Just the most ridiculously authentic and delicious food you could ever eat. Every time we’ve been it’s been amazing. The house sangria is also stupidly good. Genuinely the best Spanish food in Manchester and by far our favourite restaurant in the whole country. Well worth the wait on a busy day!
Best tapas outside of Spain by a long shot.
WOW this little gem blew me away. The food was to die for and the wine wasn't bad either 😁. I can honestly say these tapas are the best I've ever tasted outside of Spain.
It isn’t often that both the food and weather Gods conspire to provide you with an unforgettable dining experience. Yet, the day before Scott’s birthday only a couple of weeks ago, such a rare occurrence happened. We had been strutting past Bar San Juan weekly ever since we moved back to Manchester; enviously eyeing up the lucky few who manage to bag a street side table in the sunshine. The restaurant is small (big enough to swing a cat, but not a paella pan), and so the outside tables are really the pick spot. And lo and behold, the day we decided to venture out for some tapas, which also happened to be the sunniest day that week so far, an outdoor table was vacated quicker than the waiter could bring our big jug of sangria.
Popped in for some lunch, felt like we were transported to Spain. We had a few tapas and some drinks. The food was the nicest tapas I've ever had, melting beef cheeks, amazing shredded lamb parcels & Some great black pudding, washed down with great wine and beer. The decor is so cool and done really well. I love this place, deserves it high ranking.
Beech Road is a great location for food and drink in Manchester. The road on the far side of Chorlton leads down to Chorlton Green and is lined with eateries and bars. I had received a recommendation about Bar San Juan, a cute Spanish tapas bar on Beech Road, a number of weeks ago and was waiting for a lovely sunny day to fully take advantage of the outdoor seating and holiday vibes! I’d walked past on many an occasion and envied the diners tucking into their multiple plates of authentic looking tapas. Finally, last week on a beautiful late summer afternoon, my day had come!
I can tell you exactly when we were last at Bar San Juan on Beech road; August 1st 2013, almost two years ago. Despite it being the closest restaurant to us at a mere two minutes walk. This is because we want to sit outside when the sun is out and pretend that we're on holiday in Spain. (And also sit smugly watching people passing by). But those few tiny seats on the street are like gold dust. I walk past this place at least once a day and it's always busy, even at lunchtime. We are actually on our way somewhere else and the barrel (our favoured table) is free. A miracle!
I can tell you exactly when we were last at Bar San Juan on Beech road; August 1st 2013, almost two years ago. Despite it being the closest restaurant to us at a mere two minutes walk. This is because we want to sit outside when the sun is out and pretend that we're on holiday in Spain. (And also sit smugly watching people passing by). But those few tiny seats on the street are like gold dust. I walk past this place at least once a day and it's always busy, even at lunchtime. We are actually on our way somewhere else and the barrel (our favoured table) is free. A miracle!
Hands down most authentic Spanish tapas I have tried in Manchester. This is a tiny place on Beech road, close to a bus stop with authentic tiled walls. Inside they have only a handful of tables but the food is worth the wait! On a Sunday evening We were told the wait is 30 Min but in reality it was less than that.
The food was simply awesome, can't praise it highly enough. All the tapas we ordered looked great, tasted even better and were reasonably priced by Manchester standards.
If you like Spanish food, don't think twice!
Best tapas restaurant in the UK, proper authentic, and the service is amazing. Food is great, the solomillo braseado con patatas a lo pobre and el cojonudo murciano trufado are probably my favourite dishes, I recommend ordering Hecula wine to go with your meal.
This is a great little Spanish tapas bar on beech road. We only went in for a drink as it was late but the sangria was amazing I highly recommend it. The tapas menu looked great I will definitely be going back for food.
The staff were really friendly and the place was really nice quite small but I felt like I was in Spain.
WOW. This is an amazing tiny Tapas bar located on Beech Road in Chorlton. We have only recently discovered this area and absolutely love it.
Bar San Juan is typical of a tapas bar which I have visited in Spain and it does a very good job of emulating one. It is very small inside so be prepared to wait - first time on a Thursday wasn't much of an issue but when we went on a Saturday we had to wait about 45 minutes. It is really worth the wait though!
The standout dish for me is the garlic and chilli prawns but everything which I have had has all been excellent.
The beer is very well kept and a new beer for me which I now really enjoy is Alhambra. The grape cider which I have never seen is very tasty and easy to drink as is the jugs of Sangria.
Prices are reasonable, especially considering the area, at between £2.50 and about £6 per dish.
The staff are all very friendly and attentive.
If you haven't been here then I would recommend you visit very soon.
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I love this place!
For date night, Rich and I wandered along to Beech Road to attempt to get a table at Bar San Juan. As it's often busy and there might be a wait, I'd suggest having a back up plan. Ours was Double Zero and failing that The Beagle, if you need inspiration. They told us it'd be 40 minutes but we ordered drinks and waited, in the hope it wouldn't be that long, and it ended up being about 25 minutes.
Rich C has listed the dishes we ate so I won't repeat it. Everything was really, really delicious. The lamb parcels and the fillet steak from the specials menu were particularly excellent, though I'd happily eat everything again. After our tapas dishes were all finished I was very tempted to order more but we got dessert instead which was also awesome. I loved the crema catalana, though I think I saw one of the waiters scowl at me when I described it to Rich as 'Spanish creme brulee'. (Joking of course!) I also enjoyed two glasses of sangria which are a steal at £3.50 each.
The bill was fairly reasonable for what we had and this is definitely a special kind of place. I'd say it's perfect for dates if you're both quite easy going, and probably less good for large groups just due to the size of the place and the difficulty getting a table.
Apologies for poor quality of the pics - the lighting is very low!
Love this place!
Came here originally for food but didn't book, so we missed out! SO next time I'm going to book so I can definitely get a table! We arrived at around 7 on a Friday so a heads up that it is busy at weekends!
So we went somewhere else for food and came back here for some drinks and nibbles, and what a lovely place it is.
Staff are nearly all Spanish (if not all of them) which adds to the authentic experience and Spanish hospitality.
I had a really unusual red grape cider from Spain, which I've never seen or heard of before. It was tasty, and great to see places stocking different drinks rather than the usual rekoderlig and koppaberg.
My friend (and then me) had the rioja which was sublime- best rioja I've had in a long time so bravo!
Will definitely be coming back here for their famous tapas- watch this space!
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Sometimes its great to check out random places with no beforehand background research - but in the case of my visit to Bar San Juan this week it was fully informed by friends, yelp reviews and great words on the old twitter-sphere. I don't mind admitting that I do enjoy listening to people in the know as opposed to ending up with a dud of a meal!
Again peeps, it's another place that I was so impressed with that I wish I could give it 6 stars!
I used to love tapas but for whatever reason went off it over the past few years, maybe I'd just been used to too many average experiences at ridiculous costs by the time you've totted up all the plates and booze. But on this sunny Tuesday on Beech Road in Chorlton I had a lunch that blew my mind.
Ok so I did sit outside in the sun with my laptop working like some loser and with a busy day ahead there wasn't really any opportunity to pretend I was on 'the Continent' with a lunch time beer or wine but with my trusty glass of tap water in hand I picked what was a great combo that kept me full for the afternoon and with a smile on my face.
For £12 I had the chili and garlic gambas (prawns) and some delightful black pudding, chili sauce and rice on toast, with a basket of fresh bread and garlic dip - wow, everything was so tasty, so filling and yet so fresh and genuine.
Check out the pics to see who authentic this place looks and it's real sun trap - enough seating for about 20 out front making it the perfect place when the sol is in the sky!
The staff were friendly and efficient - this place is going to have to be used for a future Yelp World Food Tour event, I just need to find out if they're ever quiet as I'm sure this will be a really popular place to visit.
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I stumbled across Bar San Juan whist having a wander around Chorlton (for the first time as I have only just moved back to Manchester from London). It was sunny so my boyfriend and I wanted to sit outside and this happened to be the only place with seats. We were not particularly looking for tapas but had half a pint of beer and a couple of tapas dishes. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of vegetarian dishes on the menu (there could still be more but I have been to tapas restaurants where I really struggled). We shared bread with a red pepper and tomato dip (delicious and a generous portion) and aubergine and courgettes in a tomato sauce topped with grilled goats cheese (absolutely exquisite).
It was really good value with two half-pints of lager and two tapas dishes (enough for a light lunch) costing £11.
The staff were very friendly and attentive and it had a really authentic Spanish feel.
Overall I was really impressed and would definitely return to sample the rest of the menu and of course the sangria.
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I'm not Spanish, but my parents do live there (south, rural) and so i have been to a number of Spanish bars serving Tapas. San Juan is about as authentic as you can get with regards to both the food and feel. The service is excellent and more importantly friendly.
Dishes are generally £4 - £6 and you can get a good bottle of red for £13.
The food is excellent and the flavours amazing. In Addition to the standard menu serving all the traditional greats there are also a few specials each night. We ordered eight dishes between the 3 of us and every one was a winner (my favourite of the evening being the beef cheeks)
There are just 6 small tables in side, but whether a large group or an intimate meal for 2 you never feel out of place. There are also a number of tables outside under cover almost doubling the number of people they can cater for.
I do'#t think you can book, so when we visit we always have a plan B in case its full. But that's the point, San Juan is plan A and the rest of Beech Road in Chorlton plan B. (that's not to say the rest is bad, but San Juan has the perfect mix of price, drink, atmosphere, great hosts and most importantly amazing, authentic food).
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We've looked at going here once or twice before but have often arrived on a Friday or Saturday night and been told there is a pretty long wait. The fact that Bar San Juan is continuously very popular and doesn't offer bookings is both pretty much my only criticism as well as a testament to how good this place is, in that people will quite happily wait a while to be seated.
Bar San Juan is a small place, maybe only 8 tables, located on Beech road. We visited on a Tuesday evening and were still told there was a 40 minute wait for a table. Happily, as it wasn't cold, we got a drink and waited on one of the tables outside. The table was ready in about the time it took to finish those drinks so there were no complaints from us at all.
To drink, I had San Miguel (because I'm boring) and Emily had sangria. We shared 7 dishes between us (apologies for the poor descriptions) including lamb parcels, meatballs, a chorizo and quails egg dish, battered prawns wrapped in bacon, cured ham, rustic bread with a tomato based dipping sauce and a steak pepper and potato dish from the specials board. For dessert we had some kind of almond cake and a crema catalana to share. Everything we ate was amazing, this was one of the best meals I've eaten in a long while and I would highly recommend!
All of the above including 2 rounds of drinks came to £58 which for the quality of the meal isn't too bad at all! The service was quick, friendly and efficient but never feeling rushed, the atmosphere is really nice and it was very much worth the wait.
I could have written a very short review of Bar San Juan just saying "AMAZING, GO HERE NOW!!!" but I found myself wanting to blab about it a little bit.
Anyway, can't recommend highly enough, my only grievance is that my phone was playing up so Emily B's review will have all the photos of our meal for the night.
Of all the tapas restaurants in Manchester, this is by far my favourite. We're lucky enough for this to be pretty close to us as well, which means I usually get to enjoy the homemade sangria which is also delicious.
It does get stupidly busy here, and as a tiny place can only hold roughly 30 inside and roughly another 10 outside, which means I'd always advise booking. Even in the week night, just to be sure you don't miss out.
My recommendations are the prawns wrapped in bacon that come with an amazing garlic mayonnaise on top- AMAZING!!! They also do an amazing beef dish that comes in a dark gravy that is always tender and just falls apart in your mouth. They also do the usual suspects very well, potatas bravas, dates in bacon, paella, and ribs to name a few of the yummies.
Except for a few places in Spain, some of the nicest tapas you can get.
DELICIOSO!!!!
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Wow, this place is tiny but it sure does produce some of the best food iv tasted in a while. Getting a table is a challenge and a 2 hour wait isn't unheard of on a weekend and it's especially tricky as they don't even take reservations. However, the wait to eat the tapas here is truly worth it. The food is simply and beautifully cooked with the fresh ingredients helping to make your taste buds dance.
Our favourites out of the seven dishes we tried were...
1. the pulled lamb filo parcels which were sitting on a plum sauce,
2. slithers of octopus dusted with paprika on potatoes,
3. tender beef cheeks in a rich gravy,
4. crusty bread topped with a salty chorizo spread and fried quail egg.
The one dish that I could give or take was the papas bravas they were just ok.
Despite being full we pigged out and both ended up choosing a dessert each, again we weren't disappointed. The almond cake was drizzled lightly with a chocolate sauce and accompanied by a vanilla ice cream, it was just the right amount of sweet and I had the caramel ice cream which was heavenly.
The food's not terribly expensive and the staff were incredibly friendly.
We've already picked out the dishes we'll be having next time!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this place. Its so authentic. Set in the heart of Chorlton's Beech Road its a great place to sit and watch the world go by. The food, wine and beer is excellent. I can't recommend any single dish because I love them all! I don't have any pictures because the food didn't hang around long enough to get my phone out and I was too busy soaking up the atmosphere. This is an intimate setting that oozes Spain, if you shut your eyes for just a second you would think you were there, in Spain (minus the beach & sunshine lol). Please take yourself to Spain (in Chorlton), its a must! #Food #Restaurant #Tapas #Excellent #Manchester #Chorlton
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Smack bang in the middle of Beech Road is one of the most 'compact' restaurants I've eaten in recently. But for tapas, I'd happily eat it absolutely anywhere.
You can't reserve tables here, so unless it's a quieter time of day it's a case of being in the right place at the right time. Thankfully, as we walked past we glanced inside and saw some people putting on their coats, so we literally leapt in and laid claim to the table. Result.
It was lively inside, with the exceptionally friendly staff welcoming us and offering the drinks menu. We decided to share a bottle of red (recommend the Juan Gil 4 Meses) and then started to peruse the extensive tapas menu.
I love and hate the selection process, because I pretty much want every single dish available. Limited to just three each (self imposed) it was a difficult decision. Nine dishes in total to sample, my highlights were the prawns wrapped in bacon and breadcrumbs, the chicken paella (there's a daily special), the chorizo in a rich sauce and a veggie dish that had aubergine in it.
There was only one dish that I was disappointed by - the papas bravas (fried potatoes) as they were served dry with a small dish of cold tomato sauce. It didn't work for me. It would also have been nice to have some bread and oils on the table, but that's my only minor quibble.
San Juan is a totally charming place to eat, oozing Spanish flavour in all its forms - I might have handclapped to the flamenco music in the background at one point...
Came here for a spontaneous meal on a Friday evening - good job it was relatively early because they don't take bookings and by half 7 it was rammed! A lovely summer's evening so we made the most of the weather with the outdoor seating - felt like being on holiday.
A great menu selection and efficient, friendly service. Lots of dishes to choose from including grazing food, fish, veggie dishes, meat dishes and classic tapas. Reasonable price for the quality and flavour of the food. And delicious washed down with a hug of sangria to share!
Somehow we got through about 9 tapas dishes between 2 of us (we were hungry...) and with the sangria it came to 60 quid. Sounds a lot of but several glasses each and we felt fit to burst after all the tapas!
Will definitely be back again soon!
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Bar San Juan is a little slice of Spain in South Manchester - and when I say little, we're talking half a dozen tiny tables, a few wall-side bar stools and a couple of beer barrels outside where you can balance plates of really, really good food.
The menu includes the usual suspects such as calamari, jamon, croquetas and, one of my favourites, pimientos de padron (small green peppers, fried, and sprinkled with salt) - but there also daily specials that show off skill and a real attention to flavour. Last time we were there it was brilliant bite-sized parcels of mouthwatering lamb in scrunched up filo pastry with a red wine reduction. God they were good.
Other reviewers - and, for that matter, the restaurant's own website - make a big deal of this place being 'authentic'. Now, my experience of Spain is pretty limited, but I'd have to agree. The atmosphere feels more like the laid back bars of Barcelona than any of the other tapas places we've tried in Manchester, and the Spanish staff, print and photo-crammed walls, Mediterranean colours and tiled floor only add to this.
Great beer, good value and pretty much an all-round winner. Top tip? Get there early if you want any chance of a table.
Another first class experience at San Juan this afternoon. Stepping inside is like stepping through a transporter from England to Spain. Set up as an authentic tapas bar in traditional Spain, San Juan echoes this from food through to decor and door signs all in Spanish. Even the staff speak Spanish and they have Spanish tv on in the corner.
The drinks selection is authentic, including a very good sangria.
The tapas - from you traditional albondigas, patatas bravas etc to rotating specials on the board, each dish is cooked with excellent flavour and authenticity.
It's incredibly hard to get a table and you can't book so be it at your luck whether you get in! If you heart is set on it rock up early or be prepared to wait.
Great spot on Beech Rd and they even have some outdoor tables.
Don't miss if you are in Chorlton - I still think it's the best tapas I have had outside of Spain!
Here last Sunday for a delicious lunch of the day's special Galician octopus plus Spanish black pudding on toast and paella. washed down with some white wine. the sky is grey but Bar San Juan has a little Spain-shaped bubble round it and never fails to transport you. You probably won't spend a fortune either..
Another review says it was previously Bar Lorenzo and closed down. that's true but it has not reopened with the same management like that review said. The new owner was on the old staff but that's all. He runs his place a bit differently but the atmosphere, food and service are just as good if not better.
if you're anywhere near here and you don't try it you're a fool. I'm lucky I live round the corner!
First id like to say this. Authentic and spanish. Go to spain or its surrounding territories ultimatly. Great bar/bistro always packed but v freindly. Much better as prev review than the spanish chain in mcr. Chorlton a v family freindly area and good schools and thus there will be kids and babies everywhere and thus another reviewer in wrong area if finds kids a inconvenience.great food great wine. Great position esp if suns out. Chorlton is sadly becoming v v islington and over populated so get in early and enjoy.
A lovely, typically Spanish tapas bar. The interior and Spanish staff make you feel like you could be on holiday. The prawns wrapped in bacon and the chorizo and quails eggs on toast were delicious. Would have stayed longer but the Spanish music was just a bit too loud for comfort.
Finally got in to eat here after months of trying to get a reservation.
The food is beyond belief and by far the best Spanish tapas we’ve had in Manchester, miles better than what others tout, especially in the city centre.
The service is amazing and the staff super friendly.
We over ordered, but every dish was sublime.
My only criticism is because it’s a slightly small space, it gets very loud, which makes it hard to hear, but the food more than makes up for it.
Will definitely be returning - definitely worth the hype.
This is by far one of the best restaurants I've been to. The service is excellent, the staff are very friendly and create such a lovely atmosphere. The food is outstanding, and every mouthful is perfect and a delight for the senses. I think we managed to order nearly every dish on the menu. It's a very popular place so would recommend booking in advance. If I could give this place more stars, I would. I highly recommend a visit.
What an amazing find. Small authentic tapas bar. A little piece of Spain in Chorlton! We had 12 different tapas between 4 paired with delicious Spanish beer, cider and wines. The place feels really Spanish, right down to the tiled walls and Spanish chatter from the staff. Really quick and efficient service and a relaxed friendly atmosphere. The tapas are the best I have ever eaten, either in the UK or in Spain! Delicious.
Loved this place, great Tapa's in what felt like a little corner of a Spanish city. All the food was lush but standouts for me were the Pulpo, Cod cheeks and Ox cheek. Simply delicious. Good choice of wines and Spanish beer/cider. Very busy so you need to book but I could not fault anything.
Absolutely loved our dining experience here from the start! The rustic spanish decor was beautiful and welcoming. The homemade sangria was delicious went down a treat 😋 the food was absolutely amazing I was so impressed by every single dish we had Ordered. Staff were friendly and attentive we will be coming back again 😍
Brilliant night out with friends. I went with a group of friends, 6 of us and we had a brilliant time. There is a great selection and everything we ordered was delicious. Lots of drinks options and the atmosphere and serve was second to none. I would highly recommend!!!
One of my favourite restaurants in Manchester. The food is outstanding, and the service is always really friendly. My only issue is the size of the place, which can't be helped but it does make the eating experience slightly cramped.
This is the best Spanish tapas restaurant in Manchester area. Food was amazing and brought me back to Spain. Staff were friendly and attentive.
The hype is real. Came here on a sunny day and the food options were incredible got a great recommendation to try the beef cheeks from the waiter. To add the service is great.
Tiny restaurant reminiscent of a bar you’d see in Spain serving legit tapas, excellent wines and sangria. Reservations a must as it is constantly rammed (for good reason). Only drawback is that they had sold out of a decent number of items!
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