748 Best Restaurants in Spain

This warm, family-run restaurant in a stately mansion with a classically elegant interior is one of Pamplona's foremost addresses for refined cuisine. There's something for everyone on the diverse, internationally inflected menu, whose highlights include baby artichokes with langoustine tails and stewed Tolosa red beans.

The real magic of Ibiza can only be discovered when you head off the beaten track, and Es Boldado proves it. Getting here requires a bumpy ride down a dirt track off the main road that links Sant Josep de la Talaia with the beautiful beaches at Cala d'Hort, but the reward more than makes up for it. Don't expect snooty servers and white tablecloths; come for the giant plates of fresh seafood paella and mesmerizing views of the turquoise sea stretching to Es Vedrà island.

An excellent place for a lunch of typical local cuisine, this restaurant is in an old windmill at the west end of Es Mercadal, on the ME1 about halfway between Mahón and Ciutadella and roughly 4 km (2½ miles) from El Toro. Menorcan specialties include squid stuffed with anglerfish, shrimp, and chicken with centrally (spider crab). It has fortress-grade, whitewashed stone walls, low vaulted ceilings, and a cheerful bustle that pulls in locals and visitors alike. On warm summer days, arrive early to claim a table on the terrace. The sopa menorquina is excellent.

By concentrating on sophisticated execution rather than groundbreaking creativity, the family-run Etapes provides a reliably satisfying dining experience that suits a wide range of palates. Take a seat on the pleasant terrace or in the narrow, cave-like interior and enjoy elegant interpretations of classic Catalan dishes. These include an Asian-inspired take on a local favorite: roast suckling pig with hoisin sauce & daikon, mango and Mexican-style salad, and a range of rustic desserts cooked at home by the co-owners' grandmother. The set lunch is a true bargain.

This Nueva Cocina Vasca (New Basque Cuisine) favorite houses two concepts: La Despensa, with vibrant, internationally inflected raciones served beneath neon lights and Edison bulbs, and El Atelier, the sedate, white-tablecloth restaurant serving ultra-high-end seafood-centric tasting menus. Both are terrific in their own right; spring for whichever your budget will allow.

One of Pamplona's poshest restaurants, in the hotel of the same name, the Europa offers refined, Michelin-starred Navarrese cooking with reasonably priced à la carte dishes as well as excellent tasting menus. The small and bright first-floor dining room is the perfect backdrop to dishes like slow-cooked lamb and pork—and what might be the best bacalao al pil pil you'll ever taste.

One of the better grazing destinations in El Born (it's part of the Sagardi group of Basque restaurants) the bar here is topped with a colorful array of tapas and pintxos (bite-size snacks typical of the Basque country, served on a toothpick). The restaurant section (which also houses an art gallery) is usually completely booked, but it's more fun to sip and nibble in the bar anyway.

When you can't look at another plate of fish and taters without moaning—mira, it happens to the best of us in the Canaries—spring for a palate-jolting curry at Everest, whose heady dishes ranging from vindaloo to korma and jalfrezi are probably better than your neighborhood Indian joint's renditions.

Faraday is a chic little café known for its meticulously roasted beans, mathematically precise baristas, and gorgeous midcentury modern furniture. Laptops are allowed.

Crack open a can of pristine Spanish seafood—elvers, scallops, cockles, and more—at this veteran bar on Ponzano and you'll never think about tinned food the same way again.

This family-run white-tablecloth restaurant serves updated Castilian classics in an airy dining room set in a medieval stone house overlooking the old city (ask for an outdoor table when booking). Specialty dishes include Manchegan migas (fried pork and bread crumbs), ajoarriero (pounded potatoes, garlic, bacalao, and olive oil), and lamb stuffed with foie gras and pine nuts.

Sleek Scandinavian interiors and striking water-edge views over Port Vell make this contemporary seafood restaurant a hit for special occasions or romantic meals, despite its somewhat surprising location near the Maremagnum shopping mall. Cold bar options, such as oysters and sushi, precede pasta, rice dishes, and mains that favor fish fans and carnivorous types.

The cosmopolitan crowd here doesn't just come for hip vibe and stylish decor; Fismuler Barcelona re-creates its Madrid-based mothership's precise, market-based cooking and adds interesting local touches. Star dishes include a translucent, semi-cured carpaccio of gilthead bream with grapes and almonds, and a complex cheesecake that tastes more like cheese than cake and is an utterly sinful, gooey delight.

Fontao may not look like much, what with its humdrum entrance and '90s banquet–like dining room, but the kitchen delivers well-executed Aragonese dishes with welcomed Galician flare. Delightful proteins and carbs abound, but don't miss their salad offerings, like the warm escalivada (roasted over coals) with goat cheese, which are a nice relief from the meaty cuisine of the region.

This former bakery turned restaurant (forn means "bakery" or "oven" in Mallorquin) dates back to the 19th century and features exposed brick walls, patterned floor tiles, modern art, and picture-perfect Mediterranean tapas. A cocktail bar on the ground floor overlooks the street, and one of the three distinct dining areas is where bread dough was once prepared. There's a good-value three-course lunchtime fixed-price menu.

Expertly pulled espressos, natural wines, and standout food—think velvety scrambled eggs, Korean fried chicken sandwiches, and homemade cakes and pastries—have made this café on Plaza del Biombo an instant hit with locals and expats, many of whom treat the roomy communal table like a coworking space (just be considerate and order more than a coffee if you plan on staying awhile). At the time of writing, the café was gearing up to launch dinner service.

There are days when only a pizza will do and this might be the best spot in Barcelona to satisfy the craving, with a combination of wood-fired sourdough pizzas, craft beer, top-notch artisanal ingredients, and a buzzing atmosphere. The eggplant parmigiana pizza is a best-seller, as is the tiramisu for dessert.

The tostas (open-faced sandwiches) are the tapa to try here. Whether your chosen toast-topper is smoked salmon, blue cheese, baked ham, or otherwise, you can't go wrong at this down-home bar. The economical prices make Fuentefría's finger food all the more palatable.

Gallo Nero is owned by a true Tuscan who knows his stuff. The first of two locations—the other one is on La Rambla—the menu skips the typical pasta and pizza you’re used to seeing and instead, focuses on charcuterie boards and Tuscan sandwiches (called a "schiacciata").

This busy bar and sedate downstairs restaurant near Plaza de la Constitución is run by the third generation of the same family. Exquisite minimalist morsels range from white Huelva prawns al ajillo to homemade foie gras to battered kokotxak (hake cheeks) and—the cult favorite—wild mushrooms topped with an egg yolk.

Traditional Andalusian cuisine comes in generous portions (tapas and sharing plates) at this popular venue with a small terrace opposite the Basílica de Santa María. Stars on the menu include carrillada al oloroso (pork cheeks), bacalao con crema de guisantes (cod with pea puree), and arroz con leche (rice pudding). Fresh seafood, caught on the nearby Atlantic coast, also features in the daily specials.

In a quiet square just off La Rambla, you could easily pass by Gats without being lured inside, but that would be a mistake if you're looking for a casual spot for seasonal tapas. Expect to see some familiar staples, such as jamón ibérico, pa amb tomàquet, and padrón peppers, along with more unexpected flavor combinations.

Savor a rare taste of Canary Island cuisine—with quite a few twists—at this envelope-pushing, Michelin-starred restaurant helmed by Tenerife-born chef Safe Cruz. Expect foaming, smoking concoctions that incorporate traditional Canarian specialties like green mojo, Gomero goat cheese, and—of course—gofio (stone-ground corn flour).

This pocket-size bar's raison d'être is its garlicky seared-shrimp brochette topped with zippy carrot vinaigrette.

On a square next to the Bretxa farmers' market, this traditional little bar that opens at 7 am is a well-priced standby with a genial old-school staff.

On the rooftop of El Corte Inglés, Spain’s largest department store, there's a gourmet food court with some of the best views in the city. Grab some tapas and a glass of wine here after perusing the shops around Callao. The space features outposts of well-known Spanish restaurants like La Máquina (seafood) and Asador Imanol (pinxtos, or skewered snacks) as well as international options (hamburgers, Mexican, Chinese, etc.).

Weather permitting, this French-inspired oyster bar puts tables and banquettes out in the Plaça Sant Vicenç, arguably the prettiest square in Sarrià. Make your choice among 12 varieties of oysters—especially the plump sweet ones from Normandy—shucked and served fresh with rye bread and pats of French butter, as well as other more elaborate tapas dishes.