Downtown Tacoma restaurant with Spanish fare, wine and flamenco has closed

Amor Wine and Tapas has closed in downtown Tacoma, just two years after opening at 705 Pacific Ave.

The restaurant served its final meals on Sunday, June 22, confirmed owner Chris Dasef in a phone call Wednesday. He first shared the news on Instagram Tuesday night.

“This decision was not made lightly, and we are deeply grateful for the community that has grown with us,” the post read.

They weren’t doing enough business to keep the doors open, Dasef told The News Tribune. The past few months have been slow, he added, which contributed to the timing.

“It’s just a disappointment,” he said. “We were hoping to build something with real vibrancy with our live music and our cuisine that it would have worked out, but it didn’t.”

He took a moment to thank the customers who gave the restaurant a shot since it opened in June 2023, whether for a glass of wine, a full tapas experience or flamenco nights in the tree-lined courtyard — an unusual amenity among the dense structures of downtown.

As a couple of commenters noted in the closure notice and many of the nearly 500 Google reviews did, too, Amor Wine and Tapas offered “a nice change of pace on Pac Ave,” with Spanish-influenced, wine-friendly dishes. Dasef also owns a general contracting firm and has operated several bars and restaurants in Seattle. His late wife Elizabeth designed the space to feel “sultry,” with white brick walls and the soaring ceiling painted black with gold trim. The backbar showcased an attractive global wine selection. Across from a supersized macro image of a red rose that filled the back wall, the kitchen was visible only through a small pass-through window.

The concept, developed in part by a chef who left not long after the restaurant opened, hinged on the tapas: arancini or a meatball in pomodoro sauce, seared scallops, eggplant frito with spiced honey. Guests could mix and match or choose a prix-fixe option with a few of each price point for a flat rate. Entrees, including a small or large pan of paella, risotto and usually a steak dish, were shareable but could also serve as a traditional dinner plate.

The space frequently hosted musicians in the dining room and flamenco outside, both at dinner and weekend brunch. Customers flocked to the courtyard in serviceable months, but the interior could feel crowded despite not being packed with tables and service sometimes seemed scattered. Still, the overall idea had no precise peer in the area.

Dasef opened Amor because he believes the city needs more full-service, chef-driven restaurants. Asked if there were other external factors that led to the closure, he noted that “the more costly it is to open something, the more difficult it is to run something.”

A Tacoma resident, he hopes the space — neighbors to Thai Pepper, Wooden City, West 122, Odd Otter Brewing, The Office and more — will find a fitting new tenant.

“Right now it’s set up for a great restaurant, and I hope another great restaurant makes a great go at it,” he said.

This story was originally published June 26, 2025 at 12:00 PM.