Romesco Mexiterranean Bistro

The good: The lamb was on points The creamy mass potatoes under the lamb was on point. I don't know the exact name but they had these potato, cheese, bacon, breadcrumb balls that are so delicious with the dipping sauce. The bad: We actually sat outside and I felt a little neglected by the time we left My water had not been refilled so I was actually a little parched. The Ugly: When it's busy in here, it is extremely hard to get from outside to the bathroom. I felt like I was going to run into someone's table. Overall: The food was so delicious.I am more than likely going to come back but I am not going to come back during peak hours.

It was great . Ordered on line and food was ready at the time we requested. We had dined in before and ambiance was nice and the food was good but portions were surprisingly small ( Albondigas ). They looked big in the picture. I would rather have 2 BIG meatballs than be staring at 4 tiny little ones.

Took one of my best friends to dinner here for her birthday unfortunately she is allergic to shrimp so she was unable to have the paella. Her bf is vegetarian, he had salmon w/ veggies, I had paella, brought it home lasted me til next day. We actually forgot to take any pictures !!!!

My friend and I came here to celebrate our birthdays together on a Saturday night. Definitely recommend making a reservation especially on the weekend as the place fills up fast. Plenty of parking available in the lot. The restaurant itself is very cute and cozy. There's both inside and outside seating available. The service was great and efficient. The menu has a wide variety of options to choose from and lots of different wines and cocktails available. The food was pretty good. It's worth a try if you're in the area! Food and drink review: Complimentary bread (always a plus)! Pinot Grigio: Very smooth and tasty. Caesar salad: (3/5) I was expecting it to be amazing here but it was very simple and not worth the hype. The fresh black pepper did help with the taste. Beef filet mignon carpaccio: (3.5/5) This was an interesting dish. The fried capers on top were definitely an interesting touch. Very small serving for the price. Wouldn't order again. Calamari fritti: (4/5) This was pretty good! Nothing spectacular. It was cooked well and had good texture. Bolognese Penne dish: (4/5) This was huge! It was very flavorful. Came with delicious melted cheese on top and I topped with chili flakes for an extra kick. You can definitely share this with the table. Lasagna: (4/5) It was pretty good but it was missing something. I wouldn’t order again.

Wife and I regularly go here for some excellent selections of tapas and always the Caesars salad. Great Happy Hour prices and the tasty food never disappoints. Gil always provides excellent service at the bar and we regularly meet very nice people also enjoying the food and drinks at the bar. House guacamole is fresh and I enjoy the cazuelita de costilla de res and always the cazuelita de gambas. Hector also provides great and friendly service at the bar.

We had our one year Anniversary celebration yesterday at Romesco. From the reservation process with Ivette to the end of the night was just amazing. When we arrived everything was ready and just beautiful. Service by Gsutavo our waiter was Tremendous!!! He was so attentive and friendly. Sangria and all of the food that we ordered was delicious. Highly recommended 💜🤍

First visit, loved it. Will be back!

This is one of the best restaurants my husband and I go to for special dinners. We love Spanish food. Romesco just makes some dishes extra special, like the shrimp tapas with spicy Romesco sauce.

If you're looking for a hidden gem, Romesco Mediterranean Bistro in Bonita, CA is it! This spot blends Mexican and Mediterranean flavors with a mix of bistro vibes and a chill tapas bar. I couldn't get enough of the Bone Marrow Sope, their famous Caesar Salad, and the Paella. But the real star for me? The Spaghetti Alla Bolognese--so good it's unforgettable. Oh, and funny story: I tried their Mezcaleria Special, a mezcal shot with chili salt, orange slices, and... grasshoppers! I didn't realize what I was eating until after the first bite--talk about a surprise! And guess what? They were actually delicious. We ended the night with their creamy Tiramisu, and with live music in the background, you know this girl just had to dance the night away! Happy Hour makes it even better: * All day Tuesdays * Weekdays from 3-7 PM Half-off tapas plus $9 House Margaritas, Sangrias, and House Martinis? Yes, please! Huge shoutout to our amazing server, Gustavo, and the talented bartender, Gil, for making our night extra special! Whether you're here for a casual bite, good music, or a fun night out, Romesco's is a must-visit.

Food was delicious Luis our waiter one of the best The ambience is always excellent fun. I highly recommend it. It's all good.

Love this place. Food in always delicious, service is friendly and ambience is nice. My go-to for family gatherings and specials celebrations. Romesco is definitely a gem in Chula Vista!

Nicely decorated.. friendly staff but food was awful! I didn't think you could mess up a Caesar salad but turns out you can. It was basically lettuce with a bunch of mayo and a tad lemon juice, absolutely disgusting! The calamari appetizer which should've been a shareable portion had four rings and two squid ... and the ahi tuna tostada was not fresh tuna. Buyer beware! Way over priced... with so many great restaurants in sd don't waste ur time here.

Honestly I'm really at 3.5 and have been torn which way to lean.... I was surprised what shopping center this was in because the inside was well decorated. The restaurant is elegant with an almost open kitchen concept. The food was good! I enjoyed every bite that was brought to the table. Compliments to all the cooks. Unfortunately, there were some negatives. The drinks tasted like pure syrup with no alcohol. But the worst part was the person who served us. I watched as every other staff member was attentive, kind and happy to be there. When asked about the food, we got "it's good" no matter the question. We asked if there was a preference on specific entrees and still receive they are both good. We finished our drinks early on but weren't asked if we wanted anything else until we were completely finished. We had to waive down our server to ask for a dessert menu and again when we wanted the bill. To sum it up, if someone said want to go with me to Romesco, I would say sure but I wouldn't be the one to say let's go!

Such a wonderful place for cocktails and tapas. A lot of their dishes are super large but they have such a large menu, how could you choose just one? The lasagna and paella needed maybe some salt but overall, great place. Great service and attentive waiters with a great family restaurant vibe!

Worst service for New Year's Eve do not go there.. had a reservation @ 9pm waited for 30 min hostess just keep playing with us sayin our table was getting clean.. never got our table.. not organized at all you have to know the manager or worker to get in there ...

I have been a Romescos fan for over a decade now. I first visited during Restaurant Week. I initially ordered the lobster ravioli but it smelled fishy so I sent it back and ordered the chile en Nogada. Best decision of my life. I recently went to wine and dine my partner. Here is what we ordered; -A bottle of their Merlot (Magoni) -their famous roadhouse ahi tuna tostada (you can't go to Romescos and not try this) -tortilla de papa -Chile en Nogada -Slow braised ribs -flan (so creamy) The amount before tip was 175 dollars and over 200 with tip. The servers are lovely and know their food and drink. I would have licked the plate of the chile if I wasn't in public. Everything was delicious. I highly recommend you make a reservation like I did bc sometimes it's really busy. I love this place. You can come in wearing casual or fancy attire. There isn't a dress code but don't ruin the ambient. They have a tapas bar connected to the back which is super fun if you like 80s music. They have 50% off their wine bottles on Wed. Enjoy!

Maybe I just had a bad experience but we didn't eat here, the service was rude and we ended up leaving. The restaurant was empty and we came for our anniversary so it wasn't an experience I wanted for our celebration.

TAPAS BAR (This review is for the tapas bar in the back of romesco). My man had been obsessing over this place so finally we walked in on a Saturday night for a quick drink and, mannn, I wish we could have stayed. I ordered their taramindo martini and it was SO dangerously good. First martini I've had and I must say it's a good one if you want a sweeter less intense martini experience. The place has an awesome vibe, very close to a tapas bar in Spain! That night there was a live band of hotties playing some of covers and their own songs. Personally I wish they'd give a more Spanish vibe but I still love and appreciate live music. Highly recommend. Especially for happy hour because they've got the hook up!

I've lived in Bonita for nearly 10 years and from time to time I've thought of coming in to check this little place out . My husband surprised me with a dinner date . There was absolutely no wait time as we had a reservation, but it did take awhile to have someone take our drink order . The Cabernet Sauvignon was excellent , the Tamarindo margarita was a little on the thick side but not terrible . The presentation for the potato tacos was nice and overall they were pretty good lacking a little salt but the cheese and salsa complemented the tacos. I would order them again . I was surprised to see the variety of options . I wanted to taste a lot of them . The pumpkin soup was good in flavor but a tad runny . The cachete tacos were good in flavor but the meat was overly shredded seemed stringy . I would definitely come here again .

I will start this review saying that, a waiter hit me with the folding table, it was terrible. I turned around after trying to catch my breath "you hit me with the table" the waiter didn't even say anything and talked to the back. This happened at the end of our meal and I told our waiter who I had to call over. He was very nice and apologetic, he had the manager come over to talk to me but I was so overwhelmed, that I couldn't talk and wanted to leave. She gave me her card, I will be reaching out to her and telling her exactly what happened. My coworkers and I had our Christmas gathering. The food was Fantastic, very fresh and well cooked. The service was terrible, our waiter took 30 min before he came to our table, to get our order. We ordered bread and water, we waited another 30 min for that. I know the restaurant was super busy but the level of service should accommodate larger parties. Romescos is a great place for tapas and a drink but for large parties, it's a Disaster. I will not recommend this restaurant anymore. Don't go if you're hungry, it took us an hour and 15 minutes to get our food. Very disappointing!!!!

I've been coming here for years and realized I've never left a review. Everything I've had over the years has always been good. The standout I would say is the bone marrow sope. If I ever see bone marrow on a menu I order it. This is the best! 3 gigantic beef bones full of delicious marrow (meat butter) on top of a slightly piping hot crisp sope. It's accompanied with salt, a spicy sauce and a little jus. Push out that narrow and add o little of each , heaven. We also get the brined garlic. It's raw but pickled enough to take out the bitter. The Caesar salad is well worth the hype do it tableside it's a show. Everything is delicious! I highly recommend.

Well, a lot has changed since 2016. Decided to check out Romesco with my husband for Tapas and Live Music. Visited on a Saturday night and was a bit disappointed with the overall experience. The live music was not part of the dining experience, and the band we were there to see was not actually playing that night. Their marketing team needs to do better updating their websites with the latest information. We started off with some delicious Sangrias. They have an extensive wine list. With that being said the menu was tapas and Mexican dishes. Definitely Different. We tried the tapas we typically order at our go to Tapas place with one exception. The Grandmas Tacos de fideo. Oh boy. Grandmas Tacos de fideo- to the very first grandma who invented this recipe, I'm not a fan. Thankfully my grandmas never fed me these. These tacos "taquitos" are just not good. They are bland, lack flavor, small, and just a disappointment. Very sad to have ordered this. Alright onto the rest of the meal: Pulpo- good, nothing extraordinary but cooked right (it was smaller portion than I expected) Choricito frito- it was ok, it was cut oddly (like small fingers) but it was good. A must order at any Tapas place Croquettas- solid choice Champinones al ajillo- tasted good but looked ugly? Gambas al ajillo- Saves the day. Gambas were delicious and garlic forward. Big shrimp, small quantity. I do like the atmosphere and that it's more family oriented compared to other Spanish Tapas places around town. At the end of the meal we went to their back rook for live music, although the band wasn't for us- happy to know it's there. I might be back one day.

Romesco feels like two restaurants in one, from the more formal, traditional dining area in front and the tapas bar in the back (where happy hour is, and what I made a beeline for on this first visit). For those coming in for happy hour: it's from 3-7 pm, and it's all day on Tuesdays! Certain tapas are half off (they're marked on the menu), and there are good drink deals. The tapas bar area is more Spanish in style and more casual- it's dark and lounge-y with a bull's head on the wall. The red sangria is a winner, refreshing and not too sweet. We shared the Grandma's spaghetti tacos (surprisingly good), the albondigas (the chipotle sauce overwhelmed the meatballs themselves), the cochinita pibil tacos (flavorful and a good portion), and the Tacos Gobernador shrimp and mozzarella tacos (fine, but a little heavy and one-note in flavor). Of those, the Grandma's tacos and cochinita pibil tacos stood out and would order those again. Service was attentive, but not overly so, a good balance. Looking forward to trying more on the tapas menu and trying the front restaurant area too!

Came here on a Friday afternoon for an impromptu happy hour with friends and had a fantastic time! I ordered a tamarindo martini, an ahi tuna tostada, and some guacamole. Everything came out tasting fresh and flavorful. The martini was strong yet balanced. Great ambience and I think it's a perfect place for date night. Will definitely come back for another round.

Love me some romesco food service music Amazing Service is always on point. Every waiter remembers your name. Food always comes out hot in the licious. My favorite dish is the Avalon Del Mar fresh and yummy The lollipops are delicious. in the little paella it's the spot not too big just in the first two while you have your drinks and let's not forget the music on Fridays and Saturday nights. Loads of fun.

Great little place in Bonita for a quick bite or drink, however had a rude experience on Friday around 5pm went in with my famiky of 3 and two children hostess took one look at the kids and said there was no availability for the rest of the night. Multiple tables available but I said it was fine. I understand we didn't have a reservation. We walked down to Thai taste 2 around the corner and it was excellent. So if you are ever in the same sticky situation just know there is options.

Excelente servicio, todo el staff es muy amable y conocedor. Muy limpio el lugar , ambiente agradable , te hacen sentir en casa. Servicio espectacular

We love this place, don't forget if you can't get south of the border for Ceasars salad in Tj...they have it here! How? This family owns the original Ceasars and 4 other restaurants (or so I was told). The ambiance will blow you away (this place is in a strip mall in Bonita!?!). You'll feel like you're in an old school italian restaurant in Downtown. We love the Tues all day happy hour, and also come for our monthly date night. The bartenders are old school cool, and have yet to ask how to make a drink (even if I try to stump them). Get the pulpo, carpaccio and the meatballs, but honestly you can't go wrong with anything here. Solid cuisine at a reasonable price, and impeccable service.

Was drawn to their HH menu offered in the tapas bar, aka the back lounge. First timer. It was dark and the music was so loud! So loud that the server had a hard time taking our order. We had to repeat ourselves a couple of times. I asked if they could lower the volume. They did...for about 10 minutes. I asked again and the server said his boss wanted the music that loud. There were six of us sitting in that area, I would guess 45 or older and it was 5 o'clock. Not sure why they think a clubbing atmosphere is necessary or wanted. My friend and I couldn't enjoy the food or have any coherent conversation with the volume of music. The pink flashing lights were getting to me too. We asked for to go boxes, paid and got out of there. I even left my barely sipped cocktail. Thumbs down on the tapas bar. Never again.

Excellent in every aspect: food, service and ambiance. One of our favorites for special occasions or a night out!

I don't think you could find a better waiter than Gustavo! Every visit without fail, he provides exceptional service. Always so friendly and kind it's like having dinner with one of your Tios! Restaurant was out of their famous Caesar salad, so Gustavo suggested we try the pear salad, which was exceptional. We also shared the house tostadas and calamari. We ordered a bottle of white wine which enhanced our dinner date- so much fun with great food.

A Friday evening with my two besties included delicious tapas. We enjoyed mushrooms in garlic butter, shrimp in garlic, short rib tacos and Albondigas in cream sauce. We also ordered their Tijuana Caesar salad but they never brought it to us. We had to ask for bread and tortillas. They never refilled our iced teas (Dry January). The lighting was dark, but comfortable. The sound system was high quality and the music was fun for all. I'll go back when I can have a drink so the subpar service won't bother me as much. Cheers!

Love the food Love the ambiance Usually a great dining experience Don't love the shopping center it's particularly in but oh well we can't ask for perfection... I have come here about 3 times and it has never surpassed the first time I came.... That was the best one ... in customer service and flavors of the food...

Went back a second time! Tried all different tapas and it was great again. Our server this time was Moises and he was also incredible. Great food, great service!

Romesco's is a hidden gem in SD County. I stumbled upon this restaurant looking for a good family dinner while staying in the area. I misread their restaurant sign thinking it was Mediterranean. Wrong it's MEXI-terranean. Great food, Spanish style tapas, grilled meats, pastas, salads, seafood and homemade pasta sauce. They make their own Caesar salad dressing and it's honestly one of the best Caesar dressings I've ever enjoyed. Plenty of parking in the shared shopping center lot. Large dining area inside, bar and a connected Tapas Bar. Gustavo our server was extremely friendly, helpful and a truly nice man. I highly recommend Romesco's!

Still good but feel like not as amazing as before. The octopus had this soft texture versus firm. The bone marrow sope and salad was still good.

Great food. Great service not matter what your in the mood for. Always a good place to celebrate special occasion or a date or just because

This restaurant was amazing! Food was the best I had in San Diego. Waiters & hostess went out of their way to accommodate a special request regarding our seating. Service was very fast. Will definitely return next time I'm in the area.

Have no idea why the bar service was lousy. Got here at 5PM. Ordered a double Manhattan. I really needed a drink today. The Bartender served others, served them again, offered without asking to my new neighbor a glass of water with his martini. After 20 minutes I opened a menu. Left it open 10 minutes. Bartender final came close and I said Señor? He looked at me, walked away and never came back. Kept on serving others without ever looking at me and asking them if they needed anything more. Me? I guess my Spanish was not good enough. I finally politely called out to him, he approached me, I asked for the manager and he said there maybe or maybe not is a manager. I explained to him that I was there for 45 minutes, that I did ask for his attention, and that he ignored me, that his demeanor toward me was disrespectful. I only drank a third of my drink, left $20 on the bar, and walked out. On my way out, I did manage to express my feelings to a manager. The manager was very professional, understanding, apologetic, and polite. I came there for a good drink because I have previously experienced at this establishment good food, drinks, and camaraderie amongst the patrons. Today I really needed that drink and a happy place. This morning I found out my friend died in a motorcycle cycle accident last night on Telegraph Canyon Road. Maybe my feelings were a little messed up. Maybe I had a hard day at the office. But this service was horrible and I certainly did not appreciate this type of service. It was not what I needed. Will I return? Maybe for dinner, but certainly not for the bar service. It just felt like I was not welcome. This is not what I needed tonight, nor what I expected. Go there for the food. It is awesome dining. Unless you are part or the "in crowd", ignore the bar. Too bad. I really needed that drink today. Moving on. JM

As always its a pleasure dining here. From the customer service to the exquisite food Romescos is the way to go for a fancy diner with a special someone or business matters. The calming Italian look gives it an expended touch for your meal. My favorite is the tuna and tomato soup

A uniquely wonderful spot in Bonita. The service was incredible - very friendly and warm from front of house through the servers. Happy Hour absolutely cannot be beat - half off of select tapas plus discounted drinks. We ate a variety of dishes and enjoyed them all. The decor is old school cool - very classy and refined. Eager to return to try more of their menu!

Came here as highly recommended for my son's promotion, with my parents, a friend of his and his mom. We made reservations and even though we arrived earlier than anticipated we got seated right away. Our drinks and appetizers came at a good time, as did our food. Everything was AMAZING! Our server was super friendly and we were really enjoying ourselves. And then... we were abandoned we went a good 30 minutes after we were done with our food waiting for someone to get back to us. I get they were busy but our server walked by several times and we tried to get his attention and nada. Ar this point our cups were empty and we weren't even offered water Finally we caught a guy and told him we wanted to order deserts, so he brought us a desert menu, we placed an order for one of each of the deserts on the menu except for 2 of them. 40 minutes folks, it took 40 minutes for our deserts to come to our table. They were delicious! Amazingly delicious. But then trying to get our check after that took another 20 minutes or so to get someone. We could've totally been in and out of there a lot earlier, we got there at around 6:45ish, didn't leave until about 9:20ish. My buttocks were hurting from sitting for so long. There's always a balance in checking in on your customers between too often it's annoying and too long that you are like wtf. This was beyond that. I've never been abandoned at a table for that long before, we could've seriously just walked out and they probably wouldn't even have noticed. Now, the rest of the restaurant, it's pretty. The music isn't terribly loud, good lighting so makes it super fancy looking and even romantic for people going on dates. However, I don't know if I would go back based on that experience. Maybe, who knows. I have recommended the place to other people who've asked me how our day went and where we ate after my sons promotion, because let's be honest. The food is good. But I think service can improve, busy or not busy taking care of your customers should be high on the priority list

The service is awesome. We visited here again, 18 months after our first visit (which was during the height of COVID-19 Pandemic). We ordered a a greek salad, Tortilla Soup, Potato Tacos, chocolate lava cake, dessert crepes, triple expresso, and a Tamarindo margarita. Food was decent, tortilla soup was the best course. A little disappointed in our patio seating location. Lots if flies in the corner near the building made me leery that we may be sitting on the other side of a trash area. Service was okay. Many minutes went by without us seeing our server. We couldn't find him to replace the dirty dessert spoon he brought us. Just dropped off the dessert & never came back for about 15-20min. So we got another place setting on the server buffet station about 8 feet away from our table. We tip 18-20% but we went with 15% this time.

Very good service with amazing flavours in a romantic ambiance. We will be back for special events.

The hustle and bustle of a busy Friday night. Service was very good.. My friends had epicurean quality dumplings and marrow bone tapas. The paella was a little lackluster, could have had more saffron flavor, it was well appointed with fresh seafood. The lasagna was, perhaps not their specialty. They do offer outdoor seating ! Yay.. We will be back.

Every time we come here we leave saying... we need to come here more often. The food and service NEVER disappoint. The cocktails alone are so top shelf without downtown prices. They make their own tamarindo blend for the margaritas... no bottle mix here. Legit fine dining in Bonita.

What a great experience! Gustavo is a consummate professional of 40 years! And Jose Luis is on point as our waiter! The food and service were amazing! You simply have to come here and try this amazing restaurant

Great food, ambience, service is great too my cheers place good music at tapas bar

This is such a great date night restaurant. I love their menu - you cannot go wrong. The service is unmatched.

The meditation Mexican fusion bistro in Bonita offers a unique blend of flavors that creates a tranquil dining experience. The calming ambiance and thoughtfully crafted menu make it a delightful place to enjoy a mindful meal. The fusion of Mexican and meditation elements adds a distinctive touch, making it a must-try for those seeking a serene culinary adventure.

Outstanding food! Outstanding service! Definitely recommend! Nice ambiance! Gustavo is the best!

We came in to dine for lunch and ordered an Enchiladas plate and 2 tapas. The food was mediocre and the waiter was terrible. He didn't recommend anything and everything we asked about was just "good". He only came out to take our order and drop off food. He never asked how the food was or if we needed anything. It took us to ask other people to get our waiter for us to see him. We won't be coming back.

I have been dining here for 13 years and I agree with Jay K. that if treated as more of a tapas place it's been solid. I'm not wild about their paella but I have a friend who enjoys it very much. Another friend says the lobster ravioli is quite good albeit small. I ordered a seafood pasta on a previous visit that I remember was pretty good. However, last night we dined here with friends for 1/2 price tapas tuesday which in the past was always quite the deal. You have to sit at the bar or in the back room with loud tvs blasting MTV videos if you want the tapas deal. By the way, all of the tapas are served in the main dining room which is fairly upscale and much quieter. Had we known that only one of the 8 tapas we ordered was 1/2 off we would have dined in the main dining room! So beware that you have to look for a tiny red dot to the right of the tapas to indicate that it is half off. I'm not sure when they changed that but the items available are very limited. The conchinita pibil which was 1/2 off is still very good. However, the orejas de mar (abalone family) which used to be my all time favorite, was completely different on this visit. It was rubbery and had no spice to it at all. I think the best deal now is Wednesday half price pasta and wine. But I feel certain you will be limited to only a few items that will actually be 1/2 off!

Beautiful dining experience in a large restaurant perfect for family gatherings, special occasions, and business dinners meant to impress. Our party of five was accommodated, even though we made the reservation for four people. The staff here deserve a big shout-out for being so courteous and professional...pretty good senses of humor, too. It's nice when you can appreciate the food and those who bring it to you. The Jamon Iberico (2 Oz. Min.) was delicious, though they didn't carve it at the table (as advertised). All of the smaller fare (breads and salads) were wonderful. Our teammate went all in on the paella and she left a very full and happy woman - she even had leftovers to take home. The salmon pictured amazed EVERYONE at the table. A work of art - on the plate and for your taste buds. I would absolutely return and recommend Romesco's for anyone wanting a meal to remember. Salud!

Love this place. Great happy hour and everything is amazing!!! The service, food and ambiance are such a treat. Especially these days.

Great authentic food, great service, charming dining room! One of our favorite spots!

I would leave 3 stars but gave 4 because I made a reservation for the wrong day and they still accommodated me and my wife . The place overall is nice. The food overall was good . The bone marrow sopes was our favorite. The croquetas were ok. The chile relleno was really good . My issue was with our server . He was nice but when We got seated , we ordered the drinks and when he was taking our appetizers , I was trying to ask him what's good and whatever I say he said " it's really good". Same with the entrees . I had wanted another drink but he didn't comeback till after we were done with our foods he came to get the plates and asked if we wanted another drink. Then he picks up the plates and disappears. We waited like 10 to 15 minutes until he came back and asked if we wanted desserts . We still ordered cause I wanted churros but he should do better job attending to his tables .