The Most Scrumptious Spanish in New York

El Rey II Restaurant

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (156) • $$

"My wife and I have eaten here for many years now.Best grilled salmon and skirt steak we have eaten and not over priced the owners and staff are very friendly always attentive of customers need. We want to especially thank Donna who is our regular server she goes above and beyond not only for us but to all the customers she serves. And she also makes the best apple martini."

La Isla Cuchifritos

★★★★☆ 3.9 (90) • $

"Super cheap for a plate full of food! Excellent place to fill up after a long day of work or to prep for a long day of work. I ordered the steak and peppers with rice and beans all for only $9.75. It was enough for myself and my girlfriend, and we had leftovers(of rice...) The crowd and neighborhood is a bit sketchy but that's the enjoyment of it, you never know who is going to walk in the restaurant."

Jose Luis Mediterranean Cuisine

★★★★★ 4.8 (253)

"This spot is amazing, and I can't believe I just tried it! I've passed by it so many times. The paella is a must--it's one of the best I've ever had. The chicken was perfectly seasoned, tender, and surprisingly juicy for a chicken breast. They also have great half-off tapa deals and $5 drink specials. Plus, the owner is super sweet! I definitely need to come back to try more dishes, and I'll be ordering the paella again for sure!"

Tomiño Taberna Gallega

★★★★☆ 4.4 (495) • $$$

"Loved the food and the environment at Tomiño. The service was very attentive and friendly.Really recommend getting the the perfectly cooked Pulpo or octopus tapas and the Squid Ink Rice! We finished with the assorted sorbet. Please try the yogurt sorbet, it's so refreshing and creamy!I'll definitely be back again to try other items on the menu!"

87 Ludlow

★★★★☆ 4.4 (17)

"They are located just off of Delaney St on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. The cuisine come from Spain-Filipino inspiration. The staff is very friendly and I never seem to have an empty glass of water because they fill it so quickly. Walking in the entrance it seems deceiving thinking that this place is small. But as you walk through, you can tell that there are plenty of seats/tables. I would recommend smaller groups of parties to eat in as the seating is very intimate.I was taken away by the food. This was the first time I tried Isaw and it was amazing. The Uni Palabok was definitely interesting to see on the menu so we had to try it. It was very surprising how well uni and palabok came together. The pork belly was very juicy and flavorful. The adobo rice that came with it was very good as well. The Pulpo Romesco can seem like it's a small portion, but when cut up nicely it fed the 2 of us well. Of course, we also had to try the Oyster Sisig. Like everything else, it was very good. The only thing I miss when it comes to sisig was crispy-ness. But being Oyster, I can understand how there wasn't much crispy in the entree.Definitely would recommend this place. Very nice place to introduce your pallet into the finer side of Filipino Cuisine."

Spanish Diner at Mercado Little Spain

★★★★☆ 3.5 (333) • $$

"Started off great with some beautiful aged manchego. On a cold day a nice cup of tea felt like a must buy. I always appreciate when it's served in a personal tea pot. Our waitress was very kind and went over whatever questions we had about the menu, but once the meals were served it was challenging to get her attention. The place was a bit understaffed for Sunday brunch. I'd probably enjoy this more at a less busy time. The huevos fritos con pisto manchego was a great meal for $13. There was a sweetness in the tomatoes that can't be matched. I'd recommend getting this and the manchego. Also ask what a Spanish omelet is before ordering, you may be surprised, as my friend was. This is a perfect place to go if you are seeing a show at The Shed or shopping at Hudson Yards. I'm looking forward to seeing what's next for Mercado post renovations."

George's Spanish and American Restaurant

★★★☆☆ 2.8 (42) • $

"CUCHIFRITOS !!The food here is excellent. I usually get the same thing whenever I am here. I order rice and beans with chicharron (fried pork skin), plantains, and a couple of papas rellenas (fried potato balls stuffed with meat). When you order papas rellenas, make sure to ask for their garlic sauce. It's just heavenly when you eat them together.The only downside about coming here are their prices. It's a pretty ghetto area and for a platter with papas rellenas, it comes out to roughly 16 bucks. But still, the food is really amazing for what you pay for. Parking isn't too difficult and the J, M, and G train are all nearby.Verdict - If you're looking for Puerto Rican food in Williamsburg, this is your spot! You could order through their street window or inside of their restaurant. There is another Cuchifritos restaurant across the street but it's not as good. Make sure you come to George's. They won't disappoint!"

La Barra - Mercado Little Spain

★★★★☆ 3.5 (126)

"This place was a vibe! I loved it and wasn't too packed. Definitely Spanish food, not americanized which makes it authentic. The portions are small aka tapas. My favorite was probably the octopus and pollo croquettes. Least liked was pork meatballs. You have to save room for the cheesecake. It's on the fluffier side than dense. I still enjoyed it. Wish it was lunch instead so I'd pair it with a nice coffee. Walk around and enjoy the different stores/food they have! I want to go back already!! Minus a star because my mom didn't enjoy it as much"

Nai

★★★★☆ 4.3 • $$$

"One of the best tasting menu experiences I have ever had! Every dish was on point - loved the Cod, the scallops, the dry aged ribeye sando. The host was amazing, brought us delicious wines from Spain that paired so well with the food. Will highly recommend!"

Despaña Fine Foods & Tapas Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.4 (622) • $$

"I recently stopped by Despaña for a quick weekday lunch and was pleasantly surprised by the authentic Spanish experience they offer. The cafe is a true gem, doubling as a gourmet Spanish marketplace stocked with premium foods straight from Spain. The moment you step inside, you feel transported to the Iberian Peninsula.I ordered the Picante Sandwich, and it did not disappoint. The sandwich was packed with flavor, with just the right amount of kick. The bread was fresh and perfectly crusty, and the meats were incredibly delicious, clearly of high quality. It's evident that Despaña takes pride in sourcing the finest ingredients.Whether you're grabbing a quick bite or looking to explore authentic Spanish products, Despaña Cafe is a must-visit. I can't wait to return and try more of their menu!"

Salinas

★★★★☆ 4 • $$$$

"What a hidden gem! Except maybe it was just hidden to me? I've walked by Salinas a million times, but I never thought twice about its unassuming exterior and simple neon blue sign. We wandered in on a rainy Thursday evening, because my bf was craving patatas bravas and Tia Pol was full, and we were taken aback by how large and cute this restaurant was! It was very busy, but we were able to be seated by the bar and then graciously upgraded to a table in the front room when a reservation didn't show up. The bar room was a little noisy, with a live dj, but we looooved the front room, with a quieter ambiance, comfy booths, and a lovely library vibe with the fireplace and bookshelves. Here's what we ordered:- Berenjena: Japanese eggplant with toasted pistachios and pistachio-anchovy aioli. The aioli was delicious but this was probably my least favorite dish. It was still good, but didn't stand out as much as the others. The pistachios were a little too crumby for me. - Bravas Marinas: patatas bravas with a twist! And the twist is caviar so they can justify charging $22 for potatoes. This was a solid dish, with well-cooked potatoes that fulfilled my bf's cravings. However, we both agreed that while the caviar was good at first, the fishy taste doesn't fit that well with the traditional flavor of patatas bravas. Good, but wouldn't order again. - Pulpo con cenizas: get this!!!!! This was probably my favorite dish we got. Well cooked octopus over a bed of black beans and... seaweed? When we were eating, I actually thought it was pasta. Anyways, I loved this dish. - Steak skewer special: I forgot the actual name of the dish because it was on the specials menu, but this was great! Generous portion of meat between three skewers over a bed of flavorful and crispy chickpeas, topped with a bright chimichurri. Delish! - Rossejat rapida: this dish took quite a while to come out, and we were joking that we hoped they forgot it because we were really full by this point, but I'm so glad we got this! First of all, the presentation was beautiful. I've never seen pasta like this, but I actually loved the short spaghetti shape - it was so easy to eat. It doesn't taste like Italian pasta at all, but I loved how unique this dish was, infused with saffron and with little chunks of chicken breast, fava beans, and salty chunks of chorizo. Reminded me a little of paella but with spaghetti instead of rice. I'd probably prefer the flavors of Italian pasta, but this dish is worth trying! I don't love paella so I was happy to try this Spanish pasta. Very happy with our meal at Salinas! If you want delish, elevated tapas in a romantic setting, I'd highly recommend. Spanish tapas is definitely not one of my favorite types of food, but I was thoroughly impressed and I would come again to try the cauliflower, arroz vasca, croquettes, and basque cheesecake."

Casa Dani

★★★★☆ 3.8 (104)

"Wonderful meal, food and service all around! I was initially not overly excited about this spot however after trying many of their dishes, I am a believer! We came with a large group of 7, it was disappointed as the table they gave us was a long table with 3 to fit 7 persons, basically should be 6 person however when I mentioned to our waiter, he quickly spoke with the host and was able to attached an additional table to our end which made the space more flexible. Otherwise it would be cramped. We ordered many dishes, tapas, whole fish and the paella. Every single dish had amazing flavors and oh my god, the branzino was the best! I was worried as the branzino was 2+ pounds and usually with this size fish, the meat gets hard however they cooked it in black salt and the meat was so tender and sweet! Some of the tapas that were amazing- Calamari frito Croquetas Octopus Broccolini Fluke crudoAnd Tuna! Tuna belly and the tuna carpaccio! Both were amazing. Our party loved the tuna belly more, super fresh with a side of avocado Jamon iberico Also got the Caesar salad which is made table side! We also got the marisco paella, which honestly was the only dish our group did not rave about. It was dry, and barely had any seafood. For a dish that is over $70, it really was skimpy with the seafood. I do not recommend the paella. Overall, the service was excellent and all of the dishes were fantastic, minus the paella."

Debajo

★★★★☆ 4.4 (97)

"The place is nice and comfortable. It has a modern look. The service is ok. The staff know the food and they are attentive. The food is "ok". Perhaps I am picky because I know Spanish food. I know some of the dishes are just canned even though they could actually make them by themselves (as they do in most spanish bars). I thought the chistos would actually be the sausage, but it's more like little hotdogs! The best dishes: the octopus is good (I wonder if they buy the octopus raw and cook there - I didn't ask). The patatas bravas were good. The shrimp were good. The cauliflower was tasty but it was not really a Spanish dish. I've stayed away from Spanish food in NYC so I can't compare but it is inferior to at least most bars in Spain."

Manchego

★★★★☆ 3.9 (181) • $$

"We had anniversary dinner here and it was amazing. We love the quiet atmosphere and good food. Our drinks was so good too! It was the best Peach Mojito I've had. The staff were so friendly and nice. Would love to come back again."

La Nacional

★★★★☆ 4.3 (212) • $$

"Made a reservation for five for 7pm, we got there late and they were really cool about it despite us adding an additional seat. They accommodated us nicely and didn't make a big deal. I appreciated that. The server was nice and informative about the paella and the history of the restaurant. The food is overall delicious, I recommend the paella marisco, the shrimp and calamari are so good. The sangria was also pleasant but in my opinion a little too much ice/water. My fav dessert is the chocolate lava cake with the vanilla ice cream, so delicious! Too small though. If you do try any small plate then go for the pan tomaca with ham! I've had it with and without, but the ham is an extra $5. Overall, I came here twice and left bloated twice. Super filling!"

Boqueria Flatiron

★★★★☆ 4 • $$$

"I clearly remember recommending tapas for dinner and then getting shot down by the group. Little did I know we ended up at Boqueria Flatiron for tapas. Some of the best tapas available in the city, too!The patatas bravas and the fries were the best dishes for the night.Octopus was way too chewy. Service was incredible with a slight hiccup caused by a nearby table saying our group was too loud.Inkind recommendations win over King of Yelp recommendations this one time."

El Pingüino

★★★★★ 4.5 (45)

"Love love love this restaurant!Such a cute moody bar in Greenpoint. As a long time Alameda fan, I was super excited to try the new concept. We came for the Claud pop up and sampled some amazing food, my favorite being the butter poached shrimp... unbelievable.If you're in the hood or not, definitely worth a stop in to try some delicious food at a new neighborhood staple!"

Alta

★★★★☆ 3.9 • $$$

"Google maps says PERMANENTLY CLOSED. I take them at their word. I should call but I won't."

Le Basque

★★★★☆ 4.3 (26)

"My wife and I visited Le Basque for Valentine's Day and it's pure magic! The ambience, staff, cocktails, and (especially) the food totally blew us away. We tried the pate, sunchokes, chicken paella, and the flank steak. Wow! Everything here is vegan, beautifully plated, fresh, and wonderful. Le Basque is one of the very best restaurants in all of Manhattan :)"

Socarrat Paella Bar - Chelsea

★★★★☆ 3.8 • $$$

"We celebrated my sister's birthday at this venue. The staff was friendly and made sure we were well taken care of. We had a fantastic time. The portion sizes are generous; contrary to some reviews, I didn't find it expensive. We finished every dish, even when we were already full. My only recommendation is to include sitting for people who may have difficulty using high chairs inside the venue."

El Born

★★★★☆ 4.3 (465) • $$

"This place was amazing! We ordered a pitcher of sangria which for a party of 2 was about 4 glasses each. The iberico ham and picos were fresh and crunchy, the pica pica felt healthy and light, and the patatas bravas was rich and creamy! They were some of the best appetizers I have ever had. The braised oxtail was very solid (very rich in bechamel sauce) and the grilled octopus was rich in all the infused herbs and spices. The only knock I would give in this experience is the many mosquitoes if you sit patio, but there isn't much that can be done, and they try combating it with repellant candles. This was a great experience and can't wait to come back here."

Boqueria W40th

★★★★☆ 4.1 (839) • $$$

"I had a phenomenal dinner out on my own at Boqueria while staying at the AC Hotel. Tapas for one isn't always a fulfilling adventure but I sat at the bar, and Manny the bartender took great care of me. I started off with the Pineapple Express (mezcal, aperol, pineapple, blood orange and ginger). It was the right amount of sweet and spicy. Manny then offered up some great food suggestions and I loved the Pintxos Morunos (lamb skewers with an exquisite salsa verde) and the Ensalada Vasca (market lettuce, spring herbs, and creamy garlic dressing), which sounds simple but had complex and well-balanced flavor. I finished up with the Churros Clásicos with Nutella. Everything was perfect from the food, ambiance, music, and service! Would happily return!"

Boqueria

★★★★☆ 4.2 • $$$

"The flavors in the lamb skewers were impeccable. It was so tender and juicy. I wasn't even hungry since I just had ramen from a place close by. I came here for drinks and left stuffed. My red sangria was light so I switched to the rose sangria which has rose wine, tequila and grapefruit. I would choose this over the red."

New Apollo II

★★★★☆ 3.6 (82) • $$

"Places like New Apolo are few and far in between. This place is unlike any other, serving up incredible cocktails and no frills Chinese/Spanish cuisine. The service leaves nothing to be desired, both food and drink orders come out of the kitchen within minutes. Weekends can get a little hectic so plan ahead and get in before the rush. For drinks, some of the best are Miami Vice, Blue Hawaiian and Ninja Turtle. Definitely recommend the slushy drinks over blended or on the rocks. For food, you can't go wrong with the orange chicken and their crackling chicken is excellent. The overall vibe of this place is incredible, truly unmatched. I love New Apolo."

EZ Paella & Tapas

★★★★★ 4.5 (185) • $$

"I got a pulsd deal to come here and after seeing the many good reviews I couldn't wait. We made reservations and glad we did since this place is on the small side and it was packed. We got to try the empanadas, garlic shrimp, seafood paella and churros. I was shocked but how amazing the food was. Everything was flavorful and the portions are very generous. Now the paella was super tasty but not Spaniard original. I can't wait to come back and taste their other dishes."

Casa Mono

★★★★☆ 3.8 • $$$

"This cozy Spanish tapas restaurant in the East Village has a good assortment of small plates and Iberian wines. Atmosphere is lively, i.e., loud, but romantic (dark!). We had a party of 6*, and my Spanish co-worker ordered ~20+ small plates which were enjoyed by all. *The only ding is that their max capacity per table is 6 and they would not add an extra seat for our 7th co-worker, so the poor guy had to eat at the bar by himself."

New Apolo

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (202) • $$

"Late night stop at New Apollo was a great choice. Phillip was our server, and made sure everything went smoothly. We ordered BBQ Spare Ribs and margaritas and had no complaints. The drinks were strong and delicious. Would recommend"

Bonao Bar & Grill

★★★★☆ 3.5 (99) • $$$

"This place a has a nice dark ambiance. They have ample TVs. They provide hookah which is why we came here. It did last a pretty long time. The empanadas were flavorful. The bacon burger I'll give it a 7/10. It was slightly over cooked than what I wanted it to be. The Henny colada was strong but it needed some stirring, all the liquor was at the bottom. The music was mostly Latin music but a little rap and Dancehall was played.What we weren't told was after 8 it's cash only even we came little after that time. On the receipt they charged us a 3 percent card fee but how can you if we can't use a card. Our waitress said it's something new and that it was ok the door. I forgot to double check. I feel like it should be written ok their website and on their menu as well. Now imagine 6 people getting up to withdraw to pay. Eventually we were able to pay cash but we had to remind her to take out that fee. I also came here because the night before my cousin came and said their sushi was good and guess what that was only for weekends. So disappointed.I would come back to try the sushi and for hookah!!!"

Sazon Nunez

★★★★☆ 3.7 (42) • $

"I came through with some friends recently and was very happy with their food and price! I got white rice and red beans, turkey wing, and a chicken empanada. It was a large portion, and totaled me $7.50, which is incredible! You can't go wrong with the rice and beans, well made and flavorful! The turkey wing was meaty, well spiced, and so big it needed to be broken in half to fit in the container. The empanada I was excited for, however it had almost no filling, which was a disappointment. But honestly, I ate the fried dough pocket anyway, because fried dough is still good!"

Marthitas Kitchen

★★★★★ 4.6 (13)

"I hadn't visited this restaurant in years but I remembered that their food was always good. I decided to stop by and grab a bite to eat. I love fried boneless chicken chunks so that's what I ordered. However, that's not what I received. I received dry, overcooked chicken strips which probably came from boneless chicken breast instead of cutting the meat from a whole chicken. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the rice and peas which was tasty. I'll stick to my favorite restaurant in the future."

Nudibranch

★★★★★ 4.5 (83)

"The small plates are better than the large dishes here. Favorites: frog legs, duck croquettes, mushroom 3 ways (the top dish - lots of flavor). Least favorite: oxtail tagine - was not tender enough to fall off the bone but otherwise had good flavor. We also ordered the uni soba which was very average. The uni did not have a lot of flavor and the soba noodles felt very simple. Overall, a nice place for small plates and drinks but I would skip the large dishes."

East Coast Street Tacos

★★★★☆ 4.1 (82)

"FREE PORK BELLY!!! While I waited for my delicious food to be made I was blessed with a pork belly cup of joy and love .Smash Browns were a pure fire Arepas came with an actual glass bottle of maple syrup that doubled the fire fire Did I mention I ordered pork belly burritos and pork belly eggs with my Arepas 5x fire EL FUEGO FOOD... go late your tongue ablaze!!!"

Sabor Latino

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (15) • $$

"Walking in you are met with the most feeling. The decor, plates, etc is like someone grandma's kitchen. The wait staff each amongst patrons. We ordered empanadas for appetizers. Main course salmon for my niece and arroz con pollo for myself. Honestly the BEST Spanish food I've ever had in my LIFE! I wish I lived closer I would for sure rider from them all the time. The wait time for food was a little long but understand as it was cooked FRESH! They accept Apple Pay Cash card for payment! The price was 50 dollars plus tip which isn't bad. Would go again"

Socarrat Paella Bar - Nolita

★★★★☆ 3.8 (609) • $$$

"Nice cozy restaurant- came here with family for restaurant week. Our server was great and gets 4 stars. He was hussling between many tables. Very friendly and efficient.We ordered the following tapas for our appetizers: croquettes, shrimp and brussel sprouts. Tasty all around!For our paellas - we ordered three options: paella socarrat, paella arroz negro and paella de la huerta. Most flavorful option was the 'la Huerta' version. The other options might not have been as flavorful was because the ingredients may have been added on top of the rice and didn't have enough time to absorbed the ingredients' flavors. Still good but we had high hopes for the flavor.Desserts - flan was hands down the better choice over churros."

Tia Pol

★★★★☆ 4.1 (778) • $$

"I don't particularly want to go back to see what we ordered off the menu, but a few things to note here:1. It was a hot day and there was no AC and very little air flow. Muggy and uncomfortable.2. It gets extremely loud for dinner.3. The wine recommended by the waitress was good.4. The food was all very mehh. The shrimp (gambas) was cooked in the same broth as the clams which made for a very sour, off tasting shrimp dish. Nothing hit baseline expectations for spanish tapas.Overall just wasn't a great experience and very unlikely to go back."