Europa Italian Cafe & Tapas

02/02/12

Excellent tapas

by alexz1789514934 at Citysearch

Excellent tapas

12/04/08

Great for large groups!

by lianbily at Citysearch

I think Europa as a whole has greatly improved over the past 2-3 years. I first went there with my family on a whim, when the Hardshell was booked. It was my 23 birthday, and I wanted it to be fun not just for me, but for my parents. While our first experience was definitely lacking in the service department, we still went back a month later when my extended family was in town from Hawaii. This time, we all had a blast, and the waitstaff was much better. Since then, I've made Europa my annual birthday dinner with both friends and family. The food is pretty good, but I've only ever had the tapas; I highly recommend the stuffed peppers and date fritters! The food at Europa lends itself to eating with a large group of people, since picky eaters can choose from more subtle options, while more adventurous tastes are also satisfied. In my opinion, there is nothing more fun than downing pitchers of sangria (red and white) while stuffing my face with delicious Spanish food.

• Pros: good service, great wine selection, something for every palate
• Cons: the drunk foolios who populate the Bottom at night

03/31/08

Incredible Menu!

by h82leavehungry at Citysearch

We had the best time at Europa. They were able to seat our walk in party of 8 right away by moving some tables together and the hostess was extremely friendly. We ordered many items from the tapas menu and they came in "spurts" making it easy to share. Our server, Amanda, guided us through the menu and suggested ordering two of most of the items so there would be enough to share. My husband and I wished that some of the tapas were available as entrees! But then we wouldn't have gotten to taste as much. the sangria is also really good. I don't know why people are talking about parking-there is a garage across the street that offers free parking for dinner guests. I have worked around the corner from Europa for the past 8 months and the sign has been there. Also before we even moved here we went to a Rehearsal dinner there and parked in the same lot. And that was in 2006. Both of my experiences at Europa have been really good and I have recommended it to many co-workers. It is not for the person who likes to eat at cookie cutter or chain restaurants. You can't get a grilled chicken breast with (fill in topping here) there. Great for small parties or large groups who are in the mood for a festive atmosphere with character. Try the scallop tapas!

• Pros: Ambience, free parking, food!
• Cons: not a place to bring kids

01/22/08

My husbands favvvvvv caesar

by luvtodineandtravel at Citysearch

Was looking forward to a dinner of tapas, but happy that Europa still offered entrees because a weekly steak is part of my diet regimen.

Easy to make reservations (made them day of dining), was seated promptly. Server was ok, warmed up as the evening went on. Calamari was ok. Olive dish was hugeeeee, way more olives than my husband could eat (prob 75 olives and I dont eat them). Caesar is also part of my religion (lol), and that was fantastic. It was my husbands favorite Caesar that he has ever had. Creamy dressing, good croutons, all around good. Bread was warm and spicey, with olive oil for dipping.

Filet I ordered was cooked to perfection, my husband ordered several tapas as his entree, and was overly pleased with everything. Dessert was ok, (tres leches cake), would order something else when I go back.

Ambience was nice. Casual if you wanted to be casual, but intimate enough that if you wanted to kick up the wardrobe for the night, you could do that as well.

Overall, it was a really great dining experience. Still doesn't beat my fav- Sensi- though. However, Europa in in 2nd place. :)

• Pros: bread, salad, steak
• Cons: dessert, small wine list

08/24/06

One of my Top 5 Worst Dining Experiences

by jhd121 at Citysearch

As a weekly business traveler who eats out at least 5 days a week, I have the opportunity to sample many restaurants. Europa is hands down one of my worst experiences. Don't get me wrong, I can understand a certain level of discomfort from a place like this because hey, that's trendy, right? But this was over the top, especially for the price. First, the temperature in the main dining area was about 90 degrees F. The basement, however, was about 50 degrees F. Despite their attempt to move air from the basement to the dining area with a loud fan, our party of 10 spent the meal sweating through our clothing. The temperature, combined with a few drinks ("few" only because the wait staff would never return to bring another round), made water a very popular commodity. The wait staff, sensing our discomfort, brought out two trendy, blue bottles of water, each containing enough water to fill 2.5 glasses, and then promptly ran away, probably giggling. Though we rationed the water like we were stranded in the desert, it got to the point where we considered drinking the bland sauces that came with the very mediocre tapas. The wait staff, though being true to the European experience, seemed extremely annoyed when we placed orders, whether it be food or drinks. We tried to explain to them that we were hungry and thirsty and willing to give them large sums of money in exchange for goods and services but this only irked them more. To ease their own discomfort, they avoided their tables for most of the night. Even the restroom was a frustrating experience. The were no hand towels and the air dryer was placed at eye level, giving me a burst of hot air to the face while I tried to dry my hands. After leaving Europa, the muggy streets of Richmond actually felt good as we searched for a local pizza joint to get some sustenance after a very unsatisfying meal and head to bed.

• Pros: Um... Free Parking
• Cons: Hot, terrible service, below average food