Located at the top of Munjoy Hill, you could easily become enchanted by the East End view and drive right past Bar Lola. This intimate, petite venue sits on the corner of Congress and Atlantic Streets. Inside is just as intimate, with contemporary design (rich brown and red walls with white trim), low lighting and modern jazz just loud enough to create mood and allow lively conversation without shouting.

Our server first asked if we’d ever been here, to ensure we understood the menu consisted of tapas (very small servings) and wouldn’t be disappointed when we didn’t receive big-mclarge-huge portions. She was incredibly knowledgeable about items on the menu — a quality often lost at most restaurants.

We ordered a bottle of red wine and a Dark and Stormy to start off what turned out to be quite the romantic dinner. Without the help of my chef boyfriend I would have been swallowed by the menu — what on earth are bressaola, pistou and reggiano? Hesitant whether the small portions would satiate, we both ordered a myriad of dishes from all five courses (organized as small, medium, salad, large and sweet categories with items changing every few weeks), including Shaved Marinated Lamb and Watercress, Crepes with Pernod Cream and Vegetables and Spring Soup with Tomato Confit and Pistou.

Surprisingly, half-way through the fourth course I wasn’t sure I could make it to the Derby Pie. Tapas portions are the smallest I’ve ever seen, but the beauty is they are designed for savoring, an artform not lost on co-chefs Josh Potocki and Guy Hernandez (both from One Fifty Ate) and Christian Kryger (from Fore Street). As American culture seems hell-bent to shovel in ginormous portions, the art of savoring is quickly becoming a thing of the past. Bar Lola’s resurrects a time when the flavors of dinner were meant to be slowly relished.