Restaurant Review: Cafe Sevilla

Four of us went to Café Sevilla on Saturday night and it was the best experience I've ever had at this downtown Riverside hot spot.

In the past, I've been to the dinner show, where the menu is limited and your meal is accompanied by (depending on the night of the week) tango, salsa or flamenco dancing.

If you're particularly sensitive to the sound of pounding feet, you might want to steer clear of flamenco night.

Because of the limited menu, the strict seating times, the cost (you're paying for dinner and a show) and the fact that they want you out the door as soon as the show is over (because the dinner show venue becomes the disco later at night), I've always tended to think of Café Sevilla as overrated -- a tourist spot, Medieval Times with more sophisticated entertainment.

And while we'd had drinks in the upstairs bar on a couple of occasions, I'd never eaten off the regular menu there until Saturday night. I now have a much greater appreciation for Café Sevilla and its charms.

I still can't say I've had dinner there, because the four of us decided to order a bunch of tapas instead of individual appetizers and entrees. That strategy proved to be successful, for a number of reasons.

First, the menu itself. It is almost overwhelming in the choices it offers. We could barely get through reading all of the tapas and tapitas items before our server was there, letting us know the evening's specials. It was ever so much easier for us each to name a couple of appetizers for us to share than to try to navigate through all of the entree and paella selections.

Second, the tapas choices covered virtually every taste imaginable. We had everything from filet mignon to a seafood empanada, along with octopus, meatballs (two orders), lambchops (two orders), a potato tart and two kinds of bread (each with two kinds of dipping sauce). Why settle on a total of four dishes when we could sample eight?

Service was friendly and fairly prompt -- and for the most part accurate. One member of our party had considered ordering the olive tray appetizer, and was disappointed to learn that she had to choose one type of olive; she was hoping more for a sampler tray. Our waiter told her, sotto voce, "Don't worry, I'll get you some olives." He never did.

While we didn't get one dish we'd expected, we did get another dish we hadn't. One young server brought us a plate of crab cakes that we didn't think we'd ordered. But many of the menu items are listed with their unusual Spanish names, so maybe we had ordered them. I asked, "What are they called on the menu?" He said, "Um . . . I think they're called crab cakes." Off he went to find their proper owners.

I have to admit I didn't try the octopus or the seafood empanada, but everything else was terrific -- and filling. I had expected to need to order copious amounts of hors d'oeuvres to feel like I'd had dinner, but that was not the case. Rule of thumb: two-and-a-half tapas per person will fill you up at Sevilla.

Best of all: We each had one cocktail, and the total bill came to just over $100. Not bad for all of that food, especially in an upscale, convivial atmosphere.

Now I can see why Café Sevilla -- despite the meltdown of the economy -- remains a busy dining destination in Riverside.

Ambience: 4 (out of 5). Spacious, open loft-like feel; dark enough that each table feels intimate; plenty of Spanish artifacts for atmosphere.

Service: 4 (out of 5). We did not have reservations on a busy Saturday night at 8:00, but we were still seated promptly. Service was friendly, courteous, fairly prompt and almost completely accurate.

Food: 8 (out of 10). Very fresh and tasty. Huge selection. Good portion sizes. I am not all that familiar with Spanish food, so I can't tell you how authentic it is. But it tasted bueno to me.

Value: 4 (out of 5). Four cocktails, ten appetizers, and the tally was about $107 plus tip. For good food in an upscale atmostphere, I think that's a terrific value.

Total: 20 (out of 25)--that's about a B+.

Café Sevilla, 3252 Mission Inn Avenue, Riverside, CA 92507. (951) 778-0611.