16 editor-picked spanish restaurants across 7 cities.
A guide to spanish restaurants worth a trip, by city. We list operators, signature dishes, and the rooms locals book first.
Cooks and Soldiers in West Midtown, Atlanta opened 2014 with a wood-fired Basque menu of pintxos, plancha plates and the prized txuleton steak from Castro and Castro Spain.
Signature: Wood-grilled txuleton steak, Pintxos, Tortilla espanola
Order: The whole txuleton steak (for two) with pommes frites; pintxos to start.
Tip: Pintxos hour 16:00 to 18:00 Sunday through Thursday is the bargain entry to the kitchen. Resy reservations open 30 days out.
The Iberian Pig in downtown Decatur, Atlanta runs Spanish tapas and Iberico-leaning plates since 2009. The pork belly cubano sandwich became its long-running calling card.
Signature: Pork belly cubano, Patatas bravas, Bacon-wrapped dates
Order: The pork belly cubano, bacon-wrapped Medjool dates and patatas bravas.
Tip: Reservations on Resy. Buckhead and Glenwood Park sister locations stay open later than Decatur.
Ken Oringer and Jamie Bissonnette's Spanish tapas room on Washington Street has run the South End's small-plate template in Boston since 2005. Catalan and Basque hot and cold plates.
Signature: Maiz a la parrilla, Jamon Iberico
Order: Grilled corn with aioli, lime and queso fresco.
Tip: Walk-in only for dinner. Get to the bar at 17:00 to skip the 90-minute wait that builds by 19:00.
Tres Gatos on Centre Street is Jamaica Plain's tapas-bar-and-book-shop in Boston since 2011. All-Spanish wine list, regional plates and a small vinyl-record section behind the dining room.
Signature: Patatas bravas, Iberico ham
Order: The chicken croquetas and a glass of Manzanilla sherry.
Tip: Weekend brunch on Saturday and Sunday is the best-kept secret. The book shop and record stall open at 17:00.
Tres Gatos on Centre Street has run a tapas-bar-and-book-shop in Jamaica Plain Boston since 2011. All-Spanish wine list, regional plates and a small vinyl record section behind the dining room.
Signature: Patatas bravas, Iberico ham
Order: Chicken croquetas and a glass of Manzanilla sherry.
Tip: Weekend brunch is the under-the-radar seat. Book shop opens 17:00.
Uno Mas on Aungier Street in Dublin, an all-Spanish Bib Gourmand wine and small-plates room from the Etto team, the south side's most precise tapas.
Signature: Creamy croquetas, Gilda, Carabineros
Order: A round of creamy croquetas and one carabinero per person, with a glass of dry Manzanilla.
Tip: The counter seats turn fastest; if the website shows no tables, ask if the bar is open. Closed Sunday and Monday.
ARCO by Paco Pérez in Gdańsk is the city's only Michelin-starred room, on the 33rd floor of Olivia Star. Catalan chef Paco Pérez and head chef Antonio Arcieri cook Polish produce with Spanish technique.
Signature: Polish-produce tasting menu, Baltic seafood with Spanish technique
Order: The Beauty of Nature tasting menu, 22 courses for 750 PLN.
Tip: Wednesday and Thursday evenings are easier to book than Friday and Saturday. Sunset views start about 19:30 in summer.
Nieves Barragan Mohacho's Mayfair Spanish dining room off Regent Street in London, opened 2017 and Michelin-starred, runs a tapas counter downstairs and a wood-fired upstairs.
Signature: Suckling pig, Pulpo a la gallega
Order: Pulpo a la gallega at the counter and the suckling pig upstairs at El Asador.
Tip: Counter seats downstairs take walk-ins. Upstairs has a six-week booking lead time but a fixed-price suckling pig set menu.
Tapas Bar on Stary Rynek 60 in Poznań is a long-running Spanish room with wrought-iron interiors, gambas al ajillo as the house dish and a small jamón ibérico carved at the counter.
Signature: Gambas al ajillo, Jamón ibérico, Patatas bravas
Order: Gambas al ajillo with a glass of fino.
Tip: The room is touristy; come early at 18:00 for the better seats and less competition for the kitchen's attention.
Casa Urola on Fermin Calbeton in San Sebastian has cooked Basque market food since 1956, with pintxos downstairs and the dining room upstairs. Chef Pablo Loureiro runs both.
Signature: Kokotxas de merluza al pil pil, Cigala a la plancha, Txuleta de vaca vieja
Order: The kokotxas de merluza al pil pil downstairs first; then upstairs for the cigala and the chargrilled txuleta.
Tip: Eat pintxos at the ground-floor counter or book upstairs for a full meal. The kokotxas are the surest order in the city.
Bodegon Alejandro on Fermin Calbeton in San Sebastian is the underground Old Town room where Martin Berasategui won his first Michelin star in 1986. Now Inaxio Valverde runs the kitchen.
Signature: Merluza a la donostiarra, Txuleta, Tarta de queso
Order: The merluza a la donostiarra in cazuela and the txuleta from the grill; finish with the burnt-top cheesecake.
Tip: Book the 14:00 lunch slot for the calmer service. The staircase entry is easy to miss; the door is set below street level.
Ganbara on San Jeronimo in San Sebastian's Old Town has run the Martinez-Ortuzar family kitchen since 1984, anchored by an autumn mushroom counter and a downstairs dining room.
Signature: Setas de temporada, Txangurro al horno, Pintxo de huevo
Order: The autumn setas counter sauteed with egg yolk; the spider crab baked in its shell.
Tip: Closed Sundays and Mondays. The bar counter is walk-in; the basement dining room takes reservations. October to December is peak mushroom season.
La Vina on Calle 31 de Agosto in San Sebastian invented the burnt Basque cheesecake in 1990, when Santiago Rivera blasted a crustless cheesecake in a wood-paper-lined tin until the top caramelised.
Signature: Tarta de queso La Vina, Pintxos clasicos, Bacalao al pil pil
Order: The tarta de queso, a wedge from the counter, plus a glass of Pedro Ximenez or Txakoli to cut.
Tip: Closed Mondays. Get the cheesecake at the counter; the dining room behind serves a sit-down lunch with the same wedge for dessert.
Casa Alcalde on Calle Mayor in San Sebastian's Old Town is a long-running classic kitchen of jamon-and-tortilla pintxos, charcuterie and a working-day menu del dia at the back.
Signature: Jamon iberico, Pintxos clasicos, Menu del dia
Order: A plate of jamon iberico at the counter; the menu del dia at the back tables.
Tip: Open daily; the lunch menu del dia is good value at 16 euros. Counter is busy from 13:00 onwards.
Casa Senra on Calle San Francisco in San Sebastian's Gros runs a working-day menu del dia and a traditional Basque pintxo counter, the neighbourhood lunch spot for the Zurriola crowd.
Signature: Menu del dia, Pintxos tradicionales, Carrillera
Order: The menu del dia at lunch; the carrillera al vino tinto if it's on the carte.
Tip: Lunch served 13:00 to 15:30; menu del dia 14 to 18 euros. Closed Sunday.
Ganbara on San Jeronimo in San Sebastian's Old Town has run the Martinez-Ortuzar family kitchen since 1984, anchored by an autumn mushroom counter and a basement dining room.
Signature: Setas de temporada, Txangurro al horno, Pintxo de huevo
Order: The autumn setas counter with egg yolk; spider crab baked in its shell.
Tip: Counter walk-in, basement takes reservations. October to December is peak mushroom season.
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