El Coto in Newcastle upon Tyne

Been coming here for 10+ years now and for most of this time it was 5 star - the occasional 4 star experience - but mainly 5 stars. However, the last two times have been very disappointing. I’m not sure if they’re using a different chef, food supplier or if corners are being cut in other ways - despite prices rising at 35%+ the last few years (all understandable under the current economic climate) - either way, the food is now very below par. I see a lot of recent 4 and 5 star reviews but can’t imagine these people experienced El Coto in its prime (pre-2020) because it simply isn’t that great now. However, what really put the icing on the cake today was the service, which had always previously been very Spanish; patient and inconspicuous with staff not constantly coming to your table asking if you were ready for this or were finished with that, blah, etc. I had never felt so rushed or constantly bother/observed by the waitresses than I did today. I enjoy being left alone to browse a menu, chat with company and chill out with my food and drink and that’s why I liked El Coto. Perhaps service has changed due to demand; we British prefer things quicker, having our a***s kissed and, despite what we think, we don’t really get tapas and Spanish dining. Or maybe it’s more economic pressure to get tables turned around quick, who knows. Sadly after 10+ years, I think this will be my last time. Such a shame.

Very nice food there. I have tried few of the Spanish restaurant I can say this one the the best in town. Good service and affordable price. Also the Paella is the best in town. So impressive and definitely will go back again.

I try to avoid Spanish places in the UK as I am not the demographic they are going for, usually they adapt things from Spanish cuisine to British tastes, preconceptions, and ingredient availability. Despite that I ended up coming to this restaurant and I have to admit that some dishes were pretty good! The Patatas bravas were missing the alioli and the Spanish omelette was a bit dry and salty, but the ham was good and the croquettes were amazing! The service was very attentive and have to deal with a very raucous clientele on these dates of massive Christmas dinners, so all my respect and admiration for them!

Awesome, faultless,spectacular. Honestly, if you're looking for tapas, look nowhere else. This place is honest, authentic and delicious. I've never had better.

Went today at lunch time for my husbands birthday. There was only us and one other person in. The woman who served us was great however the food was very mediocre. It was eatable but nothing to write home about and we probably won't be coming back. We paid for the lunchtime special but if we paid full price I definitely would have been disappointed. The opening to the restaurant also stunk of toilets which was very off-putting when we came in, luckily you couldn't smell where they serve food.

A delightful establishment recommended by my girlfriend, so myself, my girlfriend, and her mother visited before we went to Cage Warriors later that night. The place started off quiet, and by the end of the night, the place was lively and full. They offer an extensive selection of tapas and other culinary delights, complemented by exceptional customer service. The service was remarkably prompt, and the portion sizes were generous. The cost is generally reasonable, and the portions are generous enough to be shared among three people. I truly and highly recommend El Coto for a lovely evening meal with your significant other or a group of people. I would gladly return on my next visit to Newcastle..

set meal for two, brilliant choice of tapas . Excellent service.

Been coming here for years standard never dropped lovely authentic Spanish feel with top food to finish off love set menu a swift return very soon my Mrs is a virgin last week and loved it

Lovely atmosphere and great for gluten free and dairy free meals. Very friendly staff at our most recent visit today.

Lovely staff, amazing Tapas, i love their Paella with sea food but i think the chef uses chicken stock on it

Visitamos esta joya escondida con bastante frecuencia y nunca decepciona. El servicio es siempre excepcional, amable y atento y muy rápido. Siempre nos hacen sentir bienvenidos. En cuanto a la comida. Es de lejos el mejor de la ciudad para Tapas. Tan fresco, lleno de sabor y delicioso. También es una gran relación calidad-precio. Muy recomendable! Gracias por otra gran noche 👏

El mejor español que jamás probará tapas frías y calientes son una visita obligada aquí y es tan limpio y el servicio es de primera categoría aquí también.

Great service, amazing tapas and a lovely time at El Coto.

Haven't been back to this place in years. Can't think why! We had the set menu for 2 on a Saturday afternoon. I think it was £22/23 pp. Everything was absolutely delicious. Ordered an extra dish but probably didn't need it, cant wait to go back. Had a lovely birthday. Thanks

First time eating here today. Oh ...my...days....it's was fantastic. We got the set menu for 2 and everything was absolutely delicious 😋. So nice we didn't even take a picture of the food before tucking into it. Highly recommend this place and we will be back again soon

Food great, service great, lovely atmosphere. Only complaint was that the food came a little too quick. Literally 5 mins after ordering. Would've liked a bit more time to relax and chat. It was just slightly too rushed for us. Otherwise fab!

Usually very good but last Saturday was absolutely amazing - could have been sat in Madrid or Barcelona - classic tapas and great service.

Had the tapas for two and it was lovely. The staff are very attentive.

First time we have been last night , my husband booked it as a suprise as iv never had tapas ..it didn't disappoint. Was very nice the food and the staff where amazing.our server Muriel was very helpful.we will return Thankyou 😊

A great place to enjoy tapas and meet friends. A busy, vibrant atmosphere and such lovely food! Definitely feel like you're in Spain when you eat and drink here! Delightful staff who look after you well!

He visitado aquí muchas veces a lo largo del año. Me encanta aquí es casual, amable y la comida es muy buena - las porciones son muy buenas y realmente a un precio razonable. ¡Todavía no he encontrado un plato que no haya disfrutado! El servicio es muy bueno y amable. También participan en la semana del restaurante (de todos modos, es bastante razonable). Pero es una ganga entonces.

Good place to taste spanish food and atmosphere. Recomendado the tapas speciañly

Nueve de nosotros tuvimos una experiencia excepcional. La comida era deliciosa y el servicio excelente. No había sido por algún tiempo, pero esto de lejos sobresalió, en comparación con restaurantes similares en Newcastle. era tan bueno que acabamos de volver a reservar para una celebración de cumpleaños a finales de este mes! Muy recomendable.

Mis amigos y yo amamos este restaurante. Tenemos un club de almuerzo una vez al mes y El Coto es nuestro favorito de todos los restaurantes locales en los que hemos estado. La comida es fantástica, el entorno y el ambiente son excelentes y el servicio siempre es excelente.

Lovely little hidden gem in Newcastle. Tasty food with very quick and friendly service. The interior really adds to the atmosphere.

Best tapas we’ve had in ages. Great 3 dishes each lunch menu. Prawns, patatas bravas, meatballs, beef stew, salmon chunks & the white fish croquettes were absolutely delicious, perfectly seasoned & melt in the mouth. Generous portion sizes. Great service from the waitress too as we only had a hour & food came quickly. Thank you.

Very poor service, staff being treated poorly, food is well below average. Would not recommend at all.

Delicious food, good portions, a bit pricey, but worth it, we sat outside as it was a warm night. Staff are great too.

I've been taking my son to El Coto since he was at school. He's 28 now and I'm sure he'll offer to pay one day. He asked specifically if we could go last weekend on a visit from London. What can I say? It was all reassuringly familiar, good food (we always have tapas) good service and a very calming atmosphere. Recommended.

Friendly welcome. Great food, great service and loved the extensive menu choices.

Lovely food which was deceptively filling. The service was perfect. There was plenty of choices on the menu. Great value for money. The surroundings was beautiful with plenty of space in between tables making it very comfortable. Look forward to returning.

First time I’ve visited El Coto. We booked a table for 7 of us for some food before the England match at St James Park. Lovely place and great service. Ordered the 3 tapas for £17 special for each of us. Staff were really knowledgeable and helpful about the ingredients of the dishes ( one of our party has a nut allergy ). Food was delicious and arrived quickly. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend people to give this place a try.

Normally I don't like Spanish food or tapas but now I do after a recent visit. The food is gorgeous. Also a really nice vibe to the place and the staff are nice. There's parking right next door to this place too. What more could you ask for?

Great selection of tasty tapas dishes. Nice Sangria too!!

Really lovely place at a reasonable price. The quality of the food was great, would highly recommend visiting if you are wanting some authentic Spanish tapas, it’s so hard to find authentic food like this around.

We had an amazing experience tonight at El Coto. The food was superb and we were delighted with the suggestions made by Manageress, Charlotte Robinson from the extensive menu. The beautiful setting and highly attentive staff ensured a perfect evening. We will be back soon!

Lovely atmosphere, Excellent service, fabulous food. Thank you.

Lovely small Spanish restaurant in toon. Food was so amazing, ordered Spanish rice with pork, chicken and sausage was so good.

Lovely quirky place and food was amazing

Lovely food ,good service. The only problem is no ventilation at all so it was really hot. Seriously need to sort out windows than can be opened.

Visited this restaurant with a friend on Saturday afternoon. When we were outside we honestly thought the restaurant was closed. Then tried the door went into an empty bar area but then walked through to main restaurant..ordered some paella and some tapas and house wine. Friend had lived in Barcelona at one point..so a good critic of Spanish food..food was good. Patatas bravas could have been a bit more spicy. Ham and cheese croquettes were good.. Paella was good..and good portions.. I do think its a little overpriced though. Cost 70. That included two glasses of wine each 2 tapas and 2 paella definitely recommend this place and will return

Food is delicious with great portions and service!

First visit and loved it Food. staff were very good Great atmosphere Will definitely visit again

Very good, good pricing nice Spanish atmosphere would go again.

Very disappointing, especially given the past reviews. Quality of the food was below average, portions were small... The service was great instead. The waiters were all very attentive and quick. However, the dining experience itself was not something I'd recommend.

Perfect meal with my daughter 5🌟

Have been here three times. The atmosphere is always chatty and vibrant. The staff are very friendly and welcoming. Very quick to take your order. Food arrives quickly. Had fantastic food at a reasonable price. we have not had a bad experience in any of the times we have been there. Would recommend to anyone looking for a good evening and good food with a great atmosphere

We had the set meal for two , really good quality , so many choices , will definitely be going back. Reasonably priced too :)

I can’t believe I had never been here before. The food is amazing. The house white is really good quality. It’s so big inside, from the outside it doesn’t give that impression. I am looking forward to summer so that I can dine in the courtyard.

Lovely little place. Fab food and service, and a good price. Don't be put off by the front: i got there and nearly got put off as it looked empty. It wasnt. That was just the front bar; the restaurant was in the back and it was lovely and busy. Food was served quickly and was delicious. Will be back.

The service was great but the food was terrible. Honestly save your money or go somewhere else . 2 prawns in a dish.

Visited El Coto for a pre theatre meal. Ordered before 5pm so was able to benefit from their 3 tapas for £14.75 Not only was this great value but it was also great tasting, quality food. There was a very good selection of tapas to choose from too. The wine was reasonably priced and the portion sizes more than adequate. With a nice friendly welcome and good service I think it’s safe to say that we’ll be back.

Gorgeous stew and meatballs, can't wait to go back

Thoroughly enjoyed the food and ambience. Lovely helpful waitress. Reasonably priced. Good varied menu.

Love this restaurant. Really good tapas, full of flavour. The sangria is to die for and the service is extremely good. One of the best tapas restaurants in Newcastle and excellent quality for the value

We keep returning to this lovely and cosy place. The food is amazing, the atmosphere is great and all staff are so friendly. Silvia provided top class service effortlessly. Special mention to GM Charlotte - such a hard working lady who made our visit perfect. We will be back for more indeed. Thank you guys Great job👏👏👏 David Lloyd Newcastle Reception Team

I've been a few times and it's always been great

first visit to El Coto enjoyed my meal very much Understated decor made for a friendly atmosphere. Ample portions served promptly and good service all round. A comfortable upholstered dining chair would be good for less mobile customer. Hope to come again

3rd time back. First time poor, second time much better. Busy evening this time and the place was packed - a good sign. Food menu is extensive - again good for tapas with the selection. Unfortunately one of our dishes never arrived - but still was on the bill. So something it's quite all there with the system. Never mind - this happens. So on to the food: - Papas bravas o con ali-oli. These were fine. Crispy and seasoned potatoes would have been better. The ali-oli was the right side of garlic, but the tomato sauce could have done with a little kick - Chorizo frito. This was poor. Looked boiled rather than fried. It says it is with "garlic and white wine" but they come in a bowl with no sauce at all. Avoid I'm afraid. I cook much better chorizo at home. - Gambas al ajillo. These were nice and you could really taste the flavours. I'd recommend this dish. - Pollo al ajillo. This was bad. We didn't eat it. The sauce was meant to be "garlic, parsley and white wine", but it was as though it had curdled. And not a great taste. - Berenjenas gratinadas. The best dish of the night. Like a melanzana parmagiana. Really nice. - Ropa vieja. Again - really nice. Would recommend this one too. the flavours worked really well. - Croquetas de queso y jamón. These were fine. Not amazing. But fine and quite tasty. So having recently returned from Barcelona I had high hopes for more tapas. Unfortunately El Coto disappointed me and didn't live up to expectations.

Great food, good service. I had the chorizo (delicious), chicken skewers (great) and potatoes with peppers (ok). I'd definitely go again.

El mejor restaurante de tapas españolas de la ciudad, estuvimos un fin de semana y lo encontramos por casualidad. Los propietarios son españoles y saben muy bien lo que hacen, las tapas muy ricas igual que las podrías encontrar en España. Muy recomendable para el que le gusten las tapas

Walked in, short notice without reservation. Excellent service and food.

Date night with a gorgeous lady friend of mine who’d booked the table in advance, only trouble is I rocked up 30 minutes late getting my times mixed up, a great start! Staff were great on my entrance and saw the funny side of my lateness and took me straight to the table where my date was sat waiting, already settled with a bottle of red opened, clearly relieved that she hadn’t been stood up. We immediately ordered a set meal for three as I’m a big eater and thoroughly enjoyed the starters of olives, bread, ham and cheese until the mains started arriving. The mains soon followed and various plates of goodies kept appearing on the table, everything that turned up was absolutely delicious, believe me! We done in a second bottle of red and opted for desserts, both having the chocolate incased mint ice-cream which was lovely. A great night, a great experience, lovely staff, great venue, fantastic ambience, full marks and I’m more than happy to recommend El Coto.

Made a group booking for 20 people (work night out). Fantastic service from start to finish. Wasn’t an easy order as we all chose different tapas or paella but the team were quick to respond to emails and I was pleasantly surprised just how organised they were on the evening. Food was amazing and we all had a brilliant night. Thanks so much.

Excellent venue for pre match food. Enjoyed the experience friendly helpful staff & delicious food. Rearranged tables to accommodate us

Awful! The food was clay cold and not worth the price paid. Cafe Andeluz is far superior and much cheaper

For a place that's quite highly rated it was very disappointing. Very uncomfortable chairs & too crammed together. Average food in toddler portions for a premium price. £44 for 10 tapas you could of fit on 2 small plates. Won't be returning

Great food, friendly, fast service and a lovely quirky restaurant. Sadly since the Durham restaurant closed we don't get to go very often, but when we visit the Newcastle one, it's always will worth it!

Lovely food and a brilliant deal for restaurant week. Great staff and quick service. The prawns, lamb meatballs and calamari were our favourites!

The small plates make this restaurant a fabulous choice for either lite bites or a full meal. We are a family of vegetarians and one of my daughters has coeliac disease so is gluten free - because of this we are sometimes limited to a small number of options but not here - we all had a wealth of choice which was refreshing and much appreciated. We choose manchego, olives, mushrooms in garlic, tortilla, lentil stew, chickpea stew, aubergine topped with cheese and tomato and garlic topped bread, patatas bravas and padron peppers. Everything was cooked and seasoned to perfction - in fact we enjoyed the lentil stew and manchego so much we ordered seconds! We ordered many small plates and copius amounts of alcohol and the bill was a very reasonable £121 for the four of us. The atmosphere was great, the service was attentive and the food was to class - highly recommended.

Absolutely brilliant food amazing

I came with a group of friends for my 50th birthday, we chose the £20.90pp set menu. There were about 20 dishes hot and cold. This is the best meal I have had in Newcastle and we were all full to the limit. The service was amazing and the staff friendly and helpful. Eventhough it was quick service we never felt rushed and they didn't push us to leave once we had finished the meal. I definitely want to come back, I cannot find one fault. 5 star plus

Best restaurant in Newcastle. Beautiful food with huge variety..been 3 times now and.never been disappointed

We visited today with family from Leeds as it was recommended by a friend for authentic Spanish tapas. It did not disappoint. We have two vegans in the family that were catered for also and their food was delicious. For the 3 none vegans the food was amazing! Marcia, could not have helped more if she tried, she recommended food for a fussy 12 year old, who demolished his food! She also helped us to order in Spanish, and a few other words we asked for! Such a beautiful lady. Thankyou so much. We will definitely be back.

Decent but unremarkable Spanish tapas restaurant. Very helpful staff, but spoiled a bit for us by a very noisy office party

I recently had the most amazing lunch at El Coto with my friends for one of the ladies 40th birthday treat. It was my first visit and I was a bit of a novice. We opted for the lunch special 3 tapas for £14.75 and with 12 dishes between the 4 of us we had an amazing feast. The meatballs are to die for, the alioli is so moreish and the papos a lo pobre where delish. I can't wait to visit again!

Excellent food. Never been to anything like it. Best ever experience

Amazing authentic tapas, best in Newcastle. Set meal is best value around. Ambiance superb, a true experience and staff are super efficient. We will be back

What an amazing authentic Spanish tapas restaurant. Met up with some friends and ordered lots of dishes to try. Chicken and chorizo stew was so tasty and the chicken and date dish was lush. Staff were very efficient and friendly. We had a waitress called Erin who was super helpful and could explain the dishes to us.

Pretty crowded but fantastic food

The food was absolutely delicious and the tapas menu comes with so many options! You can also order a paella for the table which is absolutely stunning. Have been here multiple times and will come many more times in the future.

We enjoyed lovely veggie tapas served in cosy surroundings in the centre of town. Staff lovely too. Will definitely return .

Good selection of tapas 3 for £10 during restaurant week. Crowded tables and a bit noisy with an ok selection of beers. Service was quick and attentive. On the whole a place to go for quick food and then on to somewhere else to drink.

We were taken here by friends while visiting and meeting them for the first time. The food was amazing, and the service so friendly. If this isn’t the best Spanish restaurant in Newcastle then the others must be amazing.

Staff were very friendly lovely atmosphere but disappointed with the Food everything was very garlic to the point where that’s all I could taste we got the bread first with garlic dip and the tomato bread had no taste whatsoever. The potatoes just looked like...

We chose the two person tapas menu, which was excellent and great value for money. The staff were friendly and helpful without being intrusive.

Delicious selection of authentic and tasty tapas. We had a wonderful family meal here, ordered several dishes to share and jugs of sangria. We'll be back.

Visited El Coto after having read great reviews on here, as we were going to be staying in Newcastle for a few days. We were supposed to be dining with friends who live in Durham, but they made a mistake thinking it was the following...

Lovely food definitely recommend it.

Very disappointed with our visit today, food seemed reheated and very dry. Had plenty of 5 star meals here over our time, so hopefully just a one off poor show.

Fabulous lunch. Tapas was perfect, came at the right speed. Staff couldn’t do enough,food was delicious and sangria gorgeous. We sat outside and could of thought we were in the Mediterranean. Well done!

Have been several times; great food, lovely staff, prompt service and good value. The whole experience would be enhanced by some comfy sofas to sink into after the meal, while finishing your drinks.

First time eating here, the garlic Mayo is absolutely gorgeous and the baked aubergine dish is so beautiful I could have eaten just that all day! Will definitely be back 😃

Amazing food and attentive service. Wonderful

The staff here are so helpful and the food is lovely. Particularly liked the atmosphere as it’s relaxed but professional.

Honestly the best Tapas we have ever had anywhere in the world! We have grandparents and parents who live in Spain and our whole family agree this is the best Tapas we have had anywhere! We have been regularly for the last few years and...

Quaint restaurant with good ambience. Five of us tried the lunch special 3 tapas for £11.95. Food was amazing. All had different tapas and each dish was excellent. There was so much choice. The pork with blue cheese and mushroom sauce was especially good. The...

Saw this restuarant while looking on trip advisor walked past it on the day didn't look much from outside and was extremely quiet. We thought based on reviews we would phone and book a table. Arrived a bit earlier than planned and again thought it...

up in Newcastle & Tynemouth for a few day days , never had a bad meal but this was the best. Great choice for all dietary needs , great service , but the quality of food was what made it.

We visited today for lunch amid the wet & windy day outside! Great food lovely staff and big portions! Definatley put on your list if you havn't been.