Zapata Tunbridge Wells in Tunbridge Wells - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Pretty standard Mexican fare but overall pretty good. Menu was as you would expect, food quality was good and decent portinos. Service friendly. Good value.

Not a great start when you're the only table (of 6) on a Friday night...we were seated on an enormous table and it made it hard to chat to everyone. The massive market style flowers on the table needed to be moved as we couldn't see each other! Terrible lift-muzic in the background. The service was attentive and the menu looked awesome, if very expensive, but I was expecting an exceptional meal and couldn't wait to get ordering. Disappointed with the 'snacks' I had - pork cheeks were tough, dry and over-cooked and the whitebait was slightly soggy and not crispy. My main of halibut looked delicious, albeit a tiny portion of fish. The presentation of the food is excellent. However the fish was overcooked and dry the side it had been cooked on was like leather, - I scraped the meat off so I didn't have to chew through the dry side. The generous portion of leak fondue was so salty I couldn't eat it. A few of my fellow diners also found their meals too salty and we informed the waiter. The mash and beans were lovely. My dessert of pineapple and sorbet was very nice however we were not given forks so it was very hard to cut without it flying all over the plate. We asked for water and were given glasses and not a jug despite everyone emptying their glasses and asking for more (possibly due to the very salty food). It's a shame, I had high expectations, the restaurant is well designed, smart and comfortable, there is plenty of parking on site and the menu looks incredible (but expensive). If it had been any good I would have returned to try everything on it. It would have been the perfect venue for special occasions or treat, but I'm sad to say I won't be returning.

Nunca he escrito un comentario antes, pero no me podía creer lo bruta de la comida aquí era. La comida era sosa y quemada y la enchilada probado de cartón. No vayas aquí. Realmente me arrepiento de pagar por mi comida. Nunca he comido nada tan insípido y desagradable.

He estado aquí varias veces en últimos años esta será mi última visita. Cuando llegamos había un letrero que decía sólo en efectivo, me dijo camarero que tome un paseo por cajero automático más cercano en cerca de 10 minutos de ida y vuelta Sainsbury's! ! Dejé mi esposa sola en la mesa para conseguir bebidas mientras me daba el paseo. Cuando volví, mi esposa no tenía bebidas como ella era incapaz de conseguir en la mesa mientras me atendió había desaparecido. Esto era un problema más de noche al parecer sólo hay dos camareros para cuando el restaurante 4 hubiera sido apropiado. Tuvimos que esperar un largo tiempo solo para pedir agua en la mesa algo que debería estar en la mesa desde el principio en un restaurante mexicano Mi comida era buena, pero mi esposa no fajitas tan seguro sobre sus enchiladas. No nos ofrecen un menú de postres el menú era mucho menos de nuestras visitas en años anteriores nos fuimos a buscar un buen bar en lugar de estancia aquí sólo como era tan difícil conseguir servicio y efectivo! ! Teníamos intención antes de nuestra visita a estancia tarde tienen postres y bebidas es una pena. Esta vez me siento popular mexicana en una ubicación estupenda han tenido sus días de mi.

No nos habíamos ido a fueron zapatas por 18 años. Parece ser que ha cambiado de manos y de haber leído algunos comentarios negativos que esperaban que fuera tan buena como hace 18 años. No nos decepcionó! Dos adolescentes, mi marido y yo nos encantó. Gran ambiente con una gran fiesta privada en una mitad del restaurante y mesas completas en la otra. El personal era amable y servicial, la comida deliciosa (recomiendo los nachos que estaban apila distintos aderezos y el pollo enchiladas) y cócteles morish. Sin duda volveremos.

Apparently under new ownership since the end of 2016, but as I've not been before I've nothing to compare against. There is a very limited menu but well cooked and flavoursome food. Especially the chicken fajitas. Very reasonably priced, and very helpful staff. Will return for sure!

Great atmosphere, friendly staff, delicious authentic and fresh food at reasonable prices. I highly recommend you order Pina Colada -the best one I've ever had! Chicken fajita was served sizzling hot and it looked appetising. Churros oh my! what a treat, nice and crispy just perfect! Looking forward to my next visit. Keep up the good work!

We've not been to Zapata's for a while and were surprised at the reduced menu choices but we both found something we liked and were very pleased with our choices. The salsa and chips started things off well - gorgeous salsa! My beef nachos were lovely as were the patatas bravas. My husband enjoyed his chicken enchiladas and we both cleared our plates. We will definitely be back as the food was great and reasonably priced.

If you're walking through the Pantiles looking for somewhere to eat it's worth the effort to look out for Zapatas a Mexican restaurant with new owners. The atmosphere and surroundings were delightful and provided a lovely setting for a family evening out. The staff were attentive and the food was tasty well presented and a delight to eat. Difficult for me to say how authentic it was as it was my first experience of Mexican food however extremely enjoyable and will definately be visiting again. The new owners deserve to do well with the effort they are putting in to making your visit a truly wonderful experience. If you've tried the restaurant in the past and were disappointed give it another visit I don't think you will be sorry. Parking close by, booking advisable.

First time at Zapata. Great atmosphere, friendly staff, tasty autentic food. With Wife, Daughter, son in law & grandson. Cocktails A1, Mariachi Band completed the night.

The new owners of Zapatas are just wonderful! Friendly, welcoming and accommodating! The food was fantastic, really fresh ingredients and varied menu! Can't wait to go back soon!!!

I recently had the pleasure of eating at Zapatas. The restaurant is under new management and you can tell that the passion for authentic Mexican food is back on the Pantiles! We all felt so welcome by Daniel and Emilia, who could not do enough to make our visit enjoyable, they are clearly very committed to their customers.The food is delicious, cooked by Daniel himself, the restaurant is beautiful a little piece of Mexico. The perfect escape, during a cold Winter! I am looking forward to cocktails in the sunshine when the summer arrives!

This restaurant is UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT and I have been stunned how different it might be from past dining experience.The new owners (lovely young couple) took over mid-December; we went there last night and the food was super fresh and tasty; we were very pleasantly surprised and would definitely recommend it.If you've not been since December, give it another try and I'm sure you'll be as pleased as we were.Premises are very clean (including the all-important toilets) and the staff were great and made us feel very welcome.Overall, we had a great night out and enjoyed several amazing cocktails.

The loveliest family now owns Zapata's! We were served with Authentic and delicious Mexican food- tortilla chips and dip whilst choosing and the cocktails are lush- even adapted a daiquiri to suit my allergies. The fajitas were scrumptious and my friends had enchiladas. We were all very happy with the meals. The churros are the best I have tasted and of course you have to have tequila. Daniel, his beautiful wife Emilia and their staff bent over backwards to make the evening wonderful. I really hope customers don't let negative service and reviews from previous owners discourage them to visit Zapata's in the future with Daniels lovely food and management!

I went to Zapata for my friend's birthday party, it was great! Service was very good, we were welcomed with free tortilla chips and salsa so we could munch something while waiting for our starters, the food was delicious and in the end all staff came to sing "happy birthday" for my friend, she was put a massive sombrero on her head and received a free shot of tequila! Good music, cheerful staff and great Mexican like atmosphere. Price was also good, all my friends were very happy, definitely coming back!

Zapata is having a relaunch with real mexican tasty food and great atmoshphere. Salsas were excellent, tacos de cochinita pibil delicious and the churros were second to none in the South East! Looking forward to the new menu.

Visited on a weeknight evening as a group of friends. Despite being the only table in the restaurant, it took over 20 minutes for our drinks to arrive. The same was the same with the food - the meals came out one by one. I ended up paying over £20 for a starter and main - massively overpriced considering you could tell the majority of my meal was bought in really cheaply. Service was ok, waitresses didn't seem too happy to be there but other than that it was fine. At the end of the meal when we were ready to pay, we found out there was a problem with their card machine, meaning we had to stay another half an hour or so while they resolved this for some members of our group to pay. We were given no proper explanation or apology for this, which I feel was quite unprofessional. Even if this hadn't have happened, I feel due to the price alone I won't be returning any time soon.

After reading poor reviews about this place, I was horrified when my mate told me he had booked us up for a night out! On arrival I thought the place looked dead and the drinks were quite expensive. But credit, where credit due, the food was very good and at a reasonable price. Service was also good, and as the saying goes don't judge a book by it's cover .

Visited this restaurant for the first time in a couple of years recently and it has improved dramatically since my last visit. The staff especially Peter who served us was extremely polite and attentive and was very knowledgeable about the menu could not ask for better service or a better Mexican meal and experience. Thanks ever so much

I just went with my foreign student to this newly re-opened Mexican restaurant. We were warmly welcomed by the waitress The tortilla chips and dips starters arrived very quickly. The chicken enchiladas we both had were delicious and very filling. The house wine was lovely. We were so happy we chose to go there. The Mexican music completed the atmosphere of a warm inviting environment. I thoroughly recommend it.

Today I had dinner at Zapata's and it was very nice. As it reopened, the ambience was very new and comfortable. The staff was very very nice and the food was absolutely delicious. I'd definitely recommend going there and plan to go there again as well.

I had my meal at Zapata's yesterday as I heard they were reopening. The food we ordered (nachos, beef fajita, chicken enchilada and steak chipotle) was delicious and steak was cooked perfect! I heard they have a proper Mexican chef now! It also looks like they have new management, hope will stay this way! Our waitress was lovely, very polite, helpful and smiling all the time! Oh, and we got our first drinks on the house! I do recommend the place to all who love good Mexican food!

Absolutely disgusted!!!!!!!! Made a booking for 6 people and arrived at the restaurant and it was closed. I even called to confirm our booking a couple of days ago. IT WAS FOR MY BIRTHDAY!!! Which they have ruined! Thanks very much. Several of my guests had traveled a considerable distance to have dinner here to celebrate with me. The restaurant had my mobile number, they could have called and advised if they were planning to close, they didn't. We will NEVER be going to Zapata's again.

First time visit with friends. Lovely food, pleasant and helpful staff, great food and chilled beer. No rush, no hassle, reasonable prices - what more could you want?

My partner have eaten here on many occasions and it just keeps getting worse. We visited last sunday and ordered our usual meal, which was different in presentation and quality. The jalepeno poppers were tasteless, and patatas bravas cold and hard. Main courses were also burnt. My beef chilli was greasy and worse than buyng a ready meal.Very sad as we have lovely memories of this restaurant, but will not be coming back.

This was a year ago.We went, as an afterthought (but hindsight is a cruel mistress) for a friend's 40th birthday - it was darn near a month before her 41st birthday when the food finally arrived on the tableCold, tasteless, sporadic serving terms, cocktails a glass of ice which the spirits hadn't been within shouting distance from; the menu could have been written on a Post It note for the range that was actually available.This restaurant, many years back was excellent - what's changed?

Having worked in the area for years i had fond memories of this place. It used to be a great place to go after work for drinks and a bite to eat.Sadly the years have not been kind to this establishment. Gone are the friendly and capable staff, gone is the quality service, gone is the atmosphere.Food takes ages to arrive, doesn't come out at once and is average at best.Won't be going back here again

Probably the worst experience I have ever had at a restaurant. 4 of us went for dinner, we ordered Nachos to start with a bottle of sparkling water and 2 beers, then one 6 hour slow cooked ribs and 3 fajitas. The restaurant was less than half full.Drinks took 25 minutes, bearing in mind there were 2 bar staff working just on the bar, we kept getting told they were being poured. The beer was flat and we had to ask for new ones.Nachos after 45 mins arrived with grated cheese straight out of the fridge with two small dollops of salsa and guacamole. We ate half and said it wasn't nice to the manager and he apologised.After 1 hour and 25 minutes are main courses arrived simply DREADFUL. Fajitas wraps and meat were cold and the ribs had come straight from the freezer. We complained and the manager said he would get us some more but we just left.Incidentally one other couple had walked out and the ladies sitting next to us had to wait 25 minutes for a bottle of wine and were also considering leaving.

We arrived for my 30th birthday meal as a table of 8 and were seated. 15-20 minutes later we have to ask for a drinks menu. It was busy so this can be forgiven. I ordered a jug of traditional Sangria, 10 minutes later I was informed the restaurant has no fruit? So I order wine instead. We eventually had to request food menus. Now, if you are like me and looked online at the menu the question you would ask is where is the rest of the food? Limited is an understatement. Half the menu advertised online is not present, with chilli, burrito, steak, seafood pasta, or fajitas being the whole menu. I was hoping for a gorgeous paella but it no longer exists. We order regardless. Maybe the kitchen couldn't cope with a big menu. About an hour + later the food comes out here are our thoughts:- Chorizo stater a Lil tough not rendered enough to caramelise - Gambas starter frozen prawns lots of peppers in lots of oil - Nachos I think were good yay!- Beef chilli advertised as super hot - it's sweet with no heat whatsoever!- Burrito - apparently it's chicken as we informed they don't do beef burritos, and this arrived 15 minutes after everyone elses was served - Seafood fajitas - it's just prawn and definitely frozen ones. So much for fresh produce and served cold, so much for sizzle!- Steak and peppercorn sauce - steak average, sauce pretty much cream not much flavour.We decided to talk to the manager and we offered to pay for drinks and 50% of the food bill. After debating with his aggressive nature he called the police 999 Really? Not sure it's an emergency. Obviously they aren't going to come, they have important issues to be dealing with. After more deliberation we came to an agreement. I'm tired, hungry and we want to leave. All in all save yourself the hassle. You will get more authentic Mexican in a box of old El paso.

I have eaten at this place many times over the years. However last night when my family sat down for dinner I noticed that my wife's 175ml glass of wine was no-where near 175ml and the 250ml glass I ordered was also much smaller than 250ml. I asked the waiters twice about this and they said I was wrong. It took me to ask a waiter to bring the measure out to prove I was right. When the manager came out who was new to the restaurant he told me that he had pointed this out to the owners (who are on holiday in Portugal) but they refused to change the glasses. He said that there was only one 250ml glass. The 175 ml was less than 125ml and the 250ml was 175ml. Total rip off and illegal I would think.

To start on the best, the young staff seemed to be trying. Unfortunately the food was bland for some of my friends, inedible for others. Service was terrible, food came out cold and that was after an hour waiting. One person got the wrong thing, it was taken away and not replaced. When we sat down it took 20 minutes to take our drinks order and another 20 minutes to deliver them. The second round took 30 minutes. After all of this we disputed the bill offering to pay for all of the drinks and 50% of the food. After arguing for a while the manager, who refused to listen to reason and was very aggressive, called the police.Unsurprisingly the police were uninterested. We ultimately paid a much reduced amount. I'm a bit sad writing this as I've been many times over the years and it was always great, however the recent change of menu and staff has been a disaster.

I found it a tad pricey, however the food I had was faultless. The inside is very nicely finished and has a great atmosphere. A good place to come for a few drinks too as they do cocktails and have seats outside.

Albeit we arrived on a busy night (Jazz at the Pantiles), this was just poor. Food is now just average, with non-sizzling Fajitas arriving about an hour after the starter. But the real tragedy is the service - obviously untrained kids knocking over drinks, getting orders mixed up and generally looking like they were surprised they had customers. Even a free beer on the house couldn't restore the evening. Sad as this used to be a nice place with a good menu and choice of beers - now the menu is very basic and only 2 Mexican Beers. Avoid :-(

Having pre-booked we were shown to an unstable table outside with no chairs. When provided the chairs were in as poor condition as the table. This should have been a warning sign and I cannot find any positive comments to make about this appalling restaurant. The service was slow and disorganised, 35 minute wait for a drink led to first apology and reduced priced drink.. Nachos thrown on the plate. Table had to be propped up to stop food sliding off.After 90 minutes and a further free drink the main courses arrived - the table still hadn't been set so an additional wait for our cutlery. First mouthful confirmed that the microwave obviously wasn't working as the food was cold. We asked the staff to remove the food and bring the bill. We were obviously not the only customers with similar service as the atmosphere was very uncomfortable. We were then told we didn't have to pay for anything, which does not solve the problem of the terrible evening and no dinner - this seems to be an automatic response to the many issues customers are experiencing.Do not waste your time at Zapatas, you will leave frustrated and hungry. They do not deserve your custom.

Todo correcto sabroso, la comida servida rápida , amabilidad por parte de los camareros ,local acogedor Mesas con velas ! Muy romántico

Food average to poor and totally lacks imagination. Measly portions and the chilli was awful. Empty restaurant but still took 40 minutes before starters arrived. When I questioned whether everything was freshly made each day, the waiter said of course and the head chef previously worked in a Michelin Star restaurant...really?! They did give us a free drink by way of an apology which is why I scored this restaurant a 2 instead of 1.

They don't know the difference between a burrito and enchilada. Starters were good but mains were a watery, tasteless mess. We all ordered something different and it all came out looking the same. AVOID at every cost. We had to walkout after getting out money back and headed down to Pizza Express for some proper food!!

We went, expecting fresh food with lively flavours, and were presented with something resembling school dinners. The service was average.

Booked a table for 12 for 8.30 for my 50th birthday .. Pre ordered food 3 days before. Still waiting at 10pm, food not as per the menu .. And cold. Mains took ages to appear, Over all I'm so upset as people had travelled from far and wide to celebrate with me and the service and food was truely appalling !! Never ever again!!!

Two years later and not much has changed, just giving the place a rather tired feel. The service was fine, unlike the background music which was eclectic to say the least. The menu was very limited with a "something for everyone feel" - chicken supreme, steak and seafood linguine were the house specials. The food just had a school dinner feeling about it - including the metal tray one of the dishes was served with (grated cheese garnished with an olive?) - lacking freshness that Mexican food should have. Would I go again? No.

Wrote a long email to Zapata's as there was no management on the night of this experience however two weeks on and no response they clearly couldn't care less so I'll help you all save your cash so you can eat somewhere worthwhile! Two of us went for dinner on jazz night about two weeks ago, yes it was very busy on the Pantiles but the covers the restaurants were turning over on the rest of the Pantiles far exceeded the numbers Zapata's was dealing with.Off to a strong start we waited twenty minutes for anyone to even ask if we wanted a drink let alone order, eventually we went and grabbed a waitress who then came over and took our order. Another good 15-20 minutes our starter came which was just nachos out of a bag and a couple of dips with our drinks still nowhere to be seen. About another twenty minutes later we managed to grab another drink and now two hours into ordering, us along with a few other tables were clearly starting to wonder what on earth was going on. A waitress came to our table to tell us there was still a wait and she was clearly being put in a tough position by your usual chefs who don't know how to take responsibility for being terrible at their jobs. Shortly after the waitress came back and said it would be another forty minute wait on an order of fajitas and a quesadilla, something which takes no time to make. At this point we had waited to hours to drink two pints and then have to leave, missed the Jazz night and it was to late to get food anywhere else.Looking at the reviews this is clearly not the first time this has happened. This was the first time I've ever had to leave a restaurant before eating but in fairness I was lucky to even get a drink.There was no management whatsoever unless they were hiding away from some furious customers throughout the restaurant, the chefs are clearly hiding away in their kitchen and blaming it on the floor staff and the lack of care for customers is clear in their lack of response to my email.I literally set up a trip advisor account to explain quite how bad this experience was. Zapata's capitalises on its high footfall and events put on by the Pantiles to get by and is clearly totally incompetent of serving any significant number of covers.SO SO BAD! Going to jazz night? Book a table somewhere nice on the Pantiles or grab a burger from the food stand, something is better than nothing.

The food was really tasty but the portions wee small the service slow and the furniture in need of a deep clean and repair.

We visited the Zapata with friends on a Saturday night. The food was beautiful, served quickly and piping hot. The staff are all very knowledgeable and friendly even though it was quite busy. The service was absolutely amazing! Wasn't disappointed, will come back for sure.

More then one hour for wait the food and the waiters didn't know where the numbers tables. The second round of beer came after 20 minute that we order it. Very disappoint. I advise it just for the position and for drink something.

Really lovely food . Went to a Jazz Eve at Pantiles and managed to get a table outside . Really helpful waiting staff , very pleasant . Nice bottle of cold water when asked for unlike some places . Had sharing Nachos which were delicious followed by Burrittos . Just lovely . Very nice Mojitos and wine . Thank you all for a lovely eve .

Have not been back for some time but a lovely summer evening at the Pantiles drew us to Zapata with overseas friends. Fabulous young and friendly team, great food and a really enjoyable experience. No hesitation in going back.

I've always loved the food here, depending what you order it can be a bit of a swing and a miss but it's up to individual taste. Service was friendly and quick considering it was a large table of about 10 of us. Felt very at home as the drinks kept coming. A good night with good friends and a good restaurant.

Waiting 2 hours for our main course was unacceptable in any restaurant, but when the meals did arrive they were incomplete plus ordered items were missing altogether. The waiting staff were doing their best so no fault on their part.

My partner and I have been regular visitors to Zapattas over the years, it used to be one of our favourite restaurants in TW, unfortunately that's no longer the case.We had a meal a few days ago, booked and arrived at 7:30 - were served cocktails and our nachos starter in good time - however, we were then left waiting until 9:20pm for our mains to arrive! The restaurant wasn't even half full so we couldn't work out why this was taking so long.We were only approached once by a server in this time asking if we wanted another drink - at 9pm I went to the bar to ask if our food was coming soon because we were starving by then, the girl said she'd just been to check and it would be out soon - we were then offered a complimentary cocktail each as an apology which was a nice gesture.The food was ok - not a scratch on what it used to be, my chicken and chorizo nortenas had no chorizo. I'd had this same meal here a few years ago before they changed the menu and it was so so much better then!The girls working were all very nice, but clearly quite young and inexperienced, a bit of training to boost their confidence and customer service skills would be recommended.Sadly I don't think we'll be returning to what was once a favourite spot for us any time soon.

We are tourists walking in the Pantiles, happened upon Zapatas and decided to give it a go. Plenty of variety on the menu, the food arrived in good time and was nice and hot. We enjoyed the service we received from Matty and would recommend it as a nice, informal place to dine.

What a terrible jazz night Thursday we had. 5 staff all Eastern Europe and under 21, we no understanding of the menu!!!We asked for 1 extra tortilla , at a cost of 20p in the shops and were told we had to buy 4!!!!. My partner and I shared a main and got 3 tortillas to share.....dohPre - cooked food and terrible young staff.....please don't make the mistake we made....go else where!!!!

Dinner on a Thursday night, close enough to the pantiles to enjoy jazz night. Seemed like a good idea.We ordered nachos to start, which for a Mexican restaurant I felt was akin to getting poppadoms at a curry house. We waited at least 25 minutes for these, which were OK. Another 20 minute wait for our mains however, was not. On top of this we were served enchiladas instead of the burritos we ordered, which caused confusion amongst the staff, who we actually had to argue with to point out that the dishes were wrong. No amendments to the bill as promised, and the staff seemed uninterested and not bothered by our disappointment. Very disappointing from a restaurant I remember being pretty good. I won't be going back.

We enjoyed a wonderful meal in Zapatas to celebrate friends 30th birthday. Our waiter Matty was friendly and efficient. Really laid back and made us feel welcome - we were even allowed to decorate the table with 30 confetti and balloons. All the staff were lovely. And the atmosphere was laid back but fun. Recommend trying this place when in Tunbridge Wells, in the Pantiles.

Siamo venuti qui su consiglio di colleghi che ci hanno raccomandato di prenotare,ma non c'era nessuno....comunque, cocktail abbastanza buoni. Menù da ristorante messicano, io personalmente ho preso una carne di manzo con contorni vari (riso,fagioli,verdure ecc) che era un po' troppo cotta. Gli altri hanno preso fajitas, burrito, etc insomma piatti soliti messicani ma davvero niente di particolare. Il locale invece è molto carino

I have visited this establishment quite a few times over the last couple of time and have found it satisfactory despite there having certain ingredients missing an unable to provide certain cocktails. The food had always been, again, satisfactory... note I'm not bigging it up or diminishing it.However, Saturday night, you think that although there was enough front of house staff available that 45 minutes for the starter to arrive, which was not complicated, was a bit excessive, that and another 45 for the main course to arrive. But that is not the main issue. The food itself was just not fresh, the fillings for the main course of fajitas, chicken and prawns had in my opinion been pre-cooked or defrosted in the case of the prawns and left no flavour in them, any possible flavour was discussed with over seasoning and a liberal helping of spicy beans. The meal arrived luke warm and not a sizzling dish which is what I would have expected. Didn't have a desert this time and have given them my money for the last time, Shame as I prefer to support local businesses.

The food was brilliant and the service great. The food came quickly which was great. Will go back for definite.

Looks like quite a fun, relaxed place for Tunbridge Wells. Decided to ignore the negative reviews and give it the benefit of the doubt but it was truly rubbish.Really slow service. Budget tortilla chips (which were all smashed up) & the sort of guacamole you get in a jar.Food managed to be cold and burnt at the same time. Didn't taste of much. I frequently cook better mexican food at home, with nicer ingredients, for less money. Wish I had done now.Such a shame! It looks lovely inside and the staff were all very sweet but the kitchen must be terrible.

Took a couple of business contacts here for dinner between pubs. Four of us had fajitas. Plenty of food and more tortillas were brought when we needed them. One of us had enchilada and that was not quite as successful however he had some of our fajitas as there was plenty to go round. Very nice food. Service a bit slow and disinterested staff.

Food was good, but a little slow getting to the table. Worth the wait.Mojito was very good.Would go there again

We enjoyed the tasty food, good service and nice atmosphere. We shared tapas dishes for main. Really generous portion of churros for desert

I visited zapatas on Jazz night on the 9th June. I had an amazing meal with a lovely chicken fajita. Despite the wait for the food, I could see that the staff were all very busy but it was well worth the wait!! It was a shame that the staff seemed to be quite stressed but I can imagine jazz nights are very stressful situations! Service was amazing, really friendly waitresses with helpful recommendations. Would definitely come again and recommend! See you next jazz night!!!

Food was very nice but service is awful! Not any busier than usual but we had to go in and chase up three separate things. A meal of one course took 2 hours! Also chased three times to order a dessert but I just left as still no one came over still.

Came out for dinner last night with the husband and kids. Quite full resteraunt and waitressing bustling about but very accommodating and friendly.I ordered a delicious chicken fajita and came out sizzling.

The food was nice. Really enjoyed a relaxed meal up until the waitress who came along after the Scottish lady (possibly owner). We got presented with the bill without us asking and we had not finished the wine. In the hospitality industry that is not the norm. We found it to be rude and felt as though the waitress was being abrupt and wanted us out. She seemed surly and unfortunately it is not a place which we will be going back to. It is a shame because the lady who served us prior was friendly however the waitress after let the place down.

I love this place, been here a few times now, the good is excellent, this always provides excellent service with a smile. Highly recommend.

We made the mistake of ordering both a starter and mains. Having waited 30 mins for starter, the chicken wings were not warm and incredibly bland. This should have been a sign of what was to come - we waited over an hour for the mains: a burrito and an enchilada. Rice was incredibly bland and both mains were poor in terms of flavour and ingredients.

Was there Saturday evening. Very few customers, but still waited 50 minutes and then got served chicken when I had ordered beef. The chicken was dry.

While walking along the Pantiles with my girlfriend, in the late afternoon sun, we decided to stop off and grab a bite to eat.We took a table outside in the sun and while waiting for our fajitas drank our cocktails and beers and watched the world pass us by.Lovely meal and a nice evening was had.

My first visit for many years, the food was very tasty but the service was poor. Had to wait 20mins for a coffee and then no milk as they didn't have any !!

Welcomed by lovely friendly young lady who showed us to table. Promptly brought menus took drink order and left us to choose our food. Food was piping hot and delicious. Other staff members engaged us in conversation and all in all a great evening.HIghly recommended. We have been here a few times and have never been disappointed. Well done to you all.

I was shocked to see the reviews after my friends had booked us a table there. I couldn't believe how different my experience was in comparison, the staff were very attentive we were looked after by a girl she made sure we all had drinks and kept our table clean.The food was divine we had chilli squid rings, patatas bravas, chipotle wings and gambas each dish was served quickly, this was followed by a prawn fajita, a duck fajita, steak cilantro and vegetable nortena all beautiful.I would recommend to give this lovely little restaurant a go!

Food was slow to arrive and cold, the staff seemed miserable and had attitude. I Would avoid this restaurant unless you want to feel like an inconvenience and get charged for it.

I used to love this restaurant - it had great food and cocktails and a fun atmosphere. So I was really pleased when my sister booked this for her 30th birthday. There was 15 of us, a mix of family and friends. However tHe night was not what we'd hoped it would be. The service was completely rude and the food mediocre. I felt really bad for my sister who felt guilty having taken us all there. If the management are reading this they should be ashamed that they took our full payment. Pretty much every aspect of the night was embarrassing.So, to elaborate...We had a 7.30 booking. We'd pre ordered our mains but not starters or desserts as my sister was told by one of the waiting staff when we first called the restaurant it wasn't necessary. When we mentioned about wanting menus for starters they said we should have pre-booked. To be fair the manageress was very polite about this and said she'd check with kitchen, etc. Turns out they'd take our order but only for certain items. Annoying but ok.Next problem - they don't have any menus so we had about a 15 minute wait. We get the menu and its food only - no drinks. So eventually we get the drinks menu too and choose what drinks and starters we want. Then our table waitress comes over. I have never experienced a waitress with so much attitude. She treated us like a complete inconvenience. Her face looked constantly p*****d off. This could have been cos they were busy??? But if so don't accept a booking for 15 people!!! Even when it got quieter about 8.3/9 the service didn't improve. Instead of attending to us, the staff were drying glasses... The table waitress was by far the worst though, her bad attitude continued all night. The manageress was always friendly but she just wasn't managing the situation..!When it came to ordering (eventually) they took our drinks but wouldn't take our starters - said they'd 'be right back' for them. Didn't happen. So we asked them to come over again (15 minutes later - still not everyone had drinks at this point either). Even then they didn't come over straight away!Throughout the night we got plates, glasses, drinks, food at different times. People had food and no plates for over 5 minutes, and the mains came out over 10 minutes apart. The waitress almost threw our things on the table, she had seriously bad attitude all night. And the restaurant had no interest that it was my sisters 30th despite the huge balloons!! It's was just so rude.The food was ok. Absolutely nothing special. Like warm / cold.Cocktails tasted of juice, little spirits.Music was on and off no night which made an interesting atmosphere...When the bill came it had 10% added for service, then said underneath 'service not included'. There was no way we were paying service so my sister questioned this. The response was along the lines of what do you expect on Saturday night. Well we expect a restaurant where we've preordered to cope!!!!! They removed the 10% but it clearly only worsened our table waitresses dark mood...It's just a real shame that this restaurant has changed so much. It used to be a real favourite of ours but I won't be going back. And it really took the edge off my sisters party. Shameful.

Was hoping to book a table for birthday celebration, left voice messages which no one responded to. Finally got through and was told would be called back and have received no call. Fed up of chasing this restaurant, not much hope for the service we would receive if we got a booking. No menu on the website considering it states there has been menu update at end of January and it's now 18th February.

I tried their lunch menu but not what I expected didn't taste right for me , just paid the bill and left I don't fill comfortable when I complain.I'm not returning.

With the rise of Mexican food entering the market from different angles, such as street food, pubs and supermarkets, I had high hopes of going to a genuine Mexican eatery. However I was surprised to be served very average food with a big price tag. Even though I went for lunch they only had the dinner menu available, prices averaged £12–20 a dish plus lots of add ins that you expect to be included. I'd reckon you would get as good a dish from the Wetherspoons up the road at the fraction of the price but if you want something authentic, then avoid both, hop on a train, and find it elsewhere.

Very long wait for food with a lot of rubbish excuses. Not even an apology. Will never be going back.There are a lot better places in town that don't leave you hungry.

Truly poor service, food takes hours to arrive, staff are un accomodating and had a poor attitude. I wouldnt bother visiting if i were you, many better places out there.

I've come to zapata a few times in past and always got good food and cocktails. I think they have new staff now aswell but All seem friendly.i have to say i saw alot of drama going on with one table. It was very distressing atmosphere. And i felt bad for the waitresses working. If you come on Saturday night, you have to expect it's going to be busy. I also work in food industry and occasionally have odd bad day, its hard because customers are always right. Even when they are wrong. Just have to carry on with it and smile. So in conclusion... im one content stuffed customer and my food was definitely worth the wait!!!

I booked a table at Zapata's a month in advance for 25 people (which actually ended up only being 21) which was fine, I was asked to preorder food as it was a large party. Fair enough, right? Admittedly I did only preorder the food the day before, but this was due to the fact that Zapata's changed their menu, failed to put the new menu on their website and when I emailed the address on their website it bounced back, telling me the address was incorrect. I eventually found the menu on their Facebook page. I should have realised at this point that this was a reflection of how the restaurant was run, but I thought that as they were a small, independent restaurant, I'd give them a chance.So, we arrived at 8.30 and people began to order drinks. One of my guests waited 20 minutes for her drink to arrive - a poor start, but I was hopeful that the food wouldn't take as long. I couldn't have been more wrong - an hour later, at 9.30, the starters hadn't even arrived. When I went to the bar to politely query this, the member of staff just brushed me off and said "I'm busy with this person at the moment," even though "this person" was part of my party and also wanted to know where his food was, too! We were told that our food was "literally just coming out" and sure enough, the starters did arrive within 5 minutes. To be fair at this point, we were also given some complimentary nachos for the table which was appreciated, but it didn't make up for what was to come (or not come, in fact!).It got to 10.15 and there was still no sign of our food. Nearly TWO hours and not even a sniff! At this point, my guests were beginning to get irate and hungry (and let's face it - that is never a good combination). All we got from the staff was empty excuses such as "it will be 5 minutes" or "it's literally just being plated up". The final straw for me was when the member of staff behind the bar tried to blame me for not preordering enough food! She claimed that we had only ordered food for 16 people, which was actually 18 as two of the dishes were sharing paellas. Oh my goodness, how DARE I bring in an extra three people on a Saturday night! The world is surely going to end...!After being mistreated for two hours and hearing excuse after excuse, we just walked out and had a glamourous Subway on our way back into town to drown our sorrows. I just want to make a point here - this is only the second negative review I've ever left on TripAdvisor because I believe in being fair and giving positive feedback to my local community where I can. I am not usually a Negative Nancy!So, Zapata's, from the depths of my heart, THANK YOU for ruining my birthday meal and sending people home (some of which had travelled several hours to get here) with empty tummies. On a positive note, a special shout out goes to Charcoal Grill on Grosvenor Road for serving me a rather stunning kebab. Nice work, lads.

I'm going to get a tortoise and call it Zapata. 2 and half hours to wait for food whilst staff repeatedly told us that our food was being plated up. I appreciate that a table of 20 people is difficult to manage but when you pre-order food and it still doesn't arrive it's a bit annoying! We won't be going back there that's for sure.

Came for a friends birthday. We pre ordered 2 hours later still no sign of our mains. Girls are lovely and the food is very tasty just a shame the kitchen staff can't keep up with tables of 4 or more. Why get us to pre order when it's going to take 2 hours + to get the mains out.

Waited 2hrs for food that was pre ordered, it still didn't arrive after numerous excuses for the staff and managers. Ended up walking out and gong to McDonald's instead.

A mixed age family group of ten of us visited on a Saturday lunch time, at the recommendation of a family member that had visited several times before. The staff were polite and fairly attentive. The food and drinks were served in a fairly timely manner, except for one of our party that was kept waiting quite a bit longer than everyone else. The meals overall were enjoyable, tasty and well cooked. Overall a reasonably enjoyable, but slightly pricey meal.

We have been visiting this restaurant periodically for years. The duck nachos always a firm favourite and a strong draw to revisit. They've gone from the menu now, was gutted, they were so so good. I did ask for them (duck remains on the menu for most other dishes but no, not an option now). We tried the beef (this is minced beef, not at all clear from menu) and whilst not unpleasant just not anywhere near as good. Portions appear smaller, prices slightly higher, service whilst always very friendly is always lacking in attentiveness. Two guys sat down behind us last night, given menus and they gave up and left after a lengthy wait, you weren't anywhere close to being full - really not good. We will probably come back out of tradition BUT we're now searching for a new Mexican to try and may just be lost to a better experience.

We went to zapata last night . We hadn't booked and the restaurant was fully booked but we were given a table in the bar area which was fine . The food was amazing and the staff were very friendly and attentive. Even thought it was busy our food was perfect and we didn't have to wait long . Love this restaurant and will definitely be going back

i have been here a number of times recently and have found the overal experiance excelent. the service was very fast and the food was perfect each and every time. this will be a regular dining ;ocation for me.

Brilliant service the staff are really friendly and helpful, the food was delicious my partner and i cant wait to return. The atmosphere was really inviting we where made to feel very welcome. Thank you guys good job.

We haven't been here for over six years and thought we'd give the place another chance. The service does seem to have improved somewhat, but the food is terrible. Here's why:Margarita: far too much sugar syrup, not enough to lime juice and served in a martini glass.Nachos were soggy; guacamole on the nachos was too green and too runny and seemed pre-made, and quite frankly I can get a more authentic product in Waitrose.Fajitas came on a sizzling dish that was far to hot, so after a short time the food was burnt. The same horrible guacamole came with this dish.There are sliced pickled jalapeños on everything. Otherwise the food is horribly bland and does not taste freshly prepared. Sorry, Zapata, a slice of jalapeño does not a Mexican dish make! We managed to rack up a bill of nearly £60 for two, and we had three (Spanish!) beers and one so called margarita to drink. Extortionate for the quality of the food.Lastly, the menu is littered with spelling and grammar mistakes. It just illustrates the lack of care and attention to detail in this place.

I was passing through tunbridge wells and decided on a bite to eat. Where i come across Zapatas! what attracted me was the different food menus, because i normally eat in Indian restaurants, i like spicy foods, And i ordered a barrito which i have never had before and it was wonderful and tasty it was chicken with rice something different from what i normally eat. The staff are very friendly and were always willing to serve or help with politeness, The cooks are very proffessional and know their cooking i want to go again when i am travelling through tunbridge wells again!

Visited this evening for a friend's birthday, had a great night, the food was lovely (there's a new menu ), i had the house special burrito and the new staff were really friendly and very helpful. The cocktails were pretty darn good too. All in all a really good night.

Really nice food, good service, brilliant helpful staff, lovely evening. Will definitely visit again soon.

We visited Zapatas last night for dinner and had a very agreeable evening. We've been going for about 7 years now and whilst there have been ups and downs, all is well now. Food, drinks and service last night, were very good indeed. Chimichanga and fajitas cooked perfectly and thoroughly enjoyed.One little gripe though, the guacamole is either not made fresh or its mixed with cream perhaps. Whichever it is, please consider making guacamole fresh in the future as this would make things perfect.Services from smiling helpful staff rounded off a good night out. Continue to recommend. It's not a lively Mexican. They do not go in for silly gimmicks and sombreros ,but all the better for it.

Quite a large party (10-15) and was absolutely no problem! Staff ba a good sense of humour, doesn't feel like they are reading a script so they can interact and have a laugh with customers! Food was amazing, no idea what any of it was but it tasted great! Definitely coming back again.

Went out to dinner at Zapata's on Saturday evening, it was clearly very busy, but the waiting staff did a great job of keeping every table happy. Our drinks arrived promptly, and although we were advised there may be a slight delay on food, we waited no time at all. I would recommend to everyone! Can't wait to go back!!

I brought my partner Jerry in for a fun Mexican evening, Jerry ordered a mango daiquiri which took 20 minutes to arrive.The waitress took our order but didn't write it down, she brought out the mains which were wrong. (supposed to be chicken fajitas) but we had been given chicken and chorizo the chef even came out to apologise and knew that she was wrong! She then took the fajita to the kitchen picked out the chorizo and brought it back forgetting to remove all of it! At this point the chef came out to reassure us that he would cook a fresh one. Whilst all this was going on Jerry had been receiving dirty looks from the waitress once we finally had our mains her attempt of a check back was a joke she walked over and said 'food alright' whilst walking away again so no chance to answer. We asked for our bill she gave this back to us took our payment and didn't return with out change until ten minutes later when we asked for it she gave it to someone else to give back to us! Luckily he was friendly, helpful and polite! And so was the chef (he got her tip)

Will not return to this establishment again. Second time i have been and once again cold food served badly.

I've been to Zapata's about 7 years ago. I really enjoyed back then. So going back again was not a problem. Zapata's is well known in Tunbridge Wells and the atmosphere is always positive. The menu is quite comprehensive and there's always something for everybody. You can have a great time and it won't be expensive. The staff are friendly and the food is good. If you're in need of a place for a family meal or a gathering, Zapata's on most people's mind. You can't go wrong here.

The nacho starter was really good. Proper tortilla, fried and cut into thirds. Sour cream was lumpy but tasted fine.The beef burrito was a bit of a shock. I have been to Mexico and Southern States plus many other Mexican restaurants and make our own mexican food, paella etc. I got a flour tortilla made into a triangle pocket with ground beef tomato filling and as I cut in a load of water ran out. It was clumpy and tasteless. The filling was not fresh and tasted like it had been warmed up a few times. The top was brushed with passata which did nothing for the flavour or appearance. My wife had chicken burrito which was dry and she left it. Worse was to come. I won't up at 4am with something jumping around my lower abdomen and then had rather unpleasant diarrhoea. I had another bout at work. I just fail to understand why a chef would do this considering people can write a review. Why not just cook fresh eat time? It was quiet so its not like they were rushed. Why would a waitress put that on the table? We went there 5 years ago and we were disappointed then but thought to have another go. Never again! Desparados in Petts Wood is far better as is the other in Greenwich. Shame Cafe Sol in Greenwich has gone as that was the best.

My family and I have been coming to Zapata's on and off for about ten years-it has always been a reliable if somewhat average restaurant. Tonight I took my visiting Brother and his family there, and had one of the most disappointing meals in a very long time. Our drinks order was taken in a timely manner, but then took 15 minutes to arrive.Starters were very average, but the main courses were frankly terrible. Fajitas were served on lukewarm plates -zero " sizzle"- my chicken enchilada contained minimal chicken and was served with a limp salad and bland rice. All in all one of the worst meals I have ever had, and will not be returning .