El Amor in Sunderland

Run past this place all the time and been meaning to pop in ever since it opening, and i managed to get the opportunity to do so last night and i wasn't disappointed! it wasn't that busy but i can't understand why as the food was stunning, great tapas dishes and a fab selection to choose from. Excellent value for the price and service to match the quality of the food. We went for the 7 tapas for £24 and the chef also sent over a complimentary soup as an appetiser. The dishes were well thought out, well presented and freshly made. I'll definitely be back and have already recommended it..

Visited here for an impromptu meal out with my partner, after trying a few of our local regular Italians and being out of look we decided to try somewhere new. We called and managed to get a table booked for straight away and were surprised to find when we arrived only one other table. Parking is probably usually no problem however with the illuminations it was more limited. The waiter who served us was very nice and nothing was too much trouble. The menu had a good range of selection (not a massive range of Italian primarily Spanish and Portuguese tapas) but at 24.95 for 7 tapas dishes you really can't go wrong, there was lots of different dishes and it was certainly a refreshing change from the norm. We opted for a few sides also (far too much!) the only dish I didn't enjoy was the calamari (which usually is one of my favourite dishes as had a strange taste to it). Prior to our dishes been cooked we were given a free dish of diced tapas potatoes and sauces to share which I thought was a nice touch. All of the dishes were lovely and good portions (the cod fritters were lovely!) The only negative is today we have both had slightly upset stomachs - hopefully just a coincidence or maybe a mix of the rich sauces. Service was good and food was nice, suggest to get some cardboard boxes though as handy when people want to take things home.

Arrived late on a Saturday night just before closing and after a long day at the football. Staff went out of their way to accomodate four hungry lads and we were definitely not disappointed with the quality and variety of the food and received first class service. Great location and laid back atmosphere topped off a great day out.

My sister and I ordered the vegetarian sharing platter and everything was fantastic. There was plenty of food, unlike most tapas bars and for the platter, an extra dish and two drinks, we paid less than £15 each. The restaurant has beautiful views out to sea and at this time of year, it is nice to see some of the illuminations. Just give it a try because it is lovely.

The price was quite high, alcohol as usual too highly priced, But the food was good and interestingly different,Tthe vegetarian choices were better than expected. Everyone enjoyed the food, ambiance and the service was also good. This is an upstairs restaurant with stairs and no obvious lift access.

We have visited El Amor twice 1st time as a couple then a week later as a family of 6 can honesty say it's the best tapas I have tasted the service was 100% nothing was to much trouble look forward to our next visit

Though we had a great view of the Red Arrow fly by and the staff were friendly, the good left a lot to be desired. Out of 7 items we ordered the only one we enjoyed was the sweet potato fries. Prawns were incredibly chewy and green spiced chicken was beyond bland and barely had any meat on the bone. Wont be returning.

Great for those who like a touch of the exotic. Loved their vegetarian paella. Good portions, good food, good service. GREAT desserts.

This restaurant has a fantastic feel, the service and food is second to none, I took a party of 5 for my mothers 75th birthday on 11/7/2015 and the staff couldn't have been nicer, yes the food takes a while to come to table, however that only says it was cooked fresh and my daughter has celiacs, they ensured her food was repaired and cooked separately to ensure no reactions. This is a fantastic restaurant, one which I would be happy to recommend and I will defiantly be returning to on many special occasions from now on.

Beautiful food, with lovely views over the port. The service was a bit slow although we didn't mind as we were having a good time! Will definitely come back!

Very nice staff, nice views but average food. Chicken was chewy and lacked in flavour. Something different for sunderland but won't be returning.

This is a really welcome addition to the dining offer in the city. Stunning views of river, sea and marina help of course, but the tapas was exceptionally good. Three of us shared the Portugese platter with three extra tapas dishes whilst one had the skewered rump steak. It was different and very good. I really enjoyed trying lots of different dishes over a glass of wine and a chat. Well worth a visit!

My boyfriend and I decided to have the tapas as something different from the normal Italian. We definitely made the right decision because we had a gorgeous meal, with a very attentive and friendly waiter. The lamb skewers were to die for and the Spanish donut dessert was lovely. We also had cocktails which were a little pricey but very good! All in all a lovely meal at a great little restaurant, definitely worth a visit if you want a little something different.

My husband and I had a rare night out, and what a treat we had. After a small wait in lovely seated waiting area, we were shown to our window seat. After ordering wine and long discussions to select our 6 tapas (so many to decide on, all sounding wonderful) for £29.95 we relaxed watching the boats come in and out of the marina, with a beautiful night sky in the background. We would recommend the cod balls with the onion sauce, also the beef and marrow, amazing taste. The waiter we had couldn't be more professional, friendly and accommodating. When coming back (of which we shall soon) I would ring ahead and book a window table as the view of the marina was lovely. Though the decor in the rest of the restaurant is beautifully done and the food just speaks for itself. Well done in this new restaurant, a recipe for success. Thank you for giving us this within Sunderland.

We have been to El Amor twice in the last few weeks. The first time was a family party of 8 of us and the service and the food can not be faulted. Lovely views out over the harbour too. The food is a mix of Spanish and Portuguese tapas, very tasty and fresh. The second time we went was just my husband and I and we had the early bird, before 6.30pm you can have 3 tapas for £10, very well worth it. Lovely food, will definitely return. The only niggle I would say is that one of the desserts is Portuguese custard tarts. Having eaten these in Portugal and in other places in the UK I was over the moon to see them on the menu as a dessert in Sunderland. However, they weren't very good, as the pastry was bendy and the filling was tasteless. (sorry guys... ).

What an amazing experience. We had both styles of tapas that we picked from a great menu choice. The food had our tastebuds in a spin. Such a selection of different tastes and food, from Lamb, King Prawns, Pork, Chicken and veg dishes we will need to go back because there is only so much you can eat. Lol. Staff are a credit to the owner. Well recommended, 5 star.

First visit to El Amor last weekend and myself and sister in law were very impressed with what we found. We had visited the predecessor Amore Roker Italian Restaurant a few times and always found the food lovely. However, once the place had been opened for a while, there were never many customers after about 7.00pm. Likely because of too many established competitors in the area, so the place lacked atmosphere,This Tapas Restaurant is something different for this area and Sunderland. Hopefully the word spreads and it becomes as popular as it deserves. After eight on Friday there were a fair number of customers. Hopefully this will increase as word spreads.We chose the six selections for £29.95 and can thoroughly recommend it. Many options to choose from for tapas alone. If you don’t fancy that, there seems to be loads of other items too. For tapas, the cod balls with onion and the empanadas’ are especially amazing. Can I ask that they put potatoes bravas on the menu too? Had these in Spain with tapas and loved them. We will certainly go back here and hope that the word spreads.Finally, the staff are lovely and you really feel that they want you to enjoy your visit.

We visited straight after a football match on Saturday evening and were the only diners for a while. The service was very attentive and the quality and range of Tapas dishes was first rate. We will definitely return to sample the dishes we didn't manage first time around

We had super meal & excellent service at this new restaurant in Sunderland . We chose a selection of Tapas, each dish was a taste sensation & we ordered more!If we lived nearby , we would be there regularly , but only visiting for the weekend. Wish there was a restaurant similar near us.

This is just what the area needs - an amazing tapas restaurant with a vast array of food to choose from. We got the 6 tapas for £29.95 initially between the 2 of us but the 7yr old was also pinching from the dishes too :) but the 6 dishes were more than ample portions and we came away absolutely stuffed :) all the tapas we chose were delicious and presented well but our 2 favourites were the king prawns and the cod and onion balls - amazing and delicious. I would highly recommend anyone to go young or old, and the staff were so warm and welcoming it was a pleasure to be there. we'll def be returning soon :)

A new concept for Sunderland. Well presented. Excellent food and choice with first class service.A refreshing change from the run of the mill Italian. I only hope the people of Sunderland appreciate it. John Calvert

Stumbled on this tapas restaurant by mistake and very pleased to have found this little gem. The individual dishes were all prepared to the highest standard. Delicious authentic Spanish food. Very tasty. A little disappointed that service slipped very slightly as the restaurant got busy bit sure this was a one off. Highly recommend. Worth a visit :-)

Had a fabulous evening here, fabulous selection to choose from and a simple pricing structure. Particular favourites were the Oxtail Croquettes, Pork Meatballs and the Mango and Brie Empandas. Mocktails were tasty and the evening was rounded off with a couple of delicious desserts. The Churros bring the favourite. Will be back soon!

This favourite Italian of ours has just taken on a Spanish favour.The 6 tapas menu was very nice with lovely sauces with the dishes. Not too spicy either. Everything is of very good quality. Brie parcels and the chorizo probably my favourites. Octopus the most interesting. Price is very reasonable and unlike an Italian you leave satisfied at the end rather than bloated. Nice. Well worth a visit. It's still staffed with the same lovely staff too. So now they own the funky Indian tapas in town (very very good), an Italian and a Spanish/Portuguese restaurant. Spoiled for choice. All 3 are great.