Spanish Restaurant Near Me on Lincoln Road: Tapelia's Paella for Two

If you are walking Lincoln Road and searching spanish restaurant near me, the closest sit-down answer is likely Tapelia Spanish Cuisine. For now it serves from 630 Lincoln Road in Miami Beach, which the restaurant's own website calls a temporary location while its regular space is remodeled. The kitchen opens at 9 am, closes at midnight and builds its menu around paella for two.

The move is the first thing to know before you go. Older listings, including archived versions of Tapelia's site, place the restaurant at 551 Lincoln Road with a different phone number. If a map app sends you to 551, keep walking west for about a block until you reach the 600 block.

Paella is the reason to sit down. Every paella on the menu is sized for two people. The seafood paella, made with Valencia rice, shrimp, mussels and clams, costs $59.90. The meat paella with chicken and pork is $54.90, and the vegetarian paella is $49.90. Any of the three can take an added lobster for $39.90. The menu notes that larger groups can ask for special prices, which is worth doing if you are feeding six or more.

While the rice cooks, order from the appetizers. Croquetas made with a mix of ham and cod are $15.95. Calamares ali oli, fried calamari with garlic mayonnaise, costs $14.95, and the house ceviche is $17.95. The Spanish delicatessen section has one item that works as a starter for a whole table, the Tapelia mix platter, which brings manchego, goat cheese, chorizo ibérico, ibérico ham, fuet and Spanish olives with the house red pesto for $29.95.

The rest of the menu reflects the Miami Beach crowd as much as Spain. There are Argentine empanadas for $13.95, a tuna poke bowl for $18.95 and a burger for $18. Coca, the Catalan flatbread, appears in several versions, and the one with serrano ham, tomato and olive oil is $22.95. Mussels come in a bourbon cream sauce or with white wine, mushrooms and bacon, each for $29. If you came for Spanish food, stay with the paellas, croquetas, calamari and the cured meats.

The grill and seafood sections are useful when one person at the table does not want rice. Pork ossobuco with rum sauce and citrus gremolata, served with mashed potato and green beans, is $34.95. A one-pound prime ribeye costs $54.95, and an Angus churrasco runs $29.90 for 16 ounces or $44.95 for 24 ounces. Fried red snapper with rice and salad is $29.95. The raw bar lists Virginia oysters, baked or natural, at $30 for an order, and the website singles out the house baked oyster as a specialty.

Read the bottom of the bill before you add a tip. Tapelia's menu states that a 20 percent service charge is included, and that the check also carries the 7 percent Miami-Dade sales tax and a 2 percent Miami Beach tax. It is easy to miss and tip twice. If service was excellent and you want to add more, that is your choice, but the base gratuity is already there.

The hours are long. The website lists dine-in and takeout from 9 am to 12 am every day of the week, which makes Tapelia one of the few places on this part of Lincoln Road where you can order a full paella after a late show. OpenTable shows later closing times than the website, so if you plan to arrive after 11 pm, call ahead and confirm the kitchen is still taking paella orders, since a pan for two needs time.

Tapelia takes bookings through OpenTable, and the listing describes the dress code as casual and notes that the restaurant accepts American Express, Discover, Mastercard and Visa. Book for Friday and Saturday evenings during the winter season, when Lincoln Road is at its busiest. For a family dinner or a birthday, the restaurant says it can host private events in the dining room or on its large patio.

Parking on Lincoln Road takes planning. The OpenTable listing points diners to street parking around Lincoln Road and to two parking lots directly behind the restaurant. The pedestrian mall itself is closed to cars, so plan to park nearby and walk the last stretch. If you are staying in South Beach, walking or a short ride is easier than circling for a space.

Lincoln Road is made for a walk after dinner. About two blocks northeast of Tapelia, the New World Center at 500 17th Street is the Frank Gehry building that is home to the New World Symphony, with SoundScape Park and its large outdoor projection wall right beside it. Head west along the mall and you pass the 1930s Colony Theatre at 1040 Lincoln Road, the city's historic performing arts venue. A little farther north, the Miami Beach Botanical Garden at 2000 Convention Center Drive is a quiet stop on a daytime visit.

A few tips for a better meal. Order the paella as soon as you sit down, because it is cooked to order and takes longer than the tapas. Two people can share a paella and one starter comfortably, while four people should order two different paellas. Ask for a table near the edge of the terrace if you want to watch Lincoln Road, or inside if you want the screens. Bring friends, since nearly everything on the menu is meant to be shared.

Practical notes: Tapelia Spanish Cuisine is at 630 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, FL 33139, a temporary location while its usual space is remodeled, email tapeliamiami551@gmail.com. It is open daily from 9 am to 12 am for dine-in and takeout. All paellas serve two, a 20 percent service charge is included on every check, and reservations go through OpenTable. For more ideas around South Beach, ask Karpo in the Karpo APP.