Oveja Negra

Had a mother daughter meal here on a Wednesday night. Extremely nice staff and it was good food but the restaurant was empty! It definitely misses out on the foot traffic of Santana Row.

We were at the Cine Arts movie theaters at Santana Row and wanted to have dinner close by after the show. Decided to try Oveja Negra and we were so glad we did. The lamb barbacoa was so tender and flavorful! The prawns in coconut curry was subtle and delicious! The drinks were perfect and so was the service. Very attentive, informative, easy going and pleasant! Would definitely recommend this place and am looking forward to going back!

I’ve eaten most food items on this menu now and have not been disappointed by anything, including the desserts! Tapas is a ‘sharing’ food serving style for those who don’t know. Plate portions here are in ‘threes’ usually, so when couples are dining you’ll have one extra morsel to fight over. Groups of four can ask for portions to be increased by one (for a wee bit more $). Five or more and just start ordering extra plates. Don’t worry you still be fighting over those extra morsels.

Delish! It was a little cold outside and a bit dark for evening dining. However, it was my dining companion's choice (I would have stayed inside). Service was good, but they seemed somewhat understaffed.

My wife and I decided to start doing date nights to synchronize our busy schedules. This was our first one, and it was wonderful. All of the dishes, plus the dessert, were amazing. The wine markup was a bit much, but aside from that, a perfect evening out.

Always love coming to Oveja negra. Staff and management always make us feel like we are in the first class section of the plane. Chef always adding some nice new additions to the menu. We love the Tapas theme and the vibe of this place.

We were seated indoors in a very nondescript bland room. The outside seating looked more interesting but there was no space available, even though we had a reservation.

The food is too expensive for the portions and taste. I wouldn't go back.

Amazing service and food. The steak was phenomenal. Had dinner for four and was perfect setting.

The signature dish was excellent! We also ordered the brussel sprouts and loved those as well.

Understand this is a small plates/tapas restaurant, but some of the dishes here are very small for the price, only about one quarter of a rack of ribs and 5 broccolini. There were a good amount of party wings, though (8 - 10 party wings, good size). Good amount of brussel sprouts, but they were charred.

This was a good find for dinner and possibly for lunch as well. We had an early, 6:30, reservation for dinner and the place was not crowded. Quiet and pleasant with a good outdoor space. Good for conversation and enough tables for couples and groups. We sat outdoors so I can only speak to that. It began to pick up around 9 p.m. Remained fine. We all agreed it was a good experience.

great find, had a great time so don't understand the few critical reviews.. maybe the diners were having a bad day. interesting food, good value/service/setting. can't wait to go again!

First time to this restaurant, and probably won't be going back. The food was good, there just wasn't enough of it. They are a small plates restaurant, and everything is meant for sharing, but the portions are VERY small. The stone fruit "salad" was a HUGE fried cheese ball in the middle, "garnished" with salad. The slices of fruit were VERY tiny, and the plate was $18.00!!!
I do recommend the chicken wings, but even at $14.00 they are not a bargain. The pricing is typical of Santana Row restaurants, but the portions are way too small.

usually do not write reviews but loved this restaurant. great food/setting/service and value. give it a try.. you won't regret it!

Great meal, great service!
Wonderful atmosphere

The food was quite good and the service was very good but there were a couple of core issues with this restaurant. It's inside the Hotel Valencia and is poorly signposted, which might explain why it was so quiet - it just didn't have much ambiance.

I hosted a business dinner here for out of town guests and wanted to give them a nice unique food experience. I will never go back here again. The restaurant is beautiful and on a Thursday evening it wasn't very busy. Maybe that should have been my first sign. The food was absolutely horrid.
We ordered the poutine, drumsticks, grilled octopus, truffle mushroom, brussel sprouts, and the ribs. Most of the items tasted like old food they tried to reheat. And I mean "tried" because the food wasn't even hot except the truffle mushrooms. Then the brussel sprouts came out at the very end, all charred and gross.
For the amount of money for this place or even any place for that matter, this was my worst food experience ever! I was quite embarrassed. I usually don't write reviews but really had to this time. DO NOT GO HERE!

Truly disappointing.

Great food and ambiance. Average (not so great) service. Waiters need to work on being more personable and nicer overall.

Excellent place!!!

Great food, magical setting, excellent service. Will go back.

The food was really poor, not warm enough when it arrived and not as described on the menu, the atmosphere was ok but maybee some music and candles or something could definitly be added, a lot was missing to make it a good place to eat, couldn’t even find the entrance of the restaurant, the whole room was empty and very dead atmosphere. Overall cheap and very disappointing.

The tapas were fine but not special. However the. Ceviche was very good

Always love it here! New chef and new menu and some wonderful new additions. I did miss my Lobster Enchilada, but hoping chef will bring his own spin!

interesting twist on tapas with some excellent dishes. Knowledgeable and very professional service staff. Good wine list and again great recommendations from staff. Outdoor space particularly atmospheric and a haven of tranquillity. Restaurant was quiet only our group dining there. Would definitely recommend and revisit if I was ever in San Jose again.

Can’t say it enough, i love the food here and the menu especially. I love the creativity and quality of the menu and food. The drinks are actually really innovative as well. I usually come in once a month on average does that make me a regular?

Great place for foodies. Very romantic

Food was alright, but pricey. Place was pretty empty for Friday night.

Empty. No ambiance. Waitress did not know the menu.

Noone there very quiet
Food ok service adequate

With the good chef that they have, this place could be outstanding with a bit more effort. Ambience could have been so much better if they had tried. The space has some charm, but white paing, harsh lighting and hard surfaces made it noisy and too bright. A little investment in decor would make it so much better. The food was good, in particular the Tournedos and the Arrancini appetizer. The barbacoa was tasty but fatty. Brussels sprouts were overcooked; when we spoke to the waiter the chef sent a less cooked version, which were not overcooked but would have been better parbroiled before frying. Service was a bit spotty - we had to ask for clean plates between courses.

Food did not have flavor. Overall not a place I would come back due to food. Service was great!

A bit pricey, as the portions are very small plates, but really enjoyed everything we had. Food was tasty. Desserts were also delicious — the s’mores soufflé was amazing. We were shocked at how good it was! Will definitely go back.

The menu had several items which were unfamiliar to our group of well traveled and experienced diners. The overall presentation and flavors were wonderful, and the serving size was easily shared across our group of 5.
The wine flight was very good, and the cocktails were tasty and generous.
I would encourage the waiter to call attention to dishes which feature raw seafood, to ensure the guest understands how the meal is prepared.

We are so many delicious dishes that it’s hard to keep track of them all. While the menu is tapas style, our group decided to share a couple of dishes and then had individual meals that we didn’t share. We all loved our food and would for sure go back for more.

I'm not sure why this place has high reviews. The food quality is good but prep and execution does not live up to the price tag. Not really a tapas restaurant either. Prices are too high, portions are large though. Overall the flavor and execution doesn't make me want to eat here again. There are many better places to eat at, that command this price.

Good food and something different for a change of pace. Enjoyed the small plates.

I came in to try out some of the new menu and was blown away by just how good the brussels sprouts were… That was by far my favorite dish however the watermelon cucumber salad was tasty and delicious as well… The cocktails here are always on point… The service is great and the atmosphere is amazing especially out in the patio which is where I was this time. Oh and i can’t forget about the tiger prawns!

Fine dining costs but server wasninexpepeienced and inaccurate about menu and options. Would not go back.

Meh. Sterile atmosphere. Feels like you are eating in a service hall. Food okay. We won’t be back.