Vaca

Someone from this business manages this listing.

187 reviews

#15 of 483 Restaurants in Costa Mesa$$$$, Latin, Spanish, Vegetarian friendly

+1 714-463-6060+ Add website

Hours

Sun

5:00 PM - 9:30 PM

Mon

11:00 AM - 2:30 PM5:00 PM - 9:30 PM

Tue

11:00 AM - 2:30 PM5:00 PM - 10:30 PM

Wed

11:00 AM - 2:30 PM5:00 PM - 10:30 PM

Thu

11:00 AM - 2:30 PM5:00 PM - 10:30 PM

Fri

11:00 AM - 2:30 PM5:00 PM - 10:30 PM

Sat

5:00 PM - 10:30 PM

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MICHELIN

Ratings and reviews

4.0

187 reviews

#15 of 483 Restaurants in Costa Mesa

MICHELIN

View more on MICHELIN Guide

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Details

Someone from this business manages this listing.

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CUISINES

Latin, Spanish

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Gluten free options

Meals

Lunch, Dinner

features

Location and contact

695 Town Center Dr Suite 170, Costa Mesa, CA 92626-1924

+1 714-463-6060

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MICHELIN Guide's Point of View

Courtesy of Chef Amar Santana, this cool and rustic tapas bar offers consistently pleasing food and an extensive list of sherries and Spanish wines ami...

Read more on MICHELIN Guide

Is this restaurant good for brunch?

Yes

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Details

Manage this business?

CUISINES

Latin, Spanish

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Gluten free options

Meals

Lunch, Dinner

FEATURES

Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Parking Available, Valet Parking, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Table Service

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4.0

187 reviews

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Nag

6 contributions

Expensive small sized tapas, good service

Mar 2022 • none

Small and expensive tapas of inconsistent quality (ctopus is good, calamares average for instance, the chorizo is literally a few slices) Service is good. Wine prices are through the roof. We ended up paying 80 USD per person for 1 drink and

Written March 18, 2022

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

richard a

Las Vegas29 contributions

My experience at Vaca

Dec 2019 • friends

Chef Amar Santana culinary skills are second to none, his cuisine is very Inovative and well executed. His dishes are always on point and bursting with flavor, the nice part of this restaurant is a very well equipped bar and a real and experienced bartenders, they serve dry aged prime steaks and beef, absolutely delicious and cooked the way you can enjoy your steak. This restaurant is very busy therefore reservation is a must. Never had any issues here.

Written January 13, 2020

Bill

Redondo Beach338 contributions

Watch out for extra 3% charge on tab

Apr 2024 • couples

First, i dont believe it’s Michelin Star rated. Very crowded and noisy large restaurant. Inside tables way too close to other guest tables. I coul hear every conversation with the other table. Sat down and presented with paper menus. No chips, bread or anything to munch on. I ordered a Mr. Roboto and didnt even get a slight buzz so didnt reorder. Our tapas were tasty but small. Then ordered a paella for $61. It was a nice portion but overall the food was on salty side. Would have stayed longer but i felt like people next to us were sitting at our table again. Got the check and there was a 3% surcharge bc of overall costs but is not added if take out or online ordering . I asked wait staff if they get any of the 3% and was told no but i could decline the 3%. The 3% goes to the back of the restaurant, ie cooks. But cooks etc, cook for inhouse, pickup and online. So if you pay 3% that 3% is compounded and increased to total so the 3% is now taxed at 15, 18 or whatever % you tip. Makes no sense. Instead of doing it add 50 cents or $1.00 to each dish. The place is not cheap in the first place so why piss off customers. Just a silly game to play. Prob won’t return

Written April 28, 2024

Renee D

Mazatlan10 contributions

$350.00, only to get food poising!

Oct 2023 • family

My son, daughter-in-law, and I dined at Vaca on October the 9th. We all shared an order Raba De Toro (oxtail), Canellone de Pollo Ahumado, the bikini sandwiches, a three cheese plate and then an order of the Seafood Pealla (de Mariscos). Everything tasted fine. The service was only OK, as the waiter never didn’t remember to order one of the other dishes that we ordered. With the tip, the bill was close to $350.00. Unfortunately, all three of us became quite ill starting around 2:00 in the morning. This continued well into the next morning. The next day I called the restaurant and spoke with their manager Brandon. He asked that i give him 24 to 48 hours to investigate what might have happened. Several days later he called and left a message on my voicemail. I returned that phone call and was simply told we looked at everything and we can't find anything that could have caused you to become ill, “We're very sorry”. I asked him if he thought that it was extremely odd that all three of us who shared all of the same dishes would become so ill from eating there. He said well we followed all of our protocols and there's nothing else I can do for you except to apologize. I truly expected that a restaurant of this caliber would offer more than a simple, wrote apology. I explained that it would be very difficult for us in good conscience to return to their restaurant, and he glibly said “do what you want to do”. Enough said, I can tell you that we won't return.

Written October 18, 2023

Clevlander

Springfield5649 contributions

Good tapas bar

Oct 2022 • friends

We came to the restaurant from a recommendation of friends. We enjoyed the excellent service from the staff, and their knowledge of the menu and wines. We ordered a variety of tapas that were well prepared, and the meat paella, which was a little over cooked and burnt at the bottom. It wasn’t particularly excellent. The tomato bread was a unique presentation with the bread and tomato sauce presented separately, and you have to add the sauce which is different than at Spanish restaurants, where they usually come already prepared. The prices are high relative to the food provided but overall it was a good experience with good but small type of presentations.

Written November 3, 2022

kawidd

United States2199 contributions

Good choices on tapas. Well

Feb 2020 • none

Good choices on tapas. Well executed. Service is fast. Food is well presented. One short coming is that prices are high. The paella isn’t my best but in the upper $30s range for a moderate size one. Passable paella only. Wine prices are sky high. That makes the $30 corkage almost seem ok.

Written February 9, 2020

TS1362015

Placerville329 contributions

Tapas on the patio

Jan 2020 • friends

Ate there on the patio. Six different Tapas for two of us (as recommended). Among them: Relleno (peppers, Aguacate (Avocado), Vieiras (scallops), kale salad, Albondigas (lamb) and calamari. All excellent (calamari least favorite, Aguacate best.) Enjoyed a white Spanish wine with same. Service excellent. Bit on the expensive side though. Highly recommended.

Written February 11, 2020

Vacation36027555502

1 contribution

Hmmm...want to waste your money? Come on down!

Jun 2023 • family

Wow! I mean, wow. How disappointing can a restaurant be? Forget the location and expectations for an amazing dining experience. I've cooked better steaks from Stater Bros and Vons hundreds of times since 2012 when we moved to 3400 Avenue of the Arts until today. Wow. Don't bother. Stay home and cook your own food.

Written June 18, 2023

elridder

Cary235 contributions

Good just not Great

Oct 2020 • none

I must say I am slightly disappointed with Vaca. We have been to Spain a LOT and the level of food quality vs prices was not even close to what you get in spain. The iberico ham was VERY disappointing for the price and quality. However the Foie gras was exceptional and made the meal. Drinks are high price and just not that good. Service was excellent. Oxtail was also quite good not world class but still very tasty. Good meal just below where I thought it would be

Written November 2, 2020

OCAnn

Orange County187 contributions

Spanish Tapas

Sep 2021 • couples

Costa Mesa has a lot of the better restaurants in OC and around SCP in particular, there are many. I have my usual stand-bys (Mastro’s, Cap Grille), but wanted to try Amar Santana’s place (Top Chef, season 13 runner up) and something walking distance to Segerstrom Hall. The food here is solid; actually, quite good and much better than AnQi. They have $8 valet (no onsite parking, but there’s a nearby structure). Food is Spanish w paella, tapas and a fairly yummy cocktail list. Full-on COVID safety measures are in place at this restaurant.

Written September 9, 2021

Shanelle

Santa Monica7995 contributions

Tapas spot good for pre- show dinners

Jul 2024 • family

Tapas spot close to the Sergestrom Theater. Came here for a pre-show dinner at 5pm and made a reservation online in advance. It’s a short walk away from the theater, so it’s a good spot when you’re trying to catch a show. Note that the paella does take about 40 minutes to cook, so budget your time accordingly. My family of four shared the following: Bikini sandwich - Simple, but I liked this a lot. Croquettes - standard dish; I was neutral about it Alcachofa (Artichokes) - nicely fried and the aioli was good Lubinda (sea bass) - my mom wanted this one; the sauce is good and it’s a healthy option Mollejas (veal sweetbreads) - this was all my dad but he really enjoyed it Jamon Serrano and Sheep’s Milk quesos - these came together on a charcuterie board with pickles and marmalades. Paella de carne - very rich and lots of meat. It may be too heavy for some Beef marrow - also very rich - my sister enjoyed it a lot. Churros for dessert - this comes in three and a chocolate sauce on the side. We had leftover paella but unfortunately had to throw it away since Sergestrom doesn’t allow outside food. Otherwise, this was an enjoyable meal.

Written August 24, 2024

Don B

1 contribution

First n last time..

Jul 2024 • friends

First time here. Don't waste money. Fancy looking exotic dishes. With no food on the plate.. Think your chicken. These chefs make these dishes .where's the beef or did they have mom show how to cook. Verses chef school..They have alot liquor I guess to chase food down..

Written July 6, 2024

gmgOc

197 contributions

Almost Post pandemic meal

Apr 2021 • none

We have been shut down for so long in California, we just needed to get out. Vaca delivered. Our indoor table was delayed due to scheduling error( not good). We sat at the bar and ordered some awesome drinks . ,We chilled at the bar for 15 minutes before asking what was up, only to be informed there were no indoor tables, clearly people were hanging out longer than pre covid. We did take a table outside with heaters. Not our request but it was fine. We had the octopus, thinly slice and was good. We then had the faux gras, Brussels sprouts and skirt steak. All we fantastic. A heads up, the drinks were fantastic and strong. Would come here just for the drinks. The kitchen is doing a great job. Table service was attentive and friendly. Kudos to Vaca.

Written April 20, 2021

Gee Selle

California City511 contributions

Nice dinner spot for couples

Oct 2023 • couples

Had dinner here last night with my hubby. He said this is owned by a Top Chef and serves spanish cuisine which i have been craving for. We were promptly seated in the patio at the back even if we didn’t have reservations. Below are the food we ordered: Drink Sangria Rosa - 4/5 Pulpo - 4/5 flavorful but a little dry. They should’ve added more olive oil. Gambas- 5/5 very good with the right spice Vieras a la plancha (scallops) - 5/5 scallops was cooked well and taste was like thai curry Seafood Paella - 3/5 it was okey. I’ve tasted better. The Paella at Telerefic in Palo Alto is the best Ive tried here in California. The seafood was well cooked though. Churros con chocolate 3/3- i was looking forward to this. But the churros was overcooked so it was so hard and it was thickly coated in sugar which we had to scrape off. Spanish churros don’t have sugar coating. At least the chocolate tasted like the spanish chocolate that is not too sweet. Our server miguel was very amiable and checked on us regularly. The ambience was also nice. Parking is in the lot across Vaca and can be validated at the restaurant or you can do valet for $10.

Written October 10, 2023

wolfhomma

Mission Viejo249 contributions

Very Good but not Outstanding Tapas

Jun 2023 • family

My brother in law and I went to try this place, which is notorious for being booked, even mid week. We walked in at 6:30 and luckily found a table for two in the outside area in front of the restaurant. This was the perfect place since we were not blasted by the noise inside. We came to try the tapas. I suspect that the meat is excellent at this place, but we wanted variety, and I craved tapas with a good glass of wine. We had several tapas, each of them large or small enough to share, the carne crudo, gambas a la plancha, pulpo al la Gallego, patatas bravas, and a mixed cheese and jamon platter. The best was the carne crudo, a small stack of raw meat with egg salad on top. Next was the gambas, shrimp in a sauce that probably had vinegar in it, not the typical butter and herb sauce. The other tapas were not as exciting, especially the Fermin jamon, which was dry (I should have ordered a smaller portion and gone for the Cinco Jotas). The toasted bread that comes with each plate has a funny taste, which I could not identify. Vaca buys into the common misinterpretation of tapas outside of Spain. In Spanish bars, the tapas (or pintxos in Basque country) are right in front of you in a vitrine, and they are small and super affordable. They are also served within a minute, once you alert the person behind the bar. The entire setting encourages spontaneity and promotes socializing. Outside Spain, tapas are glorified mini dishes that are served with fanfare and cost a fortune, especially at Vaca. The wine list, when it comes to glasses and not entire bottles, is utterly unimpressive. We had a tempranillo, presumably from Rioja, a crianza and a reserva, but there was no further information in the wine list. Decent, but not outstanding wine. All in all, a nice experience, but this is a far cry from a Michelin star (even a one star) restaurant. Nothing here was super exciting, and so, the search for a decent tapas place in O.C. goes on.

Written June 28, 2023

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