155 Best Restaurants in Spain

Perched high in the hills above Fuengirola, this is one of the best fish restaurants on the Costa del Sol. Holder of regular and green Michelin stars, chef Diego Gallegos champions sustainable and healthy cuisine, and his on-site aquaponics facility raises most of the fish and vegetables used here. As a result, 90% of the ingredients are ‘homegrown’ with the remainder sourced locally. Freshwater fish such as trout and sturgeon take pride of place on the tasting menu (four aperitifs plus nine dishes), where you’ll also find organic caviar and smoked fish. 

This is a strong contender for the crown of Barcelona’s best bistro, where chef Toni Romero turns out Catalan tapas and dishes that have roots in rustic classics but reach high modern standards of execution. The name is a twist on the Catalan sucar lent (to dip slowly), and excellent bread is duly provided to soak up the sauces, which you won't want to let go to waste.

Figurines of the Virgin Mary and other religious paraphernalia line the walls of this eclectic tavern with low ceilings and a cozy, countrified feel. Hand-cut jamón (ham) and runny-in-the-center tortillas make wonderful appetizers; save room for the conejo en salmorejo (roast rabbit in paprika-garlic sauce) and homemade desserts.

A perennial local favorite, this rustic spot has been roasting lamb in wood ovens since 1877 and serves a hearty menestra de verduras (vegetables stewed with bits of ham) that is justly revered as a mandatory sidekick. With rough hand-hewn wooden tables distributed around dark stone and wood-beam dining rooms, the medieval stagecoach-inn environment matches the traditional roasts.

Tondeluna has six communal tables (with 10 seats each), and all have views into the kitchen, where cooks plate dishes novel and familiar like glazed beef cheeks with apple puree and Getaria-style hake with melty panadera (thinly sliced and roasted) potatoes.

Triciclo serves inventive Spanish-style bistronomie—think tuna-avocado tostas and oxtail canelones with wild mushroom sauce. Raciones (sharing dishes), in one-third portions as well as half and full ones, are ideal for creating your own tasting menu whether at the bar or in the dining room.

The brainchild of two Venetian brothers, this Italian spot specializes in the cuisine of the Veneto region with exquisitely prepared dishes that lean heavily toward seafood and pasta.

This traditional sagardotegi 7 km (4 miles) south of San Sebastián is where top chefs like Juan Mari Arzak and Martín Berasategui like to ring in cider season with a resounding ¡txotx! ("cheers" in Basque). Off the tourist track, Zelaia invites guests into its barrel-lined warehouses to chow down on an à la carte menu of bacalao-centric dishes, thick-cut steaks, and—for dessert—local cheeses with quince preserves and walnuts (vegetarian options are available).

Enjoy fabulous views of yachts sailing out into the glittering Mediterranean while dining on market-fresh seafood, quality steaks, and in-season specials, much of which is prepared on the wood-fired grill. This stylish restaurant is perched atop a renovated warehouse that now houses the Museum of the History of Catalonia.

Alberca's two-story stone dining room boasts a comfortable minimalist design and a fire-focused menu. Most dishes get some time on the grill, even the local goat cheese with ash and apple. The oxtail croquettes are truly exceptional as well, whether you find them in the tasting menu or order a-la-carte. And the grilled, smoky take on the torrija, a rich Spanish-style French toast, is beyond memorable.

Stone arches dating from the 14th-century frame the tables at this atmospheric restaurant in the historical Part Alta (Old Town). The cooking is smart and modern, with a focus on seasonal, local ingredients, like the turbot served with romesco sauce, clams, and beans from Santa Pau.

The sagardotegi experience is a must in the Basque Country, but if you can't swing a trip to one of the huge cider houses in the countryside, Arriaga is a fine urban stand-in. Expect unlimited sidra al txotx (cider drawn straight from the barrel), sausage stewed in apple cider, codfish omelets, txuleta de buey, and Idiazabal cheese with quince preserves. Reserving a table is a good idea, especially on weekends.

At this adventurous restaurant just off the main street, the chef prepares both Spanish classics, like white shrimp from Huelva and slow-roasted local lamb and goat, as well as innovative dishes like tartar de atún rojo con ajo blanco de kimchi (red tuna with garlic soup) and ensalada de helado de Olavidia (salad with award-winning local cheese). There are also plenty of roast meats. 

With a wood-paneled dining room awash with antiques, this family operation is a longtime local favorite for top-quality fish and meats cooked over coals. In the open kitchen, wild lubina (sea bass), rodaballo (turbot), and other regional delicacies from land and sea cook to crackly perfection.

Roast goat or lamb cooked over a raised fireplace in the corner of the dining room is why this place is a fine refuge in chilly weather. The revuelto de setas (a scrambled egg dish with a variety of other ingredients) is a classic highland specialty, while the salads are varied and refreshing, especially after a morning or afternoon of skiing, hiking, or climbing. The mixed grill is a house favorite, and the opportunity to try whatever game—venison, wild boar, or partridge—is on the menu should not be missed.

The narrow stone rooms of a defunct banana warehouse are now one of the finest spots for modern Basque dining. There's an affordable weekend tasting menu that hinges on what's in season, though dishes like seared txuleton and hake in white wine sauce with clams never come off the menu for a reason.

Just above Diagonal, this elegant retro space serves first-rate products ranging from wild sea bass to the best Ibérico hams. Crowded, noisy, chaotic, delicious—it's everything a great tapas bar or restaurant should be. The wine selections and range of dishes proposed on the chalkboard behind the bar are creative and traditional and the service is superb. The menu changes with the seasons, but staples include the solomillo with seasonal mushrooms (or foie gras when mushrooms aren't in season) and the utterly decadent lobster with egg and brandy. Don't let the friendly and casual feel of the place lull you into thinking that la cuenta (the check) will be anything but sobering. Entrepanes Diaz, directly opposite, is a spin-off that serves more humble (and more sensibly priced) snacks and sandwiches in a similarly elegant style.

In an enormous, riverboat-like building at the end of the yacht marina in Barceloneta, this seafood restaurant is geared for high-volume business, but the paellas and grilled fish are reliably excellent. The hundreds of fellow diners make the place feel like a cheerful celebration.

Decorated with an ornate barometer to gauge the famously unpredictable local weather, this family-run seafood spot is in a 19th-century building on the harbor. In addition to an inexpensive menú del día (prix fixe), there's outstanding seafood à la carte including fried calamares (squid) and uni-stuffed asparagus. If there were ever a place to splurge on bogavante, large-claw lobster, it's here. For dessert, the fig ice cream is delicious.

A solid bet on a street packed with middling tourist eateries, this seafood restaurant has polished wood floors and a bustling terrace. The caldo gallego, santiaguiños (slipper lobsters), arroz con bogavante (rice with lobster), and seafood empanadas are superb—as any of the university-faculty regulars will tell you.

Eleven km (7 miles) south of Mundaka and 1 km (½ mile) northwest of Gernika, you'll find this restaurant in an idyllic 18th-century caserío, or traditional Basque farmhouse. Garlands of red peppers and garlic hang from wooden beams in the cathedral-like dining area, where loyal guests tuck into hearty yet refined fish and meats cooked over a wood-fire grill.

This three-floor design triumph by Spain's hottest interior decorator, Lázaro Rosa Violán, makes up for in sheer panache what it lacks in consistency. Don't plan on a quick visit: the fresh seafood and rice dishes on offer here can take a while to reach your table. Abandoning the post-Modernisme minimalism that has dominated Barcelona for the last decades, Boca Grande is a baroque celebration of colonial and safari-chic, from the second floor bar, Boca Chica, with its enormous elephant tusks behind the counter, to the spectacular unisex restrooms downstairs. You'll want to linger for a postprandial cocktail on the roof terrace.

This stylish restaurant, just around the corner from the Teatre-Museu Dalí, focuses on seasonal Empordà ingredients from the Pyrenees and the Mediterranean. Look for classic Catalan fare like prawn and cuttlefish fideuá alongside more modern dishes such as tuna tataki with black garlic.

The paintings on wine-barrel ends that decorate this classic restaurant have given it the nickname "Museo Redondo" (Round Museum). The building dates back to the 16th century when it was a wine cellar, apparent in the heavy wooden beams overhead and the rough, rustic tables. With meaty culinary specialties from La Rioja and fresh seafood from the Bay of Biscay, there is plenty to choose from. The menu changes daily and seasonally, but the fish of the day is a sure bet.

Hiding in the basement of a timber building in the heart of the Parte Vieja, this restaurant—where world-renowned chef Martín Berasategui cut his teeth—toes the line between traditional and contemporary Basque cuisine. A recent menu included slow-roasted piquillo peppers, tiny de lágrima peas topped with a poached egg and shaved black trufffles, and brûléed torrijas (Spanish "French" toast).

In the leafy garden of the Can Bordoy boutique hotel, Botànic is a plant-forward restaurant that also features locally sourced meat and fish. The menu is inspired by Southeast Asian, the Middle Eastern, and Mexican cuisines but firmly rooted in Mediterranean flavors.

On an island known for its excellent paellas, fresh fish, and seafood, Ca Na Marga is famed for its top-quality steak, served with a choice of sauce, including green peppercorn or Mahón cheese sauce. Balearic specialties such as lamb shank with thyme and grilled rabbit are also good bets.

Can Majó doesn't consistently reach the standards that once made it famous, but the food is still a notch above most of the touristy haunts nearby. Specialties include caldero de bogavante (a cross between paella and lobster bouillabaisse) and suquet (fish stewed in its own juices), and the terrace overlooking Barceloneta beach is a pleasantly upscale alternative to the surrounding beach bars.

With no sea views or terrace to attract diners, Can Solé has to rely on its reputation as one of Barceloneta’s best options for seafood. Faded photos of half-forgotten local celebrities line the walls of this more-than-120-year-old establishment, but there's nothing out-of-date about the exquisitely fresh seafood.