206 Best Restaurants in Spain

This must be one of the world's most unusual restaurants. Here, in the heart of Timanfaya National Park, chicken, steaks, and spicy sausages are cooked over a volcanic crater using the earth's natural heat. Be forewarned: the food is nowhere near as epic as the environs, and on chilly days, you might be served cold meat as all barbecue dishes are cooked outdoors, but it's still a worthwhile bucket-list dining experience. El Diablo is situated inside the park beyond the ticket booth, which means you can't eat here without purchasing entry into the park.

This well-priced restaurant, with tablecloths and fresh flowers on every table, serves attractively presented international fare: you'll find steak frites made with Extremaduran beef, but there are also dishes like teriyaki-glazed duck and tuna carpaccio with avocado—played-out gastronomical relics from the aughts that we begrudgingly admit to missing.

Painting and photographic exhibits line the walls of this large and lively Born restaurant, and the menu is dominated by meat cooked over coals, pizzas, and salads. Flamenco and jazz performances downstairs are a good post-dinner diversion.

On the main shopping street, this restaurant is a convenient place to eat after sightseeing, especially since the kitchen is open from 8 am to 11 pm. Try to snag a table on the terrace that overflows onto the leafy pedestrian street (the interior dining room is comparatively drab). The salads, particularly the ensalada de bacalao confitado con pimientos asados (slow-cooked cod with roasted peppers), are appetizing and generous.

Part of Poblenou’s Sala Beckett cultural center, this restaurant’s vast, high-ceilinged dining room fills up with locals at lunchtime, thanks to its excellent, well-priced "menu del día" of classic Catalan dishes. Reserve a table for the popular Sunday-afternoon vermouth hour, featuring live jazz between noon and 1 pm.

Chef Nuria de la Torre's menu combines local staples with unusual partners. The lasagna has a venison base, asparagus pairs with smoked sardines, and Iberian pork steak comes with piquant Canary Island mojo picón sauce. The short but sweet dessert menu includes pineapple infused with ginger and cured goat’s cheesecake, plus a daily special. LP vinyls serve as placemats, the menu sits tucked inside Asterix albums, and corks line the walls checkered with cookbooks and Granada memorabilia. Book ahead for a guaranteed table.

In this graceful, rustic building in the upper part of town, the dining rooms are lined with historic photographs of Torla during the 19th and 20th centuries, and in late fall, civets of deer, boar, and mountain goat are the order of the day. In summer, lighter fare and hearty mountain soups restore hikers between treks. The black-marble-and-stone floor and the cadiera—a traditional open fireplace room with an overhead smoke vent—are extraordinary original elements of Pyrenean architecture.

With the sights of the Judería on the doorstep, this is a good central spot for a quick bite in a typical Córdoba patio setting that's particularly pretty at night. Tapas and sharing plates make up the menu, where star turns come from the magret de pato (duck breast) and bacalao al carbón (chargrilled cod).

This Andalusian taberna evokes the raucous energy and down-home cuisine of that sunny region. Start with pescaíto frito, a mix of seafood that's lightly fried and served with lemon halves, before moving on to more substantial dishes like the peeled tomato salad topped with oil-cured tuna belly (easily one of the best salads in town) and whole roasted fish and braised meats. There are three other locations nearby at Avenida de Camilo José Cela 11, Calle de Don Ramón de la Cruz 101, and Calle del Doctor Gómez Ulla 6.

"The Four Cats" was founded in 1897 by a quartet of Moderniste artists—the bohemians of their day—whose work still graces the walls, and the building, Casa Martí (1896), by Moderniste master Josep Puig i Cadafalch with sculptural detail by Eusebi Arnau, is a treat in itself. The restaurant in back offers a range of traditional Catalan dishes, but the cooking is uninspired and overpriced so stick to the front room café, where you can linger over a drink, order some of the simpler offerings like pa de coca (thin country flatbreads with tomato and olive oil), cheese, cured ham, or pebrots de Padrón (fried green peppers), and enjoy a bit of local cultural history.

An embat is a puff of wind in Catalan, and this little bistro is a breath of fresh air in the sometimes stuffy right side of Eixample. The relatively affordable market cuisine is always impeccably fresh and freshly conceived, from the accessibly priced three-course lunch selection to the more elaborate evening menu. Star dishes include duck cannelloni with truffle béchamel. The dining room is minimally decorated in white and pine to reflect the modern but unfussy fare.

With pan-Mediterranean cuisine and reasonable prices, this attractive bistro 100 yards west of the Rambla is perennially popular. The inexpensive lunch menu attracts in-the-know locals, and à la carte choices like scallops with pea foam are tempting and economical. Traditional marble tabletops, graceful lighting, and one country kitchen table for six or eight diners in the dining room add to the appeal.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The vegan and vegetarian options in Barcelona have improved remarkably in recent years, led by the likes of The Green Spot, with its extensive menu of flavor-packed plant-based dishes designed to please nonmeat-eaters and carnivores alike. The dining room's pale oak paneling elegantly frames an open kitchen and airy dining room.

This family-friendly restaurant off the tourist track serves a wide range of classic, lovingly prepared dishes ranging from creamy squid croquetas to griddled European lobster. The best value is the €18 weekday menú del día (prix fixe), which can be made vegetarian upon request.

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.

In a dining room oozing rustic charm (think green tablecloths, beamed ceilings, and squat wine glasses), feast on rich fall-off-the-bone goat stew made with local meat, or opt for the catch of the day, served with salad and papas arrugadas.

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.

This rustic dining room in Gràcia, a spin-off from the original in Les Corts, is a great spot to savor some of Barcelona's finest paellas and rice dishes. What's more, they can be ordered as individual helpings (as opposed to that standard minimum-two-person serving)—meaning you don't have to eat the same dish as your companion. Fish, seafood, and grilled meats round out a complete menu prepared with loving care and using top ingredients. The midday set lunches offer outstanding value. The other branches at Carrer de Bordeus 35 in Les Corts and at Carrer de Muntaner 6 in Sant Antoni are just as good—the former makes a fine pre- or postmatch option if you're going to an FC Barcelona game at the Camp Nou.

Traditional Spanish cuisine gets a modern twist at this family-run venue on the boulevard that circles the harbor. Inside is cheap and cheerful while the outside terrace sits under palms. Staples on the menu include oxtail cannelloni with pear-infused béchamel sauce, octopus Galician style (with paprika), and what locals consider to be the best cheesecake in town. The lunch prix fixe is an excellent value (€16 for aperitif and three courses). Whatever you choose, start with the chef’s own vermouth.

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.

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.

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.