Andalusian Food at La Siesta, Spanish Tapas Bar in Jing’an
On January 29, 2023
La Siesta is an Andalusian restaurant and bar on Shaanxi Bei Lu from chef Sergio Moreno, formerly of The Commune Social and Issac Ye, one of the partners at Tres Perros.
It’s located next to Bambino and bares a similar layout. La Siesta is small and cozy with bar seating on the first floor and tables on the second floor. The décor is minimal with blue Andalusian tiles framed on eggshell white walls.
As for the vibe, it’s similar to that of Tres Perros in how everyone starts the evening seated, and then shortly after being fed, are all standing with a drink in hand.
Andalusia is the southern part of Spain, surrounded by the Mediterranean and Atlantic Seas. The region dates back to the Roman Empire and has a culturally rich heritage, birthing a diverse cuisine with influences from the Romans and Arabs (Moors).
The menu at La Siesta features some adulated favorites of the region, from cold soups to gambas pil pil and Flamenca eggs, which is mighty similar to a shakshuka. Fino wine, tasty tapas, seafood, summer soups, hearty stews, and cold beer.
That’s basically the entire menu.
As for drinks, house wine, red or white is ¥38. Jerez fino is ¥55, Estrella Galicia is ¥25 for a small glass (so it stays ice cold and fresh) or ¥30 for a 330ml bottle. Gin and tonics start at ¥55, and there are a couple house cocktails from ¥40.
La Siesta Address: 600 Shaanxi Bei Lu, near Xinzha Lu 陕西北路600号, 近新闸路 Tel: 15021705817 Hours: Mon-Fri, 4pm-midnight; Sat-Sun, 11:30am-midnight
Rachel Gouk has been writing about food and drink in Shanghai since 2011. She is a food critic, writer, photographer, and F&B consultant based in Shanghai. Nomfluence was founded in May 2018 as a means to express her love for the Shanghai F&B scene. Follow her blog www.nomfluence.com or on Instagram @nomfluence.