These Are The Best Spanish Restaurants In London

If you’ve waved goodbye to the sandy Ibizian shores for another summer or can’t make it to Barcelona, enjoy the next best thing and book yourself into one of these Spanish restaurants in London. 

From tapas spots perfect for sharing to date night destinations and restaurants by world-renowned chefs, these are the best Spanish restaurants in London worth trying. 

Spanish restaurants so good you’ll feel like you’re on holiday

José Pizarro Restaurants

You might know him as a regular TV foodie personality or from one of his many restaurants but it’s safe to say that José Pizarro knows a thing or two about Spanish cuisine. 

Having grown up in the small village of Talaván in Cáceres, Extremadura, the chef brings his passion for tapas and Spanish flavours to the table. The chef boasts multiple locations across the capital and surrounding area, but one thing is for certain: you’ll have a good time. Focusing on simplicity, the menus are designed around sharing, featuring classic Spanish dishes. 

Look forward to dishes such as croquetas de jamón Iberico; pan con tomate – toasted bread with garlic, Catalan tomatoes and Pizarro extra virgin olive oil; Pulpo a la plancha con crema de patata y pimentón – grilled octopus with creamy potato, egg white caviar and paprika; and chorizo al vino – slow cooked chorizo in red wine with quince.

Various Locations 
www.josepizarro.com

El Norte

For Mayfair elegance, El Norte needs to be your port of call. Created by Spanish twins Arian and Alberto Zandi – the team behind Zuaya, Riviera and Como Garden – this restaurant transports its guests to Spain in an instant. You’ll find traditional dishes adapted to a modern setting. 

Signature dishes include the indulgent truffle and manchego cheese tortilla; creamy ham croquettes with guacamole; glazed Iberian pork with celeriac puree; and Dénia carabineros with olive oil and garlic.

19-20 Dover Street, Mayfair, W1S 4LU
www.el-norte.co.uk

Barrafina 

Barrafina does dining a little differently. Home to five locations spread across the city, the restaurant boasts an intimate number of red leather stools and a marble-topped bar, allowing guests to peek into kitchen life and watch the chefs at work. 

The restaurant specialises in modern Spanish tapas, filled with favourites including prawn and piquillo pepper tortilla; cured monkfish; chicken thigh with romesco; and patatas bravísimas. 

This is counter-side dining at its finest.

Various Locations
www.barrafina.co.uk

Parrillan

Home to two restaurants in Coal Drops Yard and Borough Yards, Parrillan is named after the Spanish word, ‘Parilla’, meaning grill. As you could have guessed, the restaurant specialises in grill and wood-fired cooking. 

At Parrillan Borough Yards, you can let the experts serve up a show for you, with menu highlights including oxtail and kale from the wood fire oven, mussels and grilled squid from the grill; and indulgent lemon meringue pie with lemon sorbet.

Borough Yards & Coal Drops Yard 
www.parrillan.co.uk

Tapas Brindisa

Whether you’re after riverside views in Richmond or an easy lunch in central, Tapas Brindisa is always a good idea. Serving traditional tapas, the restaurant group sources the finest ingredients from across Spain and its islands. It’s like experiencing the real deal without Spain’s balmy climes. 

Share with the table and order the Brindisa charcuterie or seafood platter, as well as the chorizo de León – chargrilled León chorizo on toast with piquillo and rocket; Merluza con pisto – hake with ‘pisyo’ slow roasted Mediterranean veg and summer girolles; patatas bravas; and esqueixada – salt cod salad with tomatoes, olives, red peppers and Tolosana black beans.

Various Locations
www.brindisakitchens.com

Sabor

Translating to ‘flavour’ in Spanish, Sabor is a family-run restaurant inspired by the tapas bars of Andalucía, the seafood restaurants of Galicia and the asadors of Castile. 

The restaurant is split into three distinct sections. Begin on the ground floor where you’ll find The Counter serving up a daily changing menu of fresh fish. Freshly prepared by the in-house fishmonger, the space operates on a walk-in basis only so head down early to get your table. 

Up the spiral staircase, you’ll find El Asador. Home to banquette seating and an open kitchen, the space specialises in dishes from the Galicia and Castile regions. Expect wood-fired specialties here. 

Meanwhile, the walk-in Bar area invites you act like a true Andalusian. Order a round of txakolis or beers and tapas to share.

35-37 Heddon Street, W1B 4BR
www.saborrestaurants.co.uk

Decimo

BiBo

Under the watchful eye of chef Dani García, BiBo is the optimal spot for a buzzy Shoreditch lunch or dinner. One of the best Andalusian chefs working in London, you can expect big things from the menu. 

Begin with a tapas selection featuring the likes of chorizo brioche with quail egg; tuna belly tartar; bibo grilled avocado with coriander pesto, feta cheese and crème fraîche; and cod fritters with aioli. Before venturing onto one of the epic sharing paellas, from the whole grilled blue lobster to the roasted chicken.  

45 Curtain Road, Shoreditch, EC2A 3PT
www.book.ennismore.com

Bar Kroketa

As the name suggests, Bar Kroketa delivers on the croqueta front. Located on Beak Street, this little spot is perfect for a lazy light lunch perched at the counter or an intimate date night destination. 

Designed to share, order for the table and dive into croquetas filled with king prawn and prawn head aioli; black squid ink and aioli; baby leek and cherry tomato; Jamón and migas; and piquillo and manchego.

21 Beak Street, W1F 9RR 
www.kroketa.co.uk

Ember Yard

Marrying Spanish and Italian culture and food, Ember Yard is headed up by chef Adam Kulikowski and focuses on dishes and flavours created using wood-fired grills. Spread across two floors, this Soho destination serves up a selection of small and large sharing plates.
Start off with a selection of cheeses, bar snacks and charcuterie – the boquerones are a crowd-favourite – to start, before charcoal roasted scallop with smoked butter and Ibérico migas; 36-month aged parma ham and cantaloupe melon; rubia gallega sirloin and rosemary salted potatoes and mojo verde; and slow cooked lamb breast with hazelnut pesto, smoked ricotta and green peas.

60 Berwick Street, W1F 8SU
www.emberyard.co.uk

Penelope’s

If you’re looking for a unique culinary experience, check out Covent Garden’s Israeli-Spanish fusion restaurant, Penelope’s. Perfect for small plates and a range of cocktails, our top picks from the menu include the Gambas Locas (tiger prawns with coconut bisque and burnt urfa), and the flavourful Iberico ham served with crystal bread and tomato salsa. After you finish your meal, head upstairs to the rooftop bar and sip your digestif overlooking the city skyline.

Drury House, 34-43 Russell Street, WC2B 5HA
www.amanogroup.de/en/