723 Best Restaurants in Spain

Just a few minutes' walk from the Plaza de las Tendillas and opposite the lovely San Miguel Church, this popular tapas spot—also known as the Casa el Pisto (Ratatouille House)—was established in 1880. You can choose to squeeze in at the bar and dine on tapas (from €4) or spread out a little more on the patio decked with ceramics and bullfighting memorabilia, where half and full portions are served. Legendary toreador Manolete is particularly revered here. The menu is one long list of typical local dishes, so expect to find oxtail, salmorejo, flamenquín (bacon-wrapped pork loin that's breaded and fried), and, of course, pisto (ratatouille), plus the daily special stew.

Steps away from the parador, this innovative kitchen artfully prepares Galician fare with both Basque touches and global fusion. You can order à la carte, but the tasting menus are affordable for the area (€60) and abundant.

Botero's old-school storefront draws diners into its cozy but lively tapas bar, with a solid cocktail program and global takes on the traditional, like crispy pig ear tacos with ginger and pickles. The upstairs dining room offers an extended menu and larger dishes, along with two seasonal tasting menus.  

A firm favorite with locals who flock here for the value cuisine, Taberna Gaspar offers a long list of traditional seasonal dishes on a handwritten menu. Portions come hearty, so go for sharing plates, or ask for the dish of the day (weekdays only) if you're less hungry. Sit outside on the shady terrace or inside under lofty ceilings and next to eclectic antiques such as matador outfits, telephones, and glass siphons. Service is friendly and efficient even when every table is packed to capacity. 

This cozy restaurant offers an excellent selection of fish and meat dishes. It's renowned for its Almadraba tuna (traditionally hand-lined and caught in Zahara de los Atunes on the Cádiz coast) cooked any which way and always delicious. Particular highlights are the tataki and cured tuna on toast. Other must-tries include the seaweed croquettes with an oloroso sherry sauce, squid burgers with a miso sauce, and the black pudding and pine nut samosas. There’s also an excellent range of rice dishes including the house special, risotto de ortiguillas (sea anemone). Sit inside in the cozy dining room under the signature tuna lamps or outside on the pleasant shady terrace. 

Slightly off the beaten tourist trail and with a lively local vibe, this tavern-style venue specializes in traditional local cuisine such as salmorejo and oxtail, but you'll also find creative touches on the menu in the form of tuna marinated in ginger and flamenquin with a chocolate sauce. Most dishes are available as tapas and half or full plates, and all can be paired with local wines and house beer. Expect a warm welcome from the owners and their staff.

Located one block from the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, this small bar has the best position on the leafy square and a pleasant outside terrace. Despite the tiny kitchen, the menu stretches long and includes glazed artichokes, red tuna tartare, and Iberian pork cuts.

What's that fire-truck-red stew on every table in this tiny neighborhood tavern? Callos a la madrileña, Madrid-style tripe flavored with industrial quantities of garlic and smoky Extremaduran paprika. Other San Mamés standbys include fried bacalao (salt cod), truffled eggs and potatoes, and steak tartare. Book ahead or show up early (by 9 pm) to snag a table.

The city's traditional smoky pork and pea stew, carcamusas, is a serious showstopper at this no-frills joint. Amongst the fried and boiled pig parts, also don't miss the calentitos—these perfectly fried mushrooms are served on crispy toast and slathered in a garlicky salsa verde. 

This upscale restaurant by one of the region's most promising chefs serves elevated Galician cuisine in a bright, modern dining room with exposed stone walls. Menus feature a plethora of hyperlocal ingredients that have "first and last names," as the chef likes to say: Cambados oysters, Fisterra razor clams, Cachena beef, etc.

Specializing in San Sebastián's favorite dishes, this Basque restaurant has only one drawback: a table is hard to score unless you call well in advance. A good backup plan, though, is the tapas served at the first-come, first-served bar.

Where cool meets fantastic gastronomy, Taller Sa Peña by Ibiza Food Studio is an intimate restaurant in the heart of Eivissa Town, neatly hidden through small alleys and winding roads. Often described as magical, the experience menu consists of typical Ibizan flavors, like Terraviva Chicken, which are remixed with modern touches any traveler would enjoy. The natural wine pairings are equally memorable and highly recommended. Take a few hours and commit to an authentic Spanish experience away from the often touristy frills.

Named for the classic bottle stopper (tap) made of cork (suro), this wine store–cum-gastrobar is the perfect place to unwind over local cheeses, duck and goose liver, and other delicacies. Expect a varied and affordable tapas menu and an ever-rotating wine selection with labels from Spain and France.

The tapas emporium of celebrity chef Carles Abellán shows us how much he admires traditional Catalan and Spanish bar food, from patatas bravas to croquetes de pollastre rostit (roast chicken croquettes), although the star dish is the truffled "bikini," or ham and cheese toastie. The counter and terrace are constantly crowded and the service can be iffy at times, but the food is worth elbowing your way through the crowd for.

This ample and lively bar flanked by ancient stone and exposed redbrick walls is a good spot for tapas and beer as well as Albariños and Ribeiros.

Floor-to-ceiling windows, an intimate corner bar, and throwback tapas keep this "tasca moderna" packed with neighborhood dwellers night after night. Particularly addictive are the gildas (anchovy skewers) and marineras murcianas, loopy crackers topped with potato salad and draped with an anchovy.

Opposite the Iberostar Grand Mencey, this tiny no-frills bar serves simple Canarian cuisine—think grilled sardines and tomato-avocado salads—in abundant portions at reasonable prices. The dining room has a beamed ceiling, low wooden stools, and barrels for tables—perfect for a quick bite but perhaps not ideal for lingering.

The area's beloved tapas chain is friendly, fun, and always busy with customers helping themselves to some 40 mouthwatering types of pinchos (dainty bar-side tapas ranging from mini hamburgers to fried king prawns to sautéed mushrooms). You can also have larger portions in the sit-down dining area. The shop next door, Pirineu Gourmet, is owned by the same family and sells local delicacies such as freshly prepared pâté and foie gras, caviar, ciders, and honey.

Just below the cathedral square is one of the island's best bars for beer and tapas. In a casual dining room with high ceilings and wooden chairs, chow down on unusual tapas like nachos with eggplant and ginger sauce and spinach-and-walnut croquettes. There are indoor and outdoor tables and usually live music on Thursday.

This "gin bar" helped start the Spanish gin-tónic craze of the late 1980s, and though perhaps less avant-garde than it once was, the quality of food and drinks is consistently fantastic. Grab a cocktail at one of the wooden high-tops in the bar area, or sit down for a soup-to-nuts dinner in the classy dining room at the back—just remember to book a table weeks in advance (especially on weekends). The menu is long and eclectic with Asturian standouts such as fried rice with zamburiñas (queen scallops), roasted octopus, and verdinas (buttery green beans) with quail.

Perched on the hillside on the way up to Benalmádena-Pueblo, next to the small municipal golf course and with panoramic views of the coast, this restaurant is a favorite with locals for lunch in winter and dinner in summer. The glass-box-on-stilts exterior gives way to a modern interior, where wooden beams and steel pipes crisscross the ceiling. Start with a classic ensaladilla rusa (potato salad), and follow with spicy pimentos with shrimp or the house oxtail stew. Most dishes come in half or full portions, ideal for sharing. Closing time is 9 pm, so late dinners are not an option.

Perhaps the only restaurant in Poble Sec to pull off “cool,” Tiberi is fashionable in just about every sense, from the fresh flowers and candle-lit interiors to its all-natural wine, often served in jugs. What stops it from becoming too cool is the unpretentious food, much of which demands messy fingers and oil-dribbled chins, such as toasted sandwiches and toothpick-skewers of olives, anchovies and cheese (called gildas).

Underneath the arches just off Puerta Real, this modern bar and restaurant has a reputation for being one of Granada's chicest venues. It's known for fresh seafood, including oysters and red shrimp, though generous portions of chargrilled steaks, steak tartare, and fresh foie gras are a hit with carnivores. The cocktail list is extensive.

Come to this sprawling, noisy restaurant for the experience rather than the food, which is fine but not spectacular. There's no menu—waiters circle the restaurant carrying various dishes (tapas and main courses) and you choose whatever looks good. The bill is totaled up according to the number and size of the plates on the table at the end of the meal. On the El Palo seafront, Tintero specializes in catch-of-the-day seafood, such as boquerones (fresh anchovies), sepia (cuttlefish), and the all-time familiar classic, gambas (grilled prawns). Be warned that it's packed on weekends with expats and boisterous Spanish families. 

A few steps from the Plaza de la Reina, this cozy spot blends the concept of a tapas bar with that of an Italian wine bar, with dishes like oxtail cannelloni, eggplant “meatballs,” and classic lasagna served small plates-style. There’s a fantastic list of Valencian, Spanish, and Italian wines, with many available by the glass.

The originator of Madrid's third-wave coffee revolution, Toma—with two other locations in Chamberí (Toma Café Olavide and Proper Sound)—is a favorite among expats and local coffee geeks. After satisfying your cold brew, flat white, or pour-over cravings in the newly renovated digs, indulge in any of the delicious open-face tostas. Natural wine is also available. 

A bright and airy venue offering traditional Spanish staples—croquettes and patatas bravas—as well more modern takes on quick bites. Try the pulled-pork bao with honey nuts and hoisin sauce or the torta de boquerones y anchoas (anchovy toast). There's also a good selection of salads and mains, where grilled octopus with paprika and tenderloin pork with sweet wine and raisins are star dishes.

This buzzy Latin--Spanish fusion restaurant in Gros is the brainchild of Andoni Luis Aduriz of two-Michelin-star Mugaritz. A breath of fresh air on the local dining scene serving colorful cocktails and saucy dishes to the backdrop of Cuban jazz, Topa prides itself on making everything from scratch, from its nixtamalized tortillas to its "thousand-day" mole (originally a gift of Enrique Olvera of Pujol).

Chef Gonzalo Jurado combines tradition and evolution (trad + evo) at this coastal-inspired outpost of his restaurant trio, renowned for fresh fish and seafood, sourced daily from nearby Cádiz ports. Choose your catch of the day from the display in glass cabinets at the entrance—price is by weight, so ask the waiter to let you know in advance what you’ll pay—or go à la carte. The menu changes often, but favorite staples include prawn taco, marinated sardines, and fried eggplant. Eat inside among fish-themed decor or outside on the giant terrace and watch life on the bustling square.

Tragaluz means "skylight" (the sliding roof opens to the stars in good weather), and this is a solid choice if you're a design lover. The Mediterranean cuisine is traditional yet light and will please most palates, and it's a popular lunch spot. The entrance from the street is through a Japanese tavern that rides the currently cresting wave of sushi cravings in Catalonia. The main dining room upstairs is reached via the kitchen, and the top floor is an informal space for coffee or an after-dinner drink.