Cafe Marbella Tapas in Chicago - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

What a wonderful tapas restaurant... The food, service and ambiance were all outstanding 👌 We tried so many great dishes and we loved all of them. This is a great Spanish tapas restaurant. We plan on coming back, many times.

Great great food…tasty and unique. Maria, our waitress was excellent. We isa there was a better Saturday night crowd

This restaurant has absolutely wonderful food and service. Every dish I got on this visit was flavorful and perfectly cooked. Portions are very good for the price. They had a good number of vegetarian options as well (all delicious). Desserts are made in house. The decor felt a little dated, so I wouldn't choose this one for a fancy night out, but if you're looking for some delicious tapas, you won't go wrong here.

Oh dear, going to keep this brief, as we're eager to leave to get more food elsewhere. If you're looking for authentic Spanish tapas, don't waste your time here. Service was great, food was very disappointing. We tried the tortilla, gazpacho, queso de cabra al horno, and pollo a la Navarra. We didn't finish our food. The table next to us got calamari or something, and the very fishy odor almost ruined our appetites. I feel bad leaving this review because the service was so good, and the staff so nice, but I cannot recommend this food to anyone who expects Spanish tapas.

I had the most amazing time with my sister in law here last Saturday night. We can't rave enough about the food and service. And the red sangria was absolutely delicious.

Tapas are good portions and wide variety. The sangria’s are the best especially the white perfect for summer.

Excellent collection of tapas and each with superb flavor and texture. Enjoyed each plate and the service was excellent! Absolutely recommend!

Fantastic food and great service!

This was our first time here and it won’t be the last! Great food and service! Only thing missing was IPA beer so we will be back on BYOB night 😊

Definitely check this place out if you like tapas. Very flavorful food. My only complaint is that they don't have an IPA beer. The wine was excellent.

Food was amazing and beyond flavorful. The hot tapas were amazing and my favorite! The bathrooms were very clean! I recommend this place very homey!

The tapas selection is excellent. Each comes with ~3 servings, and there is something for everyone! Highly recommend the stuffed Spanish peppers and pork medallions. Service is spectacular - they don't judge how bad your pronunciation is

We always go with family and have a great time. We all have plates we love to get, even the formerly finicky eater. Try the Avocado salad, the figs, definitely meatballs, shrimp in garlic. I'm getting hungry writing this! Still a great meal. There with a large group and great service and food!

Great food. Great people. A friendly neighborhood spot.

Our food and drinks came out quite fast and they were all superb. I had never tried escargot before and the one they had here was so delicious. Our waiter was also great, I feel bad that I forgot to get his name, but he was the waiter working around 5:30pm on Friday, November 17th. He was so attentive and made sure we were well taken care of.

Good service good food always new surprisingly delicious foods on the menu

Always fresh - always tasty. The specials are always the place to start. Make a reservation if you want to dine in. The have four tables outside too.

As always, food was great, dessert hit the spot with a cortado.

Excellent. Food was flavorful and service was attentive. 100% recommend

The food was a tad bit salty. Presentation excellent.

My only and favorite Spanish restaurant. Food is tasteful amazing. Their salads are delicious.There always friendly. I love this place. Thank you for everything.

IF YOU GENUINELY ARE LOOKING FOR A GOOD RESTAURANT...READ THE REVIEWS I wish I had. They talk about the lousy customer service. My husband and I were returning a U-Haul truck after a long day at an event with very little boys. We tried to find a a nice Mexican restaurant in the area because we had a taste for tacos. We were greeted but not very friendly, shown to a table for two and after explaining that we were looking for tacos and told that they do not sell tacos it almost seemed as though the waiter was going to make it his job to get us our food and get us out as soon as possible. My husband decided to order some strip steak of some sort with a fancy name for potato chips. The steak was browned and very pink inside. We were never asked how we wanted the steak to be cooked. Honestly the tapas that we ordered looked like Rice-A-Roni and the prices were pretty high for the amount of food that we received. It's been almost 10 days since we've been there and this has been gnawing at my mind since then. No such thing as warm hospitality will be found here. We were quite disappointed. Don't be fooled.

It was really good. Had the paella, patatas brava camarones al ajillo. Spectacular

Love the food there but this time I try the paella and I didn't like it, the rice was flavorless it didn't have that seafood flavor the real paella has but besides that, everything was perfect.

Amazing time here. Please come check it out :)))) amazing food and host Marie. Will be back again. January 6 came back again and it tasted sooooooo gooood. The Avocado Seafood Shrimp Salad served in the Avocado Shell was out of this world ❤️❤️❤️❤️ loved it. Nice place for a date as well in this case I took myself out for a Date and it was awesome :) 😂

Go early. It's less crowded. Good food you could eat all night!

I love this place. The food and service are great, and likely better than any other Tapas restaurant in Chicago. For instance, my wife and I went to the latest Tapas restaurant in Fulton Market - it was terrible. All the food was way over salted, and the very expensive drinks were weak. After that, her and I believe Cafe Marbella is the best Tapas in the city. It's a true Northwest side gem. We live in Portage Park, and we started coming here when they opened back up after initial Covid lock down. Back then, we were the only people there besides the delivery drivers coming and going, and the food along with service was perfect. I will go there as often as I can as long as it continues to be great food and service.

GREAT tapas, wonderful couple owning & operating Marbella!

I had been here for many many years. My company when in Chicago catered from them. Unfortunately, as customary, the times change. I was craving a paella. The pan portion seems to decrease. Despite that, the flavor used to mame up for it. This time, it was all bland. No flavor on the fish for the seafood paella and the mussels had a foul odor to them and the other shellfish were all empty. ??? I am hardly one to complain but I brought it up and just a brief apology. I really just did as a way to not serve mussels any more today. I just hope it goes back to what it used to be. Flavor!!! What a shame.

There are a number of appreciable things about this quaint little place. They have an ever-changing variety of creations on their daily specials menu along with their standard options. Family run with excellent, friendly and attentive service and willing flexibility.

So delicious and friendly. I cannot really to return.

Last night, visited this place for the first time; with a 6 o'clock reservation. When we arrived, it was nearly empty and no one was available to greet us and provide a table. We walked towards the bar and a man came from the kitchen. I believe he was our waiter. He was not friendly and told us to sit anywhere. My first impression was; okay, no problem it’s my Anniversary and I’m here to have a wonderful experience; but an unwelcomed greeting feels like a bad starter for the night. Fast forward, we sat down and I said “hello,” and asked him “how are you?” He looked at me with a blank response and said, “I’m okay.” He placed our menus on the table and walked away. At this point, I'm not sure about this place… I understand people can have a bad day; hence, “it’s okay not to be okay.” But, please know, we also were not okay meanwhile, also mourning my husband’s mother’s passing. Therefore, you never know what people are going through; please be kind. Ultimately, we decided not to have dinner at this restaurant. After searching for another place to go; we went to a small Mexican restaurant. A place we had gone to previously; although wasn't the food I originally anticipated.

Everything we tried was amazing ..the service was amazing too !!!

Our forever favorite! Sensational tapas, weekly specials to-die-for, & ohhhh the heavenly desserts—fruit tarts with chantilly cream, flans, cheesecakes … Chef Vergil’s creativity is as boundless as the service is deft & good humored. Only at a foodie paradise do strangers at separate tables offer menu recos & end the evening by toasting & exchanging phone numbers!

Wonderfully delicious food, service is diligent, friendly and efficient. Overall excellent dining experience!

Service was not all that good and efficient. Had to wait for waiter several times. Never came by the table to check on us or to see if anything else was needed.

The food here is amazing! Family friendly and staff is so nice and wonderful. Can't wait to go back.

I am not a lover of Spanish cuisine but there are dishes that are excellent and it is a good excuse to try different types of cuisine just like I do if someone else likes to experience this It would be an excellent place to try

The food is well made and extremely flavorful! They have a cute patio for outdoor dining which is pet friendly. The staff is very attentive and has some great recommendations. Make the trip if you are interested in authentic tapas and some great sangria.

Extremely good Spanish food! Now I know why they were Michelin mention, Zagat top rated several times & many other notable mentions! HIGHLY RECOMMEND Cafe Marbella!

Very delicious dishes, my favorites were the grilled vegetables, garlic soup, and roasted mushrooms. Friendly service, a great place to visit with a group of friends.

Amazing food Definitely need to go I have no regrets

No hubo un platillo que no me gustó. No hubo demora en la comida. El lugar es acogedor y espacioso. La musica genial.

Sangria fuerte!! Get the queso de cabra and gambillas.

Excellent food and service. They never fail to impress.

Their food is incredible. Their staff are well trained and pleasent. Great food, great people at an Afordable price. Thank you.

I love this place! A great neighborhood family owned restaurant. Only open for dinner. They have new specials weekly. The avocado and goat cheese salad is delicious! The fish is always fresh.

We went to celebrate Birthday dinner with family. Food was good and staff friendly. Enjoy it very much!

The food here is amazing! The chef has truly inspired dishes with flavors that make my mouth water just thinking about them! The selection of chef specials changes frequently and is quite extensive so there is always something new to try. And that's just the food. The owners couldn't be more welcoming and they obviously take pride in their craft. Warm, cozy, plenty of parking. I highly recommend checking this restaurant out!

The service was amazing and all the food was great. Everything was brought out separately so made eating everything great

A local gem. This place is never as crowded as it deserves to be - their food is always fantastic! Order their specials because you can't go wrong.

Lots of selections with vegetarian friendly options. Service was fast and helpful.

The quality if cooking and ingredients are top notch as is the service! Try tapas off the specials menu!

Coming into this place for the first time, the decor seemed a little dated and had me a little worried. The staff was nice too. When we received our food, we knew we made the right choice for dinner. Food was amazing, and I highly recommend this place. It's a bit of a hidden gem in Jeff Park.

This is a true Spanish place. Great tapas and the sangria is fabulous.

Love the food, love the service. So creative, never a bad meal.

Magnificent ! Very authentic delicious Spanish food, both Tapas and Paellas. Very good wines, at reasonable prices. 👍🏻❤

Heaven in my mouth,can't wait to go back

Food was delicious and delivered very fast! I will keep ordering for its great quality! Paella was well made! Thank you for dessert too!

Excellent tapas. That and a couple pitchers of sangria and its a night. Bring friends!

The food and service at Cafe Marbella is always the best. Their avocado salad is a favorite and the griddled calamari is excellent. I highly recommend a visit there.

Wonderful food! Don't miss the experience of having a meal of tapas. 7 different tapas makes a nice dinner for two. Ask for good combinations.

Cozy little Spanish restaurant with beautiful ambiance. The tapas we had (especially the Setas Al Ajillo - sautéed portobello mushroom with garlic, thyme, paprika and white wine) were absolutely delicious. Paella Marinera (saffron rice with fish and seafood) was so flavorful! We left with happy bellies and clean plates! :-)

The tapas we try ware well flavored well. I really enjoy the goat cheese wit the tomatoes sauce. We had the paella it wasn't the best but it was only $17 had seafood, sausage and chicken so can't have really high expectations plus I am not a big fan of it.

Best tapas place ever, I love that it's family owned. I love the place and the food is amazing. I have been here a few times.

Hermoso, muy buen servicio y la comida deliciosa, regresaré cada semana hasta probar todo el menú 😅

Lovely folks, incredible food, amazing patio, sangria to die for. What else do you need? Gold standard for all locally owned businesses.

muy buena comida y el servicio exlente

Great food, awesome service, best Paella I've had in a long time. I will return. I recommend you give it a try. You will not be disappointed.

Delicious! Thanks for the complimentary dessert!

Awesome service and great food!

Just tried this excellent tapas restaurant for the 1st time. Very friendly atmosphere, reasonably priced plates and mixed drinks/wine. The soft shell crab today was one of the best I've ever had.

Riquisima la comida!!!y amable personal

It was honestly just okay. But the staff was super kind and attentive!

Good beer/wine selection. Delicious food!

Parking is easy on Milwaukee Ave. and the food is ALWAYS terrific. Dinner last time had a creamy mushroom soup to die for. Their Aguacate Relleno is my favourite, and every shrimp and scallop dish is cooked perfectly. There is never a bite left of any salad or pasta dish. My husband usually gets red peppers stuffed with goat cheese, and we commonly order a pork or steak dish from the daily specials. The desserts are out of this world - the fruit tarts are unbeatable. There are few restaurants in Chgo that will give you such a great meal.

Best tapas I've had in Chicago hands down.

Good restaurant with a excellent food but waiter was not friendly!

The paella valenciana was just delicious, I come from indiana and the food worth the trip.

If you love amazing tapas with authentic Spanish preparations, creative menu, reasonable prices and fabulous service, head to the dedicated and family-run Cafe Marbella Tapas Restaurant. And there's still free street parking!

I have been going to Cafe Marbella for years, and always loved it. When they reopen the dining room I highly recommend a visit there, but in the meantime Chef Vergilio is doing an excellent job providing takeout. Their food travels well!

Another amazing meal, bringing more "newbies" to the fabulous food and family at Cafe Marbella! Our "go to" place when we're looking to fill our bellies and souls with fabulous tapas! EVERYONE should become "regulars"!

This was my first time at Cafe Marbella. A friend and I shared 4 entrees and two desserts, brought in a bottle of wine ($10 corkage fee), and our bill came to $72. We thought it was a GREAT value! The food was excellent--not one thing we didn't like--and we could actually talk to one another. The noise was just "talking noise," not loud music or blaring TVs. I have already recommended Cafe Marbella to another friend. I will definitely be back!

Cafe Marabella! Now my favorite restaurant in Chicago. We have been there now maybe 15-20 times and I think the quality is excellent, the menu outstanding and ever changing, specials nightly, and their chef should be reviewed and recognized. I can’t say enough. The owner and friendly staff are very outgoing and all seem very proud to participate and really seem to enjoy explaining specials and are very attentive. Even the desserts are unique, home made, and very fresh. I think if I had too add my two cents on what could improve would be to add a roaring fireplace and spruce up the decor. a little brighter would be a great move. But frankly I would sit in the walk in with the lights out and enjoy my meal anyway.

We've driven past here so many times. It is now a destination for us. Great place.

I almost don’t want to share about this place lol! No, but really it is a hidden gem! The tapas, prices, & service was fantastic! Normally, there seems to be an older crowd and never packed, however it was valentines day weekend and it was quite the opposite. Despite the busy night, Marbella’s was on point! My hubby and I had a great date night!

Excellent all around. Food was very flavorful and waitstaff very attentive

Been here several times and always pleasing. Great value.

Incredible creative tapas presented thoughtfully and beautifully. Warm service. Great affordable wine list. Homemade desserts. And they have remained consistently great for going on a decade of frequent visits now.

Not crazy about the small plates. The bill was kind of high with all the dishes ad added up. The spinach salad had way to much dressing. Other then those issues, the food and service was good.

Dining at Cafe Marbella is always a wonderful experience. We began with the special avocado salad--one of our favorites--and ended with a slice of goat cheesecake. In between we enjoyed 2 specials, crab stuffed avocados and orange roughy. The food and presentation were superb. If you like tapas, you need to visit this restaurant.

Authentic fresh food that makes you want to visit Spain!

Nice little tapas place, great authentic cuisine, excellent service, quiet and reasonably priced. You definitely need to stop in! Sharing plates is encouraged 😉

Excellent tapas, good variety, good presentation and excellent service.

Food was amazing, as always! Maria even had the chef make up something special for us.

fantastic food at a great value. the flavors were wonderful. each small plate was more delicious than the prior one.

The food, service and price were ALL terrific!!!!!

What's remarkable about this restaurant is its very creative chef! For example, we tried the Spanish version of a caprese salad. It was amazing! No slices of mozzarella--they were balls. And the tomatoes were very tasty--several different kinds of little ones, both red and green. So good! What's a constant for me is the special avocado salad--and the goat cheesecake. In between, I love trying a new special. Not only will you be impressed by the taste of the food--but by the presentation. If you like tapas, you need to visit this restaurant!

Introduced our kids to Tapas at Cafe Marbella and had a terrific experience :)

If you like tapas, this is a restaurant you MUST visit. In addition to a large menu, there are specials. I love to start with the avocado salad special; it's amazing! And--while you're sampling wonderful appetizers and sea food--keep in mind that the goat cheese cake is to die for. Save room for a slice! What's special about this place is that Chef Virgillio is always looking for ways to improve his creations. As a result, diners are always treated to something new--and interesting. Over the years I've brought many friends to this restaurant. All have returned--with or without me!