Restaurant: Xuntos
Location: 516 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90401. (424) 744-8727
Date: September 9, 2023
Cuisine: Spanish Tapas
Rating: Small menu, and pricey, but good
Beloved Sweet Milk Gelato home Heroic is no more and its been replaced by Xuntos, a Spanish tapas place.
Tapas are having a moment because after years of barely any they are popping up all over.
The outside booths are totally gone.
Inside looks similar.
Case of pastry.
Pig leg!
The back room is similar, but argulably cuter.
The “private” room has been opened up. Has to be better as that space was poorly utilized.
Half the menu.
Amuse of olives and pickled pepper. “Zesty” but good. I love pickles.
HUEVOS DIABLOS CON SARDINA. deviled egg. Very nice. Pickle vibe again.
GAZPACHO DE FRESA. chilled tomato soup. Excellent gazpacho. Almost as good as mine. A bit of heat on top too.
ANCHOA DEL CANTABRICO EN BRIOCHE an anchovy on buttered bread. Super buttery brioche with salty anchovy. Delicious. Really delicious.
CROQUETAS DE JAMÓN. Small but nice and classic.
PINCHO MORUNO DE CORDERO CON ROMESCO. lamb skewer. Tender and lamby.
PIQUILLO RELLENOS DE QUESO FRESCO Y HIERBAS. roasted peppers stuffed with herbed cheese. Fine, but not my favorite dish.
EMPANADA DE POLLO. empanada with chicken & marcona almonds. Great crust. Inside was not super exciting, but it did have a nice texture with the almonds.
LA ENSALADILLA RUSA. spanish potato salad. I really enjoyed the pickle crunch in this potato salad.
TOMATES DE TEMPORADA EN ENSALADA CON MELOCOTÓN. tomato & peach salad. Cucumbers rocked.
ENSALADA SALANOVA CON ZANAHORIA Y BOQUERÓN. salanova lettuces. Very light, slightly zest (but not enough), and a nice hint of salt flakes.
GAMBAS AL AJILLO. garlic shrimp. Perfectly authentic with that super garlicky oil. Very tender shrimp.
COSTILLAS CON SALSA BARBACOA. pork ribs. Good, not amazing, but solid.
Overall, a very enjoyable meal. Pretty authentic for LA Spanish actually and I’ll be back again. My wife really enjoyed too.
JAMÓN IBÉRICO DE BELLOTA CORTADO A MANO. Classic Spanish ham, cut fresh off the leg.
Bread and butter.
VIEIRAS, MANTEQUILLA DE AZAFRÁN (4u.) scallops in the shell.
FIDEOS NEGRO CON CALAMAR Y PIQUILLO. squid ink pasta.
Xuntos is quite Spanish. I wish it had a bigger menu, and was open at lunch, but otherwise it’s pretty tasty.