Whether you’re looking to share a meal of tapas or indulge in a mouthwatering plate of paella, Spanish food is always a great choice. NYC’s culinary scene features some of the best Spanish restaurants outside of Europe, thanks to their one-of-a-kind recipes from the Iberian Peninsula. Whether you’re looking for a spot for the next family dinner or even a date night, these mouthwatering Spanish spots will do the trick! 🇪🇸
1. Mercado Little Spain, Hudson Yards
Mercado Little Spain is a sprawling Spanish market with several restaurants located within Hudson Yards. Created by world-renown chef Jose Andres and the Adria Brothers, this impressive marketplace celebrates the best Spanish cuisine from all different regions. There are four restaurants within Mercado Little Spain; a Spanish diner serving egg dishes and other classics, a steakhouse called Lena, a seafood restaurant called Mar, and a tapas bar called La Barra. This is the perfect place to spend a day hopping around and trying different things!
Where: 10 Hudson Yards
2. Casa Mono, Gramercy
Casa Mono is a Michelin-star restaurant near Union Square offering upscale Spanish dishes and wines. The intimate restaurant features just 13 tables and 15 seats at the bar with a gorgeous mosaic tile floor and floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook Irving Plaza. Led by executive chef Andy Nusser, the menu at Casa Mono is inspired by his childhood in Cadaques, a fishing village along Spain’s Costa Brava. Dishes range from pork belly with chimichurri peas to creamy eggs with sea urchin.
Where: 52 Irving Place
3. Boqueria, Multiple Locations
Boqueria is a Spanish tapas restaurant with multiple locations in Manhattan. Designed to offer a communal eating experience, Boqueria serves small, shareable plates along with wines and craft cocktails to give diners a taste of the best Spanish cooking in New York! From croquettes to paella, visitors can experience classic Spanish dishes in the style of a traditional tapas bar in Barcelona. In addition to their standard dinner menu, they also have a regular happy hour and host frequent events and at-home cooking kits so you can master their craft right in your kitchen.
Where:
53 W 19th St – Flatiron
171 Spring St – SoHo
1460 2nd Ave – UES
260 W 40th St – Midtown
4. Ernesto’s, Lower East Side
Ernesto’s is a neighborhood eatery in the Lower East Side serving cuisine from the Basque region. The interior features modern décor and floor-to-ceiling windows that let in tons of natural light, making it a popular brunch spot. In addition to the main restaurant, they also have an adjacent café serving coffee, cocktails, wine, and assorted pastries. Their dinner menu contains unique dishes such as the Bikini Hemmingway with txistorra, queso, shrimp, and pan de cristal.
Where: 259 East Broadway
5. Huertas, East Village
Huertas is another Spanish restaurant serving Basque-inspired small plates in the East Village. They specialize in pintxos, similar to tapas but even smaller and served on a piece of bread. Their menu features delectable options like pulpo, a Galicia octopus, or jamon serrano, a 16-month Spanish ham. If you’re feeling a bit more hungry, they have larger seafood dishes like cured sardines and mackerel with oil.
Where: 107 1st Ave
6. La Nacional, Chelsea
La Nacional is a casual Spanish restaurant in the East Village serving traditional dishes and fine wine. Located right below the Spanish Benevolent Society, La National is the official cantina of the oldest Spanish cultural institution in the United States, dating back to 1868. You can expect reasonable prices and traditional plates like marisco paella and arroz con secreto iberico. They also offer original recipes with an American twist, such as manchego mac and cheese or the chorizo burger.
Where: 239 W 14th St
7. Tomino Taberna Gallega, Little Italy
Tomino Taberna Gallega is a laidback Galician-style Spanish restaurant in Little Italy that offers innovative gastronomic techniques and an impressive beverage list of wines and craft cocktails. Popular entrees include arroz caldosa con bogavante, which has lobster, monkfish, and bomba rice in a bisque broth, or chuleton de vaca viaga, a dry-aged tomahawk ribeye.
Where: 192 Grand St
8. Salinas, Chelsea
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Salinas is an award-winning Spanish restaurant in Chelsea serving food and wine from Spain’s Mediterranean coast. The cozy restaurant features modern décor with mood lighting and a glass ceiling that can be opened on warm nights for added ambiance. The menu includes both tapas and full-sized entrées, including crowd favorites like the pulpo a la sarten, a seared octopus with fingerling potatoes and Spanish olives.
Where: 136 9th Ave
9. Tía Pol, Chelsea
Tía Pol is an intimate Spanish tapas restaurant in Chelsea serving dishes from various regions of Spain, from Andalusia to Basque Country. They’re well known for their extensive wine list, which includes some of the finest bottles from all over the Iberian Peninsula. Their menu highlights include unique dishes like the crema de hígado de pollo, which is chicken liver mousse with pedro ximenez.
Where: 205 10th Ave
10. Despaña, Lower East Side
Despaña is more of a food cafe than a traditional restaurant, but we still love it nonetheless! You can shop gourmet Spanish brands in their grocery store, or check out the paella cafe and deli counter, where they serve up freshly sliced jamón, ibérico meats and cheese!
Where: 408 Broome St