24346 Wed May 28 16:53:17 -0700 2003 11 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 94744 Hi- I need a tapas place in SF that is good for larger groups, like 8-10. I would love to go to Cha Cha Cha but its just too hard to get that many people in since they don't take reservations. Any ideas? Thanks Wed May 28 16:53:17 -0700 2003 0 Chandolier 1 94746 I was just at Esperpento (22nd @ Valencia) last week, and there was a group of about 12 there. They must have had a reservation, as the table was set up and waiting for them before anyone in the party arrived. Not exactly the best tapas, but some dishes can be good. I liked the sausage and white beans (beans dry and flavorless, scrape them aside and eat the incredibly good Catalan white sausage), stewed spicy chicken, and garlic green beans. The fried calamari and papas bravas were only passable, and the plate of mixed roasted vegetables was poor (it was all smoky eggplant, with just a garnish of onions and red peppers). Pretty good sangria. Wed May 28 17:46:05 -0700 2003 94744 0 nja 1 94749 Thirsty Bear is ideal, they even have an upstairs area specifically for large groups. Food has gotten better again recently, too. Wed May 28 18:19:18 -0700 2003 94744 0 Joan Kureczka 1 94750 Allegria's along Lombard serves good tapas. Given the vey few Bay Area Spanish restaurants that I've been to, I thought Allegria's food are quite close to the ones I've had in Spain. This place is more like a family-dining type of a restaurant and I assume they can accomodate large groups given advance notice. Wed May 28 18:34:55 -0700 2003 94744 0 rcc 1 94768 Piperade accepts reservations for large parties. I think have a large table that they use either for large parties or drop-ins to eat communally. I've never been to Piperade myself, but it gets good reviews on this board. Wed May 28 23:18:33 -0700 2003 94744 0 Ursula 2 94790 Piperade isn't tapas, though. It's Basque, with many small plates, but if you go there expecting tapas you'll be disappointed. Thu May 29 12:08:28 -0700 2003 94768 0 Ruth Lafler 1 94784 I believe the Mission Cha Cha Cha takes reservations. Our office group had one when we went a few months ago. Thu May 29 08:32:59 -0700 2003 94744 0 vespaloon 1 94785 Just attended precicely such a gathering at the space that used to be Carta [then one or two other incarnations] and is now called Tasca- these people seem to be trying really hard [newly opened] and it is a good setting for groups... Market near Octavia- near where Valencia 'T's with market. Freeway deconstruction has now moved past this street. Thu May 29 08:48:35 -0700 2003 94744 0 Jimbo 1 94792 Zarzuela has very yummy tapas. They generally don't take reservations, but if you call ahead it is possible to arrange for use of the back room. Thu May 29 12:17:27 -0700 2003 94744 0 Donna 1 94796 After reading through the thread and doing a little looking on my own, I have come up with the following list: Zarzuela butterfly Lorca Esperpento Which of these would you recommend for my "i'm in town so everyone i know (10-12 people who don't all know each other) is getting together for drinks and eats" sort of outing? I'd prefer a place where there is a lounge or bar so that people can circulate more freely than they would at a big table. And, of course, which place has the best food? And, of course, if there are other places that I should consider, please let me know. Thanks. Thu May 29 12:34:37 -0700 2003 94744 0 AR 2 94797 Esperpento would be a bad choice with that objective in mind. No bar and very little room to manuever. butterfly I found not worth the high cost. I've not yet been to Zarzuela or Lorca. I hate to do this to you, but I think one not on your list may be the best for a "walk around and mingle" event: Thirstybear. There's a huge bar and lots of high tables with stools as opposed to regular seats (though they have those too). Upstairs there are a few pool tables. Their food quality seems to be a rollercoaster ride, I've experienced it at its tops and bottoms. Not sure where they are at this moment. Thu May 29 12:50:36 -0700 2003 94796 0 nja 2 94858 I think Zarzuela is the best traditional tapas restaurant in town, but would not recommend it for your purposes. They don't take reservations, mainly because it's so hard to find parking around there that a lot of people give up and turn around. If you can reserve the back room like someone suggested in another post, then for a large group like yours I'd recommend parking somewhere else and taking cabs to the restaurant. butterfly is not a tapas restaurant, if that's what you're looking for, but they do serve small plates. It's a bit on the expensive side as mentioned by another poster. I found Esperpento to be very average, and would not recommend it. I have not been to Lorca, but have heard good things about it. The other place I'd recommend for tapas is Ramblas in the Mission. It's run by the same people as Thirstybear, but the food seems better. And it's plenty big enough for your purposes. Thu May 29 21:57:30 -0700 2003 94796 0 Malik