276 Best Restaurants in Spain

There are a few fish and meat options on the menu but most visitors skip the animal proteins and opt for the impressive selection of plant-based foods. Delicious salads, tasty vegetarian curries, and fresh grilled vegetables are a hit with the health-conscious and the vegan desserts are even tastier than regular versions. There are three outposts in the city: the Barcelona flagship in Rambla de Catalunya, plus El Born and uptown in Carrer de Tuset.

Cool down with handmade ice cream or horchata (a sweet, tigernut-milk concoction) at this family-owned parlor that’s been serving up creamy goodness on the Rambla del Poblenou since 1912. Lines can be long, especially on hot days, but it’s worth the wait.

There's only one drawback to this lively Basque bar between Plaça del Pi and La Rambla: it's harder to squeeze into than the metro at rush hour. Skip the pintxos (small plates) on the bar and opt instead for the small bites brought out piping-hot from the kitchen. Pair them with a cold and refreshing Txakolí, the young, sparkling Basque white wine.

Hot griddled flatbreads (shao bing) filled with soy-scented beef will set you back just €2 a pop at this hole-in-the-wall specializing in this northern Chinese delicacy. Noodle and wonton soups (average price: €5) hit the spot when it's cold out.

This bright and airy restaurant is one of the best spots in the village for quick bites (tapas start at €4), pastas and pizzas, or a more substantial fish or meat dish. Spanish classics such as patatas bravas (spicy potatoes) and croquettes sit alongside bao buns and tacos. There’s a good choice of salads and a range of dishes for vegetarians. The pleasant outside terrace looks out over the main square, with refreshing shade under the palm trees.

Skip the middling tourist-packed cafés and sandwich shops on the Las Canteras boardwalk and instead grab a bite at this sunny casual storefront that serves tropical fare ranging from tacos to Cubano melts to pad Thai.

Just off Calle Puentezuelas, this authentic patio complete with original pillars serves specials such as house cod (with prawns and clams), best enjoyed with a cerdito (a "little pig" ceramic jug of sweet white wine, so named for its snout pourer). This is a busy venue, especially on weekends, and reservations aren't accepted, so arrive early (1:30 pm for lunch or 8 pm for dinner) to snag a table. You can also put your name on the list and order a tapa at the bar while you wait.

If you can find this dive (literally: it's a short drop below sidewalk level), you'll encounter a warm and cluttered space with a dozen small tables and a few spots at the marble counter. Try the excellent pa amb tomàquet and Manchego cheese, Iberian cured ham, or tortilla de patatas (potato and onion omelet).

This is one of Santiago's favorite spots for tapeo (tapas grazing) and chiquiteo (wine sampling); it's just a five-minute walk from the cathedral. The traditional bar area takes center stage, playing host to locals, pilgrims, and tourists alike, all gathering for wine, Iberian cured meats, cheeses, and seasonal dishes. It can get crowded, but this only adds to the atmosphere. The tapas live up to their reputation, and they're a better choice than the main dishes.

Its proximity to Barceloneta’s bustling Passeig Joan de Borbó makes this old-school tapas restaurant popular with tourists, but that doesn’t keep the locals away. Traditional Catalan small plates, including a delicious version of bombas—potato balls stuffed with meat, deep fried, and topped with a spicy sauce—are delivered by gruff but efficient waiters.

This popular restaurant serves huge, tasty portions of tapas and inexpensive platters such as chicken or ham croquetas, grilled cod, garlic shrimp, and revueltos de ajos con morcilla (scrambled eggs with garlic and black sausage). Within hailing distance of the Llotja, the tables in the back are always at a premium (they're cooler on summer days), but there's additional seating at the counter or on stools around upended wine barrels. The traditional tapas are nothing fancy but they are very good. A sister restaurant, La Taberna de la Bóveda (Paseo Sagrera 3), has a terrace with views of the marina.

This sunlight-flooded gastro-tavern with minimalist decor serves creatively plated dishes that taste as good as they sound (think porcini and foie fideuà or Cantonese-style Iberian pork ribs). There's a clandestine coctelería, Trilero Club, downstairs in the arcaded brick basement if you fancy a cocktail after your meal.

A block north of Plaza de la Candelaria and on one of Cádiz's narrow pedestrian streets, La Candela is a good place to try local fare with a modern twist. The tuna tartare comes with a fried egg, the chicharrones de pulpo (cold octopus) are melt-in-the-mouth tender, and several dishes come tempura-style or have Asian touches, such as the Bo Ssam pork. There's also a value tasting menu (€44; prebooking essential). Be sure to try one of the homemade desserts—the cheesecake and chocolate coulant are particularly good.

Cheese geeks unite at this pocket queso bar with enough Manchego, Idiazabal, Mahón, and other delectable national varieties to make you an armchair expert on Spanish cheeses. There's another, newer, location in Barrio Salamanca at Calle de Castelló 38.

This rustic tapas hall is the oldest of three branches of a beloved local chain, and it has barely changed since it was founded in 1906. The tapa to try here is gambas al ajillo, shrimp sautéed with garlic. Enjoy them with the house red from Toro or branch out with a vino del abuelo, a throwback off-dry red from Alicante.

Just a block from Plaza de las Flores, a 200-year-old building hides this sleek, modern wine bar, serving some of the best tapas in town. Choose from a long list of hot and cold pinchos (small snacks)—the rabo de toro en hojaldre (oxtail in pastry) and graten de bacalao (cod gratin) are perennial favorites—tostas, and miniburgers, or from the à la carte menu, where meat dishes star. The wine list has more than 300 labels (including some of Spain's best), and the friendly staff can offer advice on pairing options.

Blocks from El Retiro Park, this 34-year-old tapas spot is always teeming with locals clamoring over plates of sautéed wild mushrooms, tuna ventresca (tuna belly) and roasted pepper salad, and stewed chickpeas with langoustines. Stop in for a quick bite at the bar—they'll serve you a free tapa with every drink—or enjoy heartier choices in the homey dining room at the back.

This boisterous tavern established in 1948 has walls covered with old photos and a dining room packed with locals and tourists in equal measure. Everything from the Iberian ham to the gildas (olive-pepper-anchovy pintxos) will whet your appetite, but those who opt for a full meal shouldn't overlook the dry-aged txuleton.

Sure, you could cobble together a full meal from the menu of delectable cheeses, cured sausages, hams, and conservas (canned seafood; seek out La Pureza and Ana María brands), but La Colmada is better suited to casual, booze-fueled snacking. In love with a certain cheese or chorizo? The staff will happily sell you a goodie bag. The first thing you'll notice about this teeny seafood-centric tapas bar is its bright blue walls, a nod to the sea.

You may have to throw an elbow or two to get into this teeming bar, but it's worth braving the sardine-can digs for outstanding pintxos like mushroom-and-Idiazabal risotto and seared foie gras with Basque cider compote.

A lively corner bar with a colorful trencadís (broken up tiles)-tiled facade, this is a solid spot for a cold beer and a nosh after visiting the nearby museums. Try the matrimonio ("marriage") tapa, which weds one pickled and one cured anchovy on a slice of crusty baguette.

This justly popular restaurant is housed in an 1860s building that also incorporates an 11th-century Moorish well. Time may have stood still with the setting, but the cuisine reflects a modern twist on traditional dishes, including seafood mains like bacalao con cebolla, miel y pasas con crujiente de espinacas (cod with onion, honey, and raisins) or rabo de novillo con almendras (oxtail stew with almonds). Desserts such as the milhojas de manzana (apple mille-feuille) are also good, and the wine and gin lists are among the best in the city. The restaurant is fronted by a popular terrace and tapas bar (first tapa free) that is generally filled with a boisterous business crowd.

Owned by a former professional cyclist and decorated with an abundance of bike memorabilia, this inviting café serves healthy, organic breakfasts and lunches—avocado toast, egg dishes, quinoa bowls—along with superb coffee roasted at the founder's other enterprise, Espresso Mafia. It's a popular fuel-up stop for local cyclists.

Delicious artisanal breads and pastries are baked fresh every day at this eco-certified patisserie, with different breads available on different days. The croissants, especially the almond and the seeded vegan, are considered among the best in town.

The name of this boisterous bar refers to the flutelike baguettes used for sandwiches but there's also a seemingly infinite number of tapas and small portions of everything from wild mushrooms in season to wild asparagus or xipirones (baby cuttlefish). Although the food is fresh and flavorsome, service can be brusque—perhaps a result of the sheer number of customers—and you may feel pressure to eat quickly when the queue outside is particularly long. A second branch—the original but perhaps not as good—is at Carrer Balmes 171.

Not too far from the Giralda, this family-run restaurant has been making a name for itself with fresh fish dishes for more than two decades. The owners hail from Sanlúcar de Barrameda downriver, and the ingredients come from their hometown and always include swordfish, sea bass, and anchovies. House specials are the sopa de galeras (garlic soup with shrimp), alcachofas con gulas (artichokes with eels), and stuffed squid. There's also a daily stew dish, usually fish-based. Eat inside at the slightly prim tables in one of the dining rooms, outside on the more informal but tiny street terrace, or perch at the bar for a tapa or two (from €3.50).

Join the locals leaning on wine-barrel tables to watch soccer and snack on Galician cheeses and spicy chorizo, which hangs from ceiling racks above the bar.

Tucked away in the casco antiguo, this small venue with upstairs and downstairs dining offers a taste of Córdoba tapas and Montilla wine in Marbella. There is a good choice of tapas (from €4) and sharing plates, including homemade croquettes, cold cuts, fried fish (the squid is particularly good), and the house pisto (ratatouille) served with a fried egg or pork.

Channeling that Ibiza-boho vibe, La Paloma feels like a refuge for artists and hippies, nestled amid the shady overhang of orange and lemon trees. By day, the eclectic café menu features crunchy salads and Middle Eastern– and North African–inspired dishes; by night, it's all about homemade pasta (the chef is Italian, and many ingredients come directly from Italy). There are also organic wines and refreshing juices. If traveling with children, the knobbly trees and picturesque surroundings are ideal territory for them to go off and play. In winter, dine inside by the fire.