Looks like Tapas are the latest trend in Seattle! I remember a time when we had only a couple of good Tapas places, but looks like there are quite a few restaurants popping out around the area. I am not complaining though, I have professed my love for Spanish food in this blog many times. I’d just say more the merrier!
One of the latest hotspot in town is Ocho, looks like entire Seattle is talking about this place lately, and of course we had to find out what the excitement is all about. So we made a quick stop there on a Saturday night before meeting some friends for dinner at Thaiku. I have to say Ocho is another welcome addition to the Seattle Tapas scene.
Ocho is a tiny bar that can seat about 30 or so, with a few tables inside and a few outside and also some seat-yourself bar seats. The place was completely packed when we got there around 9 PM, we were really lucky to find our seats at the bar on a Saturday night! Music was blaring, people were happily drunk and loud, the type of place where we like to spend a weekend evening at, well some weekends really. As we get older, there are times when we just want a quiet, laid back evening with some good food and drinks, but then there are some nights when a loud neighborhood bar is exactly what gets us to relax.
Owner of Ocho used to manage the bar at another Ballard favorite La Carta de Oaxaca. That must be why one of the biggest crowd pull to this place is the famous “Ten Dollar Margarita”. Oh yes, we did try them and apart from being extremely potent, I honestly didn’t understand the big deal. I’ve had better margaritas – there I said it. Loved the sangria, and there are so many other cocktails and wines to choose from, I’d stick to those the next time!
Food is a totally different story altogether; Tapas here were as good as any we had anywhere else. There is no printed menu being for the Tapas selection, all the dishes are written out on the big black board at the back of the bar. Tapas are dirt cheap ranging from $1.50-$6. Even though we were sitting right at the bar, it took them a while to get to us to take the drink order, and eventually to get the food order. I must say all the tapas we ordered were definitely worth the wait.
A few samples - Bite sized anchovies and bell peppers skewered with artichoke heart, a chorizo dish topped with soft fried egg, deviled egg with pickled asparagus, fried spicy potato bites aka Patatas bravas with delicious green aioli, Green beans with arugula and fried garlic, and of course my favorite tapa Pimientos de Padrón.
All of the tapas were delicious, especially loved the Patatas Bravas and the deviled eggs and of course the padróns! Our initial plan was to just stay at Ocho for the night, but the plans changed midway to have dinner at Thaiku with some friends. So we didn’t order right, there were so many other dishes we were eyeing for the second round, that never happened. So there will be a second visit as soon as we get a chance and enjoy a nice, relaxed meal, the type of meal this place is meant for.
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Sig, when I clicked on your blog (and not specifically on this post), all the pix looked like you’d applied some effect to them - like in comics - is there a name for that?
Those devilled eggs - the pink looks like some of the more lurid food colouring we see in India, it’s hard to believe it’s posh Western!
And the chillies look really appetising!
Have you tried Gaudi? We *loved* all the tapas we had there, and the sangria, and were excited about the paella, but — no crust (soccarat)!! Do you know of any places in Seattle that do it right?
Pimientos de Padron, yum yum! That is all one needs to make the evening lively
an event for icecreams and milkshakes is going in my blog! participate in it!
tapas look srcumptious :drool: esp the red hot patatas..the restaurant’s name sound like a sneeze though
i love bars that are noisy…it just makes you let ur hair down coz you have to be loud so others can hear you…so u drink a lil more than you should..atleast i do..coz i cannot talk loudly when i am totally sane ;)….and yeah..i was enamoured with those cute pink eggs too…
Wow, the food looks delicious!!
My very first taste of Spanish food was at a restaurant called Ocho in Singapore
Loved the paella i had there but i don’t know if that was actually good - it was just my first time eating paella and I really liked it…
This restaurant seems really good and those dishes look gorgeous.
I haven’t been to this restaurant so I don’t know what they used but usually when eggs are pink like that, it’s natural coloring. The egg halves are dipped in beet juice before they are filled with the yolk mixture. They’re quite yummy and don’t taste like beets at all!
Hope this helps!
wow this ocho is really new to me….luv the pics dear sig!
such a pretty color
so, i see u got ur fair share of pimientos :drool: