DeTapas Spanish Gastrobar closed down on Jan. 28 due to financial reasons after being open for a little over two years. The restaurant first opened on Jan. 14, 2022 and has served a variety of Spanish tapas and paellas to local customers.
“I feel really sad about the restaurant closing,” Kate Rodriguez ’25 said. “It was the most authentic Spanish food that my family and I have been able to find around Westport.”
Guests at DeTapas universally enjoyed the food and ambience the restaurant brought. DeTapas Owner Carlos Pla reminisced on the positive experiences and interactions he has had with many customers.
“I have had fantastic conversations with my guests,” Pla said. “It has been beautiful, and now kind of sad because they know that we are closing.”
In addition to customer contributions, the restaurant staff were essential to its operation both inside and outside the kitchen.
“I really enjoyed all the customers,” DeTapas Server Saul Francisco said. “But the people I work with are like family, you know. It will be sad to leave.”
What made the restaurant so unique for its duration of existence was the authenticity of not only the cuisine, but the people and the place. Customers often returned after first trying the food to relive their experiences and try something new.
“My favorite memory is the first time my family went to the restaurant to try the food there,” Rodriguez said. “My dad and I got really excited about how authentic the food was and how we could eat so many of our favorite foods without having to cook.”
My favorite memory is the first time my family went to the restaurant to try the food there. My dad and I got really excited about how authentic the food was and how we could eat so many of our favorite foods without having to cook.
— Kate Rodriguez '25
Although sad to close, Pla hopes to save up enough to open another Spanish tapas restaurant in Fairfield County. Pla also wants to acknowledge the outstanding ambience and positivity customers have brought to DeTapas throughout its existence.
“I really want to thank every single guest from Westport and surroundings that have been here,” Pla said. “I have had a fantastic two years and I know that almost everyone who came had a really good experience.”
