Bom Bolla

I don’t understand why they use the glasses they do for the amount of wine/​beer/​alcohol they pour into the glass. It would make me feel so much better if the serving size seemed appropriate for the cost or serving glass at least. It just left me feeling underwhelmed and deciding the menu was way over priced. The environment and service was fine but there are SO many other restaurant bars in the city I would recommend NOT going there.

I’ve been a wreck since finding out Bom Bolla is closing. This place is so neat… amazing concept. The food is much more of a small plate style than a full meal, but my husband has made a meal out of their bocadillos and loves them. I really wish Bom Bolla would give it another few months; this place would be amazing in the summer with their chilled cava and variety of dishes.
What we get:
–Young Mahon is the best cheese you’ll ever have
–If you’re feeling something stronger, the manchego is wonderful
–Gambas al Ajillo is on the less traditional side, but the sauce is to die for. Absolutely sop that up with the grilled bread
–Pork Belly Bocadillo is my husband’s favorite — it has an interesting lemon flavor
–Pork Loin Bocadillo is a leaner cut of meat and still just as delicious
–All of the olive varieties are amazing
–The bartenders do an awesome job recommending a variety of delicious cava
Bom Bolla is as good as it gets when blending nightlife with authentic food. The interior is amazing, the music is intriguing, it has been an absolute addition to Wicker Park.

Can I be real a second?
I was underwhelmed by Bom Bolla.
Although I loved the punk vibe, a cool, clear contrast to other tapas bars in the city, I think the appeal of Spanish tapas is lost on me. When I was glancing at the menu online, I assumed the dishes, perfunctorily described, would be more remarkable in person.
Nah.
Fried shishito peppers with sea salt are… fried shishito peppers with sea salt. A small grilled pork belly sandwich with preserved lemon and manchego is… a small grilled pork belly sandwich with preserved lemon and manchego. Frankly, I had trouble finding enough that appealed to me for a full meal.
Since I liked the vibe and the chilled cava, I’d still recommend Bom Bolla for a drink and a bite or two before dinner in the area. And if you’re excited by the menu online, you’ll probably be satisfied; the dishes themselves, though not my cup of tea, were executed well. Maybe I made a mistake in going for dinner?
As other reviewers mentioned, I found service to be on the slow side. Although my friend and I were seated at the bar, we waited at least ten minutes for glasses of water, let alone for our orders to be taken.

4.5 really
HOLLA for Bom Bolla!
Finally, I have been eyeing this pop’s spin off for awhile and finally! We got to go to celebrate a friends bday.
The space has a super cute neighborhood feel. We sat immediately inside at one of the front tables. Next is the bar area and then I believe there is some seating in the back as well. I loved the front area. It would be a great date spot, great GNO, or great whatever night! I could definitely see people getting dressed up or dressed down for this place… so just go with it.
Our server was fantastic. I didnt catch her name… or at least I dont remember it now. She listened to what we liked, wanted and gave excellent recs based on it. Not too pushy but conveniently around whenever we needed her.
They have an extensive cava menu… if you are into that… go NUTS here!
The food was surprisingly delectable!
Gordal Olives-​YUM! You have to! You’re at a Spanish place
Marcona Almonds-​YES. The perfect roast and salt combo
Shisito Peppers-​I was with a pepper nazi and she stated… these were the best she’s ever had… I have to agree. Amazing
Cheese-​yes! We had one smokey and one a little sweet. Both great recs from server
JAMON_​YES, yes, yes! You have to
Bocadillos-​fried squid… must do. Excellent little sandwich
Rock shrimp-​these were good, but might be my least fav dish of the night.
Chicken liver-​the star of the night. Heavenly and rich… must get even if it creeps you out… do it.
No dessert menu but they did bring us a «cheesecake» type cake. It was good, but not sweet.
One big complaint… the napkins… oh boy, the napkins. They are on the tables in little metal things like at an ice cream shop. And you need about 20 for dinner… eeek. Supposedly the traditional spanish way… not a fan.

I arrived at Bom Bolla to meet a good friend for drinks. Little did I know that I would fall in love with the first bite! The Liver Pâté and the Garlic Shrimp are too die for! Apart from going back for the delicious food, I would go back just to talk with the waitress. She was extrememly knowledgable, (clearly) loved her job and believed in the restaurant.
In terms of booze, this place is a cava bar. If you love cava, you would be missing out if you neglected Bom Bolla. Full disclosure — cava is not my first choice BUT they have a great selection (I sampled some of my friend’s choice)! They also have a very good selection of red and white wines.

Doesn’t it always seem to happen like this: you go to a new place, have a fantastic time, decide to take someone back to show them just how awesome it is, and the second experience pales in comparison to the first.
First trip: Went to BB for girls’ night out a couple of weeks ago. Had a friend in from out of town – it was her birthday – and we’d all been wanting to try this place. We went on a Tuesday evening and had no problem getting a table; it was pretty dead.
Our waitress was AMAZING. She was knowledgeable and made lots of useful suggestions but wasn’t pushy. She also put up with us, which says a lot.
We ordered a good 50% of what is on the menu, and we loved nearly every single dish. The MUST ORDERS would be: pork fat almonds, gordal olives, young mahon cheese, croquettes (and this is from someone who generally hates croquettes, these are more like fried mashed potatoes), and the fried squid bocadillo. That sandwich is one of the best things I’ve eaten in a LONG time.
The portions are on the smaller side, which is nice, as you can try more stuff.
The only disappointment was the jamon, which just wasn’t nearly as good as the stuff we’d had in Barcelona.
We also had two bottles of cava – both delicious and reasonably priced.
Unfortunately, there’s not really a dessert menu. They have on thing: a savory manchego cheesecake. We got it, and it is very good, but it doesn’t really hit the dessert button for me.
All three of us gals loved the place.
Second trip: So, last night, I decided to take my wife for date night. She wasn’t able to go the first time, and I wanted her to experience what we experienced.
We walked in (Wednesday night), and it was a lot more busy. The tables at the front were packed. So, the waitress took us to a table in the back. The back room feels VERY different than the rest of the place. It’s disjointed and disconnected, and you lose all the ambiance. Instead, we sat at the bar, which was actually really nice.
Sitting at the bar, I was looking forward to interacting with the many bartenders. However, the first guy – who, after 5 – 10 minutes, we had to flag down – recommended cava with such attitude that it should have been a tip-​off.
We sipped our cava and waited for someone to take our order. And waited. And waited. Even though they were busy, there was 5 – 6 staff members floating around us, often not attending to any other guests, but none stopped for our order.
Eventually, I flagged down a guy who I think was probably the manager. «Who can take our order?» I asked. He said he would. We gave him the run-​down. He didn’t make any suggestions or offer any specials, although we later heard a waiter tell someone else that there was an off-​menu special that night.
No biggie. It was date night! And we had a babysitter! We were going to enjoy ourselves.
We ate all the little snacks with much delight, and the food came out quickly at the beginning. We got much of the same stuff.
Still, everything was really delicious. One of the bartenders was pretty chatty, but most were inattentive and unfriendly. We had to ask for water – ask for cava refills. That was strange, considering we were literally right in front of several staff folks.
We’d eaten everything we’d ordered and were just waiting on the hanger steak. It had been a good 15 minutes since everything else had come out, in courses, so I decided to ask one of the bartenders whether or not they’d put the steak in. He went over to the computer, clearly placed an order for it, and then came back and said «yes, it just has to rest for a long time.» We waited another 10 minutes and saw two orders of hanger steak come out of the kitchen. «Finally!» we were thinking.
But both orders went to other couples at the bar – and both couples had been seated, and ordered, long after we had. At that point, it was clear that they had forgotten to put it in with our original order.
«The hanger steak is coming,» the manager said, when he saw us sitting there, plates empty. 10 minutes later, there was still no steak. Knowing the clock was ticking with the babysitter, and having finished eating long ago, we flagged the manager down and told him we’d rather just skip it.
What was so frustrating is no one ever apologized or admitted that they forgot to put the steak in with our original order. I wish they would have just been honest. Rather, they made us feel pushy and impatient for even asking about it.
The manager came over with the bill and said he «took the steak off” – like it was a favor. My wife was so confused she said, «Are they still bringing it?» They didn’t.
If I had written this after our first experience, I would have given 5 stars. Now, I wish I could give 3.5.

I had such a strange experience here. The restaurant has a casual, inviting vibe and I was prepared to have an awesome time. And then… I was underwhelmed.
The menu is odd. It is mostly all a la carte, but it doesn’t do a great job of explaining that. My friend and I ordered a plate of chorizo and were served exactly that: chorizo with no bread, no extras, no nothing. That’s totally fine, but it wasn’t explained to us and not all tapas restaurants are like that. The result was that it took us about 25 minutes to flag down a server to get us some bread to go with our sausage. That was pretty much the way things went all night. We ordered a variety of dishes and the food was good, but none of it blew me away.
Service was friendly but inattentive. We sat at the bar, where at least five servers were working, but it took so long for us to flag people down when we needed assistance. My biggest gripe is that about halfway though the evening, I started choking pretty severely on a piece of bread. I flailed around looking for water, but I had none (I hadn’t asked for it, but I really expect people to just bring it automatically). Anyway, one of the servers made direct eye contact with me as I was literally choking and waving my arms in distress, and he looked away and DID NOTHING. Thank goodness my friend literally grabbed a server and got me some water, or I likely would have died at the bar due to my lack of water and poor service. For these reasons, I likely will not return to this place in the future.

I’m giving it 2 stars only because some of the food and G&Ts were great. That being said this was one of the most pretentious restaurant experiences I have ever had. When I arrived my friend was at the bar. I asked if we could sit at the table and the guy at the bar just grabbed the menus and walked away. What a nice and warm welcome! BTW we still needed the menus.
Speaking of menus, it would be of great service if they added descriptions to their menu. They have two kinds of tonics. When I asked what they were our server actually said, «Indian tonic is like Indian tonic.» I felt like I was the one being difficult having to ask so many additional questions. Although our server reeked off booze so maybe he was just drunk? Then on to the olives. They have three kinds. He explained that each olive was a different size. So when I asked if they were all the same brine I was annoyed that he acted like it was a stupid question. They are all in different brines BTW. I didn’t get to find out more and so we didn’t order any olives. I have some high school aged nephews who give more detailed answers! They have something on the menu called The Gilda. Of course we’re going to annoy our server by asking WTH is a Gilda.
We ordered the goat cheese that comes w/​pears. I believe its $ 8 even though the online menu says $ 6. Its served on a coaster with only two cubes of pears. The presentation was really off. The guy bringing it over takes your menu and stands it on a jar with forks and napkins in the most awkward spot on the table. It wasn’t a choice for us. The second he turned his back we moved everything over to the side. You do get the little napkins like they have in San Sebastian except there they throw them on the floor. I kind of wanted to do that here…
We had shishito peppers (not at all Spanish but good with G&Ts) but they didn’t come with any dipping sauce. When you got one of those really hot ones you were on your own. That turned my friend off of them. We also had the mushrooms with halloumi (a Greek cheese). We had mostly mushroom stems which was a disappointment but they were really well seasoned.
The croquetas were the star. So creamy and comforting. Very good and Spanish!
To finish we got the buttery, super garlic-​y, shrimps. It comes with a little bread which was sadly missed up until now. My friend loved this dish. I’m not a huge garlic fan.
My friend said she’d come back for the croquetas and G&Ts but I probably won’t. Sable makes an amazing G&T if that’s your thing, AND they’re super friendly. I’m not interested in fighting for answers when my Spanish is rusty, and the only Gilda I know is a super funny woman from SNL.

Dragged my ladies on an hour walk just so I could say I’d been to wicker park (thanks girls :-p). Rewarded ourselves by grabbing a glass (or two) of wine :-). Randomly came across this gem in the super cool area surrounding the park. It really reminded me of broadway and the university district of Seattle combined into one!
I’d never been to a Spanish tapa /​cava bar before, so I was real excited to see what they had. I’m usually not up for a tapas bar since I’m a fat kid and I like big portions, not tiny ones lol. They actually didn’t have a ton of options for single glasses, but what they did have was really good. I especially enjoyed the Albariño. It was very smooth, refreshing, with floral and citrus notes. For me, the Albariño is the Spanish answer to Sauvignon blanc with a hint of Pinot Grigio. The food was amaze balls! Pork fat fried macrona almonds… Yum! A little salty, but the flavor was incredible. Pork belly bocadillo… The bread was awesome, the manchego cheese and hint of lemon really complimented my savory pork. The sandwich may look small, but it’s rich and filling! The squid bocadillo was fried to perfection and oh so tasty. Service was very nice and attentive as well!

My last review was very harsh, and deservedly so. I went back at the request of a friend against my better judgement. I am happy to report I will be returning. It looks as though many of the issues I addressed in my earlier review (absurdly small portions, bad service) seemed to have been addressed. The food was excellent. It included a cheese plate, manila clams, croquettes, beef and mushroom sandwich (ok, the beef was a bit overcooked) and some nice spicy chorizo. The cava, for which we asked for some direction, was dry and exactly what we wanted. Even the busser was on point and unobtrusive.
I don’t know if service was better because we sat at the bar this time vs. the back room in our prior visit. But it was great and the food now comes in a reasonable portion size. I would like it if they threw in a chicken dish or two as an option. Overall, a great experience. Will be interesting when we go back if that is a new standard or we just got lucky.

Bom Bolla is everything wonderful. THANK YOU to Michelle and Josh for showing us so much love!
Get at least a glass of cava. Then enjoy the cool U-​shaped bar seating area. The bar takes up most of the dining room though there are definitely some tables at the front and back.
Now on to the food:
Croquettes: Errmagod… best croquettes I’ve had. It’s not just regular mashed up potatoes inside. It’s creamy and so smooth, probably went into a blender prior to being coated and fried. Crispy on the outside; smooth on the inside. Love.
Baquerones: Similar to sardines. So good. This will stimulate your appetite.
Pickled quail eggs: First time trying pickled quail eggs and I liked it.
Trout wrapped in ham: This was on special and my favorite part was the middle trout which was rare while the outer part was slightly cooked.
Manila clams: Juicy clams. I wanted to drink up the broth.
Yellowfin tuna escabeche: There was some Asian influence in the taste. Nice.
Take your time. Order as many small plates as you can or want.

Cool wicket park spot. Very interesting mix of people: from people in sweats to girls in heels. Anyone can be accommodated here. Great first date spot by the way.
Everything is relatively cheap. The pours are only 4oz that’s why it seems so cheap. Getting a bottle is the way to go for sure if you’re ordering more than 2 drinks each. Alcohol is spread out from cava to beer and cocktails (not exclusively a cava bar).
The food we tried was really good: clams ($ 12) and a beef sandwich with foie gras ($ 8+$ 10 with foie gras).
Disclaimer for girls: if you decide to sit at the bar wear pants, super uncomfortable wire chairs that will leave a grid trace mark on your legs.
Overall, would definitely come back here. Check with tax came out to be $ 64: includes two glasses of cavas, one beer, and two dishes (one being the most expensive on the menu).

We stopped in Bom Bolla one Sunday afternoon wanting a fresh drink and some light appetizers. I am less familiar with cava, but the bartender explained the different options perfectly. He was friendly and very knowledgeable. He and even had us try our two favorites. With that we ordered a very delicious (and reasonably priced) bottle. They also had a great selections of cava by the glass.
We also ordered a few light appetizers — olives, a cheese plate and the jamon iberico and one other seafood dish I can’t recall the same. It was also very interesting to watch them slice the jamon and it was by far our favorite. The food was very good although seemed small even for tapas. Given the price, I wouldn’t come here to eat dinner as that could get quite pricey. However, it is the perfect spot to stop in for drinks/​appetizers and to mix things up a little bit.

I really enjoyed my experience here. I think these were some of the most authentic spanish tapas I have had in Chicago. We loved each dish we got which included:
1. Coquilla Olives
2. 12 Month Manchego with Membrillo (our favorite cheese)
3. Zamorano cheese
4. N’duja with Honey (basically a spreadable, spicy, flavorful salami on bread)
5. Potato & Sweet Onion Croquette (rich and amazing!!!)
6. Fried Shishitos with Sea Salt
7. Beef Filet and mushroom Bocadillo (the best thing we got 100%– rare beef perfectly cooked on delicious bread)
8. Grilled Octopus with Charred Ramps and Lemons (incredible).
They didnt have dessert which was a bummer because it was our friends birthday. Service was perfect. They brought out each dish at the right time and the waitress knew the entire menu and what to reccomend. Great selection of cava! We loved the bottle we got. Not too expensive for all of that food as well!

An excellent place for tapas. A great selection including local salumi, various cheeses, olives and seafood. The cocktail, Sloe Roll, was fantastic — light & refreshing.

A lil’ pricey, but great for a date or pre-​dinner snacks! My 3-​person group walked right in at 6:40 with no reservations needed. Good service – plates came out pretty quickly, and the bartender took time to walk us through the menu.
Portions are on the small side – plan on 2 – 3 dishes per person. My group got 7 dishes and was satisfied.
The grilled oysters were fantastic – savory and warm, with a great sweet orange accent. The octopus was also very tender and well-​seasoned. Skip the mushrooms and halloumi cheese – while the cheese was great, the mushrooms seemed weirdly chewy.
Will definitely go back to try more dishes!

Be sure to ask your Server about the delicious new menu items! Some are only available for a limited time!
Secreto
Wood Grilled Live Breton Bay Lobster
Percebes: ONLY PLACE IN CHICAGO THIS IS SOLD!
Escabeche
Cucumber Salad con Bacalao

I had high expectations for Bom Bolla & they exceeded them! After spending a week in Barcelona last year, I can honestly say this new bar in Wicker Park would fit in nicely in Spain.
Delicious Cavas to sample by the glass or very reasonably by the bottle. Delicious tapas to pair with your bubbles and friendly, knowledgeable staff to guide you through the journey. Lance did an outstanding job behind the bar!
We sampled 2 Brut Naturals which are made without adding sugar. They rely on the natural yeast and sugar already in the grape (learned this on a Cava tour in Spain). Both were distinctly different and each enjoyable in their own right. The bartenders can give a full description of whatever you’d like to try.
Although I didn’t snap a photo, my favorite bite was the pork fat-​fried Marcona Almonds. Beyond tasty with a nice spicy kick. Their fresh anchovies are amazing. Forget what you think you know about how anchovies taste & go for the experience of the fresh ones. Completely fabulous!
Considering this bar is brand new, they really have their act together so far. They have multiple spaces in their building to expand into as their business grows. I look forward to stopping in here again soon!

I don’t have a middle name and if I did, it would be Rosé, so you can imagine my excitement when I walked into Bom Bolla last night. Everything started singing to me.
We sat at the bar and loved the décor and the ambiance and almost everything right away. We started off with a glass of cava and a sparkling rosé and browsed the menu. The cava list was beautiful. Options are endless, of course. The bartender was extremely helpful in helping us pick out a few little plates. Everything he recommended was delicious and flavorful.
We ordered the following and I think you should probably do the same:
— Coquilla Olives (a decent sized portion and the perfect amount of salty)
— Pinchos Morunos of Royal Trumpet Mushrooms & Halloumi (evidence that this bar takes their Pinxtos seriously)
Jamón Ibérico. Hear that? That’s the singing again.
We also ordered a thinly sliced cheese drizzled with olive oil. Still trying to decide if I was more fascinated with the flavor or watching the bartender slice it with the precision of a violin maker. If I figure it out, I will post an update.
The wrap around bar area is a great place to hang out with a friend or your soulmate. For larger groups — there are limited seating areas in the front and a couple tables at the back.
Definitely going back here. This place has their bubbles in check!

I had been anxiously awaiting the opening of Bom Bolla so decided to head over on Saturday (the 2^nd day they were open) to check it out. My husband and I went and sat at the bar — we were there around 6:30. We loved it — the atmosphere, the vibe, the décor, the music, the service, and the offerings.
We ordered a bottle of cava upon a recommendation from the bartender. I love champagne but I don’t necessarily know that much about the different varieties of cava, and we were not disappointed with the selection.
We also got some snacks — the pork fat marcona almonds, the octopus and nduja with honey. All of it was spectacular. The almonds were served warm and some of the best I’ve had. The octopus was cooked to perfection. The nduja was tasty and I would recommend trying that and some of the other charcuterie meats! We didn’t try any cheese but some of what they were slicing behind the bar looked amazing. Our service was great and frankly I was surprised everything was so smooth since it was only the 2^nd day they were open and I expected some kinks.
I will say that the dining area in the back is just about 6 tables and very small. The bar area is more where I’d want to hang out. I think this is a great add to the neighborhood and perfect for some cocktails and some casual snacks.
I cannot wait to go back and explore more of both the drink and food menus!