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Tapa Gallo opened in April 2013 and is a Spanish restaurant offering a wide variety of hot and cold tapas, various salads, tarte flambée, pasta, and many other dishes. I had been recommended this new restaurant, but unfortunately, I only managed to visit a week after its official opening. I recently went back and want to tell you about it. The restaurant is centrally located in Schwabing, and we decided to visit relatively spontaneously—although we had made a reservation beforehand. We entered and were immediately greeted by one of the many friendly waitresses. I gave my name and reservation details, and we were seated at a table in the corner—beneath a huge flat screen with a digital aquarium.
Tapa Gallo is the former Le Sud – a French restaurant where my companion and I used to dine long before I started this page. The food wasn't bad and the service was adequate. When we recently visited, we were pleasantly surprised by the transformation and the restaurant's new look. All the tables were occupied throughout the evening – including the two long communal tables for up to 15 people in the separate, somewhat secluded side room.
Tapa Gallo impresses in the front area with a dominant dark wood bar featuring illuminated shelves stocked with spirits, numerous comfortable tables, subdued lighting, and many other clever details, such as shelves that were once the prows of simple wooden boats and have been repurposed as glass and wine racks. The walls are painted bright red, and seating is on dark wooden chairs with matching wooden tables or a dark brown leather-upholstered bench, where we sat. The walls are adorned with gold and silver spray-painted antlers, red cushions on the benches, a digital aquarium on the flat screen, another screen showing Formula 1 and other sporting events in the seating area, and overall, many harmonious details that make it quite cozy. I felt comfortable and well looked after by the friendly waitress.
The double-sided menu, printed in DIN A4 format, was already on the tables, along with a smaller menu containing the daily specials. We were immediately asked what we wanted to drink after sitting down and, after looking through the menu, decided on two glasses of Chardonnay (0.2l for €4.40 each). In retrospect, this was an excellent choice, as we both enjoyed the wine very much, so much so that I even pilfered a little from my companion. So, if you're at Tapa Gallo and like white wine, order the "Chardonnay-Veneto" available by the glass. After some deliberation, we decided on two appetizers and two main courses. They offer a wide variety of hot and cold tapas. The hot tapas are predominantly meat-based and all cost between €4 and €7. Examples include Pimientos – fried mini peppers; Moroccan Dates – dates fried in bacon; and Empanadas – fresh, crispy baked pastries with the daily filling. Lamb stew – Irish lamb stew with vegetables and potatoes, and much more. Those who prefer cold tapas can also choose from dozens of different options – all priced between 2 and 7 euros, such as duck fat or herb quark; Spanish olives; guacamole; oyster mushrooms; couscous; vitello tonnato; smoked duck breast, octopus salad, etc.
We opted for two starters from the additional menu: green asparagus with Parmesan and an Andalusian fish soup – both for €4.50 each. The two starters were served quickly and both tasted excellent. The fish soup had only a slightly fishy flavor and very tender, soft pieces of fish – definitely a success. Combined with the small bread basket, it was certainly a good choice for the price. The cold asparagus with Parmesan and small pieces of bell pepper was also very tasty; although it was quickly devoured, it was a wonderful taste experience. Our main courses took a little while to arrive, but then finally came just as I felt the wait was starting to feel too long. My companion chose a tarte flambée with salmon, zucchini, mountain cheese, and dill. It was okay, but not outstanding. The salmon was too oily and practically sank into the very generous amount of mountain cheese, but the overall texture was fine. Perhaps this wouldn't have happened if we'd chosen one of the other 11 different tarte flambées (e.g., mozzarella, fennel, sheep's cheese, Gorgonzola, Serrano ham, etc.). However, I ordered one of the six different salads for €9.50. The portion was quite small, and the goat cheese didn't arrive as expected, either as a medallion or on top of the salad, but rather arranged on two small slices of baguette next to the salad. My meal was quite tasty – albeit small – and I can definitely recommend it, even if you're a Sider. In my opinion, you should choose a different type of tarte flambée than salmon. Don't forget the wine! 🙂 The menu also offers three different pasta dishes – all for €9.50 – namely gnocchi, penne, or spaghetti.
Overall, Tapa Gallo offers a relatively simple menu with, in my opinion, a quite good mix. Since I personally rarely feel like pasta, I'm a fan of good salads or other dishes to choose from – so I find the diverse selection of food at Tapa Gallo quite appealing. The prices are reasonable, but they shouldn't be any higher. My companion's tarte flambée, at €13, was definitely at the upper limit of what I could afford. The other tarte flambées cost around €9-10 on average. If you're still hungry after that, you can also try sorbet, crema catalana, gáteau au chocolat (warm chocolate cake), panna cotta, mixed ice cream with fruit (all between €2 and €7), or – something a bit more unusual – flambéed apple tarte flambée with Calvados or vanilla tarte flambée with hot raspberries (both €12).
After about 1-1.5 hours, we paid €47 including tip. It wasn't exactly cheap, and compared to the amount of food we ate, it was a bit too much. However, the service was very friendly, and we felt comfortable. The appetizers were delicious, the main courses were okay, and my salad was particularly tasty. We would definitely come back. It's also worth mentioning that the restaurant had only been open for a week when we first visited, and it was packed when we left. For example, across from us were two older couples enjoying various red wines and dressed quite smartly. Across from us was a couple with a child, and at one of the long tables, there seemed to be a group of colleagues – a very diverse crowd. Tapa Gallo is open Monday to Saturday from 6:00 PM to 1:00 AM. It's closed on Sundays and public holidays. Card payments are accepted. I definitely recommend making a reservation. Enjoy!
I'll be back: Generally, yes. Very friendly service, a cozy atmosphere, and good food at relatively normal prices. I would choose a different tarte flambée next time and would prefer a shorter wait.
Place visited: Tapa Gallo
Address: Bismarckstrasse 21, 80803 Munich
Website
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