723 Best Restaurants in Spain

Despite its Mediterranean name, this traditional family-run restaurant serves up Castilian specialties like garlic soup, partridge salad, local river trout, white asparagus, and suckling lamb. The tiny front bar is decorated with black-and-white photos of local bullfighters and is usually packed with locals (as is the back room). The most privileged place to dine is under the awnings on the square.

Seafood lovers, look no further: This Galician restaurant serves some of the most pristine fish and shellfish on the island, from monkfish cooked in wine and garlic and zarzuela de pescado y marisco (fish and seafood stew) to various rice dishes. It's a well-established favorite with islanders—many travel all the way here from Las Palmas just for dinner. It's been run by the same Galician family since 1986 that also owns Las Rías, in Meloneras, to the west of Maspalomas.

Tucked away in the far corner of Placeta de Manuel Ribé, Barcelona’s award-winning coffee roaster has opened its very own cafe. Floor-to-ceiling windows create an open, airy atmosphere that draws coffee-lovers through its doors. Roasts rotate monthly. 

Housed in a restored stone farmhouse, Rita Porta's menu is classic Catalan with a few subtle twists. The beef tenderloin is served raw tableside on a hot slate for you to sear to your liking, along with homemade frites and padrón peppers. But don't sleep on the braised rabbit with mustard or the cheese flan for dessert. Three large courses, including drinks, will set you back only 25 euros. If the weather is nice, a table outside in the courtyard by the 500-year-old walnut tree is a must.  

Not your average ice-cream parlor, this theatrical to-go spot is the brainchild of master confectioner Jordi Roca, of El Celler de Can Roca fame. Exquisite helados, fanciful toppings, and popsicles in the shape of Girona's famous climbing bear are just some of the treats you'll find here. Expect long lines.

A polished dining spot with a garden terrace, Roig Robí ("ruby red" in Catalan, as in the color of certain wines) maintains a high level of culinary excellence, serving traditional Catalan market cuisine with original touches directed by chef Mercé Navarro. Top-value prix fixe menus of seasonal specialties are available at both lunch and dinner. 

A charming surprise nestled at the foot of the Albayzín by the Darro, this sleek contemporary space in the shadow of the Alhambra offers a selection of specialties. The diverse menu includes Spanish omelet with yellow chili, char-grilled avocado with fresh tuna, and grilled meats. There's also an extensive rice menu, including a vegetarian paella. The outermost tables on the terrace have stunning views of the Alhambra and its foothills, particularly at night. 

At the foot of the steps that lead down to the port, this iconic restaurant has a café--terrace out front that's perfect for people-watching, drinks, and tapas. Fresh seafood is a sure bet: try the local John Dory, baked, grilled, or fried with garlic—or splurge on the caldereta (€56 per person). The wine list is impressive, with local labels and rich reds from Priorat, Montsant, La Rioja, and Ribera del Duero.

On Sóller's busy central square, this friendly and informal restaurant specializes in traditional local cooking, with a nod to touristic expectations. Skip the inevitable paella, and opt instead for the sopas mallorquines, thick vegetable soups served over thin slices of bread, or the Mallorcan pork loin, stuffed with nuts and raisins. Sa Cova has great people-watching: the tram to Port de Sóller passes right in front of its outside tables. In the summer high season, service can be spotty.

An attractive wood-and-stone cider-house replica, Sagardi piles the counter with a dazzling variety of cold Basque-style pintxos served on toothpicks; even better, though, are the hot offerings from the kitchen. The restaurant in back serves Basque delicacies like codfish omelets and txuletas de buey (beef steaks) grilled over coals. The other Sagardi branch at Carrer Muntaner 70–72 is equally good. The outdoor patio gets hectic in the high season but is quite lovely if you can find an empty spot.

This ultra-trendy butcher-shop-themed restaurant spurred the revival of Calle de Ponzano as Madrid's most exciting tapas street. Feast on eye-catching, impeccably prepared market-driven dishes like carpaccio-truffle roll-ups and grilled octopus slathered in chimichurri. Should this location be packed to the gills, make a beeline for sister restaurant SDD2 tucked behind the Gran Vía thoroughfare (Calle de la Virgen de los Peligros 8).

Locals know that this nondescript salón de juegos (literally "gambling hall") slings some of the city's best potato omelets, flipped nonstop from 8 am to midnight. The basic potato-and-onion rendition, gloriously gooey in the center, will set you back just a couple euros; more deluxe versions (with crab, jamón ibérico, etc.) are a tad pricier. Minors are not allowed entry, but the staff will happily wrap food to go.

A few blocks from the Mezquita, this place is a beautiful spot for tea, with a courtyard, side rooms filled with cushions, and a shop selling Moroccan clothing. It's open daily noon–10 pm.

Nearly a secret, this quintessential Basque spot has big wooden tables and a monumental bar filled with cazuelitas (small earthenware dishes) and tapas of all kinds. It is in the center of town but tucked away downstairs.

Right on Sarrià’s main square, this popular, informal eatery serves an eclectic menu of tapas and main dishes, from cocas (Catalan-style focaccia) with Ibérico ham and brie to hummus, quesadillas, and hamburgers piled high with four cheeses, all in generous, affordable portions. Weather permitting, grab a table out on the Plaça, in full view of the village’s 10th-century church. 

This restaurant has a loyal following among locals and visitors with its stunning location—the terrace has far-reaching views over the village and to the Strait of Gibraltar (don’t miss the griffon vultures soaring the thermals above you)—and delicious food. Local produce takes center stage, and you can try Casares cheese, suckling goat, and lamb as well as locally sourced tropical fruits and fresh fish from the coast. Highlights on the menu include croquetas de pringá con infusion de hierbabuena (meat croquettes infused with mint), paletilla de chivo (leg of kid goat), and ensalada de remolacha asada y queso de oveja (baked beet salad with cheese).

"Farm to pizza" is the tagline at this urban chic pizzeria specializing in home-cured artisanal charcuteries and pizzas made in a wood-fired oven. The dough for the Neapolitan-style pizzas is made with organic hand-milled flour, and all the ingredients are fresh, organic, seasonal, and local (some are grown on-site at the restaurant).

Since opening in 2012, Barcelona’s original specialty coffee bar has been serving high-quality roasts and small bites. Floor-to-ceiling windows create an indoor-outdoor feel, regardless of where you sit. 

At this secret local hangout tucked behind Gran Vía and Mercado de los Mostenses, €12 gets you an appetizer, entrée, dessert, and drink—and a free cordial if the old-school waiters take a liking to you. The menu is a highlight reel of Spanish soul food including cocido madrileño (meat and garbanzo stew; served on Wednesdays when it's cold out), salmorejo (chilled tomato-garlic soup), sherried kidneys, Asturian fabada, and huevos rotos (lacy fried eggs and potatoes).

Hidden off an inconspicuous passage from the historic cathedral, this classic cider house dishes out all the local hits exceptionally well. From the barely warmed codfish salad to smoky lacón pork and creative takes on cachopo, every dish is better than the next. And as full as you may be come dessert, don't skip the impressive list of cheeses and sweets. 

With a front-row-view seat to the fishing port, the seafood menu may call. But at this no-frills cider house it's all about cachopo—specifically the house-made special doused in a creamy, black pepper Cabrales cheese sauce that takes the classic crispy-fried steak recipe to new heights.

Locally roasted single-origin brews and a varied brunch menu of tostas and internationally inflected eggs make this riverside café the best specialty coffee spot in town.

Creative, contemporary Menorcan cuisine is the draw in this former jewelry workshop, which has a small, leafy courtyard and a low-key cosmopolitan vibe. Start things with a local gin and choose from a monthly updated menu showcasing regional flavors with artful flair.

Some of the best tacos you can gobble down in Madrid are found, improbably, in tourist central, just off Plaza Mayor. There are also pitch-perfect classics like cochinita pibil (slow-roasted marinated pork) chalupas, huitlacoche quesadillas, and pozole (choose from three types), as well as real-deal margaritas and cajeta (caramel) crepes. Outdoor tables with heat lamps are available for those who book ahead.

This family-run restaurant has been going strong since the 1950s. Its large windows overlook the river, and its kitchen makes a mean fabada asturiana (bean-and-sausage stew). Locally caught fish and pulpo a la gallega are equally delectable, whether you choose to sit in the casual bar area or more sedate dining room.

Madrid's best modern steak house, Sua ("fire" in Basque) is dedicated to meats and wild-caught fish cooked over open flame. Occupying a stunning circular indoor courtyard, the restaurant has an ample list of Champagnes, cavas, and bold Spanish reds, fittingly luxurious sidekicks to a 40-day dry-aged sirloin from Galicia or roasted scarlet shrimp plucked from Andalusia's Atlantic coast. Desserts, particularly the cheesecake, punch above their weight.

A favorite among local winemakers and chefs, this unassuming 10-table tavern serves inventive Spanish bistronomie fare like Wagyu cecina (air-dried beef "ham"), zucchini carpaccio, and cheesecake with blueberry compote—all complemented by some 2,000 wine bottles from far and wide.

If you're looking for a shot or two to spur your climb to Montjuïc, grab a café latte or a flat white at this specialty coffee shop, which has several locations around the city. The gourmet cookies are decent, too. 

A Lavapiés landmark opened in 1786, this taberna's regulars have included realist painter Ignacio Zuloaga, countless champion bullfighters, and King Alfonso XIII. Sip on a sudsy caña in the creaky, characterful bar area along with a free tapa or two and then scram—there's much better food to be had in this barrio.