30 editor picks across Spain.
30 casual dining worth the trip across Spain, editor-ranked by TableJourney. All Spain guides.
La Cuchara de San Telmo on Calle 31 de Agosto in San Sebastian, open since 1999 by El Bulli and Lasarte-trained chefs, cooks made-to-order modern pintxos.
OrderThe carrillera de ternera in red wine; foie a la plancha with apple compote; pulpo a la brasa.
TipQueue before 13:00 or after 21:00; the bar is four-deep at peak. No reservations.
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.
OrderThe autumn setas counter with egg yolk; spider crab baked in its shell.
TipCounter walk-in, basement takes reservations. October to December is peak mushroom season.
El Rinconcillo on Calle Gerona in Seville is the city's oldest tapas bar, open since 1670, with the cuenta still chalked on the wooden bar top.
OrderEspinacas con garbanzos, the city's canonical tapa, then pavias de bacalao with fino.
TipOpen daily 13:00-01:30. Squeeze into the standing bar in the front; the dining room behind is the reservation room.
La Brunilda on Calle Galera in Seville's El Arenal is the modern-tapas room with risottos, rices and Mediterranean small plates that locals queue.
OrderMushroom risotto and goat-cheese-and-fig salad.
TipOpen Tue-Sun 13:00-16:00 and 20:30-23:30. Reservations by phone only; queue from 19:30 for a bar seat without booking.
Borda Berri on Fermin Calbeton in San Sebastian cooks hot made-to-order pintxos off a tight blackboard menu, no counter display, the Idiazabal-cheese risotto.
OrderThe risotto de Idiazabal con puntalette; the carrillera al vino tinto; the Basatxerri pork ribs.
TipWalk in only, closed Sundays. Stand outside if the bar is full; orders come out fast.
Bar Casa Ruperto on Avenida Santa Cecilia in Seville's Triana is the city's canonical fried-quail counter since 1970, with marinated codornices fried.
OrderTwo pairs of codorniz frita and a half-racion of espinacas con garbanzos.
TipOpen Tue-Sun 11:30-16:00 and 19:30-24:00, closed Monday. The standing bar is the local way.
Taberna Salinas has run off Córdoba's Corredera since 1924, an azulejo bar backed by wine casks and a patio full of plants and old paintings.
OrderThe salmorejo, the version most cordobeses measure the others against.
TipIt shuts on Sunday and does no dinner on Saturday, which trips up weekend visitors constantly.
La Tasqueria de Javi Estevez moved from Salamanca to Chamberi in 2024, keeping the 1-star Michelin and the brief that matches casqueria (offal).
OrderThe cabeza de cochinillo crujiente, the sesos rebozados and the tasting menu (65 euros lunch, 95 dinner).
TipBook three weeks ahead for the seven-seat counter; the dining room books one week. Closed Sun-Mon.
Bar Txepetxa on Pescaderia in San Sebastian has cured white anchovies since 1972 by a guarded family recipe, served on toasted baguette with a dozen toppings.
OrderAnchoa a la jardinera; anchoa with crema de centollo. Order three and move.
TipCounter standing only. The blackboard lists 12 toppings; shout your order.
Antonio Bar on Bergara in San Sebastian's Centro is the locals' tortilla room, with a deep-caramelised 28-egg tortilla and the canonical double-anchovy.
OrderA wedge of the tortilla; the double-anchovy gilda; espresso to finish.
TipTortilla finishes by 14:30 most days. Counter is small and stand-only.
Casa Cuesta on Calle Castilla in Seville's Triana has cooked menudo (offal stew) since 1880, a tile-and-bullfighting-poster taberna at the foot of the Triana.
OrderThe menudo (the city's canonical tripe-and-chickpea stew) and pavias de bacalao with manzanilla.
TipOpen daily 12:00-16:30 and 19:30-24:00. Lunch on Sunday from 14:00 is the local main event; book the back room a week ahead.
Casa Morales on Calle Garcia de Vinuesa in Seville's El Arenal is the bodega since 1850 with vermut pulled from giant wood casks and a cured-meat counter.
OrderSolomillo al whisky and the carrillada en salsa with a copa of vermut from the cask.
TipOpen Mon-Sat 12:00-16:00 and 20:00-24:00, closed Sunday Walk-ins usually OK.
La Cava Aragonesa has run a long tapas bar on Plaza de la Constitución in Benidorm's old town since 1980, known for yescas, pintxos and more than 700 wines.
OrderA tabla of four yescas, toasted bread rubbed with tomato and topped with cured meats or cheese.
TipStand at the bar to choose from the counter; the dining room takes bookings and serves a daily set menu.
Casa Rufo on Hurtado de Amezaga in Bilbao since 1955 grills the canonical Bilbao txuleta over open flame, between deli counter and dining room.
OrderThe txuleta from the grill; the bacalao al pil pil as the starter.
TipLunch 13:30-16:00, dinner 20:30-23:00; closed Sundays. The deli counter is worth a look.
Bar El Globo on Calle Diputacion in Bilbao since 1997 anchors the Indautxu pintxo crawl with the canonical txangurro (spider crab) gratin counter.
OrderThe txangurro gratin; the gilda alongside.
TipThe newer Plaza Nueva location keeps later hours; the original Diputacion bar is the bigger room.
Casa El Pisto has stood on Plaza de San Miguel in Córdoba since 1880, a bullfighting taberna where the pisto with a fried egg is the house test.
OrderPisto casero con huevo, the plate that gave the taberna its nickname.
TipThe operator lists lunchtime hours only, so treat this as a midday stop rather than a dinner plan.
Bodegas Castaneda in Granada is the 1927 Calle Almireceros tavern that defines free-tapa culture, with house vermut and Alpujarran cured meats.
OrderFree tapa of jamon Trevelez with a cana, then a glass of house vermut.
TipStand at the bar for the free tapas; if you sit at a table you order a la carte and the free system stops.
Taberna La Tana in the Realejo of Granada has been the citys serious natural-wine bar since 1993, with 400-plus references and pairing tapas.
OrderGlass of Andalusian VORS sherry with a queso curado tapa.
TipClosed Sundays; ask Jesus or Luisa for an Andalusian natural-wine flight if you want the deep cellar.
Juana La Loca on Plaza Puerta de Moros in Madrid's La Latina serves the city's most-talked-about tortilla de patata with caramelized onion, plus modern tapas.
OrderThe tortilla de patata caramelizada (pincho 4 euros, racion 14).
TipWalk-in for the bar; the dining room books three days ahead. The tortilla is sliced at the counter for the bar crowd.
Goiz Argi on Fermin Calbeton in San Sebastian cooks a single perfect prawn brochette to order, griddled with a sweet red pepper sauce on bread.
OrderThe brocheta de gambas, cooked to order; chipiron a la plancha; a glass of Txakoli.
TipStand only; brochette is fired fresh. Open 10:00-16:00 and 18:30-23:30.
Bar Bergara on General Artetxe in San Sebastian's Gros, since 1950, sets out one of the most decorated miniature-cuisine pintxo counters in the city.
OrderThe Txalupa gratin of prawn and mushroom; a wedge of the tortilla de anchoas; a glass of Txakoli.
TipWalk in at the counter; small street terrace fills first. Closed Wednesdays.
Manolo Leon on Calle Guadalquivir in Seville is the Manolo Leon family's flagship since 1995, with an Andalusian carte built on Iberico pork.
OrderThe solomillo iberico over potato puree and the pescaito frito mixed plate.
TipOpen daily 13:00-16:30 and 20:30-24:00. The Guadalquivir location is the larger room; reserve the patio for Sunday lunch.
Las Teresas on Calle Santa Teresa in Seville's Santa Cruz hung jamones from the ceiling in 1870 and is an essential Santa Cruz taberna for working-day tapas.
OrderA racion of jamon iberico de bellota sliced overhead and a copa of fino En Rama.
TipOpen daily 11:00-24:00. The standing bar is the working-day pick; the wooden tables behind take walk-in groups.
La Azotea on Calle Mateos Gago in Seville's Santa Cruz is the modern-tapas counter that started in San Lorenzo in 2008 and now runs three city locations.
OrderAtun rojo de almadraba (red tuna from the Cadiz trap) and crujiente de morcilla with apple compote.
TipOpen daily 13:30-16:30 and 20:30-24:00. Santa Cruz is the loudest location; book Conde de Barajas for a quieter sit-down.
Can Paixano in Barcelona's Barceloneta has poured pink cava out of bottle-lined tile walls since 1969. Priced at €. Kitchen leans cava and tapas.
OrderThree pink cavas and a chorizo bocadillo. Repeat.
TipNo reservations, no tables. Bar closes early; arrive before 22:00 to get a corner.
Victor Montes on Plaza Nueva in Bilbao keeps the spirit of the 1849 grocery, with grilled mushrooms with foie, charcuterie and a deep wine cellar.
OrderThe grilled mushrooms with foie gras; a glass of old wine from the cellar.
TipThe terrace facing Plaza Nueva is the spot in summer; the back dining room takes reservations.
La Vina del Ensanche on Diputacion in Bilbao since 1927 runs three rooms under the third family generation, Joselito Iberian ham the house pintxo.
OrderThe Joselito ham on crystal bread at the counter; the croquetas de jamon as a second.
TipBook the taller (workshop) for the tasting menu; the deli sells the same hams to take away.
Taberna La Montillana has traded on Calle San Álvaro in Córdoba since 1948, bull heads on the walls and Montilla-Moriles wines behind the bar.
OrderMazamorra, the almond purée that predates salmorejo in this city.
TipThe kitchen rotates a recommendation board, so read it before ordering off the printed carta.
The Plateros silversmiths' guild still runs this Córdoba taberna on Calle San Francisco, thick white walls set around a patio under a skylight.
OrderA copa of the house Oro Viejo with whatever tapa the bar suggests.
TipThe staff swap every round plate on the table for a square one when a coeliac sits down.
Barra y Mesa is a small wooden-counter taberna in central Córdoba pouring Montilla-Moriles beside salmorejo, flamenquín and slow-cooked rabo de toro.
OrderRabo de toro, cooked down until the meat leaves the bone on its own.
TipIt closes on Sunday and serves dinner Wednesday to Saturday only, and the room is small enough that a booking matters.
Guided tour · 3 hours
Explore Seville’s historic tapas bars on a guided walking tour through the Jewish Quarter and Arenal neighborhood. Taste iconic dishes and drinks at century-old establ...
Guided tour · 3h 30m
Enjoy an under-the-radar food tour of Seville with a specialized local guide who will tell you the history of tapas, show you where the locals go, and provide tons of ...
Guided tour · 3.5 hours
Start your morning at Seville’s iconic Triana Market, then cook paella and traditional Andalusian tapas with a professional chef. Sip sangría while cooking, then enjoy...