Restaurant review: Bar Lola

Veggie friendliness: Three stars

So this place is sort of a faint imitation of Newbury Street restaurant Tapeo, both in food and decor. Bar Lola is a few blocks over on Commonwealth, and it offers a smaller version of Tapeo's menu. The two restaurants are really very similar, though Bar Lola has fewer veggie options than Tapeo. It still has the basics, though--cheesey vegetable puffs, the classic Spanish tortilla (omelette), cold artichoke hearts and roasted peppers, and warm potatoes with garlic and olive oil. Bar Lola also had a dish of roasted vegetables and mini veggie-stuffed cannelloni in a tomato-cheese sauce.

The tapas satisfied me, for the most part, and there were enough vegetarian options to provide a good variety for dinner. A few dishes, though -- the roasted vegetable and tortilla -- were so salty that my mouth felt almost turned inside out. I love salty food, too, so I think the salt level must really have been overboard.

A group of us shared the chocolate torte dessert, which was so rich. The dark chocolate part was almost as solid as a bar of chocolate, and the white chocolate top was light and creamy. Just a few bites was enough. Bar Lola's sangria was fine, though unmemorable and without any fruit in it -- according to the waiter, the restaurant was completely out of fruit.