Best Spanish Restaurants in London

The legendary El Bulli, now closed regretfully, propelled the Spanish food industry when it became the Best Restaurant in the World for a record five times in the World’s 50 Best Restaurant awards. The distinctly regional tastes of Spanish cuisine can also be found at some of their most imaginative best in London. In the Luxury Restaurant Guide’s list of the top Spanish restaurants in London, the first three are from chefs who hold three Michelin stars back home. So, from Spanish haute cuisine, pan-Iberian freshness and sophisticated tapas, enjoy some of the best the Mediterranean has to offer:

Street XO, 15 Old Burlington St, Mayfair, London W1S 2JR

The brilliant StreetXO concept comes from Madrid Super Chef Dabiz Munoz and is not for the faint hearted. This is a high octane restaurant located in the heart of London’s Mayfair, and it re-defines fine dining. Dishes that are designed to share with fellow diners take inspiration from European, Asian and South American cuisines, however most dishes have either a Mediterranean or East Asian backbone. 

Dabiz, who has Madrid’s only three Michelin starred restaurant, is playful with the menu which aims to shock, surprise and delight diners with bold and gutsy flavours from visually arresting creations that are at times assembled in front of the diner. Refined and intricate dishes appear like works of art, juxtaposed with the frenetic atmosphere of the restaurant, which is likened to a street food market with guests constantly sharing and experiencing new and exciting dishes.

StreetXO is highly recommended with food you will marvel at.

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Ametsa with Arzak Instruction, COMO The Halkin, Halkin Hotel London, Halkin Street, Belgravia, London SW1X 7DJ

Ametsa with Arzak Instruction is a unique collaboration between Elena Arzak along with her father Juan Mari Arzak, and Mikel Sorazu, Igor Zalakain and Xabier Gutierrez. Elena herself is known as chef royalty back home where she was voted Veuve Clicquot World’s Best Female Chef in 2012, and is currently the holder of three Michelin-stars for her restaurant Arzak in Spain.

Ametsa with Arzak Instruction is located at COMO The Halkin in London’s Belgravia and holds one Michelin star. Ametsa’s approach is rooted in the traditions of ‘New Basque Cuisine’, pairing the earthy flavours and techniques of Spain’s Basque region with modern, surprising twists featuring locally-sourced and organic produce from land and sea. The centrepiece of the stunning restaurant is its wave-like ceiling, created from 7,000 glass receptacles filled with spices. Other highlights include an oak floor laid at a 30-degree angle and lacquered walls that create a calm, light-filled interior.

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Eneko, One Aldwych, Covent Garden, London WC2B 4BZ

Eneko Basque Kitchen & Bar is a stylish restaurant and wine bar from the acclaimed Chef Eneko Atxa.

Serving a modern take on traditional Basque dishes in a relaxed and informal setting, the restaurant is a new departure for Eneko, whose three-Michelin Azurmendi restaurant is one of the World’s Top 50 Restaurants, sitting at number 38.

The wine bar features a carefully crafted all-Spanish wine list with wines exclusive to Eneko Basque Kitchen & Bar.

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Three 0 Two Restaurant, H10 London Waterloo, 284-302 Waterloo Road, South Bank, London SE1 8RQ 

Three 0 Two is the elegant à la carte restaurant located on the first floor of the H10 London Waterloo Hotel. H10 is Spain’s eighth largest hotel group with 55 hotels across 18 destinations. The restaurant offers large windows and street views in a contemporary setting. It features carefully prepared signature cuisine, specialising in Mediterranean gastronomy with a Spanish touch – a prime example of Iberian culinary prowess.

Under the watchful eye of head chef Luis Campos, the menu is a pure celebration of contemporary Spanish cuisine. There are playful desserts a-plenty here, but also classic tapas like patatas bravas and Iberian ham croquettes. Paying homage to the Spanish dining tradition, Three 0 Two presents a dazzling array: classic flavours of the Mediterranean rub shoulders with zingy newcomers. All the dishes come with a modern and distinctive twist, plus a sprinkling of attitude.

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Barrafina, 26-27 Dean Street, Soho, London W1D 3LL

Barrafina grew out of ultra successful Fino which itself opened in 2003 as one of the pioneers of Spanish cuisine in central London. Barrafina was a slightly more pared down version of fine dining Fino, and even more successful gaining a Michelin star in 2014.  Two more Barrafina’s opened and Fino’s closed … are you still with us? Michelin-starred Barrafina in Dean Street has a reputation as one of the finest places to eat Spanish food.

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Iberica, 89 Turnmill Street, London EC1M 5QU

Iberica now offers four restaurants in London and one each in Machester, Glasgow and Leeds. Spanish architect Lázaro Rosa Violán has designed all of the restaurants to transport you to Spain whenever you walk into an Ibérica. From tiling to resemble the tapas bars in Andalucía to vintage maps and paintings and pots to celebrate Asturian Celtic heritage, you can feel the dedication in giving each Ibérica its own character.

Here we feature Iberica in Farringdon, in the heart of trendy Clerkenwell, 2 minutes from Farringdon tube station, and considered the little brother of the London family.

The main dining room at the back is perfect for intimate dinners or lunch with colleagues or friends, and local workers and neighbours usually fill the entrance enjoying cocktails, wine and tapas at the busy and popular 15 meters’ bar.

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Sabor, 35-37 Heddon Street, London, W1B 4BR

Sabor is the very newest of the great Spanish restaurant openings. Founded by Nieves Barragan and José Etura, Sabor (meaning flavour in Spanish) takes you on a journey from the tapas bars of Andalucía through to the asadors of Castile and the seafood restaurants of Galicia. The restaurant focuses on capturing the flavour of Spain as well as showcasing the use of traditional ingredients and cooking methods, and a relaxed approach to dining.

Located on Heddon Street, Sabor has three distinct areas :  A counter and bar on the ground floor and the asador on the first floor, each space offering a different taste and experience of Spanish cuisine and hospitality, and The Counter and Bar on the ground floor, which are walk-in only but guests can book El Asador upstairs.

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Copita, 27 D’Arblay Street, Soho, London W1F 8EP

Anchovies at Copita

Copita is a modern tapas bar, serving an eclectic array of regularly changing tapas dishes. Drinks include a concise but excellent all Spanish wine list, craft Spanish beer, over a dozen sherry wines as well as 30 different gin and tonics all with their own fruit, herb or spice partner. Copita has held a Bib Gourmand in the Michelin guide since opening.

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Salt Yard, 54 Goodge Street, Fitzrovia, London W1T 4NA 

Salt Yard is an award-winning charcuterie bar and restaurant serving modern tapas inspired by the flavours and produce of Spain and Italy, spread across a ground floor and buzzy lower ground.

The tapas are complemented by charcuterie and cheese boards and a wide selection of excellent wines and sherries. Flexibility is key to Salt Yard. Customers can enjoy a full spread of tapas: or come in simply for a glass of red wine and a plate of cheese, a coffee and a delicious pudding, or even just a perfect martini and a handful of Marcona almonds.

The Salt Yard is the original restaurant and also owns other notable Spanish eateries: Dehesa, Opera Tavern and Ember Yard.

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Dehesa, 25 Ganton Street, Carnaby, London W1F 9BP

Dehesa is a charcuterie and tapas bar inspired by the cuisine of Spain and Italy. Dehesa opened in January 2008 offering sharing dishes served in a relaxed environment.

The restaurant is named after the Dehesa – a unique woodland area in Spain which is home to the black-footed Ibérico pigs – said to produce the best Jamon in the world. This reflects their commitment to quality and provenance, and dedication to carefully sourced products.

Accompanying the menu at Dehesa is a carefully curated wine list offering Spanish and Italian wines exclusively, many by the glass. The list ranges from popular and award-winning producers to wines from smaller up-and-coming vineyards.  Also featured are fine and rare wines from Spain and Italy’s most esteemed producers – Angelo Gaja, Aldo Conterno and Sassicaia – as well as a range of sherries and Spanish Gin and Tonics.

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Opera Tavern, 23 Catherine Street, London WC2B 5JS

Opera Tavern is a beautiful two-storey bar and restaurant in the heart of central London’s theatre-land. Located on Catherine Street it is opposite the Drury Lane Theatre, seconds from the Opera House, a stone’s throw from The Strand and a lovely walk across Waterloo Bridge from the South Bank.

A beautiful former pub, the exposed brickwork, bold artwork and flattering low lighting help this two-story restaurant create the perfect atmosphere for a pre-theatre meal or drink. The ground floor houses a long bar with the open grill at one end, and a few tables placed beside the theatre box windows, where guests can watch the world go by.

It specialises in Italian and Spanish influenced tapas and has a charcoal grill on the ground floor where they cook up all manner of tasty meaty treats including their very popular mini Ibérico pork and foie gras burger.

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Ember Yard, 60 Berwick Street, Soho, London W1F 8SU

Ember Yard is the fourth restaurant from Salt Yard Group and has been influenced by their travels around Spain and Italy and their methods of cooking over charcoal and wood, thus the name.

They commissioned and custom built a bespoke, Basque-style grill and sourced some amazing single species sustainable charcoal and wood from Kent to cook with. They use only the finest seasonal produce, and introduce – as has become their style – their spin on flavours of Spain and Italy.

Ember Yard is located in the heart of Soho and is a lovely two storey restaurant and bar, with an open plan kitchen on the ground floor and a cool and cosy bar on the lower ground floor with the same delicious menu is available throughout.

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Cambio De Tercio, 163 Old Brompton Road, Kensington, London SW5 0LJ

Was this one of the Spanish restaurant that started it all in London? It is perhaps one of the most well-known Spanish restaurants in London. A charming neighbourhood restaurant in South Kensington adored by the locals and foodies alike since 1995, and it has since opened a more casual tapas bar and restaurant next door (Tendido Cero), one on King’s Road (Tendido Cuatro) as well as ham and sherry bar and gin and tonic bar on the Old Brompton Road.

Where other Spanish restaurants in London may have contemporary styling, Cambio de Tercio leaves you in little doubt that you are in a pocket of Spain when you enter with its yellow and red walls, symbolic of the Spanish flag, or dramatic artwork on the walls.

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