To Dine or Not to Dine at Larchmont’s España?

Tapas may be small dishes of food, but that doesn't mean they come at a small price. At España Wine and Tapas Bar in Larchmont, you don't have to splurge on the baby eels delicacy called angulas – which sell for $200 for 100 grams (approximately 3.75 ounces) – to get sticker shock.

Now, don't get me wrong; the tapas were very tasty. But $25 for Iberico cured ham? I can hardly believe that we paid $10 for the alcachofas fritas con all i oli de piquillos. Sounds special, right? For those not fluid in Spanish, that's just fried artichokes with pepper aioli.

Before I get carried away, let's start at the beginning. After we were seated, the waiter came by to take our drink orders. España is a wine bar with more than 150 selections, so my friend naturally opted for a glass of wine, requesting a Shiraz. She was immediately told that was not available. It is hard not to set a negative tone for a dining experience when the very first thing you ask for is denied. However, the server went on to explain that the restaurant only carried Spanish wines. He brought her a Spanish red he said would be similar to a Shiraz. Mary thought the wine was just fine; unfortunately, we never did find out what kind of wine it was.

I fared better with my drink selection. Sadly, I am allergic to red wines, so I asked the server to recommend a nice glass of white. Lately, I have been enjoying Sauvignon Blanc, but before I even had a chance to share that, the waiter read my mind and suggested the Sitios de Bodega Con Class from the Rueda region in northern Spain, noting it was similar to a Sauvignon Blanc. I later learned that is because this blend is made from 10 percent Viura, 10 percent Sauvignon Blanc and 80 percent Verdejo grapes. I enjoyed the citrus essence and crispness of the wine, though I would say the overall flavor was a little too tart.

With some warm crusty rolls (they were like mini baguettes – win!) and our drinks in hand, my dining companions and I set out to tackle the menu. More than two dozen hot and cold selections were featured on the fixed menu, as well as more than a dozen weekly special tapas.

The cold tapas ranged in price from $5 for Catalan tomato bread and $6 for a plate of olives, to $14 for a chilled marinated seafood salad. The hot tapas ranged from $7 for the tortilla española – a Spanish potato and onion omelet – to $16 for polpo al feira, described as thin slices of octopus over potatoes with paprika and extra virgin olive oil.

In addition to the very high-priced delicacies mentioned in the introduction, the special tapas menu ran the gamut from Caldo Gallego – a stew of chorizo sausage, beans, potatoes and leafy greens for $8 – to the lobster, leek and mushroom ravioli with black truffle cream and zucchini compote for $16.

In addition to the artichokes – which were crispy, light and flavorful – we selected the chicken croquetas ($8); gambas al ajillo – sautéed shrimp in garlic, parsley and sherry ($12); the empanada of the day ($8); and a stew of clams, or almejas, white beans and chorizo ($14).

The croquettes were crispy on the outside and smooth and creamy on the inside, with a sweet-yet-savory flavor that I loved. While the empanada was a little bit overcooked on the outside, the dark meat chicken, olives and peppers inside made it very flavorful and authentic. The delicious broth that the shrimp came in required us to ask for a refill on the bread in order to sop up all the goodness; unfortunately the shrimp were small, dry and overdone.

Our favorite was probably the almejas. As far as my husband and I are concerned, you had us at "chorizo." Again, the golden delicious sauce begged for dipping; however, our second bread refill request might not have been appreciated, as we were served only three rolls to share amongst four people.

Next, we decided to try two of the only five entrees available. The other couple we ate with had sampled the seafood paella ($36) before and preferred to try the paella de carne, or beef paella, ($26) instead. While I was happy to have more chorizo, that's where the enjoyment of the dish ended. It proved to be very greasy, and the beef and pork were tough and almost gamey. The green beans didn't seem to be the right match for the dish, either.

We also selected the salmon a la parrilla ($24), described on the menu as featuring seasonal vegetables, olives and capers in a tomato vinaigrette. What we were served, instead, seemed more Asian-inspired, with broccoli, sugar snap peas, carrots, red peppers and water chestnuts.

All was not lost when we ordered dessert. I had my first churro – a deep fried, cinnamon-dusted stick donut served with chocolate and caramel dipping sauces. While the caramel sauce was strange and watery (I was expecting something more along the lines of a dulce de leche), the chocolate sauce was not too sweet and a perfect accompaniment to the churros.

The crema Catalana – a Spanish-style crème brulée – was light and delicious with a discernible citrus flavor. The spoon-shaped, thin wafer cookie served alongside it was a sweet touch.

España Wine & Tapas Bar is located at 147 Larchmont; (914 ) 833-1331.