Alegrias

Wow! What a wonderful dinner after attending the Holly Jolly Christmas pop up bar at the Westwood Annex. We ventured a couple doors down and had an outstanding meal. Caesar salad, delicious grilled asparagus and the BEST seafood/chicken Paella. The owner, Armand, is delightful, sharing the story about how he came to own this treasure of a restaurant in pre-pandemic 2020. Please visit this special place. The food is outstanding and the family-owned feel is absolutely life-giving. Thank you, Armand and staff for a truly memorable experience. We will be back.

My experiences at Alegrias have always been positively memorable. It’s not a fussy restaurant but it still feels intimate. You are greeted warmly by their host and the servers are all very engaging and knowledgeable about the menu.

What I like the most about Alegrias is that their options range from familiar tapas classics done well like the Tortilla Española, patatas bravas, fried calamari, and boquerones but also have dishes less commonly known like Callos Ala Madrileña, Pulpo Ala Gallega, and stewed rabbit just to name a few for those curious to try more regional dishes from different parts of Spain. They make different paellas, all made to order. Mine was worth the wait and great for sharing. I once had the lamb shank paella with vegetables (a type I had not tried but I’m not sure if they still serve it) and the rice was flavorful while the meat was very tender- I hardly needed a knife, I could scrape soft shreds of meat with my fork.

The owner, Armand is very passionate about his restaurant and it shows in the quality and flavor of the food and the very personable service you receive, sometimes from Armand himself. I once dined alone at Alegrias and left feeling as if I were a personal guest of Armand and his team. The restaurant is more on the pricey side so it’s not necessarily where I’d go regularly but it’s definitely one of my first options when I want to treat myself on occasion or if I’m entertaining.

Whether you’re unfamiliar with Spanish food or have a longing for it, I’d recommend Alegrias because not only is the food great but you can easily engage with your server to curate a good selection of dishes to learn and sample just some of Spain’s cuisine.

Nos adoramos la comida aqui! (We LOVE the food here!) We tried the Patatas Alioli…it was outstanding! The humble potato…so creamy inside and crispy outside…mixed with in-house made Garlic Light Mayo dressing…a real winner…much better than the usual Patatas Bravas in my opinion because it is not spicy. Try it! Next we had the Croquetas with Iberico Ham…yummy…always a crowd pleaser…creamy inside and oh so crispy outside…the best in San Francisco in my humble opinion. Also tried the Chistorra a la Sidra…uniquely served as a sautéed appetizer in tomatoes and onions…we normally had it fried in EVOO. We sampled the Spanish Olives…unlike its Italian cousin…these were snappy and chewy with the stones still in them…did not taste so processed. I can only imagine what their Charcuterie tastes like…hmmm…maybe next visit. Lastly we had the Paella de Verdura…and we customized as the menu instructed…with Socorrat (with toasted bottom…as they do in Spain) and added Chorizo too…why not! The sangria tastes sinful and unique. We DID NOT have room for dessert…but was sooo tempting. However, we ordered to-go a Callos Ala Madrileña…could not resist! ARMAN and ANGELYNNE…your restaurant is a gem and should not be a secret anymore. People need to wake up and discover this hidden gem in San Francisco! We discovered it and will come back FOR SURE! I wonder if the can make the Ensalada Russa…a typical Spanish salad. KUDOS!

I joined friends for a lovely dinner at Alegrias on Friday night. The ambience was warm and charming, the host/owner was delightful, and made us all feel so welcome, and the appetizers

Amazing date atmosphere. We met the owner and chatted about his favorite dishes and got amazing recommendations. The paella takes a bit so make sure if that’s your order you get it as soon as you walk in.