Mary in Vancity

I found the Judas Goat by chance, walking down Gastown’s Blood Alley with a girlfriend. We had a couple of drinks and I made a mental note that I would come back and try the tapas – they looked so good.

So true to my word, I came back, and I brought along with me bloggers extraordinaire Sean Neild and Brian Webb. Sean took all the pictures for this post.

I recommend getting there early, as the restaurant only seats 28.

Tapas are a great idea if you’re looking for something to nibble at while drinking good wine or beer. They encourage conversation and it’s a great way to get to know people, as each tapas is brought out like a course during a meal. Some tapas dinners can last hours.

The Judas Goat specializes in Spanish Tapas. Their menu is inspired by tastes of Spain, France, Italy and beyond.

Now here’s the tricky part: The menu isn’t cheap. Most tapas range from $6 to $20. The portions are made to share between two people. If you have a third in your party, You have to order more.

The good thing is that the food is delicious. My favourite dish were the Beef Brisket Meatballs ($7) These meatballs were so tender, and they came smothered in this deliciously tangy tomato sauce and covered in cheese. Oh.my.god. Can you say amazing? We ordered a side of bread with them, as the sauce was too good to waste. They were so good, we had two orders of them.

Another mention-worthy dish was the Marinated Beets ($8) The beets were not very soft, which I liked, just perfectly tender. Also they were drizzled with a rosemary honey and served with a spiced ricotta cheese. It was actually very good and different. Most restaurants use goat cheese with their beets, so the ricotta was a nice change.

To accompany our meal, we ordered the Estrella beer from Barcelona. This is a very refreshing lager with citrus notes. It was perfect for a summer eve.

I think this restaurant is definitely worth checking out. It’s perfect for a light meal or a meeting with friends who just want to catch up. Also first date? I think so.

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