How Karen Pino Built La Taberna Giralda Around Spanish Traditions

La Taberna Giralda has served Spanish food in Coral Gables since the Pino family opened the restaurant on September 1, 2012. Owner Karen Pino shaped its identity around her family’s connection to Galicia and a tapas tradition centered on sharing small dishes and trying different flavors.

From summers in Spain to restaurant ownership

Pino’s connection to Spanish food grew from family experience. Her family is from Galicia, and she spent summers visiting relatives in Spain.

Opening La Taberna Giralda also marked a new professional direction. Pino was a licensed clinical social worker when the restaurant opened in 2012 and has continued in that profession. The restaurant became another expression of her background, this time through Spanish cooking and hospitality.

The business began as a Pino family project. A later report described Karen Pino as taking over management from her father, reflecting the family’s continuing role in the restaurant.

Tapas and family recipes shape the menu

Pino has described the appeal of tapas as sharing little dishes and experiencing many flavors. La Taberna Giralda’s dinner menu supports that approach with options such as boquerones, fried calamari and mixed croquettes. The croquette platter can include Serrano ham, blue cheese and cod varieties.

Beyond tapas, the restaurant says its meat and seafood platters showcase family recipes. Together, the smaller dishes and larger platters offer two ways to explore its Spanish focus: sampling several flavors first, then sharing a more substantial selection.

A first-visit ordering plan

Begin with boquerones, fried calamari and mixed croquettes for the table. This combination introduces three distinct menu choices while following Pino’s preferred shared-dish approach.

Then add either a meat platter or a seafood platter featuring family recipes. Choose between them based on the table’s preference, and confirm current platter selections with the restaurant before ordering.

This communal format provides a direct introduction to the ideas behind La Taberna Giralda: Pino’s family ties to Spain, the variety of tapas and recipes connected to the family that opened the restaurant.