Spanish restaurants in Europe
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A
Barrafina
They may not be as reasonably priced as you'd get in Spain, but the quality of the tapas served here is excellent.
reviewed
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B
Restaurante Momo
Momo is a Chueca beacon of reasonably priced home-cooking for a casual but stylish crowd. It’s got an artsy vibe and is ideal for those who want a hearty meal without too much elaboration. The menú del día (fixed-price three-course meal) is one of Madrid’s bargains and the famous chocolate moco (snot) is the tastiest of dessert dishes despite its worrying name.
reviewed
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C
El Parador
This laid-back Spanish place has a generous selection of tapas - try the empanadillas de espinacas y queso (spinach and cheese dish) - from all over Spain. There's a walled garden for when the sun's out and you're feeling moderately Mediterranean; the reasonably priced rioja (from around £17) should help.
reviewed
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D
Bar Gansa
Bar Gansa is a focal point of the Camden scene, has a late licence and is howlingly popular. The menus – mostly tapas (averaging £3) – are good value. Bigger specialities include traditional favourites such as Paella Valenciana. There’s live flamenco on Monday evening.
reviewed
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E
Les Caves St-Gilles
This Spanish wine bar a short distance northeast of place des Vosges is the most authentic place on the Right Bank for tapas, paella (at the weekend only; €19) and sangria (€28 for 1.4cL). If you’re unsure, just ask the Spanish expats who arrive here in droves.
reviewed
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F
Casa Marcelo
Eating is an occasion at this mod-rustic gourmet dining den just down the hill from Praza do Obradoiro. A different five-course creative feast is prepared daily, with specialties like cockles with mango and pepper, and with the kitchen in full view.
reviewed
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G
El Patio San Eloy
Patches of old tiling remain at the always-busy Patio San Eloy, where you can sit on the tiled steps at the back and feast on a fine array of burguillos (small filled rolls).
reviewed
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H
La Casa del Ángel
An extraordinary restaurant filled with the owners' considerable art collection. The cuisine is equally sumptuous: a combination of Andalucian, Arab and international tastes.
reviewed
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I
Fernandez & Wells
A wonderful Soho mini-chain, this is one of the three branches of Fernandez & Wells, each located within 200m of each other in small, friendly and elegant spaces. This branch offers simple lunches and dinners of Spanish jamon (ham) and cured meats and cheese platters accompanied by quality wine. Grilled chorizo sandwiches are perfect for quick lunchtime bites and there are ample breakfasts, too (until 11am). The place is usually busy, with a relaxed atmosphere and outside seating. The other two branches are the Café and the Espresso Bar – both do sandwiches and incredibly good coffee.
reviewed
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J
Jockey
Fine Spanish cooking, with the occasional nod to international sophistication, and celebrities and royalty dotted around the dining room (Prince Felipe, heir to the Spanish throne, and Letizia Ortiz chose the Jockey chefs for their wedding banquet in May 2004) make for a top-quality dining experience. The menu is more traditionally European than most in this price range, although there are some innovative flourishes. Otherwise, it’s along the lines of Persian caviar, snails and soufflés. If we could choose one dish, it would probably be lobster ragout with truffles and fresh pasta. Men must wear a tie and a jacket.
reviewed
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K
José Luis
Welcome to Madrid! Long established in the Spanish capital, the Barcelona branch occupies a privileged spot. It is said this place introduced the montadito (delicious little canapés) to Barcelona. Pick and choose from these and a long list of pinchos and raciones, including the all-time Madrid favourite, callos (tripe). Otherwise you could sit down in the elliptical basement for a classy meal served by brisk waiters in black jackets and bow ties. Mains of fish and meat come in at about €20. You can also opt for morning bocadillos at the bar.
reviewed
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L
Sua
Sua is the height of softly lit sophistication and cooking that provides a new slant on nouvelle cuisine. Dishes are organised around four temperatures – 25°C, 50°C, 75°C and -2°C (desserts) – and it draws its inspiration from the Basque Country, Spain’s hothouse for culinary innovation. The service is faultless and adept at helping you negotiate your way through the menu, but we suggest the €36 menú de degustación (tasting menu) , which gradually increases the temperature.
reviewed
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M
Moro
The best-known restaurant in Clerkenwell and still a frequent award winner a decade after it launched, Moro serves ‘Moorish’ cuisine, a fusion of Spanish, Portuguese and North African flavours. The restaurant doesn’t look like anything special, though it’s always full and buzzing, but the food is generally fabulous with such dishes on its constantly evolving menu as wood-roasted mackerel with sweet onion-and-oloroso sauce, and charcoal-grilled lamb with deep-fried aubergine. Reservations are essential.
reviewed
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N
Salvador
This old Hemingway favourite is typical of many Madrid classics – walking past, you wouldn’t give it a second look. Since 1941, locals have been coming to the ‘Saviour’ for lashings of hearty Madrid cooking, and among them are plenty of bullfighting aficionados and toreros (bullfighters, or matadors), especially during the Fiestas de San Isidro Labrador. Ordering a plate of rabo de toro is a way to win friends, while the remainder is simple, no-nonsense fare.
reviewed
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O
Sense Pressa
Tiny tables for two await in this split-level basement eatery. It serves up exquisitely prepared Spanish dishes, with a wide range of meat and fish options, depending on the season and chef’s whim. You might start with mini-carxofes saltejades amb pernil (sautéed mini-artichokes with ham) and follow with the fetge d’oca al vi d’Oporto (goose liver in port). Splurge on a suquet de llamantiol amb mongetes grosses (lobster and bean stew).
reviewed
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P
Alba Granados
In summer ask for one of the romantic tables for two on the 1st-floor balcony. Overlooking the trees, it is a unique spot, with little traffic. Inside, the ground- and 1st-floor dining areas are huge, featuring exposed brick and dark parquet. The menu offers a little of everything but the best dishes revolve around meat, such as solomillo a la mantequilla de trufa con tarrina de patata y beicon (sirloin in truffle butter, potato and bacon terrine).
reviewed
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Q
Casa Alfonso
In business since 1934, Casa Alfonso is perfect for a morning coffee or a tapas stop at the long marble bar. Timber panelled and festooned with old photos, posters and swinging hams, it attracts a faithful local clientele at all hours for its flautas (thin custom-made baguettes with your choice of filling), hams, cheeses, hot dishes and homemade desserts. Consider rounding off with an alfonsito (a miniature Irish coffee).
reviewed
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R
Bodega Marqués
Calamari specialities, Gambas (shrimps) and over 30 different tapas imported from Spain help make Bodega Marqués an excellent Mediterranean choice in the Innere Stadt. Throw in 120 varieties of wine, vaulted ceilings and subdued lighting and you’ve got the makings of a romantic atmosphere. Friday and Saturday nights are the exception, when live flamenco music is featured. Steaks and mixed tapas as mains cost €16.50 to €35.
reviewed
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S
Mesón Los Barriles
Avoid the chain-gang restaurants that now dominate the newly ‘regenerated’ (read sterile and corporate-friendly) Spitalfields market and stick to the old school with this long-established family restaurant. While the fresh fish here is great, the real draw is the excellent selection of tapas (£3.50 to £11.95). Sawdust on the floor and air-dried hams overhead add to the rustic market feel of the place.
reviewed
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T
Mesón Serranito
Specialising in the serranito, a Spanish gastronomic institution consisting of a slice of toasted bread heaped with a pork fillet, roasted pepper, a nice bit of jamón and garlic, this place is tops for trying this simple but scrumptious bite. It’s also has tasty bull’s tail on the menu to go with the less tasty bulls’ heads hanging on the wall – next to pictures of the final few seconds of their lives.
reviewed
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U
Fino
Critically acclaimed (and it’s easy to see why), Fino represents an example of good Spanish cuisine in a London all too dominated by dreary and uninventive tapas bars. Set in a glamorous basement, Fino is a tapas restaurant with a difference. Try the Jerusalem artichoke cooked with mint, the prawn tortilla with wild garlic or the foie gras with chilli jam for a feast of innovative and delightful Spanish cooking.
reviewed
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V
Puerta 57
There are many reasons to recommend this place, but the greatest novelty lies in its location – inside the home stadium of Real Madrid; its Salón Madrid (one of a number of dining rooms) looks out over the playing field. Needless to say, you’ll need to book a long time in advance for a meal during a game. The cuisine is traditional Spanish with an emphasis on seafood and it gets rave reviews.
reviewed
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W
El Centro
Bright colours, chunky wooden furniture and Spanish-speaking staff lend an authentic air to this classic tapas bar. Here you can nibble on snackettes of chorizo, calamari and gambas pil-pil (prawns in garlic) over a bottle of Rioja, or splash out on a full meal of steak, grilled chicken or paella (1100Kč for two) washed down with a jug of sangria. (We can recommend the vegetarian paella, too.)
reviewed
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X
Fogón St-Julien
Enter Espãna : Fogón St-Julien the best Spanish restaurant in Paris, many say. Indeed, its menu tours Spain with a feast of a menu tapas (€45) but goes well beyond tapas, too, with excellent paellas (vegetable, rabbit, chicken, seafood; €18) and other tasty mains like arroz negro rice blackened with squid ink & laced with shrimps & cuttlefish).
reviewed
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Y
Don Fernando’s
The Izquierdo family have been serving superb cuisine from their native Andalucía for nigh on 20 years now, and their enthusiasm shows no signs of waning. With an exhaustive list of tapas (£5 to £8), Spanish beers, wines and culinary specialities, including (unusually) some vegetarian options along with cheerful service, this makes a great place for a good lunch or a slow supper.
reviewed
