Kids Review: Cadiz Tapas in Bethel

Most of the time at restaurants, I have no idea what to order because there are so many great choices. At Cadiz, however I can choose many different dishes. I can even order ten and share with friends and family.

Cadiz is a place where you order several tapas and share among the group. Don’t be fooled though. It is located in the Bethel movie theater but that doesn’t mean it's cheap diner food. Plus, there are some great gluten-free options. 

My family started out with a basket of bread, a small plate of hummus with baked pita chips, and a bowl of Greek olives. The bread had a crunchy and flaky crust with a soft and warm inside. It tasted amazing; a great way to kick off the meal. The hummus had a delicious sesame flavor, and was creamy with a little salty flavor. The baked pita chips were crunchy with herbs baked into them; delish. I have never tried Greek olives before and I didn’t really ever want to try them, so it was an ambitious move trying every olive in the bowl. When I put one into my mouth I smiled. These are pretty good, I thought. There were salty, and juicy and absolutely yummy.

After the appetizer tapas we ordered eight entrée tapas. They were: The Tortilla Espanola, the Kobe Beef Burger Sliders, Empanadas, Pasta Fresca con Crema de Chorizo, Gambas Al Ajillo, Pan Seared Scallops, Chicken and Artichokes, and Las Coles de Brusela con Bacon.  They were all exquisite!

The Tortilla Espanola was like a stuffed potato filled with caramelized onions, and eggs. The herby, onion flavor really stood out in a good way. The chive sauce tasted like an updated, nicer tasting sour cream, and was nice and smooth. The Kobe Beef Burger Sliders were mouth watering. The meat was juicy, and savory with a little spice from the red onion topping. There was a crunchy, warm bun laid right on top and wedged on the bottom of these sliders. The cheese, was just plain awesome.

Next, was the Empanadas. They were scrumptious. The tomato sauce drizzled on top was like a smoky ketchup. When it was put all together it was like a roll of spicy goodness. Then, was the Pasta Fresca con Crema de Chorizo. Now even though the name is long, confusing, and in another language this tapas is actually quite delicious. The pasta was delectable, and the sauce was sweet, but zesty. The toppings were peas, and chorizo. The peas were fresh and the chorizo, spicy.

After the pasta were two seafood dishes; a shrimp tapas, and pan seared scallops. The Gambas Al Ajillo AKA Shrimp with Garlic Sauce was one of the best dishes we ordered. It was salty, fresh, and tasted like it was right from the ocean. There was a creamy sauce coating the shrimp that tasted buttery and was great for bread and pita chip dipping. The scallops had both similarities and differences with the shrimp. They were similar because they both tasted fresh from the sea and both had sauces. However, the varieties of flavors on both were different. The sauce on the scallops was herby and tasted a little like hollandaise sauce. The crumbled ham on top was crunchy and tasted like bacon. The scallops themselves had a crunch on the top with a soft inside and were a little band but were still good.

The last two tapas were chicken and artichokes, and Las Coles de Brusela con Bacon. The chicken was zesty, herby, and tender. The artichokes were tangy and soft. The dish was very flavorful. The Las Coles de Brusela con Bacon is another long, foreign name but is basically brussel sprouts with bacon. The crunchy brussel sprouts were buttery, and garlicky. The bacon was also crunchy with a savory flavor.  

The meal was superb and dessert made it better. Even though there were five of us we only ordered three desserts and once again shared. The table ordered a vanilla crepe cake, pumpkin cheesecake, and a maple mousse. The vanilla crepe cake was flaky but holds together. There was a creamy filling in-between the layers of at least 20 crepes. There was a strawberry on the side of the plate as a garnish, but since I am a strawberry fanatic it was more than that to me. The pumpkin cheesecake was creamy and cinnamon tasting. The gingersnap crust was a little spicy but delicious. The whole cheesecake together was almost like a sweet pumpkin pie. Last but not least was the maple mousse. It was fluffy, smooth on my tongue, and tasted like maple syrup. The crust was crunchy and tasted like a thin chocolate chip cookie. This maple mousse was one of the best desserts I ever had. All of the desserts looked so beautiful; they were works of art. I didn’t want to ruin them, but once I did and I found out they are just as beautiful on the inside.

Now that you know all about the fabulous food at Cadiz you might want to know a little about the venue. It is a smaller restaurant but amazing. Cadiz proves that the best gifts really do come in small packages. The lights are dimmed and the whole place has a funky feel.

Shortly after my family and I visited Cadiz my mom was diagnosed with celiac disease. We went back to Cadiz because we had loved our previous tapas and I noticed they had a wide selection of gluten free tapas too. When we were there we told our waitress that my mom had celiac disease. She told the chef and my mom got to try a gluten free strawberry shortcake which will soon be added to the menu.

Cadiz is a great restaurant for families, and friends to go to all year round. There are many great deals that Cadiz offers including one with the Bethel Cinema right next door. As you can probably tell Cadiz is a great restaurant for anyone and is a big hit. I can’t wait to go back and I am sure you can’t wait to go.

I give Cadiz 5 pickles!!!!!

Cadiz 269 Greenwood Avenue Bethel CT 06801 203-778-2100