206 Best Restaurants in Spain

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.

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.

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.

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.  

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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 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).

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.

This rollicking wood-paneled dining room serves surprisingly sublime seafood, cooked a la plancha (on the griddle), al horno (in the oven), or folded into a variety of rice dishes. The beer is fresh and cold, and the house wines, largely from Upper Aragón's envelope-pushing Somontano D.O., are big and bold—and dangerously economical.

When Enrico Bosco arrived in Madrid from Italy in the early '90s, he couldn't find a decent Italian restaurant, so he decided to open one. Always bustling and frequented by families and young couples, this trattoria seems like a direct transplant from Naples with its superb fresh pastas, pizzas, and focaccias. 

Those in the know come here for typical Canarian food, especially the local dayboat fish. The best tables are outside on the pedestrian street, a couple of blocks behind the port, but the interior’s cheap and cheerful wooden tables and fishing nets are nearly as charming. There’s a good-value prix fixe, and fish comes grilled with a side of papas arrugadas.

This newly relocated restaurant with minimalist interiors and white tablecloths serves elevated Riojan specialties like cochinillo asado (roast suckling pig) and pimentón-laced potatoes a la riojana (potato and chorizo stew). La Brasa de Laurel (at Calle Laurel, 16) is run by the same team and centers on high-end grilled meats and fish.

This restaurant is slightly off the beaten track but well worth seeking out for traditional Jerez cuisine in a pleasant lively setting. Choose tapas in the bar or à la carte in the spacious and airy dining rooms. The menu comes with a long list of fresh fish and seafood dishes, but specials are local stews. Try the berza jerezana or papas con choco (potatoes with cuttlefish), the ultimate lunchtime comfort food. Always leave room for the tocino de cielo (homemade custard ).

You'd be hard-pressed to find a more romantic restaurant than this snug wine bar with a rotating menu of a dozen or so dishes and eclectic Spanish wines. Antique wooden tables are tucked among bookshelves and wine cabinets, and fresh flowers grace the entryway and wait stations. Dishes that never come off the menu include medallions of house-cured salmon with a pickle vinaigrette and a swoon-worthy hand-chopped steak tartare.

Of the many restaurants that dot the Barcelona seafront, this is one of the better mid-range options. Seafood is the focus here—raw, grilled, or fried—and there’s also an extensive menu of paellas and fideuàs, any of which are best enjoyed on the breezy terrace, overlooking Bogatell Beach and the Mediterranean.

Ask the locals which beachfront chiringuito they prefer and El Yate will probably be the answer. Run and owned by an affable cordobés family, the menu holds few surprises, but the seafood is freshly caught, and meat and vegetables are top quality. Have the classic Córdoba salmorejo (thick, garlicky gazpacho, topped with diced egg and ham) as a starter. Then you may be tempted by the barbecued sardines; or choose a freshly grilled fish like dorada (sea bream) or lubina (sea bass), or a more substantial paella. The back terrace with its sea and sand views fills up fast, but the dining room is pleasant too, given its large and light picture windows. Service is friendly and fast, although little or no English is spoken. Desserts are the usual limited choice of crème caramel, rice pudding, and the like, but they're locally made.

You may wonder why bland-looking Cisne Azul is crowded with locals in this style-obsessed neighborhood. The reason is simple: wild mushrooms. In Spain there are more than 2,000 different species, and here you can sample the best from the province of León, grilled with a bit of olive oil, and served perhaps with a fried egg yolk, scallops, or foie gras. Elbow up to the bar and order the popular mezcla de setas (mushroom sampler).

Away from town and surrounded by trees in what used to be a mountain cabin, this family-oriented restaurant is coveted by madrileños, who come here to enjoy the terrace in summer and the cozy bar area with a fireplace in winter. It has a good selection of fish and rice dishes, but the meats and seasonal plates are what draw the large following. Take Paseo Juan de Borbón, which surrounds the monastery, exit through the arches and pass the casita del infante (Prince's Quarters) on your way up to the Monte Abantos, or get a cab at the taxi station on Calle Floridablanca.

Following the successful transformation of the Mercado de San Miguel, near the Plaza Mayor, the city completely refurbished this old neighborhood market into a more cosmopolitan enclave. Above the traditional market, join madrileños for booze and international food—think sushi, Greek, Italian—and tapas (seafood options are particularly noteworthy). On the third level is a casual restaurant, La Cocina de San Antón, and a large terrace, perfect for indulging in a cold daiquiri or a caipirinha on a hot summer night.