Spanish Italian flavours in Salvador de Bahia: Restaurant Toro Tapas Bar (29. January 2016)
I ended up randomly at the Toro Tapas Bar and I must say, it was a good choice for dinner. If you are a bit early you get to have a seat on the small terrace with a view onto the ocean. The waiter welcomed us friendly and couldn’t tell us often enough that they do not serve Brazilian food but Spanish and Portuguese tapas. It is definitely friendly to inform your customers, however, I’ve heard it the first time.
Once you are seated, you are pretty much immediately served with “Cesto de pão” (6.00 BRL), “Alioli (maionese de alho)” (4.00 BRL) and “Picadinho de Tomate com salsinha” (4.50 BRL). It is definitely tasty and a good way to bridge the time between the arrival of the first tapa and the ordering of your food. However, you are not informed that this is not complimentary but you have to pay for it. No big deal considering the amount but it would be good to inform your customer beforehand.
The “Pata Negra” (64.00 BRL) was cut thinly and nice in consistency and taste.
The “Croquette de Gorgonzola” (6.50 BRL) did not look too special but the filling with Gorgonzola actually made them very delicious – intense in taste but delicious.
The “Lagostinas al’jilo” (39.00 BRL) were yummy and had a strong garlic base taste but were, unfortunately, a bit too dry for my personal gusto. If you’d have them served a bit less cooked, they’d be perfect.
The “Cogumelos recheados com espargos verdes” (31.00 BRL) was one of these things I had no clue what it was (besides something with green asparagus) and well, it was mushrooms. Frankly, not my favourite but actually not a bad combination.
The “Acorda de camarao” (40.00 BRL) was again something with “prawns” but I did not quite get what …
… and I still don’t know but it was very mouth-watering. The stew with prawns had a creamy consistency and the prawns were nicely juicy like they should be. Lovely dish, highly recommended!
The “Caipirinha” (15.50 BRL) was quite okay. Not the best I have had in my life but it did the trick.
The “Cafe Expresso” (6.00 BRL) was better than expected and quite strong so not ideal if you want to go to sleep early.
The waiter was really dedicated and tried his best to be a good waiter. And he was. But he tried too hard. When you have given your guests the menu, and they are looking at it, you do not have to explain for five minutes how good everything is. We got it.
Overall, the Toro Tapas Bar is a nice place where you get decent food for fair prices in a nice atmosphere with (overly) dedicated waiters, and a good view. If you want to make sure to sit outside, I would recommend you to book a table in advance.
Rating:
| Atmosphere: |   |
| Service: | |
| Dishes: | |
| Price-Performance Ratio: | |
| Overall Rating: | |
Contact Details:
Restaurant Toro Tapas Bar
Av. Sete de Setembro 395
Barra
40130-001 Salvador de Bahia (BR)
Tel.: +55 71 30 11 93 60
About the Author: Sven
I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org.
Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City. 
