In the warm glow of an inviting fireplace, the rich aroma of saffron and roasted garlic fills the air at the newest Spanish restaurant in Palo Alto: Macarena.
Macarena opened Feb. 28 at 420 Ramona St., bringing traditional tapas, paellas and other Spanish cuisine to Palo Alto.
The restaurant has a pleasant atmosphere, with a comfortably furnished and brightly lit interior that resembles an elegant living room. Seating arrangements vary in size, being intimate enough for smaller parties and large enough for events.
According to Elizabeth Reviriego, co-founder of Macarena, the goal of the establishment is to capture Spain’s authentic dishes.
“We’re all about honoring the classics, bringing to life the dishes that every Spaniard grew up with,” Reviriego said. “Each bite takes you back to the warmth of home and the heart of Spain.”
Macarena’s vision of traditional cuisine is led by executive chefs Toni Santanach and Sergio Box, both of whom have previous experience at renowned restaurants La Perla de Javea in Valencia, Spain and Pinxus in Barcelona.
According to Reviriego, the restaurant’s high-quality dishes are a display of their chefs’ dedication to authenticity.
“Sergio and Toni are dedicated to ensuring that every dish at Macarena stays true to the traditions they’ve known and loved,” Reviriego said. “The key to our paella’s distinctiveness lies in Chef Sergio’s commitment to making every component from scratch. … These homemade elements are what set our paella apart, reflecting Sergio’s dedication to preserving tradition while achieving the highest standard of quality.”
Reviriego said the restaurant sources ingredients from both local farmers and abroad in Spain to provide natural foods while maintaining tradition.
“We pride ourselves on sourcing the majority of our fresh ingredients locally, ensuring we’re supporting nearby farms and businesses,” Reviriego said. “However, to stay true to the heart of Spanish cuisine, we also import select ingredients directly from Spain. This perfect blend of local and authentic Spanish products allows us to offer dishes that are both fresh and deeply rooted in tradition.”
The wait time for our meal was not long: Our mocktail took seven minutes to prepare, followed by our appetizer at nine minutes and then our paella at 19 minutes.
We tried some of our waiter’s generous recommendations for Sunday dinner and here’s what we thought:
Churros Bravos ($10)
This appetizer consists of deep-fried potatoes piped in the shape of churro logs, served with a tomato-based bravas sauce. Although the potato churros were delightfully crispy, with a crunch in every bite, they lacked complex flavor, as they tasted only of plain potato by themselves. However, the addition of bravas sauce improved the taste by providing a creamy, smoky paprika accompaniment.
Paella Negra Con Vieiras ($48)
The restaurant’s signature dish features scallops, squid and shrimp served over squid ink rice, with a side of lemon aioli. The serving size was slightly disappointing, as we wished for more seafood. The rice had a bit of a crunch, but it was primarily very salty because of the squid ink. The scallops and squid were cooked nicely, not too chewy. However, the shrimp was overcooked and tough to chew. Overall, the flavor of the paella fell flat, as the tanginess from the aioli sauce overwhelmed any hints of seafood.
Flor De Maracuya ($8)
This mocktail is a mixture of fresh pineapple and passionfruit juice, garnished with Sichuan pepper, clove and cardamom. Citrus overpowered the first taste; however, notes of the spices shone through, serving as a refreshing palate cleanser for our food. Still, the glass was filled mostly with ice, leaving little of the actual mocktail to sip on.
While we appreciated the freshly prepared dishes and excellent service, we recommend Macarena as your next dinner spot only if you are comfortable with premium pricing, as the flavors did not fully justify the high costs for us.
