theme was so cool and such a surprise we loved it!! Definitely will be back :)

We were here for dinner, arrived slightly past 6pm, was seated immediately without reservation on a Friday night. Our waitress is very nice, and we ordered 7 tapas small dishes, all excellent, tasty and love it! The most impressive one to me is the date. It's so good, the savory taste remains in your mouth.

We've always loved this spot, but things seem to have changed. First, the two hostesses who barely greeted us could barely communicate and they were practically whispering. We sat at the bar like we usually do and ordered drinks, bread , olives the Ciabatta loaf was not the airy ciabatta they used to serve but instead it was much denser and we had about 12-14 olives, most small calamattas and literally only 4 large green, when once upon a time the bowl they'd bring was piled high. Not sure what's going on but not sure we'll be back anytime soon

You MUST eat here!!!! Absolutely excellent on all levels!!! Make sure you get a reservation, it gets packed.. Because this place is phenomenal!! The pics I took look bad because I was with a bunch of savages who wouldn't let me grab pics before destroying the plates lol. Rudy was our server and he was so great at handling my group, we were starving and seems like we ordered the entire menu!! He was also very attentive with my food allergies and with the picky eaters. Every person in my group (6 of us) gave it 5 stars!! Among the favorites were the white sangria, patatas bravas, lamb sliders, octopus, garlic shrimp, pan con tomat, and veggie paella!!!! GET THEM ALLLLLL!!! Can't wait to come back, thank you so much!!!

Didn't expect to be able to get a unique taste like this in Lafayette. My family love it!! It's been awhile since I've been to a Michelin star restaurant and this restaurant could one close to it. The scallop dish and foie gras were very tasty and we love it!! We will be back soon. $$$

Sooooooo good!!! The staff was beyond amazing! The food was super good. The environment is absolutely wonderfu Note: As a picky eater, the tapas was perfect to try some new meals with the group.

Attended the Miracle Christmas dinner special with friends. The cocktails and decorations were super fun. The food was different in a delicious way. They had a photo booth to capture fun memories. I would definitely attend again.

Food , service and atmosphere were great. Definitely would recommend the brussel spouts. Perfect for get togethers

Had the lamb sliders that were fabulous. We went during the festival and we loved the service, price was unbelievably reasonable and although packed due to the festival we loved this restaurant. We will be back again.

The tapas are so tasty! Service was very good and the A/C kept up in 100* outside temps! All of the drinks with egg white foam are unique and worth a try!

Y'all. We tried four dishes and the only thing decent was the Mac and cheese. Good service and vibe though.

We were road tripping and happened to be coming up on a Lafayette exit just as our bellies began conversing with us. Once again we turned to Yelp for help finding a place to soothe the savage beast and once again Yelp came through. Pamplona Tapas was wonderful! Upon arrival we were happy to find such an interesting space and an attentive and friendly staff. We ordered several small plates and this is how they landed: Shrimp Ceviche - super fresh and bright with a little bite Tuna crudo - good Lamb sliders - unbelievable!!! This was my favorite dish 1/2 hanger steak - perfectly cooked and so tasty I can't say enough good things about this place.

Our experience at Pamplona was unmatched. Philippe Callais, Manager, and the team generously planned and accommodated our celebration, even preparing our table with birthday decorations. We thoroughly enjoyed every dish, and our server, Anne, was wonderful. We can't recommend Pamplona enough or speak too highly of the food and service.

Over the top Christmas explosion in there! I happened to stop by as I wanted a light bite to eat and am from Seattle area so I had no idea what I was getting into. No seating in the dining area so I sat at the bar next to friendly locals who made me feel welcome. Enjoyed a buttered rum in a cute santa mug and dates and Brussels sprouts as a snack. Everything about this experience was fantastic. I highly recommend.

It's been so long since I've been here, and the food is so good! Although a small establishment, it gets real pack, real fast! Make sure to have reservations are expect a wait! We had the following: Duck Fat Fries Mac & Smoked Gouda Pork Belly with Sherry Glaze Chorizo Link Cucumber & Tuna Cruda Beef Carpaccio Salad Ceviche Grilled Gulf Fish with Jumbo Lump Crab, Watermelon, Cucumber, Demi, Charred Onion Paella Valenciana Everything was so good, but our favorites are the duck fat fries and the paella! Make sure to order the paella ahead of time, it takes about 40 minutes to make! Check @eatinglafayette on Instagram and Facebook for more Lafayette food things!

Unfortunately Pamplona has gone down hill. Our favorite tapas on the menu was the patatas bravas. Well apparently they changed the recipe and it's terrible. Also, what the heck is the deal with having to pay for a reservation?! No thanks!

If you are in for some Paella, ask if they're adding charcoal on top before you make a decision and maybe stick with the Tapas. Please look at the included picture for reference. This place has become a shadow of itself, I hope I can come back here and change this review in the future.

Great atmospheric and service is outstanding. The food is excellent and the ambience is amazing.

Our first time visiting was tonight at 9:15pm for the Christmas Eve Miracle Bar pop up! To say we had the best time ever is a complete understatement. Anne Marie was absolutely incredible and made excellent recommendations on food and drinks. For food we ordered the olives, mushrooms, garlic shrimp, ciabatta and oil, and escargot. For drinks we ordered Rudolph's Replacement and Marshmallows & Unicorns. And for dessert we ordered the almond gelato. Everything was incredible!! After dinner Anne Marie took us for a tour of the restaurant to see all of the decorations and little gems of the pop up. She even set up a photo shoot with another server named Rudy who was an absolute riot and had us laughing the entire time. The picture were incredible and the memories will last us a lifetime. These two made our visit not just a fun moment but an entire experience! We will certainly be back to enjoy on another night out but especially for the next holiday pop up! Thanks again for the great time and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Exceeded expectations. We sat at the bar and enjoyed some expertly made cocktails, Morcilla-quail Eggs (two portions), Brussel sprouts, carpaccio and escargot. The escargot were the weak link, no flavor, plus I love to pluck them from the shells, all part of the ritual. We finished with the Truffles and a side of Campari whipped cream to dip in. The cocktail menu here is extensive and the staff are true professionals, they can shake in one hand and stir in the other and they are worth every penny. The restaurant was packed when we were there even though we got in early. Highly Recommended

Extremely loud to where you cant enjoy dinner and conversation at your own table and waiter screwed up our order sooooo. Was in from out of town w a group. Was just a one time visit to lafayette. Waiter was nice and said he could put in another order but by then we were there over an hr and 15 mins and just wanted to get out of there due to noise especially table next to us who had the most obnoxious 40th bday girl as she laughed so loud and annoying. She certainly didnt know how to act in a restaurant w people in close proximity

We came from Covington, LA and took my mom out to eat. We were slightly disappointed by the tapas ... the ones we used to get before were all different - we drove a long ways and drove back sad because we expected the same food he served to us. for example the patatas (which were my favorite) were not the same. We won't be coming back :(

Great tapas, my daughter and I ate here when we came to tour ULL Campus. The food was delicious and the variety was amazing! Will return!

Wonderful place to branch out and try something different. Wonderful service and delicious food. It is a little pricey but worth the price.

Finally got to visit this place during its annual Christmas event and might I say it didn't disappoint. The place was decked out with holiday decor. The hostess told us it would be a bit of a wait due to the crowd. We were seated in 20 minutes. We partaked in Christmas inspired drinks that were amazing and strong!! We ordered duck confit flatbread pizza and bacon wrapped dates to share. The dates were the perfect sweet pairing to salty bacon. The duck confit pizza was subpar in comparison. I think it needed a bit more duck on top because it was rather lacking in flavor. Overall I enjoyed the entire experience. The staff were going as quickly as possible with the crowd.

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.

Very good overall, we got to sit in the outside dining area which intimante and cozy. Service was spot on, Server was very knowledgable with the menu, and specials. The the Lumpcrab with chips and salsa verde was ok chips could have been better, also had the Arugula salad with machango cheese was good, the Calamari was just ok needed an extra flavor profile, Pork Belly was the star of the night, very tender melt in your mouth, the softshell crab special was a close second, the polenta with squid ink was delicious, hangar steak was ok. We ended with desert, Flan was outstanding, Gelato was good also. Great experiance.

Terrible food, drinks and service. Don't recommend. This used to be one of my favorite restaurants and it has just gone downhill.

Ok here it goes. 1. I would come back again and again. Yes it's that good. 2. The drink was perrrrfect 3. I had the Asturias soup. Again perfect. 4. Andalusian lamb sliders. WAIT, before you lamb haters go..... ughhhhh, this might convert you. Yes they were that good. I stripped the buns from the meat. Left with the lamb, cheese and other goodies. Seasoning was great. Spot on and very tender. So what is the problem now? Do I have enough room to order something else? Ohh yes, let's not forget the servers Ryan and James or aka the King. Warm friendly service. The know how to serve drinks. Ohhh back to the problem. YES I have room. Brandy Alexandra on the way. It's been a few years. Where oh where is my girlfriend? Aka the wife..... missing a mother great meal on the road. Tomorrow craw dad boil. Private party. Sorry no review. Brandy a delivered. I gotta go

Last week we came for the first time and our waiter remembers us. We got Damen and he was great also. We came back with another friend so we can try more and share our small plates. I really enjoyed the Ceviche the most. I never had salmon ceviche before. The Morcilla is very well seasoned and the quail eggs are so addictive good. The Beef Carpaccio salad is topped with potato crisps and cucumber lemon-truffle vinaigrette. I feel like the vinaigrette need was a bit blend but still light and delish. The flan was so legit delish! I had my share of flan back home but this flan just taste perfect. The half hanger was well seasoned and tender. The Garlic Shrimp with broth was ok, I still prefer my shrimp and grits.

Favorite spot in Lafayette . Never fails! Vast menu with great fresh ingredients. Always a winner !

Ambience: A++ Food: don't even get me started!! So good!!! Service: ABSOLUTELY spot on!!!! I came here last year and now I'm back in town and, of course coming here again!!!! Trust me!

This place is fabulous, I come here often and it's not always for a full meal. Sitting at the bar you have many craft cocktail choices or you can choose a glass from world class wines. Food is on point from presentation to your palate. Please try this place, you will not regret it!

This place is overrated! The food is not it. The only good thing good on the menu was the mac and cheese and that says a lot!! Cancel your reservations!

Atmosphere was good but UNBELIEVABLY OVERPRICED. Portions were pitiful for cost. The whiskey was reasonably priced but I will never eat any food here again. Charcuterie board especially was laughable.

The first time my husband and I ate here at Pamplona was the Christmas/Mardi Gras pop up. So much fun. I enjoy absinthe and your flights, I will NEVER forget. We brought a guest with us the second time. I had a different flight of absinthe and we so thoroughly enjoyed the food. We will be back over and over with more family and guests. I am so glad this great restaurant is here, I have not had anything like this experience before. The ambiance is totally awesome