La Esperanza Restaurant Tapas Bar in Berlin

The food was very good (especially the dates and eggplant in the tapas). We had a lovely evening and would gladly come again.

We chose this restaurant based on its sensational reviews. We're from Berlin and visit Spain every few weeks, so we know what good tapas are. We ordered seven tapas, half of which were really delicious (bread with sun-dried tomatoes, white cheese, goat cheese, Mediterranean vegetables (which surprisingly arrived cold), Manchego – okay, you can't really go wrong with that), while the other half were rather mediocre. The portion of bravas was very, very small for the price and didn't have much in common with authentic Spanish patatas bravas, nor did the mushroom croquettes. The restaurant was quite hectic, and on the evening we were there, there was only one waiter and a bartender helping out. Consequently, the atmosphere in the already rather cramped and cluttered interior was a bit too loud and hectic for our taste. The service was relatively quick and mostly quite friendly, and the restaurant was clean. The price for the two of us, including tip, was over €90 (we're vegetarians, so we didn't even eat meat or fish), which I found quite steep. It was nice for a one-off visit, but there are better tapas restaurants in Berlin!

The tapas were incredibly fresh, the portions were very generous, filling and delicious. It was a great experience, I will definitely come back 👍

Great tapas, lovely atmosphere and friendly service. Would gladly come again.

Although it was Monday, the restaurant was packed, and the tapas and main courses were incredibly delicious. The service, however, left something to be desired compared to the food. But we will definitely be back to enjoy the fantastic tapas again!

The food itself was very good, but there were errors in the tapas orders (which we couldn't prove because they took the card). People next to us who ordered at the EXACT SAME TIME got their food and drinks faster than we did (there were errors there too). The wait was very long.

Great tapas restaurant. We were there on a Friday evening; reservations are definitely recommended. We had a great selection of tapas for six people and were very satisfied. Despite the restaurant being very busy, the service was impeccable and super friendly.

We were really impressed with the food and the cocktails. We were there for a birthday and had planned to stay longer, but due to high demand and accepted reservations, two tables were taken away to make room for the reservations. This should be handled differently. We ended up with six and a half people at one table, so we left. Otherwise, the food was great and we have no complaints. We'd gladly come back.

The tapas were delicious. Unfortunately, the restaurant was packed and only offered time slots. There were four of us, and after two hours, we were gently asked to leave. Because it was so crowded, it was also very loud, stuffy, and uncomfortable.

One of the best Spanish restaurants I've tried in central Berlin. Excellent flavors, great service, and generous portions. Highly recommended!

Great food, great prices, top service, everything perfect!

The tapas were absolutely delicious, top-notch! I was a little disappointed with the paella; I didn't like something about it, but I can't quite put my finger on it. Definitely book in advance if you're coming after 5 pm. It's a great place with excellent value for money. Friendly service and a very cozy atmosphere!

Delicious tapas. We were thrilled. Definitely reserve a table for the evening.

Delicious food and amazing staff!

Very friendly service, very good food and good beers. We had various tapas and the quality was consistently good to very good.

The Spanish cuisine seldom disappoints me, La Esperanza is no exception. To have a meaningful benchmarking on the standard, I typical order the similar dishes to be “apple-to-apple” comparison. The list include the Tapas : Bake/Fried Sardin, Pulpo Octopus, Fried Baby Squid/calamari, while for main course I typically go for Seafood Paella. For my first visit La Esperanza, I gave 5 stars to all the 3 attributes. The fragrance of fried baby squid alone is mouthwatering, just perfect mix of salt & spices, tasted so crunchy. While the Seafood Paella, probably one of the best seafood Paella I tasted before. Few points worth mentioning why I said it has been the best Paella I tasted so far in Deutsch land: Moist level & rice texture were just perfect, generous portion of shrimps, scallops. All these ingredients apparently blend well under the magic touch of the chef. Worth second visit… but make sure make reservations before hand !!!

The food was varied. However, beginners might find the sheer number of tapas overwhelming. And limiting a spontaneously booked visit to just two hours didn't seem very customer-oriented.

Nice team evening. Unfortunately, the food was mediocre and not at all authentically Spanish as I know it. The tapas were small and simple. The very red paella tasted more like tomato sauce; there was probably no saffron in it, and it lacked the typical moistness and... "paella flavor." A bottle of red wine (for a hefty €38.90) was served in white wine glasses. For dessert, the crema catalana was cold and without a firm crust. Of course, we were honest and expressed our criticism politely but openly. The response: "I swear, everyone else loves the paella." It was okay for a social evening, but the food unfortunately didn't justify the high price. There are many good Spanish restaurants in Berlin. None of the staff serving us spoke Spanish, and the food was correspondingly inauthentic. Edit: The owner has since had the honest 1-star reviews from my friends who were there with me deleted several times. I can't believe something like that is even possible. :/

We had reserved a table online. Upon arrival, the reservation wasn't visible, but we still got a table. Great. It was unexpectedly crowded at 5 pm... and loud. The service was unfortunately a bit overwhelmed, but they took our order quickly. Sadly, they were out of grilled beef ribs. Instead, we were offered pork ribs. My first thought: Why did they offer pork ribs as an alternative when they weren't even on the menu? The drinks and food arrived pleasantly quickly, after about 20 minutes. We ordered around 12 tapas. All with the same dip with an extreme amount of garlic (it was probably supposed to be aioli). 12 tapas, 12 aioli. Great... but only one bread basket for four people... The tapas tasted okay. That's about it. The tables and seats are extremely close together. It's not exactly cozy. When the server brings something to the table, chairs have to be moved. Overall, a disappointment. Not a highlight. I found the beer extremely expensive. Otherwise, the price/performance ratio was perfectly fine. However, I wouldn't want to go there again.

Fantastic Spanish restaurant! You're greeted with great friendliness. Delicious tapas and a perfect cortado to finish. A restaurant experience can be this wonderful.

We didn't have a reservation but still got a table. Super friendly staff, cozy atmosphere, and great food. We'll definitely be back.

A great selection of tapas and very attentive service. My partner didn't drink any alcohol all evening. The waiter remembered this and served her a non-alcoholic Cupito when we asked for the bill. We really appreciated that, thank you! Our only criticism of the food: the crema catalana was made with cinnamon sugar. We prefer the classic version with regular sugar, but I suppose that's a matter of taste. :) We'll definitely be back!

Great selection, delicious and well-differentiated flavors, and quick preparation. The cocktails are especially tasty, made with great care. Prices are reasonable. A great place to enjoy a drink with friends and have a relaxed chat.

A very cute restaurant. The food was delicious! Especially the paella. The service was very friendly. Looking forward to seeing you again soon.

This bar was awesome, the lights look cool and the dj is cool. The host Mika was great. Ill come back often

Delicious tapas are served here, and the service is good and fast. It's a bit cramped, but very cozy. Online table reservations ensure you get a seat quickly.

It feels like being in a Spanish una tasca! The food is delicious and the atmosphere is cozy. The service is very friendly and always quick, even when the place is packed. I'll definitely be back...Top-notch!

Great food, super cozy, fair prices!

Unfortunately, it was a complete disappointment. We had to wait over an hour for our food. The owners seemed visibly overwhelmed by the number of guests. Half of our order was served incorrectly, and two dishes were completely forgotten. The food was okay, but nothing special. I've read that bad reviews get deleted, so congratulations to everyone who sees this review.

We were a group of four and ate at their restaurant for the first time trying Spanish cuisine. It was a special experience; the food was absolutely delicious and beautifully prepared. The service was wonderfully friendly and efficient. The food arrived very quickly, and we enjoyed several tapas and delicious drinks. Thank you for a lovely afternoon/evening with you – keep up the great work!

Very friendly service and delicious food. The fish soup and chili con carne are highly recommended. The nachos and dips were also very tasty.

Excellent all round. The food came out in good time and was hot and tasty. Bartender makes an amazing cocktail too. Well worth going and value for money

Very nice food, the aubergine and honey was delicious, and it was super Friendly service and very fast. Atmosphere was good, I gave only 4 stars as the tables are very close together and I prefer to have a bit more room, but the place has nice energy.

The food is honestly great, the portions are very reasonable for the price and they have an offer where you get to choose 6 Tapas for a reduced price, we ate there twice in our trip, among the tapas reataurants we went to in the Friedrichstraße and around it, this was a good one

All the tapas we ordered were very tasty.

Went 12/31/25 for early dinner. "Cozy" tapas restaurant. Friendly staff and good selection.

Very friendly staff, delicious tapas, excellent wine, a pleasant atmosphere, and the best crema catalana I've ever eaten. Every time we come to Berlin from the south of Germany, we look forward to this great, relaxed little restaurant in Mitte. We'll definitely be back. Highly recommended – it's a really lovely place!

We are a family of eight. We made a reservation, which was a good thing. The location is excellent, the restaurant is comfortably furnished, and it was very busy. The service was attentive, quick, and very welcoming. We ordered several tapas and main courses (fajitas and ribs). Everything was very well prepared, beautifully presented, and served promptly. The quality and taste were top-notch; we didn't leave a single bite and were absolutely delighted. The noise level was exactly what we would expect in a tapas restaurant—a lively atmosphere with lots of conversation and laughter, allowing us to have a pleasant chat. We will definitely be back. Many thanks to the kitchen and service staff.

Fantastic restaurant with amazing and delicious tapas. Very authentic cuisine and great service. Thank you for a lovely evening. Reservations are highly recommended. We'll definitely be back.

A really lovely little restaurant! Great food, lovely staff! We really enjoyed it! (The paella was a bit too spicy for me 🌶️ 🙈 otherwise delicious)

Very tasty 😋 but also very loud

It was awful. I booked my ticket, and the bearded employee at the door was racist and wouldn't let Arabs in. I hope you'll refund my ticket; this is the tenth time I've come to the same place, and the same employee has refused me entry. I think he wants a bribe to let me in, which is disgraceful. He acts like he owns the place.

Delicious tapas at a good price! I would go again!

We spontaneously asked for a table for two without a reservation. The restaurant was very busy, but we received a friendly welcome. The tapas selection was very diverse. I would gladly return on my next visit to the capital.

Despite having a reservation, I was turned away.

The tapas we tried were excellent. The owner was very friendly, although he didn't speak a word of Spanish. They have Alhambra 1925 beer.

We ate here for the first time and loved the wide variety of dishes and tapas on offer; the ones we chose were delicious. The bread was also great... highly recommended. We'll definitely be back.

Most delicious spanish tapas I’ve ever had in Berlin with a lot of vegetarian options!!

Outstanding! We have a new favorite restaurant in Berlin.

We spent a weekend in Berlin. We went there because of the reviews, and we really have to say/write: AMAZING!!!! 100% recommended. The food is simply superb, everything we had was fantastic. We went back again on the second evening because we were so impressed. We will definitely come back on our next trip to Berlin. We ate very well and had lots of tapas and drinks, so we spent quite a bit, but the prices are really fair.

Good tapas, good red wine, and Spanish beer. Prices are okay.

We went there on a whim and felt very comfortable in the small and charming restaurant. This place is at the top of our list for our next trip to Berlin. Thank you so much!

Excellent and fast service. I'll gladly come again.

Amazing experience. Delicious tapas, great atmosphere and very friendly service.

A bit noisy, but that's part of the atmosphere :) It was lively, the food was delicious, and the whole atmosphere was fun. Exactly what you'd expect from a Spanish restaurant. The cocktails were strong and the wine was tasty. Excellent value for money. I highly recommend it.

We had a very good experience overall — the atmosphere and decoration were great. There were two of us, and we ordered seven tapas to share. Most of them were delicious, with very authentic flavors. However, I had a problem with the tuna empanadas. The first one was absolutely delicious, but the second one had a strange, almost sour taste. Unfortunately, I took a couple of bites before realizing something was wrong. Later that night, I ended up getting food poisoning — I spent the whole night sick with stomach pain and diarrhea, which was really unpleasant. I’m still giving 4 stars because everything else we ate was really good, but I just want to leave this review as a warning for others: if the tuna empanadas taste off, please don’t eat them — send them back instead. I regret not saying anything at the restaurant when I noticed the taste was strange.

We've eaten there several times... the tapas are very good and delicious... I can highly recommend it...

The tapas are great, and the house wine is also highly recommended. Unfortunately, the ambiance isn't great; it's very cramped and quite uncomfortable on cold days.

We were here before our visit to the Friedrichstadt-Palast – rustic tables, pleasant atmosphere, friendly service. The tapas selection, with its excellent quality, really completes the experience. We'll definitely be back! 😊

La Esperanze is a really lovely tapas restaurant in Berlin Mitte. It has a wide selection of different dishes. The price-performance ratio is excellent. I went there with a large group and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the food.

We hadn't made a reservation, but still got a table (it was a bit cramped). The staff was incredibly friendly. The tapas were all delicious. Even the kids celebrating Halloween got candy.

Unfortunately the food wasn’t as good as we expected. It took them half an hour to take the order. After that the food came in 5 minutes (before the drinks). The warm tapas were cold, meatballs were stale and patata bravas tasted old. Aioli didn’t taste so good either.

Great food! Excellent service! Very good restaurant!

Simply GREAT 👍👍👍 Very nice, varied, and wide selection of dishes, cocktails, and wines. The food arrives within minutes of ordering. Very friendly chef with great recommendations – all in all, a very nice, relaxed Spanish holiday feeling, definitely happy to go back.

Good tapas - value for money. A lot to choose from. Not five star because the food came before the drinks end we waited a long time for the desssert.

On my birthday, we were surprised by an outsider who was under the influence of substances, wasn't a customer, and refused to leave the restaurant. The staff said they would escort him out of the restaurant, but this didn't happen even after 15 minutes. I had to spend my birthday in fear. On top of that, the fries were cold and the vegetables were too oily. I'm very disappointed; this visit made me cry on my birthday.

The tapas bar is packed with delicious snacks, and the service handles the never-ending stream of guests with astonishing composure. We'd love to come back to try more tapas.

We sat by the window, so there was a bit of a draft. It was also very loud. Service was okay. The tapas were very tasty. But if you ordered a few to fill you up, it was a bit pricey.

Unfortunately, it's awesome. The place is far too small for the crowds. The service is very friendly and constantly rotating. The amount of food that comes out of this small kitchen is impressive. The taste is indescribably good, and we had a very nice evening despite the restaurant being full. We'll be back.

Very tasty tapas, a little cramped but lots of charm.

Very good tapas bar in a nice ambience

Excellent food! Worth the wait.

A very tasty and atmospheric place! The food and sangria are 10/10. The waiters are very friendly.

We had tapas and drinks. It was quite crowded and therefore quite loud. But the tapas were very good.

Perfect tapas – whether vegetarian, fish, or meat! The restaurant is always crowded, loud, cramped, and hectic – but it's really worth it! Be sure to make a reservation!

Very nice restaurant, beautifully presented delicious tapas, good value for money, friendly service

It was truly a wonderful experience. The tapas, the drinks, and especially the paella were absolutely delicious. The service was outstanding — the staff took such great care of us that it’s hard to put into words. I’ve never come across such a great restaurant right in the heart of Berlin. If we ever get the chance to return, we’ll definitely come back again.

From the outside, it looks a bit... let's not say stylish. But the food was excellent! Very tasty tapas! Service was a bit chaotic at first, but very friendly, very nice, and charming. I can recommend this restaurant to everyone!

Tapas are good and the restaurant is well located. The price are fair. The staff is friendly.

The tapas were okay, but not amazing. The staff walked right around us, didn't speak English well, and barely understood us...

I can't follow the other reviews. We were here, the tapas were okay, nothing special, the prices were okay, you eat right in the middle of the main road. Nothing you'd enjoy sitting down. I'm giving this place a well-intentioned 3 stars. It's really not worth more than that. And the general question: the place currently only has 5 or 4 star reviews. Which lawyer removed the 1 and 2 stars? ☹️

Super tasty and affordable tapas. Friendly service. Great service. Popular, and rightly so.

The restaurant was recommended to us by an Italian museum staff member. He advertised it as a place serving Italian dishes, not German versions of Italian dishes. A PERFECT DESCRIBEMENT! IT WAS DELICIOUS.

Great food, very friendly staff.

I highly recommend the food, or rather the tapas. Very tasty and plentiful. We also liked the fact that you could choose, for example, 6 different tapas for a cheaper price than 6 individual ones. The service was very friendly and attentive. The only downside was the noise level; the restaurant is located right at a busy intersection in the middle of Berlin. Therefore, unfortunately, no 5 stars. We would still come back on our next visit to Berlin.

Super tasty and great selection

The food was delicious, and we didn't have to wait long for it. The staff were very friendly and attentive. Unfortunately, it's quite loud and noisy, but everyone experiences it differently.

Excellent at its finest 🥰😎🙏 Again and again!!

We went there today with a group and enjoyed the tapas. We'll definitely be back for dinner next time. Everything was delicious. (The vegan meatballs and the vegan eggplant salad were delicious, highly recommended.)

Because of the high ratings and our hunger, we decided to eat here. We'd made a reservation in advance, but when we arrived, they didn't check. It did have a nice, busy, and cozy atmosphere. We sat down and were quickly politely asked if we could move to a different spot so a large group could take our place. Fine, we did, and I'll appreciate it. We shouldn't have, because then we were completely forgotten. Even though the menu and a request for drinks arrived quickly, it took ages. We asked, in English, what the concept was exactly. They just said yes, so they could get rid of it. We each ordered one dish, and it soon became clear that we could order more than one because there were other diners there. After a few thirsty looks at the waitress when she came with our drinks, we were simply passed over. Finally, we got our drinks, and after a long wait for our food, we had no cutlery. We were patient, but also hungry. We went inside to ask for cutlery, "Yes, coming soon!" But nothing came. Unfortunately, we had to eat our cold, tasteless meatballs and chicken with our hands. We almost felt like walking in because we weren't noticed anyway. We went back inside to pay, and unfortunately, we left hungry after a thoroughly unpleasant experience. Later that evening, we walked past and the staff were serving shots while customers were still eating. Hopefully, it was a one-time thing.

Can truly reccomend the service that was always nice and caring to us, but sadly I didn't really loved the food, and I would have expected a bit more quality for the prices.

I can't understand the good reviews. The food was made with very poor quality ingredients (Jamon Serrano from a supermarket packet), and was also poorly cooked. The service was very friendly but completely inattentive. We waited forever for drinks, and the food had been served a long time ago. I ordered a tinto de verano and was served a warm sangria instead. Absolutely not.

We went to this restaurant because our son loves paella. The reviews said it was good, but unfortunately it was burnt, and our son didn't eat it. The very kind staff offered to offer him a crema catalana, but unfortunately he didn't like it. The result was 90 euros and a 6-year-old with an empty stomach. We won't be returning.

Delicious tapas and friendly service. Unfortunately, the waitress was hopelessly understaffed and had to practically run for their lives to serve the guests properly. But the two employees managed it.

PERFECT tapas. I even think this place is too cheap. The service is super attentive without being intrusive. The food is absolutely GREAT!

Die guten Bewertungen haben uns angelockt. Leider ist es ein totaler Reinfall. Die Fischplatte, die laut Karte Lachs und Dorade haben sollte, stellte sich als Meeresfrüchteplatte heraus. Man redete sich mit Speisekartenwechsel raus. Der Wein und das Bier waren zu warm, das Essen zu kalt und geschmeckt hat es keinem von uns. Die Tapas waren okay, aber die Hauptgerichte gehen gar nicht. Nie wieder!

Great restaurant with attentive service. Fully booked on a Saturday night but we found a seat. The food was delicious.

We were there during the week, and this experience really made us love tapas. The food arrived on our table within 10 minutes, and we were completely captivated from the first bite. The staff were very attentive and refreshing with their relaxed manner.

A great restaurant in the heart of Berlin! We had nine different tapas and loved all of them! Everything was freshly prepared and very well-seasoned, and the Spanish beer was cold and drinkable! 😋 The service was extremely polite and attentive. There was nothing to complain about there either. We sat in the open "shop window" (the chairs were more comfortable 😅) and had a good view of the busy intersection. It's not "quiet and quiet," of course, but it did have a bit of a "vacation feeling"! 😁 All in all, it's worth a visit because the food is really, really good! We'll definitely be back!

Fabulous paella again on our visit to Berlin