Bulla Gastrobar
Ribeye Paella: Grilled ribeye, Valencia rice, sofrito rojo, and salsa criolla
I love tapas! What’s not to love, though? You get to try a ton of different dishes with your friends without looking like a total glutton — well, maybe you still will, but it’s fun to share small plates.
An enjoyable experience
The atmosphere is pleasant — it’s somewhere between a trendy hotspot and white tablecloth. We sat inside; however, they do have a nice-sized patio. The service was great, as well. They were attentive but gave you space to enjoy your meal.
And enjoy we did! I want to say we ordered half the menu, but it’s pretty expansive. Realistically, I’d say this was about a quarter to a third of the dishes they offer.
Here’s the rundown:
Chef’s Board. Tetilla, manchego, serrano ham, chorizo, walnuts, and olives. Just say yes. Who doesn’t love a charcuterie board? The quality was stellar, and I love that they give you membrillo (quince) paste with it.
Pimientos De Padrón: Blistered shishito peppers with sea salt. These were standard and nothing special. If you like shishito peppers, they're decent, but I would order other items on the menu over these.
Sautéed Garlic Shrimp: Sautéed shrimp, garlic, and guindilla. A delicious, garlicky shrimp toast. If you like shrimp and you like garlic, you’ll love this. Heck, I don’t love shrimp, and I thought it was great.
Chorizo Stuffed Dates: Medjool dates, house-made chorizo, and manchego wrapped in bacon with an arugula salad. This is nothing revolutionary, but it’s delicious. The bacon has an almost candied consistency. The dates are sweet, savory, and have a very well-rounded flavor.
Potato Tortilla: Traditional Spanish omelet with caramelized onions and garlic aioli. HOLY YUM! If I'm honest, this is the best Tortilla Española I've had in the U.S. It wasn't overcooked like most are, and still had that gooey (but cooked) center. The potatoes were the perfect thickness. Nothing about this was terrible. OK, now I want another.
Crispy Calamari: Served with homemade tartar sauce. This was my least favorite dish. It was a bit overcooked and dry, in my opinion.
Mallorcan Style Lamb: Braised lamb, piquillo confit, garlic chips, and patatas panaderas. I liked this dish, and although it didn’t look like anything pretty, it had a very well-rounded flavor. It was full of spices and textures… which was nice.
Seafood Salpicón: Octopus, shrimp, mussels, marinated olives, and lemon EVOO. This is basically seafood salad and was a great take on this dish, but again, there were other dishes I preferred.
Ribeye Paella: Grilled ribeye, Valencia rice, sofrito rojo, and salsa criolla. YUM! This was a traditional Spanish paella with mixed veggies and a tomato base. It had a bit of heat behind it, but in a rounded way rather than spicy. This dish had a GREAT socarrat, too (crispy, caramelized layer of rice on the bottom). It takes 30-45 minutes to make, so be sure to place your order early.
Churros Con Chocolate: Traditional fried dough with chocolate sauce and dulce de leche. These were fine. Usually I’d go out of my way to order churros (because who doesn’t love fried dough covered in cinnamon and sugar), but these were just average. I like a thicker churro — ones that are a bit more doughy.
Lovely libations
The drinks were good, too. They weren’t anything to make you say, “WOW, that’s interesting,” but they were enjoyable with the meal.
Bougie Palmer: Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Lemon, Lavender Syrup, Peach Oolong Tea
Sangría Blanca: Sparkling Wine, Peach Schnapps, Triple Sec, Strawberries, Blueberries
And the verdict is…
7/10. The meal was delicious. Some dishes were better than others, but all around, it was enjoyable. The only thing that blew my socks off was the tortilla, but I know how to make that at home (it’s a pain without certain equipment though, so I’ll just let someone at Bulla make it for me!). I’m not dreaming of any of the dishes after eating here; however, I’ll definitely go back when I’m in the mood for very authentic Spanish tapas… I think it’s the best Spanish tapas in Charlotte.
