La Paz Cafe Bar America Latina

This is a tapas bar that features signature dishes from various Latin American countries. If you go in expecting legit Mexican food (e.g., tacos con frijoles, spanish rice, Don Julio tequila), you might be setting yourself up for disappointment since the menu / food choices are a bit limited. However, smaller choices mean that the kitchen focuses on getting what they have down to perfection with the smallest of details.

The empanadas (kinda like stuffed pastries) were a delight. We ordered it as an appetizer with meat, corn, and cheese. Each were delectable but my favorite was the savory meat empanada. Next, we ordered burritos and a corn pastry dish (which I forgot the name of, sorry guys). As we sipped our Mojito Dark (made with 7-year aged rum...totally delicious) and ate in heavenly bliss, we decided that we still had enough room for more. The crepe with chocolate sauce? Amazing.

The menu selection is limited and the portions are European sizes (it will seem small to those of us used to burritos that can easily weigh a pound each at Chipotle's), so keep in mind that if you're super hungry after walking around the tourist attractions, you might want to pace your orders and order more after 1 entree if you're still not satiated. :) Our total bill after 3 mojitos, 1 app, 2 entrees and a dessert? Little less than $60 USD (154 Turkish Lira). It might sound pricy, but for the quality of taste and ambiance (all latin music, heaven to my ears!), it was a meal worth every bit of what we paid.

The only reason why I'm giving this place a 4-star rating instead of 5 is because this place is HARD to find!! The little sign is seriously like 8"x8" and placed high over the entrance and you have to go up these steep, spiral marble stairs until you realize you're actually in the presence of an eating establishment. We were also turned away at first but they realized a table guest who'd made reservations didn't show up, so they gave us the table. So yeah, if you wanna go to this place on a Saturday night like we did, see if you can call ahead and make reservations...and maybe ask for directions if you don't want to wander around the block up and down steep hills like we did for half an hour before we finally found this place. =P

Corona plus Burritos make feel like I am in heaven :)

Addition.. Burritos are cooked to perfectiob. I usually don't care much about hispanic meat but they cooked pretty well. The price was good for the quality.

This is a festive fun place right near the tünel. The menu is limited but it had a nice selection of "tapas" type dishes from various Latin American countries. It's satisfying if not 100% authentic. They often have live Cuban music and this delicious beer drink with lime and hot sauce. It's crazy refreshing!