We have not been to La Camelia in about 6 years. Back then it had gotten a very high rating from the NYT reviewer - Don’t miss, or worth the trip or 4 stars. Can’t remember the system. But the place was not up to the rating after a bit and it was run down and the food was no longer up to par. I heard recently there was new ownership and noticed a new sign at the road, so we went last night. There are indeed, new owners and they are starting the process of redoing and modernizing the place a bit. It still has the old ambiance but a paint job and carpet disposal does wonders! And they have taken the place from a Spanish restaurant to a Spanish restaurant featuring tapas from Spain and Portugal.
This will not be a big food review, but I will say what we had and what we smelled from other tables was excellent! The table near us was a table of three and they did all Tapas and it smelled great. We started our meal with an amuse from the chef of zucchini and eggplant flan. It was so flavorful and light, filled with peppers and onions. The bread was served warm - a Portuguese roll. My husband had the black bean soup which I did not try but he said it was the best he’s had. They serve it and add onions and cheese to your taste at the table. For mains my husband had the paella - lots of fresh seafood and the chorizo and he loved it . When last we were there the paella was just not up to par. I had, if you can believe it, roast duck on the bone!!! I had no idea that was Spanish and I don’t care. It was very good, though the skin could have been crispier. We did not have dessert but the espresso was served with a some kind of cinnamon straw that was yummy when dipped in the coffee.
Service was not rushed - it was well paced and relaxed, but it did have a few glitches. The owner had come around a few times, which is lovely, and the last trip he told our waitress to bring my husband a glass of port on him, which never arrived. We also waited a very long time for someone to take our payment.
In all, we were very happy to have found this place again and we will be back.