Everyone loves a good Spanish tapas restaurant since you can sample numerous tasty bites.
I rarely venture out to Noe Valley in San Francisco because it’s slightly out of the way. However, I’ve been to a few delicious restaurants in the cute area such as La Ciccia and La Nebbia. I also haven’t dined at many tapas restaurants in the city besides Coqueta, Aatxe, and Bellota so when I came across positive reviews for Contigo I was down to try it.
We had an early reservation and within 30 minutes of sitting down the entire restaurant was packed, a good sign.
Jamón Ibérico de Bellota (9/10).
I mean you can’t pass up jamón ibérico, the king of all cured hams. It’s undeniably the most beautiful, flavorful, melt in your mouth piece of cured deliciousness. When I was in Madrid a few years back, I ate this everyday…
Oxtail Miniburgers with Pickled Onions (7.5/10).
While the oxtail patties were tender and unctuous, I wanted more acidity from the pickled onions to cut through the richness of the burgers.
Boquerones Toast with Avocado and Lemon (8.5/10).
I love marinated anchovies. These were delicious with creamy avocado, a touch of heat from the espelette pepper, and lemon zest which gave the perfect amount of tartness.
Croquetas de Jamón Ibérico (8/10).
These perfectly fried croquetas were cheesy, creamy, and meaty. Just needed just a pinch of more salt to bring all the flavors together.
Asparagus with Romesco (7.5/10).
These first of the season asparagus were simply grilled that tasted great with the romesco sauce.
Coca (Flatbread) of Nettles with Chorizo Ibérico, Manchego Cheese, and Caramelized Onions. (8/10).
Anything that involves bread and cheese, I’m all about it. The dough was chewy and covered with melted gooey sharp Manchego cheese with a touch of Ricotta cheese. The addition of sweet caramelized onions, slightly spicy chorizo, and charred nettles only added to the greatness.
McFarland Springs Trout with Baby Carrots, Sunchoke Purée, and Meyer Lemon Mojo Verde (8/10).
Trout is such an underrated fish and honestly it’s one of my favorites. Crispy skin with a slightly rare center, the trout melted in your mouth with silky sunchoke purée and a tangy meyer lemon and herb dressing. So good.
Patatas bravas (6.5/10).
Fried or roasted potatoes=life but these lacked some flavor. Both the tomato sauce and aioli needed something. A bit disappointed by these.
Coffee Caramel Flan with Dark Chocolate Cookie (7.5/10).
This was actually a gift from the lovely waitress since she knew that both my boyfriend and I work in the hospitality industry (thank you!). The flan was silky smooth with a layer of sweet caramel on the bottom that balanced out the slight bitterness of the coffee flan.
Rhubarb Tart with Roasted Hazelnut Ice Cream (7.5/10).
The flaky buttery crust with tart rhubarb filling paired well with the intense roasted hazelnut ice cream. I especially loved the addition of chopped hazelnuts within the ice cream.
I was pleasantly surprised by Contigo because it’s not a well known restaurant within the city. Not only was the food yummy, service and ambience were great as well. Overall, my rating is an 8/10.