Tapas Stories in City of London, Westminster

Wasn't overly impressed by this place. Wanted authentic Spanish tapas, but it really isn't that at all. The food is OK, I ate it all. I wouldn't go back, though. The most criminal part was that when we asked for a good wine, we got told the Maximo Blanco priced at £35. It tasted like a £5 bottle, I Google it, and yes, £5.22 you can buy a bottle for. Shocking.

Service, food and drinks were great. Will definitely be back.

Great food, lovely atmosphere🥰 Absolutely amazing service from Sandeep and Harsha!!!

Restaurante que cobra £ 1. 50 para sanitarios. No puedo creer que sea legal en el Reino Unido. Feliz de servir muchos líquidos, pero no feliz de lidiar con las consecuencias. ¿Alguna vez pensó en proporcionar fichas para que los clientes usen los baños? No porque usted es comerciantes de estafa maximizando las ganancias sobre la experiencia del cliente. ¡Por favor, no vayas a este lugar!

The food is tasty and the service was friendly. However the seatings and tables are quite cramped, and also there is no toilet inside the restaurant, you have to pay to go to the one that outside which belongs to Covent Garden.

La comida era muy agradable. Servicio eficiente La comida llegó a la mesa fresca y caliente. Volvería de nuevo El restaurante era fácil de ubicar y tenía un ambiente agradable

Had an amazing experience! Will definitely be going again!

Lovely location and decor however no bathroom, cost £1.5 to go to the bathroom (I needed cash ). The food is average, the ham had a rotten/mouldy taste, we returned it. The tortilla felt as good as the one you can buy at Tesco. All in all just an average place

Great place. Nice service. Great food.

Great establishment, top notch service. Very tasty cuisine.

Beautiful place, delicious food and drinks 👍

Cozy atmosphere, top-notch menu! Recommend!!!

Great place. Fresh bar and quick service, amazing. Wish list)

Best spanish tapas restaurante in London! Exelente service! You must try!

Comida encantadora, gran elección y buen ambiente. Estábamos sentados rápidamente y ya habíamos mirado el menú de fuera, así que pudimos ordenar rápidamente. La comida llegó en una buena cantidad de tiempo y se cocina a la orden tan caliente a la llegada. El personal era amable y servicial, incluso haciendo cambios en el menú debido a la intolerancia alimentaria. Muy pequeño, así que puede estar más ocupado durante los meses de verano, sin embargo, hay asientos cubiertos al aire libre si desea cenar fuera. Los precios eran lo que esperábamos para Covent Garden. La única desventaja era la cantidad limitada de refrescos disponibles, ya que no bebemos alcohol. Volvería a visitar y muy recomendable la tortilla española.

The food was good, I gave it four stars. However please be aware that the restaurant does not have it's own toilet. You will then have to go outside the restaurant to pay £1.50 each per person to use one of those chargeable toilets, even for children. After an expensive meal this spoiled the atmosphere. The waiter apologised but did not take the toilet charges off the service charge. We won't be going back.

La peor experiencia. Nunca imaginé que tendría que pagar por el baño mientras cenaba en un restaurante en Londres. Para una fiesta de 13 , terminó gastando 20 libras solo para ir al baño. Como el inodoro no es parte del restaurante, la policía del inodoro no fue exactamente amable y servicial cuando tienes que llevar a niños pequeños, y por cierto, esperemos que tengas dinero contigo. Si hay alguna pre-advertencia de que esta es la norma para comer en Covent Garden, hay un montón de lugares en otros lugares de Londres donde puedo gastar 30 - 40 + por cabeza y comer bien la comida y no preocuparse si tengo suficiente dinero para ir al baño.

Worst experience ever. Never imagined I would have to pay for toilet while dining in a restaurant in London. For a party of 13, ended up spending 20£ just to go toilet. As the toilet is not part of the restaurant, the toilet police was not exactly friendly and accommodating when you have to take young children in, and by the way, let’s hope you have cash with you. To be fair, staff is nice enough and food is ok. Just not what people expected when eating out in a restaurant where service charge is added as well.

Very good experience in Istanbul, very delicious food, with very friendly waiters. A little expensive (within average) but worth it.

The food was very tasty and the service was very pleasant.

No solo las mesas eran demasiado pequeñas para acomodar los platos, el camarero nos estaba mirando para encontrar una solución donde ponerlos. . Sin embargo, el problema más grande era que no había inodoro! ¡Nos dijeron que usáramos un baño en la plaza, que también tendríamos que pagar si, por desgracia, no se cerraba! La comida era buena, pero toda la experiencia dejó un sabor frustrante, así que nunca más!

We had food and drink today and must say sangria and Spanish omelette was really good! We also had pan con tomate, vegetarian croquette which was average.

Tapas Stories offers an exceptional dining experience with a perfect blend of warm ambiance, attentive service, and a welcoming atmosphere. From the moment we arrived, the staff made us feel at home, ensuring that every detail was taken care of with professionalism and a friendly touch. The service was outstanding—prompt, knowledgeable, and genuinely passionate about providing a great experience. The staff checked in just the right amount, making sure we were comfortable without being intrusive. The food was beautifully presented, bursting with flavor, and clearly made with high-quality ingredients. Every bite was a delight, showcasing expert preparation and attention to detail. The flavors were well-balanced, and the textures complemented each other perfectly, making each dish an experience in itself. From start to finish, everything about Tapas Stories impressed us. Whether you’re looking for a cozy evening out or a lively place to share great food with friends, this is a restaurant that delivers on all fronts.

Food was overpriced and very few bland options. The services was exceptional slow (took 20 mins to get some bread with olive oil and only 1 other table in the place). Feel they are living off their location not the quality

Great food, great staff.. Shame that you have to pay £3 for the toilet. Next door is free!

Excelente comida, muy reminiscente de España con un ambiente acogedor y el personal más amable. Vale la pena visitarlo. Sin duda recomendaría.

A really nice chill evening with some nice cocktails and good tapas and a nice paella. (I can compare this to paellas from El Saler in Spain). The Basque cheesecake was my first, but out of this world delicious pints own. It's a nice chill place overall

Good food with amazing vibe. The restaurant is quiet place hidden in Covent Garden and it's soo beautiful. The price is reasonable too! Thanks Sandy for a great service😊

Beautiful location and atmosphere. Very sweet and welcoming staff. Great music playing in the background to enjoy a peaceful meal! 💕

It was too cold to walk, everything was full, we decided to stop here, in Covent Garden, we did well because we were very well served, various dishes

The food was too expensive but the service was ok. Food was too bad for it’s price. Don't eat here, just find another restaurant. Food value for money is very poor.

worst, price is high, not spanish food

Great experience, excellent service delivered by Praveena ,will surely visit again .

The place is nice and the staff is very friendly but the food they offer is not Spanish. We left very disappointed.

The service by Harsha was amazing he was so kind, attentive and told us about every plate. Really nice place.

Although the place is nice and the dishes are good, it is very very expensive for what you have on the plate.

Lovely restaurant in Covent Garden- tucked away in the basement- we ate here last week before going to a show - Praveena our waitress was friendly helpful- big smile on her face when serving customers- highly recommend

Typical Spanish food. We had the opportunity to eat Spanish potato pie. Delicious. Coven Garden is very nice place.

Lovely food and friendly staff. Thank you Praveena for your wonderful service tonight, sorry we were a bit loud!

Increíble, amable servicio. Definitivamente volvería a este lugar súper lindo! ¡Teníamos vino caliente y realmente nos calentó!

Thank you Victoria for your attention… everything is delicious… the place is super nice… and the music 10/10🇨🇴

Beautiful experience. Thank you.

The food was decent, but the service left much to be desired. We specifically requested our drinks to arrive before the food, but the food arrived first, and the drinks came much later. Adding to the frustration, the restaurant has no Wi-Fi and poor internet connection. When we asked for Wi-Fi to extend our car park session due to their delays, they refused to assist. On top of all this, the service charge felt excessive and unjustified. Overall, a disappointing experience. Wouldn’t recommend unless significant improvements are made.

Tuvimos el mejor tiempo de la historia, desde un amable servicio al cliente, buena comida y felicitar a la gerente por su atención al detalle. Recomiendo totalmente si usted está buscando un lugar acogedor e íntimo.

- The dish is delicious - the service of Praveena is good, she not only recommends dishes for me, but also deliver service with patience, gentleness and protectiveness, she is also being very helpful to satisfy my requests. - I luv the interior design in Covent Garden

We had a really lovely afternoon there with our children, there was live music playing outside which we really enjoyed. The food was delicious, but the best thing was the very friendly and warm service, which made us feel at home. If we're ever in the area again, we'll definitely come back here.

Booked a table for 5pm. Turned up and it says closed with all the lights switched off with no reason why. Don't recommend. It was my birthday today as well so was looking forward to this.

Booked this restaurant a week in advance and got cofirmation email and everything. Literally hours before the actual booking, the booking was cancelled by the restaurant with no explanation. Have called 10 times and no answer.

Great food, great staff, complimentary b day dessert was a lovely touch

The only good thing about this place is the location. The bread with tomato only tasted like the parsley on top. The croquettes are edible although frozen. The horrible patatas bravas. To make matters worse, the establishment did not have a bathroom and although they give you a ticket to avoid having to pay for the public bathrooms in the market, you have to wait in line. In short, correct place and service, but the food does not taste like anything and much less deserves the price it has. A bad idea to eat here.

How bad the food is... I am a regular resident of Spain and I have never eaten such bad tapas. Let's go to the mess: the patatas bravas (probably frozen) without flavor with a tomato sauce (a little spicy) but that could perfectly be Orlando, croquettes with almost no flavor apart from an olive sauce that is completely left over and the bread with tomato without "sucar" tomato and with who knows what oil (but hardly any flavor). The price is very expensive for the quality of the food. If it were cheap I would understand it, but it isn't. The only thing that is saved is the environment. The violinists and the opera singer a 10. I only ask that you improve the quality before calling anything tapa. P.S. I saw different dishes that were served to different diners and the omelet looked very bad.

Nice, Halsha was amazing!!!! Top server but the entire team including the host were also great.

Parada aquí para descansar y unas tapas a media tarde durante una visita al Mercado. Compartí una tabla de quesos y algunas sangrías en un entorno muy lindo, mientras disfrutaba del entretenimiento al aire libre. Encantador lugar.

Stopped here for a rest and some mid-afternoon tapas during a visit to the Market. Shared a cheese board and some sangrias in a really cute setting, while enjoying the entertainment outside. Lovely place and would recommend. ☺️

Good restaurant option in Covent Garden. Food was delicious and wine too! Good quality of ingredients. The only reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is because the place is small, we sat very cramped and practically the dishes we ordered didn't all fit on the table. Furthermore, there is no purifier in the kitchen, we left the restaurant with our clothes smelling of food grease.

Great service and great food, but maybe it's a bit oily because of customs

Amazing place!!!!, the only problem is the music that is very bad!

Paella was amazing, Churros amazing, awesome drinks, and really friendly staff - We loved it :-)

Hervorragendes Essen, sehr leckere Drinks und super nettes Personal in toller Atmosphäre. Sehr zu empfehlen!!! Wir kommen wieder

Super nice staff, very tasty tapas and the Aperol is worth every €/£

Gran ambiente. Muy buen servicio de Josh que recomendó un gran vino y fue muy atento con su servicio Bonito lugar para relajarse con una copa de vino después de un largo día de caminata por Londres

We didn’t have much time before seeing a show and we stumbled across this place and took a chance. It exceeded expectations. Super friendly and helpful staff, lovely house wine, delicious food, and all done quickly so that we could head off. Really impressed would definitely come again.

One of Covent Garden's gems, a small but atmospheric tapas place with quality ingredients, really kind staff, we totally loved the seafood paella! :)

First time in Europe/London and Tapas Stories is the first place in London/Europe I ate at.. Absolutely Amazing Sangria, Tapas and service!!! Thank you for an amazing first meal in London.

The food was lovely and the staff were brilliant. In particular Umayma and Sumayaru (sorry if i've spelt either wrong). Would very much recommend.

Our first rooky mistake was actually deciding to eat in Covent Garden Square as generally it is overpriced, However, our biggest mistake was choosing this restaurant! Absolute waste of money even the drinks were disgusting, we left most of the food and drink they never even asked us was it okay? Totally indifferent. We ordered Patata Bravas which were basically roast potatoes which had been done in the deep fat fryer and they tasted like it with sauce that tasted very much like franks hot sauce, we ordered calamari which was rubbery and the batter kept falling off this was a good thing as the batter was rank as well. we also ordered olives which were in edible and pan con tomata which basically tasted like tin tomatoes on toast with some really bad olive oil drizzled over the top. we did order another dish, but they never brought it and we were actually quite grateful 🙏🏻 when the bill came They had a cheek to include a service charge 😂 we asked them to remove it which they did. Overall I would warn anybody to stay clear of this place total waste of money.

Food was really nice but service and attitude of staff was poor. Food was served at all different times. Food was served eventually for 4 of us and by the time we had finished eating then food was served to the 5th person who had to eat on their own whilst the rest of us had finished our meals. Then one last meal was sent out to a different one of us. We were offered one complimentary small cheesecake for us all to share. The bill eventually came after asking for it a few times with a supplementary charge of 12.5% which was around £20. We asked for this to be taken off for obvious reasons. The manager came over and asked why we didn’t want to pay this infront of other customers which made us feel really uncomfortable. We explained the reasons why and he seemed to storm off. He then went in to the kitchen and was speaking to his colleagues and looking at us. He then ignored us and spent 10 minutes doing other things in the kitchen to purposely waste our time. It was obvious he took the surcharge situation personal. We had to politely ask another member of staff if we could pay the bill as we made to be running late for a theatre show. We finally paid and left whilst the manager continued to stay away in the kitchen whilst we left. Again, food was nice but it’s a shame some of the staff ruined this.

4 of us stopped for lunch whilst in london. Expected london prices, but what we got was awful Food was dismal, paid £108 for meat platter [£21.00] and seafood paella [£28] and 4 beers, alcohol free cocktail and tiny glass of fruit juice. The paella was burnt on the bottom, and certainly not enough for 2, as advertised. The meat platter was barely enough for 1 [meant as sharer] and had stale bread, no butter. Probably £4 worth of meat from aldi, if that. Service was OK, but spent more time on their phones. Will never eat there again. Total rip off.

Wonderful spot in Covent Garden. Food was lovely, not entirely an authentic experience, but very close.

We sat at the tables outside to enjoy the spectacle of the musicians who were performing and we had two Alhambra for 14 pounds. The waitress was very nice to us

Great food ( amazing patatas bravas ) super nice staff 10/10

Very hot. Food not good. Wine not good

Warm friendly service. 5 star quality food. Reasonable prices for London. Sit back and enjoy music from busking musicians.

Delicious food expertly done. The kids loved the sharing platter and the octopus was excellent. Would happily go back again.

I had a wonderful lunch with my daughter while visiting London. We ordered the Seafood Paella and Patatas Brivas it was absolutely delish. We ate outside and watched a woman sing opera. I believe the acts change every hour as someone else was playing stringed instruments when we walked by later. I would eat there again in a heartbeat.

I recently dined at Tapas Stories and had a delightful experience. The sangria was exceptionally good, perfectly refreshing and flavorful. I also enjoyed the shrimp tortillas and gambas which were a fantastic recommendation from Harsha, the waiter. He was very attentive and offered excellent suggestions for other dishes as well. Overall, a great place for a quick meal.

I made a reservation for an elderly family member's birthday and staff called to check whether we would like an indoor or outdoor table and even sang happy birthday when they brought dessert We ordered more food than we could eat and they packed it up for us to take home The staff were quick to address any questions or issues we had It was slow when we came to pay the bill but in central London I had low expectations for this I would have liked oil and balsamic to have been available for the bread that came with other plates, it seemed as though there was a separate sourdough bread with condiments dish to order if you wanted oil and vinegar

Cute location, amazing paella and super nice service from Praveena :) I recommend visiting for a cozy and pleasing experience.

An amazing little restaurant with the most delicious food. A special mention to Umayma who was a wonderful waitress. Whilst in the restaurant we were serenaded by a small orchestra followed by a dolo opera singer performing just outside. A perfect setting to say the least

We went to this lovely tapas place situated in Covent Garden the staff was really sweet food was really good and the place is small and quaint luckily we found a table

Lovely place & conveniently located in Covent Garden. Food was delicious & service brilliant. Atmosphere very chilled & authentic. Thank you xx

We came in the evening and even it was still more than 30 min until closing, we felt like we were not welcomed here. Prosecco was served without any bucket of ice, waiter just put on the table without even opening for us, no recommendation offered. Basically no service whatsoever and feeling was like they wanted all of the customers just to leave as soon as possible. Would not recommend and would not come back here.

Cute place in covent garden. Umayma was amazing!! 5* she's a credit to Tapas Stories. Thank you for making my celebrations special. See you again soon!

We thought everything about this restaurant experience was perfect. We love tapas restaurants and think this is one of the best. The food was delicious and the service was excellent too, so friendly. We were lucky with excellent entertainment (a strings ensemble) opposite while we were there. I enjoyed a superb (or two) glass of Spanish red. If you like tapas bars then don't hesitate to book (we think booking would be recommended, we booked). Excellent value for London, we'll most definitely return and recommend to friends (already have!). Thank you Team Tapas Stories you are doing a great job!

We waited at the sign saying ‘please wait to be seated’ so we did. I saw a few members of staff inside the restaurant trying to get their attention waiting about 5 minutes. One member of staff came out and attended the table next to where we were standing (literally 2 foot away) and took their order. I thought maybe she would then take us to a table but no she went back inside and completely ignored us. No attention to anyone who wanted to have a meal, such a shame. But glad we didn’t have a meal and have to listen to the awful opera singer!

posto da turista, porzioni piccole e prezzo alto. piacevole l’atmofera, data dai musicisti di strada. non lo consiglio

Great find, slightly off the beaten path. They offer an excellent variety of small plates, and everything our family sampled was tasty. We ate just outside their restaurant in the courtyard. If you need a little more quiet, best to take an inside table. Good value and definitely recommended.

Very nice restaurant with very good paella and really nice service. We really enjoyed our visit here.

This restaurant was a real winner! Really friendly and helpful staff, nice atmosphere and delicious, freshly cooked tapas. We loved every dish we ordered and will definitely be coming back again. The mushroom croqetas were new to me but really, really tasty. I highly recommend Tapas Stories.

Overpriced pretentious tourist trap. Paid £80 for some tiny snacks (not really very authentic tapas either). Stories!

EDIT: The management reached out to me and offered a lot of different options that I didn't know existed. Sounds like there's a way to curate the experience a bit more. Additionally, not only is the in-house staff lovely and attentive, the management who reached out are as well. They offered to make things right with us, even though our experience was not that bad to begin with. But it's that kind of great service that would make me want to come back and try again. Note* we only tried the Tapas Mixtas. The other food looked great and I'm sure is delicious as well, only I can't speak to it. Would love to try it though, especially to support them. ORIGINAL REVIEW: Ordered the tapas mixtas charcuterie board. Came with 2 types of hard cheese, no salt pepper or olive oil. Service was great though. Food we ordered was meh.

A real gem in the heart of Covent Garden. Situated on the lower gallery this Tapas bar is a real find. Came across on a Friday evening before a concert. Some tables outside in courtyard as well. We were able to get a table without booking. Staff were very pleasant and helpful. Decor inside this small oasis was lovely, walls adorned with Spanish ceramics. We ordered gambas All Ajillo and Spanish mixed filled croquettes along with table du pan which consisted of a selection of warm breads with virgin olive oil and balsamic. We chose their Spanish organic white to go with the food. The food was excellent, dishes arrived hot. You could tell everything was fresh and food was at table as soon as it was ready. The atmosphere was great, musicians playing/singing in the courtyard added to the laid back atmosphere. Prices for London were ok, if you want good food. We will definitely be going back next time we're in London.

Food is great. Service is great, the ladies were soo sweet and welcoming. Atmosphere and price is great. I had the braised ribs and the churros with Rose *chefs kiss*. I definitely recommend!

Very good and beautifully prepared tapas; a bit cave-like but cozy

There weren't many things I could eat, but when I could, they were very good

Nice place outside music ao vivo

Visited here a week ago and honestly the only thing that's memorable is the balsamic vinegar. Food was very mediocre for the price. However, the service was exceptional and very kind so thank you for that.

As another reviewer has noted, the place is nice (well, what wouldn't be in a location like Covent Garden) but the food - and the drink - was abysmal with a capital 'A'. Spain should stop places like this giving 'tapas' a bad name. Make it like 'champagne' where using the name is verboten unless the stuff is made there. Or at least where a certain standard is maintained if they're going to use the name wherever. The 'sangria' didn't IMHO have any alcohol in it, the bread platter was made with stale bread, and what the hell the shrimp tortilla was supposed to be I really couldn't work out - tasted and looked like a crusty shoe sole. They're lucky to get a single star for the food. Avoid like the plague!

Lovely service, tasty food and great atmosphere

Beautifully set in the piazza, delicious food and drinks, the prawns &croquettes &basque cheesecake were all delicious! Staff are friendly and gave great recommendations. AND the doorstep piazza performances add to the lovely atmosphere.