206 Best Restaurants in Spain

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.

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. 

Set in the pine-clad foothills of Sierra Blanca with panoramic views of the Mediterranean, this “secret oasis in Marbella” offers Andalusian-French fusion cooking, with innovative dishes created by award-winning chefs (and brothers) Jacques and Matthieu Lagarde. Their maxim is sustainable local produce—they have their own garden and orchard, and forage in the nearby woods—and all dishes showcase the seasonal food calendar. Don’t miss the charcuterie of the day (the Lagardes make and cure their own), the butternut with Mexican red pipian or the fresh fish dishes. You’ll also find perhaps the only mashed potato with horseradish in southern Spain. Good-value tasting (€85) and lunchtime (€32) menus are available. The outside terrace enjoys a fresh breeze and sea views, while inside is rustic with an open fire for cooler days. La Cascada also has a pop-up, Le Patio, with quick bites and live music on July and August evenings. 

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.

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.

Standards like Ibérico ham and patatas bravas are on offer at this snug tapas bar, but it’s the rotating selection of seasonal small plates that really make it worth a visit. There’s no menu; a chalkboard brought to your table lists the main ingredient—cod, pork rib, sweetbreads, for example—and friendly servers will explain the daily preparation for each.

This no-frills bar draws the hungry hordes with its worth-the-hype "burnt" Basque-style cheesecake that originated the viral trend. The silky, oozy dessert pairs perfectly with a cup of coffee, while, on the savory side, homey croquetas, bacalao-stuffed peppers, and veal meatballs sing alongside a glass of Rioja.

This beautifully restored, historic wine bar doesn't get much tourist traffic but the focus on local produce and outstanding service means that the cozy patio stays busy from lunchtime on. Don't miss the veal cheek macaroni or the anchovies marinated in sherry vinegar.

This laid-back Andalusian barroom embodies the joyful spirit of that sunny region. Let the cheerful waitstaff guide you through the extensive menu, which includes specialties from Cádiz such as fried seafood, unconventional croquetas (flecked with garlicky shrimp, for instance), and heftier shareables like creamy oxtail rice and seared Barbate tuna loin. The ensaladilla rusa (tuna-and-potato salad) is one of Madrid's best. In summer, outdoor seating is in high demand.

There's no need for complicated sauces here—the superfresh grilled fish and seafood speaks for itself, simply drizzled with olive oil or served with a lemon slice. The diminutive dining space is equally unadorned, with plain white walls and bright, somewhat industrial-style lighting; an illuminated panel above the bar lists what’s available that day, which might include razor clams, octopus, sardines, and the restaurant’s namesake fish. A same-concept sibling, Lluritu 2, is a 10-minute walk away.

Sandwiched between the Museo Picasso and Fundación Picasso is one of Málaga's largest wine collections (there are more than 600 on the list). The two historic mansions that make up this restaurant include an original patio and 17th-century stone wine vats; you can sit on barstools in the beamed tapas section, where the walls are lined with dozens of wine bottles, or dine on the airy patio, which is covered with stained glass. Each of the creative dishes here can be paired with its own wine if you wish: crujiente de ternera (crispy beef) with fino sherry, for instance, and black cod with purple potato and coconut sauce arrive with white Málaga wine. Wine and olive-oil tasting sessions, led by the owner, are available on request.

Consistently delicious, shockingly affordable, and unapologetically old-school, Pentxo is the sort of restaurant bilbaínos like to keep to themselves. Whether you pop in for a pintxo at the bar (the flash-fried antxoas rellenas, or stuffed anchovies, are a must) or for breakfast or for a €22 prix-fixe lunch (with standout seafood), you'll leave wishing you could be a regular.

Expertly grilled fish and fried seafood lure crowds night after night to this open-air restaurant steps from the beach. Let the chatty waitstaff talk you through the extensive, well-priced menu, which runs the gamut from morena frita (crisp-fried eel) to alfonsino (a delectable red-skinned fish) to escaldón, a hearty gofio (toasted grain) porridge made with fish stock and topped with mojo.

León is a cold, windy town for much of the year, so it's no surprise that the local version of cocido (boiled dinner) is heartier than usual with mounds of green cabbage, spoonable blood sausage, and some 10 types of meat (chorizo, beef shanks, pork belly, and chicken, to name a few). Sample the city's best rendition at this spartan yet inviting downstairs restaurant outside the historic center—and be sure to bring an appetite.

Tucked away in a working-class neighborhood on the outskirts of Zaragoza, Will and Margaret is an unassuming eatery worth a stop on your way in or out of town. The Ecuadorian family running this jewel delights neighborhood lunch goers, students, and families alike with a menu that blends traditional Spanish fare with global influences and subtle nods to South American flavors. Dishes are crafted from fresh ingredients, artfully plated, with genial service. The three-course menu changes daily, featuring plates like turkey stewed with peaches and black pepper, or monkfish tail with shrimp, peanuts, and cilantro. 

Hidden in the lush, hilly countryside southwest of Tolosa—and many miles off the tourist track—is this idyllic agroturismo comprised of a restaurant and five-room bed-and-breakfast housed in a traditional caserío (Basque farmhouse) perched on a hilltop. After snapping a few pics of the jaw-dropping views, tuck into a soul-satisfying Basque feast of roast local chicken, stewed game meats, or fresh fish.

Plan on a siesta after dining at this phenomenal down-home restaurant that hasn't changed a lick since opening a half-century ago. Whether you're in the boisterous downstairs bar or cozy upstairs dining room with cloth napkins and popcorn walls, you'll be blown away by Sylkar's lovingly prepared specialties including creamy ham croquettes, braised squid in ink sauce, battered hake, and the best tortilla española in Madrid for those in the runnier-the-better camp. If the torrijas (custardy Spanish "French" toast) aren't sold out by the time you order dessert, don't miss them.

The old-fashioned azulejo (glazed tile) walls, painted red facade, and squat wooden barstools might fool you into thinking this newcomer is any old tavern, but behind the swinging door, cooks are busy plating novel takes on tapas that you didn't know needed improving. Take the crispy pig ear, doused in the usual spicy brava sauce—it gets an unorthodox hit of freshness from tarragon-packed mojo verde. Then there are the stuffed mussels called tigres, amped up with defiantly non-Spanish amounts of chiles, and a bounty of seasonal tapas that always impress.

At this wood-beamed barroom, dine on comfort-food tapas and mains like battered zucchini, meatballs bobbing in tomato sauce, fried eggs with sausage, and juicy steaks. Stay late for a supremely made gin and tonic. 

In this softly lighted dining room furnished with rustic tables and colorful ceramics, feast on top-of-the-line cured cecina (Leonese air-dried cured beef), roasted peppers, and chorizo. Grilled sea bream is a treat for seafood lovers; a refreshing lemon cream is a treat for just about everyone.

Hit Agua's beachfront terrace on warm summer nights and sunny winter days, or just catch rays inside through immense windows; either way you'll have a prime spot for people-watching and fresh seafood-eating. Expect good-if-not-spectacular fare and hit-or-miss service at this popular tourist favorite. Reserve in advance for a coveted seat on the terrace.

Alquemy in the cuisine and cocktails comes into its own at this funky venue at the heart of the city center. The restaurant has a laboratory vibe, with nods to pop art and the Simpsons, while waiters wear lab coats and appetizers come in test tubes. Stars on the menu combining local produce with traditional recipes include the Peruvian sandwich, ensaladilla de gambas rojas (red shrimp salad) and croquetas de Carmela Morales (with 90% Iberian ham). Live DJ sessions on Friday and Saturday evenings.

A mano means "by hand" in Spanish, and lest this experimental white-walled tapas and wine bar come across as pretentious, there's an entire section of the menu devoted to finger food. Whet your appetite with one-bite wonders like fried eggplant drizzled with honey and garlicky salmorejo (a cold tomato soup), then settle in for heftier plates like stewed oxtail, which basically melts on fork impact.

Tucked behind the Picasso Museum, Araboka has a well-deserved reputation as an excellent gastro bar serving Mediterranean dishes made from local produce. Inside, the restaurant is contemporary with low lighting and plant motifs on the walls, and outside there’s a pleasant terrace. Sharing plates is encouraged, and the maître d' offers good advice on wine pairing from the extensive list.

Tucked away in a quiet street off the Rambla, this cozy, rustic-chic Italian spot specializes in "cicchetti," which are sort of like Venetian tapas, so you can taste a number of things. There’s plenty of wine, too; after all, "bacaro" means "wine bar" in Venetian. 

Prawn ravioli with vermouth-cream sauce, tuna-pickled pepper toasts, scallops with truffled mash—these are some of the classics you'll find on the menu at Antonio, a packed neighborhood standby that serves inventive pintxos at fair prices. Ask about seasonal specials.

The unassuming interiors of this Casco Viejo standby belie a sophisticated kitchen that has won numerous awards for its knockout pintxos including txangurro gratinado (crab gratin), gildas (olive-anchovy-pepper brochettes), and rabbit ravioli. Order and pay at the bar, then carry your nibbles outside to the first-come, first-served patio.

Rub shoulders with small-town Riojanos as you tuck into a bowl of caparrones, a local stew made with Riojan red beans, sausage, and fatback. The house wine is an acceptable and inexpensive Uruñuela "cosechero" (young wine of the year) from the Najerilla Valley. Families will appreciate the children's play area and Saturday activities.