Tenmabashi - Spanish Food & Wine Bar
El Puente (Out of Business)
Access:
-Osaka Subway, Tanimachi Line - Tenmabashi Station, North Exit-Keihan Railway, 京阪本線 (Keihan (hon-sen) Main Line) - Tenmabashi Station
When exiting both trains, look for any signs pointing to the OMM Bldg. (where El Puente is located). The closest station is the subway, but you can walk to El Puente from both stations in under 5 minutes, via underground walkways. If you're leaving from the Keihan Railway, head for the exit near the Tanimachi Line of the subway (going through another exit could have you out on the streets or walking toward the castle). I couldn't find the number on OMM website, but I'll be back there tomorrow, so I'll check then. :)
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| The 盛り合わせ (moriawase) Tapas, featuring a few different items from the Tapas menu. |
Food
El Puente is a Spanish restaurant, so it features various types of Tapas, Paella, soups and some specials. The menu is hand-written, which can me either of 2 things. One, they change the menu often enough that they don't need a printed one, or two, they're keeping it D.Y.I. |
| Chicken and Mushroom Paella |
We started with the Tapas platter, which was delicious! There was smoked ham, olives, a bit that looked like some kind of quiche (Spanish quiche? If there is such a thing), cucumbers smothered in some kind of salty sauce, fish and tomatoes, and another tomato dish that I couldn't recognize. It was all delicious and a great companion to drinking, but between the two of us, we still needed a bit more, so we also ordered chicken paella.This was my first paella, and I have to say... it was SOO GOOD. I tried to eat as much as possible before collapsing into a sad little mess at the table.
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| A butt-load of butter. I think they need to work on their butter to bread proportions. |
This was my first time eating Spanish food, and I've also never been to Spain, so I can't comment on how authentic it tastes, but it DOES taste GOOD! I highly recommend it (and I don't even like food like that)!
Drinks
The main reason we walked into this place was for the nomihoudai (all-you-can-drink) that was advertised on the sign (priorities). All-you-can-drink for 90 minutes, including Beer, -2℃ Beer, 5 types of red wine, 5 types of white wine, sparkling white wine, 2 types of Sangria, juice and tea for 1480 yen (about 14 USD). There was even a little chart explaining which wines were sweet or mild, etc.
Shota, being the beer loving fellow he is, imbibed himself on beer until he couldn't see (well, walk, mostly) straight, while I made a point to try as many wines as possible! This was our first Wine nomihoudai, and I think on average, they're pretty rare, so I highly recommended this place to any wine lovers in Osaka!
☼Atmosphere☼
Anyway, it does have a bar, a small space for about 4 tables in the back, some tables opposite the bar, then some tables right near the entrance. It leaves a lot of space for walking to get your drinks without bumping into anyone, so that's always a plus. It was also relatively quiet, with subtle Spanish/Classical/Jazz-ish music playing in the background, so great for a date or a small intimate party with a few friends!
$$Pricing$$
With the nomihoudai at 1480 yen, the Tapas platter at 1280 yen, the paella at 1590 yen, a separate order of bread and butter at 280 yen, and 540 yen hot chocolate and churros for desert, our grand total for a dinner for 2 was 6,650 yen. It's pretty normal for a meal that includes nomihoudai, but a little expensive if you remember you can get all-you-can-eat-and-drink for about the same price. BUT!! I think the food quality and presentation is definitely much better than your run-of-the-mill all-you-can-eat place, so it's certainly worth a visit!♥Final Impression♥
I think El Puente set the bar pretty high for any future Spanish spot I go to in Osaka. The service was great, the food amazing, the drinks superb and the pricing reasonable. I'm even considering using this spot for a birthday gathering this year (I'll probably end up at the Hard Rock Cafe anyway though :P ). A downside might be it's location in Tenmabashi. The Tenmabashi area is near Osaka Castle, so it's a nice stop on your way home from a little sightseeing, but it's still a ways away from any main areas like Nanba or Umeda. I do think it's worth the detour though!
おまけ Omake
This was our first flirt with the Tenmabashi area, but I think we'll try to visit a few more places this year since it's not too far from home. A lot of things are located within the underground or shopping centers connected to undergrounds, so it's also a great place for hiding from winter!
Now enjoy Negative Sanji! My latest addition to ko-mono. I think I may have a gacha-problem...
★Peaces★
NOTE
Last I went to check on this place, but I didn't just want to delete the article, so I just slapped OOB on the top. I'll be doing this for any other places I review too!
NOTE
Last I went to check on this place, but I didn't just want to delete the article, so I just slapped OOB on the top. I'll be doing this for any other places I review too!
