745 Best Restaurants in Spain

The crowds gathered outside this local favorite off the Alameda de Hercules may be off-putting at first, but the creative inexpensive tapas (from €5) are well worth the wait—and so is the house specialty, the Basque dessert sokoa. Try delicacies like the cigarro para Bécquer (cuttlefish in a filo pastry cigar) and yema sobre bizcocho de boletus (egg atop a mushroom sponge). Tables at the tapas bar can't be booked (a call will get you a reservation at the next-door Eslava restaurant); to help avoid a wait, visit between 12:30 and 1:30 pm or between 5 and 8 pm.

One of the eastern Costa del Sol’s foodie treats sits in a pleasant central square with its signature ruby-red feature wall. Chef Sergio González combines the best of local produce with more exotic touches to perfection: the tuna tataki comes with custard apple; and duck, local mango, and chestnuts go into the wild boar. Red tuna takes center stage on the seasonal menu, where you’ll also find fresh fish, grilled meats, and a short list of vegan choices. There’s also a good-value tasting menu (€58) and an extensive list of tapas that are a gourmet world apart from the rest of the bars in town and on a par with the best in Andalusia.

Come here for seasonal and contemporary creations from an acclaimed chef and supporter of the slow-food movement, with a prix fixe menu that may include dishes such as pollo a la cocotte con trufa (organic bluefoot chicken with truffle) and solomillo de ternera de los Pirineos con ligero escabeche de verduras y setas (filet of Pyrenean veal with marinated vegetables and mushrooms). This restaurant is one of the best of its kind in the Pyrenees and, if you hit Sort at lunchtime, it makes an excellent reason to stop. 

The sumptuous glory of this restored late-19th-century Moderniste dining room has food to match, courtesy of chef German Espinosa, who spent many years working under superstar Martín Berasategui. Catalan cuisine is interpreted with a French influence—set menus start at €40 (for lunch) and go to €151 for the full tasting menu including premium wine pairings, a relative bargain considering the presentation, the knowledgeable staff, and the historic setting. 

This legendary tavern (established 1968), which remains surprisingly calm even during San Fermín, serves some of the city's best tapas. Choose between classics like garlicky mushroom brochettes and jamón-filled croquetas, or spring for more modern creations such as seared goose liver toasts or almond-encrusted morcilla. It opens at 9 am.

If you're looking to freshen up after a long, sweaty day of sightseeing, this artisanal Italian-owned gelateria is just the ticket. In addition to a broad range of dairy-based flavors, there are plant-based options and fresh-fruit sorbets, plus gluten-free cones. The vegan dark chocolate flavor, laced with olive oil and salt is a particular favorite. Open every night until midnight.

This cheery yellow-tiled café serving Middle Eastern-inflected sandwiches and pastries is packed from breakfast to lunch, when neighborhood-dwellers show up for falafel, shakshuka, and spinach pie. At 8:30 pm, Golda morphs into "Golfa," its boozier late-night alter ego serving tapas and natural wine. 

Offering an extensive menu of “tapas & platillos,” Gourmet Sensi has been a local favorite since its opening in 2015. The bright, modern space features floor-to-ceiling windows giving you a front row seat to foot traffic along Carrer de Milans. Expect Catalan staples like padron peppers and jamón ibérico along with some creative dishes like their vegan “roasted chicken” croquettes with vegan curry mayo.

You'd be hard-pressed to find a more pleasant outdoor lunch in Bilbao than at this chic little pintxo bar with sunlit tables smack on the charming Plaza Nueva. Fried rabas (squid strips), croquetas, and locally made txistorra (smoky chorizo sausage) never come off the menu for good reason.

Presided over by a legendary Basque fishermen's guild, this central restaurant serves the freshest fish money can buy at fair prices. At simple wooden tables and a handsome mahogany bar, locals dig into local comfort food—think sopa de pescado, steamed mussels, and clams a la marinera (in a thick, garlicky sauce).

Dine on fresh seafood, grilled meats, and pasta on the tranquil, tree-shaded patio or inside the rustic-chic dining room. From here, it’s a short stroll to the secluded Aiguafreda swimming cove. It’s a great alternative in summer to Begur’s perpetually packed beachfront restaurants, and it also has five simple-but-stylish hotel rooms. 

This tony gastro bar serves newfangled tapas that are well worth their higher-than-usual price tag. Spring for the tempura soft-shell crab bao with chive mayonnaise, garlicky artichoke flatbread, or any other tapa del día, but whatever you do, order the famous tortilla de patata, irresistible with its molten core and handfuls of caramelized onions. The dulce de leche "volcano," cooled off by a scoop of banana ice cream, may be Madrid's most craveable dessert.

Tucked away behind the cathedral, this small, modern restaurant justifies Murcia's fame as tapas capital of the Southeast. Local chef Sergio Martínez takes a creative stance on local cuisine in both the bite-sized tapas (from €3), such as ham croquettes or oxtail brioche and the larger main courses. Highlights here include duck cannelloni, artichokes 'flowers', and tuna tataki with yogurt and wasabi. Try the weekday lunchtime menu (€18) for an overview of the cuisine or the tasting menu with nine dishes (€45) to sample the best.

This superb café, bakery, and pastry school has set a new standard for sweet treats in the city. The glazed cinnamon rolls are a standout, as is the to-die-for brioche filled with red berries and mascarpone, while the fresh croissant cone overflowing with soft-serve ice cream, praline, and salted caramel is a rare thing of great beauty. Stop in for breakfast or grab something to go.

One of Barcelona's most beloved bars, La Alcoba Azul offers a wide selection of tapas with a full-on immersive atmosphere. The decor reflects the Moorish influence of Andalucía mixed with the quirkiness of the original owners, so you'll get illuminated lanterns and broken birdcages hanging from the ceiling, while a years-old candle burns in a corner. In case you can't get a table here, try one of their sister restaurants a couple doors down, La Alcobita. 

Shaded by a splendid ficus that keeps the terraza cool in the midday heat, La Bodega de Santiago is worth going out of your way to visit. The traditional Canarian menu is exquisite, integrating meats and produce from the surrounding farms and complementing dishes with island wines. The rosemary-scented kid goat is memorable, as are the freshly pounded mojos and stewed garbanzos (chickpeas). Call ahead to book a patio table.

This inviting white-tablecloth taberna established in 1959 serves soul-satisfying cuisine in a cabinlike dining room decorated with taupe curtains, blond-wood chairs, and original artwork. Steak frites is the go-to here with roast turbot coming in a close second.

Also known simply as Casa de Vinos (Wine House), this place, up a pedestrian street just behind Plaza Nueva, is a must for Spanish wine lovers. The cozy interior is reminiscent of a ship's cabin, with wood paneling lining the walls along with more than 150 bottles of Spanish wines. A different wine is featured each week, and vermouth and sherries are on tap in barrels behind the counter. Choose from tapas (€3.50–€6.50) or cold meats, cheeses, and pâtés, served on 11 different types and sizes of boards (€10–€25). The house board includes three cold meats, goat cheese, and two pâtés.

This homey, sun-drenched restaurant serves honest Extremaduran fare at an excellent price. Unlike at other dining options in the area, cooks here pay special attention to presentation and ingredient quality—attributes on display in the not-too-greasy migas, wonderfully juicy Iberian pork dishes, and refreshing tomato salads.

Under the gilt-edged ceiling at Seville's most celebrated pastry outlet (founded in 1885), you can enjoy the flan-like tocino de cielo, or "heavenly bacon." For breakfast, enjoy a traditional feed of toasted bread with tomato and a strong coffee, served at a standing bar. Prices are reasonable despite its popularity.

This eatery has a rustic atmosphere with arches, wooden beams, and a fireplace for winter nights. In summer you can often enjoy live music and sometimes flamenco dancing while you dine. The chef has worked at several top restaurants, and his menu includes traditional grilled meats as well as innovative twists on classic dishes, such as Iberian ham croquettes with curry and Amontillado mayo or rodaballo con velouté de palo cortado (skate with sherry velouté). Try the sherry menú de degustación (€67): five courses, each accompanied by a different type of sherry. Both the tapas menu and the wine list are excellent.

The two exquisite tasting menus at this tranquil Michelin-star establishment offer a whirlwind tour of modern Cantabrian cooking at a good value. Request a table in the romantically lit brick wine cellar, and savor such delicacies as roast partridge with celery-root puree, griddled tiger prawns, and ultra-creamy rice pudding.

La Catapa's tapas are classic but never old hat, inventive but never pretentious. The burst-in-your-mouth croquetas and garlicky razor clams may lure the crowds, but the hidden gems are in the vegetable section: it's hard to decide between the artichoke menestra with crisped jamón (cured ham), ultra-creamy salmorejo (gazpacho's richer, more garlicky sibling), and umami-packed seared mushrooms. Be sure to ask about daily specials.

In the heart of the tourist fray but blissfully under the radar, this teensy lunch-only restaurant with an old tin bar serves all the Asturian favorites, from fabada (bean stew) to cachopo (ham-and-cheese-stuffed cutlets) to creamy rice pudding. Asturian cider is the requisite beverage.

There's no glitz, no glamour, and not even a sign outside, but the battered wooden doors of this old, family-owned tavern hide a tapas bar to be treasured. Loyal customers and hordes of tourists queue for the fresh-as-it-gets seafood, served from a furiously busy kitchen.

For pintxos that deftly toe the line between traditional and experimental, there is no better bar than this Parte Vieja cubbyhole renowned for its seared foie gras, braised veal cheeks, and garlicky razor clams a la plancha. Throw a few elbows, order a couple glasses of txakoli, and get ready for pintxo paradise.

One of the best bites in San Sebastián (and perhaps on earth) is the humble "Delicia" pintxo—anchovy, hard-boiled egg, and parsley-onion vinaigrette on a baguette slice—at this no-frills bar that's always filled with locals.

La Galana is a typical Asturian sidrería with colossal barrels lining the walls, thick wooden tables, and plenty of standing room at the bar, where locals munch on Cabrales cheese. The kitchen serves refined cider-house fare: Expect cheeses with quince jam, bubbling cauldrons of fabada, and a range of creative tapas. There is also a terrace overlooking the porticoed Plaza Mayor and a sit-down dining area beyond the bar with fancier fare including coal-fired steaks, suckling lamb, and grilled sea bass. 

There’s a Miami vibe to this bright, two-floored brunch spot, with its bold blue accents, wall murals, egg-based dishes, and park-side terrace. Details count here: from dish presentation (beautifully done) to a catchy playlist; even the take-out coffee cups have artist illustrations.  

Just off the Plaza Mayor, this upscale restaurant has a glass facade, high ceilings, butter-yellow walls, and minimalist art—a welcome relief from the dime-a-dozen Castilian mésones. Savor traditional fare with a twist, such as ibérico pork ravioli and langoustine-stuffed trotters at dinner, or spring for the €22 lunch prix fixe, an absolute steal, served Tuesday through Friday midday.