Cherylynn N.
Yelp
3.5 STARS
The Row/Mantana Row is arguably one of the most scene-y place in the Bay Area. In scene-y, I mean a place to see and be seen with the rich rich and posers...you know the dudes that rent a lambo and drive laps around the row revving their engine. And, then you have those who come here because of the dog-friendliness.
*RAISES HAND*
Nearly every weekend, I'll make the trip here to get our steps in and because nearly every business is dog-friendly (all restos have outdoor seating).
The two newest restos to arrive are Fitoor and Suspiro. Decided to check out Suspiro first which soft opened over the weekend.
Suspiro is brought to you by Buen Rallo Group with sister bar/restos: Zazil, El Jardin, Chika, Colibri (SF) and II Parco (SF). They serve Spanish and Peruvian cuisine. Full bar.
T H I N G S T O K N O W
Suspiro has two sections: Restaurant and Speakeasy hidden behind a curtain.
RESTAURANT
* Open for lunch & dinner.
* Walk ins accepted; rezzies on Resy. No cancellation fee but they request you cancel within 8 hours.
* Different Lunch & Dinner Menu - Lunch: Tapas, Dinner: Tapas, Entrees, and Paellas.
* Dog-friendly patio but beware it's located at a wind tunnel and the heat lamps didn't help.
SPEAKEASY
* Opens at 4 pm.
* 21+ only.
* Rezzies only on Resy; listed as S.Suspiro. Cancellation *may* trigger a $20 pp fee.
* See Resy for "Dress Code" and "House Rules".
* Separate dinner (bar bites) and cocktail menu.
* Back patio available.
* Will become membership only in the future.
Unlike their sister restos, no 5% small business mandate was added to our bill. Pay bill via QR code.
D R I N K
* Suspiro Gin & Tonic: Ginraw Barcelona w/ fever tree elderflower tonic, blood orange, ginger shrub, mint ($18) // 3.5 STARS
It was ok. Runs on the sweet side, light on the booze, and didn't taste the blood orange or ginger. Plus, I prefer G&T that's more effervescent.
F O O D
* Complimentary Cancha: Peruvian Toasted Corn // 4 STARS
Toasty, crunchy, and well-seasoned Peruvian corn nuts.
* Causa de Cangrejo y Camarón: Purple potato, crab meat, shrimp tempura, huancaína (3 pc - $22) // 3.5 STARS: https://tinyurl.com/mtchzkey
Beautiful presentation and loved the vibrant colors. The peruvian casserole sounded great on paper but needs work. The mashed purple potato was too salty and the shrimp tempura was not crispy.
* Tortilla de Patatas: Spanish Omelet w/ potatoes, caramelized onions ($18) // 4 STARS: https://tinyurl.com/2p8y5dbe
Classic tapa done right. The omelet was filled with soft layered potatoes. It was tasty tho could have used more caramelized onions and an extra dollop of aioli so each wedge had some.
* Patatas Bravas w/ spicy bravas sauce, aioli ($15) // 4 stars
Soft potatoes accented with dollops of tangy tomato based bravas sauce (not spicy) and creamy aioli. Hard to mess this up.
* Ribeye y Tacu-Tacu: Ribeye w/ chorrillana sauce, rice-bean patty ($45) // 3 stars
--Requested medium rare
This took an hour to arrive, so the anticipation was high...
While they nailed the medium rare temp, it seems the ribeye (lean) wasn't rested long enough before slicing because it was dry. The tacu tacu (peruvian rice & beans) were salty, as was the chorrillana sauce (worcestershire + soy based) so together, it was a salt bomb.
S E R V I C E
Staff was friendly but they're obvs still figuring things out.
Our drinks and two of the apps arrived within 20 minutes but then there was a 45 minute lag between the next app (4 pm rezzies). Our kind server was apologetic about the wait times.
A M B I A N C E
Spacious and trendy with warm tones, basket weave dome lights, a large bar, and mini booths throughout. There's three patio areas adorned with fairy lights.
Restrooms could use attention, several stalls had TP thrown around the floor.
P A R K I N G
Plentiful lot and garage parking.
Overall, like most restos on The Row, you're paying for the vibes and Suspiro is one of them. And then, there's inflated pricing which we knew going in (3 tapas, 1 entrée, 1 cocktail, 2 sodas, tax/tip = $166.88).
Hope they roll out a happy hour menu in the future!