Have been to Despana about 4 times and every time the food and service is exceptional. You are always warmly welcomed by the staff I have to say one of the best tapas I have had. We ordered the beef cheeks and they were mouth watering. I can’t wait for our next visit.
Amazing food, fantastic staff, relaxing atmosphere - best Sangria I have ever had (and I drink quite a bit of it �� )
Amazing authentic food, beautiful wine list, great service and very cozy atmosphere! Highly recommend!
Perfect little neighbourhood restaurant. Good service, fabulous food, excellent wine / cocktail selection. Will return. $45 set menu is excellent value and you leave with your tummy smiling.
Beautiful restaurant, great vibe, wonderful food and professional service provided by staff.
Definitely recommended, anyone's first visit here won't be their last, guaranteed!
The food is brilliant and the owner, Mari-Luise is a gem. Highly recommended.
Had lunch for my daughters birthday at Despana today. We chose the $45 set menu and we weren't disappointed. It was delicious and plentiful, and the service was great! I mentioned in the booking it was for a birthday and they surprised us with birthday candles in the churros for dessert. Sometimes it's the little things that make the difference. It surprised my daughter (and me) and put a smile on our faces. I would recommend you try this amazing little restaurant!!
What an amazing Tapas spot. Great wine list, good authentic and the staff are wonderful Need to go again soon. ✅✅✅
Since moving to Sydney, this has been the first good Spanish meal I’ve had, and for that I am very, very happy with Despaña. Mind you, this is quite a different experience from the Spanish restaurants I’m used to in Melbourne. Whereas the tapas bars in Melbourne tend to be on the modern and occasionally experimental side, Despaña focuses on good, simple Spanish cooking. There’s nothing ground-breaking here, but the chef (who I was lucky enough to meet!) clearly knows exactly what he’s doing. Combine that with the cosy ambience and wonderful service, and I think I’ve got a go-to Spanish restaurant in Sydney.
Love the place, love the lady, love the drinks and food, except sooo wet paella.
They took the paella inside and tried to make it better, but still ... it was to wet and very disappointing especially for $48 portion.
I couldn't say more as we were with our special guest. Hope I can go back and get what we expected.
This classic gem is one of my favourite tapas places in town. The food is quite delicious and there is a warm Spanish ambiance to it. One of my earlier dating spots with the other half. Just visited there last week and still going strong.
Thanks for making Lindsay's birthday celebration so special. The food was amazing. The set menu was perfect, (if anything there was too much food) The service was excellent. Congrats to you and your team. Not sure how many carafes of Sangria we had but I'm happy to return for another.
Thanks Mari-Luise.
Dianne
Everything we ate here was delicious. The paella is well worth the wait for what you get and is a big portion. The chickpeas and croquettes were also special. The sangria is a great choice for drink but there is a great selection of red and white wines too.
I’ve come here three times now with friends and we’ve collectively tried probably half the menu. Everything is on point. The croquettes are crazy. And the Albariño is perfect.
This place is great!!! The $45 set menu is such great value for money and every dish included was on point!! It was also a nice finishing touch to have churros for dessert. Definitely recommended for good value for money spanish tapas!
Like this little local gem, had two tapas, a grilled lamb kebab and a tortelli. Both are very nice. Lamb is so tender. The waitress and the owner are both extremely welcoming and nice. Definitely visit again when I go to Sydney!
Despaña served us a 6 course VEGAN Spanish tapas which was spectacular! We paid $35 and it was good enough to fill two people. Despaña is a cute place with great seating area. We were served with Pan Con Tomate which had the perfect combination of tomato and garlic. Our second tapas was Beetroot Borani which had a good flavour of spiced walnuts. The third tapas was Roasted Brussel Sprouts which had a tasty romesco sauce. The Patatas Bravas was our fourth, by the end of this we were nearly full. The quantity was huge and the spice was just right. The Charred Cauliflower was our fifth tapas, by this time we lost count, the Salad was really tasty in here. Finally, we were served Blood Orange Carpaccio which was a light dessert end to our meal.
I ate here with a group of 11, the set menu plus a couple of extras. As it turned out, the set menu would have been more than enough - generous helpings and delicious. I am a longtime patatas bravas lover and these were easily the best I've had in Sydney. Crispy crunchy on the outside, soft in the middle and topped off with a moreish spicy sauce. The beetroot and feta dip was also amazing as were the chicken skewers. I will definitely be coming back here!
Those Who Love To Eat
+3.5
Saturday evening catch up with a friend that was long over due. We decided to give this tapas bar a test run. Having walked past it many times and thinking... have to check out this place, and finally last night was the night. The place is lovely with interesting decor. Like wine bottle light fittings and a tin rainbow chow that greets the front door. There were a few out door seating, but we didn't want to run the risk of being eaten alive.
So anyhow, if you come here with 4 people, you could sample their banquet they have on offer. Unfortunately, we were only a part of 3 so we just ordered off of the menu. The food is reasonably priced and portion sizes are standard but don't be fooled by the serving, it's very filling.
We recommend their meatballs! Super tasty! It's a must.
Starting off with a jug of sangria (which I forgot to take a picture of! Sorry) anyhow... it was really refreshing for a balmy Saturday evening in Sydney. We ordered to share amoung 3: starting with a share platter of 30g cured meat, followed by their large seafood paella, which was average. I've had better paella. Their outstanding meatballs, and to fish off, their half serve tasting cheese platter with four different types cheese and quince paste. There were some cheese left over, so plenty to go around but not enough crackers though.
The food price was reasonable, the service a little on the slow side but picked up towards the end of the evening. We all walked out with a full belly, and setting you back around 45pp so the price of the banquet with the sangria. Can't go wrong.
Awesome sangria
Yummy croquettes
Delicious mushrooms
Awesome sangria
Yummy croquettes
Delicious mushrooms
Awesome sangria
Yummy croquettes
Delicious mushrooms
Awesome sangria
Yummy croquettes
Delicious mushrooms
Spanish
Great Service with a smile
Well furnished Spanish theme mixed with hipster
Tasty Seafood paella
Stunning croquette - worth the price
I was just walking past and found this gem ! The atmosphere, service and food was all perfect. The staff was very attentive and filled our glass of water whenever it was emptying, and food was absolutely spot on :)
Viva Valladolid- you did the city proud! Great food, pleasant atmosphere. Your tortilla was to die forever and the meatballs was excellent. We will return.
The tapas were really good. Enjoyed their chicken liver parfait and sangria. Service was a bit slow but that's sort of expected for a Friday night. Do not recommend their paella - the rice was too moist and not that fragrant. Mussels and clams in the paella were extremely salty. Overall I would go back, but not for paella.
We don’t venture out to Glebe much, but it’s definitely worth heading to this bustling strip of restaurants for Despana, a lovely themed Spanish restaurant with the hands down best churros we have ever tasted!. Before we got to dessert though, we had a few of their tapas for lunch. The Patatas Bravas came out with the three classic components separated on the platter (fried potatoes, bravas sauce and aioli). The crispy hot fried potatoes were great on their own, but dipping them in the rich tomato bravas sauce and tasty aioli takes it to another level of deliciousness.
(I thought we ordered octopus...) The cuttlefish was tender and cooked well but I wish it was grilled instead of pan- fried . Braised Beef Cheek. Flavours were pretty good but would have been better if it was cooked for a . little longer. The beef cheeks were a little dry . Chorizo was okay. I prefer it to be grilled
Not bad at all. Some one did recomed this place .. and i was so taken a back .. great staff .. lovely food .. and will come back again for sure
There are indeed many, many restaurateurs, newspapers, and magazines officially declaring Despaña THE best Tapas joint in Sydney. Personally, I agree, and it is amazing dinner food of which I completely recommend and attend often. However, I will leave those reviews to the people who will continually spout the same deserved praise to what is in my opinion, the absolute best and most over-looked breakfast in all of Sydney.
Beef Cheek and Prawn and Chorizo. AMAZING dish! This is my favourite at Despana (and there's a lot to choose from). Give this a go for sure!
Amazing!. We had dinner here on friday night and it was amazing! One of the best sangrias I've ever had and the chorizo croquettes are out of this world! It was all great and I would definitely recommend it to anyone!
Previous Review???. I must say I am very surprised by the previous review. I was also at Despana on the Saturday evening (as part of a party of 8). I decided to have my b'day party here after reading all the positive reviews on urbanspoon (and other places).
Contrary to the previous reviewer, we found the staff to be excellent: efficient, polite and certainly NOT pushy or hurried at all. There was a lovely, relaxed feel to the whole evening - and across the whole restaurant. The staff were warm, friendly and knowledgeable. Obviously, people have different experiences, but our experience was fantastic - on all fronts.
As to the food: AMAZING! Like all the other positive reviews on here state, the food at Despana is really sensational. It is certainly the most authentic Tapas in Sydney (I lived in Spain for 5 years so have some experience).
We (all 8 of us) thoroughly enjoyed our evening at Despana and will definitely be going again soon.
Unfortunately I have to update my review below - we have had many wonderful meals and this restaurant, however when we went there last night and it was not up to the old standard. I'm not sure what's happened, but the new menu is nowhere near as good and even old favorites like meatballs were different - and not in a good way. I'd like to hope that this is just a temporary hiccup, but time will tell. Next time we consider it, wouldn't go back if still have the same menu as last night.
Great food, great service, awesome Sangria. We have been here a few times now and each time has been fantastic experience. The food is always excellent - we have now tried most thing on the menu and are yet to be disappointed with any.
The Sangrai is probably the best I have had anywhere in Sydney - they told me they age it for 2 weeks. I'm not sure if that's what does it, but it is absolutely beautiful.
Great place for an intimate diner or a small group.
Absolutely love the quality of the ingredients. They don't take short cuts and use quality products. It translates into the amazing taste of the presented dishes. It's one of those restaurants where it's worth waiting for the dishes and worth paying the surprisingly reasonable prices.
We had the cauliflower fritters, lamb skewer, chicken skewer, veal & pork meatballs, mussels and 2 coffees all under $70.
It was a Sunday brunch where it wasnt too crowded. Decor was very detailed, restaurant seating was clean and wait staff were attentive.
Highly recommend.
This was amazing! Read the reviews and had to try it. Service was fantastic, meals were DELICIOUS and came out quickly, and the setting/vibe was great! Will be back very soon!
The food was lovely. Good atmosphere. Great pace in sending out the food. I especially enjoyed the beef cheeks and lentils.
Fabulous! Go there! NOW!. I cannot tell you how much I love Despana. The owner, Kesra, & his team provide great service & fabulous food. I had a birthday dinner with 12 people at Despana - from the moment I contacted Kesra, he was friendly & accomodating. He helped me to work out a set tapas menu of my own choosing - a MUST, as we had several different dietary requirements to contend with - & was an excellent liaison with Chef, clarifying the few questions I had.
The service on the night was great (especially considering that the restaurant was almost full!), the fabulous food was a huge hit with everyone in the group & the sangria flowed! You MUST try the sangria - traditional recipe & aged 2 weeks *drools*!
The decor & atmosphere are lovely & the restaurant provides a relaxing haven from the hubbub of Glebe Point Road. You'll certainly do yourself a favour by visiting Despana. Go there! NOW!
Divine!. Came here with some friends for a Monday night dinner and it was fabulous. Food was delicious, great variety, served proficiently by wonderful staff. A friend of mine cannot eat gluten and the waitress was very accommodating and knowledgeable. The restaurant was comfortable, plenty of room and no shouting over a loud crowd... but still plenty of atmosphere. Do yourself a favour and come here - it's absolutely worth it.
Love this place - authentic!. Not many places in Sydney reflect authenticity - Japanese sushi run by Koreans, Italian pasta with indian chefs (nothing against this but once, just once - we'd like to have a foreign cuisine served by the nationals themselves which gives pride and KNOW the food they serve). This place is it - for Spanish tapas!! And we are so happy we found it - . The food is very flavoursome, very good service - ask the waitress for recommendations. Very friendly. The churros is not overly sweet as you would first imagine when you think of churros and chocolate (as in Chatswood - too sweet). The Catalan Creme is the best dessert in town and is to die for!!! This is best Tapas meal reminiscent of Spain and we can say this having returned two months ago from Spain and can still remember how tapas tastes. Will return again and again and try the breakfast and latte as in previous recommendations!!
Simply amazing. Have been here twice now and never disappointed! Lovely service, exquisite food, awesome sangria. Every Sydney sider should try this place at least once in their life. I recommend the prawn and chorizo skewers, the lamb meatballs, croquettes and salted cod. We also had a delicious desert which unfortunately didnt catch the name of, it was like a creme caramel. Absolutley the best tapas ever.
After being away for three years, the below review (made in 2013) still holds true! This place is a true gem and should be on everyone's go to list for tapas!
Tapas at it's best! This small establishment simply amazed us.
Food was refreshing and tasty, with portion sizes well worth the price. Our favorite dish was the braised beef cheek: literally melt in you me mouth.
The ambiance was friendly and very trendy, bustling hole-in-the-wall restaurant.
Waitstaff were courteous and knowledgeable about all aspects of the the meals. The water service here is exceptional.
We will definitely be back.
This place is amazing! Best tapas I've had in Sydney! If you want an authentic tapas experience (food/wine/atmosphere) then you MUST come here. Everything is fabulous and the service is friendly and really helpful. The dishes are just like being in Spain (I'm a big of the Tortilla)!
Beautiful!. I went there on Saturday morning to have breakfast. First, I got to talk to a really friendly waitress that happily answered to all my questions about the menu and that made us feel at home. Then, I got one of the greatest lattes I've ever had. The food was just mind-blowing (I had a "Despana vegetarian" and my friend got a "Despana Grande") The atmosphere in the restaurant is just beautiful. Everything was great and the staff really efficient. Both the food and the lovely service we were given made of it the best plan for a Saturday morning. Congrats!
Used a livingsocial voucher as well, & the food was amazing! my dining partner and I were thoroughly impressed by the quality of the tapas, the paella and sangria. possibly the tastiest Spanish food I've had. got the octopus & meatballs for tapas. the staff was very friendly & answered any questions we had. love love this place.
AMAZING. Amazing food, I ordered the vegetarian breakfast and asked for mushrooms instead of eggs and fetta(because i'm a vegan), the size of the meal was impressive, fresh tomato, olives, avocado, bread ah amazing. Beautiful waitress very efficient. Will be returning.
Delicious food and friendly atmosphere. Despana has a relaxing feel but with fine food. We took advantage of a Living Social voucher to visit for the first time and thoroughly enjoyed it. The delicious tapas were generous servings. The paella was topped with a good variety of seafood and went down well with the sangria based on a secret recipe that rests for 2 weeks. We added on the churros for dessert and they were light and fluffy, just the right finish to a big meal. The waiters were quick and timely with their service, answering any questions we had plus the manager Kesra is friendly and sociable. Will definitely go back!
Simply wonderful. I went there to have dinner a few days ago. The place looks really nice, the food is awesome and the waitresses are really friendly.
The sangria was simply beautiful. The service was excellent. We had heard about the restaurant through some friends that had been there. We didn't know what to expect. We walked in and a really friendly waitress from Barcelona (as we found out later on) brought us to our table with her best smile. She helped us decide what to eat. We had Sangria, paella, artichokes, croquettes, meatballs and lamb skewers. Everything was delicious. We had a good chat with the waitress and then, after a lovely meal they let us stay there without rushing us out. It was simply brilliant. We'll definitely come back! We really recommend this to everyone.
Great feed beautiful setup. When you walk in you straight away notice the decor. It looks amazing. And then you notice a hallway leading downstairs to a beautiful mostly covered courtyard.
Once you decide where to sit the happy waiter comes up and chats before you end up deciding on lamb skewers, chicken skewers, potatas gravas and some amazing chorizo and cheese croquettes. To say the food was good is an understatement, I will defiantly return for more food and great service.
The food at Despana was absolutely delicious, I don't think I've had better tapas in Sydney yet, and the prices are very reasonable.
I'd recommend trying the Croquettes, the meat tasting plate and the chorizo and prawn skewers. The sangria goes down almost too easy, it's that good, and we finished our meal with freshly made Churros- I'm never going back to San Churros again because the ones here just melted in your mouth. New favorite!
Lovely food, nice place, great service
Really great food not expensive and the sangria was good too. We're going back again
Best Tapas in a long time. Modern presentation, try-hard service, everything very nicely cooked. Loved the heirloom tomato and goat's cheese, and the grilled artichokes and asparagus.
Jamie
terry shane o'sullivan
+5
We four family members met up outside and we could see how busy it already was.
We were warmly greeted and that set the tone for the evening. Staff were warm and attentive.
We chose a set menu so we could try a wide selection from the menu. Meals came to us promptly and not a dish disappointed.
Loved the “feel” of this authentic eatery and we are all planning our next evening back here. Love everything about this establishment! I will be recommending Despana to everyone!
Highly recommended.
What a great place. The Sangria is the best you’ll ever have. Food was fabulous and staff were so friendly and attentive.
Highly recommended.
We had a family night out and we all loved everything from start to finish!
Set menu was a great choice. Churros were second to none 🤤
We will be back again for sure.
Was impressed with Despana and it ticked all boxes that a good restaurant needs to. From the minute you walk in the door until you leave the service is welcoming, attentive and friendly. The menu is extensive with a good selection of dishes and every dish we had was flavoursome, will definitely eat here again and recommend to friends.
This restaurant took 12 of us in last minute when our booking at a different place was mixed up. They were so friendly about it and the service was amazing as well as the food! I wish I could remember the lady’s name that served us because she went above and beyond! Thanks guys
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