I went to LaZarza last Friday on a first date, and had a great time! My date got there first, and we were both drawn in by the warmth of the place. The restaurant was full when we got there, and the host told us it was going to be a couple minutes for our table. We went to the bar and ordered mojitos, which the bartender said was his specialty. She got the peach, and I got the lychee. We waited at the bar for around 15 minutes, until we were seated in the front of the restaurant near the open cafe doors. The restaurant has a glow to it, with candles seemingly everywhere, and dark chocolate wood walls and tables. The romantic ambiance definitely made the conversation flow. (and the mojitos didn't hurt either :) We decided to share three of their appetizers, the crocanitos(calamari), the croquetas and the crab cake (which the server told us was a new menu item ) She followed with the paella, and I opted for their Veal Chop. The apps were all delicious. The crab cake was my favorite, with a hicama (sp?) slaw and avocado puree. She liked the croquetas best which were oozing with goat cheese on top of a fig puree. The entrees too were excellent, and there certainly was ample food on the plate. The veal chop was huge, and the paella was packed with seafood, and very flavorful. The service was professional and unobtrusive, and we never felt rushed. Altogether, a great place for a date. We are already planning to come back. Thank you LaZarza! I would give 5 stars, but we did have to wait 15 minutes for our reserved table, and the rating system doesn't allow 1/2 stars, (which it should)
more