Spanish dining in Richmond Hill: lunch at Tapagria

Jamon display @Tapagria

We were excited to find out that there was a Spanish tapas place now in Richmond Hill. So we knew we had to try it—for lunch with the whole fam. At that time, they only had Prix Fixe so the choices were a bit limited. I would have wanted to try their tapas but maybe at another time.

The Prix Fixe lunch included soup or salad, a choice of a main (priced at $12, $18, and $24) and coffee or tea with an oatmeal cookie. We all got the soup of the day which was French onion soup—not very Español to me, but we wanted to give it a try. All we can say is that DD#1 makes a better French onion soup than what we were served. It was not bad but not great either. It was actually hovering on the sweet side.

French onion soup @Tapagria--pardon the haze, it was smoking hot

DD#1 got Garlic Mussels cooked in white wine, butter and garlic. It was a good serving (not appetizer size!) and came with toasted bread. We all liked it and DD#1 especially enjoyed her food. The mussels were cooked nicely and were very flavourful. No need to fear, the washrooms had mouthwash to get rid of garlicky breaths!

Garlic Mussels @Tapagria

Hubby got the Lamb chops. Actually, any restaurant he goes to, whether it is Greek, French, or Spanish, he cannot resist ordering lamb. The herb crusted lamb was nicely done, seared just perfectly. However, it was served with polenta, which is traditionally Italian, so  I was not too convinced this dish or that pairing belonged in this place.

Lamb chops @Tapagria

Grandma had the Squid Ink seafood pasta with squid, bay scallops and shrimp. I had a small bite and the flavours were good. The girls liked it as well. Again, I would normally associate pasta with Italian cuisine but as it is not altogether absent in Spanish cuisine, I will just take it as it is. A Paella Negra would have been more appropriate, I think.

Squid Ink Seafood pasta @Tapagria

Of course, I had to try their Paella. I shared a Seafood Paella with DD#2 (as we had a heavy mid-morning snack that day). The paella was okay. It had a good amount of shrimp, squid and mussels. While the socarrat (crisp, browned rice) was not at the bottom, it was present, mixed into the rice. In our travels in Spain, though, I have never had Paella served with corn kernels. I also never include it in Paella I make at home. So, I didn’t really appreciate having corn in their Paella. It made me think that they could only find bags of frozen corn and peas at the grocery instead of only frozen peas. Nonetheless it was flavourful.

Seafood Paella @Tapagria

Coffee and tea were just regular, nothing gourmet. The cookie was definitely not home-made and is better dipped into the coffee or tea as it was a bit on the hard side.

The clientele was mostly Chinese as it was Richmond Hill. They should take care, though, not to assume that their patrons will not be able to tell what an authentic Spanish meal is. Now the ambiance and service were good. The interiors had beautiful tiles, lights and seating. There was a tapas bar separate from the main bar and there were a lot of wine bottles on display. A huge display of jamon was there for us to ogle. The chef took one out to slice some off for the other table’s order. 

Jamon @Tapagria

So, while the Prix Fixe did not wow me, maybe I will give this place another try—in the evening where it will probably have more buzz. I’d like to try their tapas and sangrias. It is named Tapagria after all.