The best Spanish restaurants in London

Catherine Hanly 22 May 2025

Hankering after a taste of your hols or simply fancy hoovering up some jamon with a lovely glass of Albarino? We pick out London's best Spanish restaurants for you to try.

Ibai

Smithfield - 92 Bartholomew Cl, London EC1A 7BN

Ibai comes from a team that's associated with another restaurant on this guide, Lurra. But while they both source their Galician meat from the same place, this is a much bigger affair - a Basque-influenced steakhouse for the City. Those steaks are phenomenal and they're joined by the must-have Croque Ibai, which we described as a "god-tier toastie with carabinero, boudin noir and Tomme de Brebis cheese" topped with honey. The gateau Basque is also a must-have and the food is supported with an excellent and extensive Spanish wine list.

Tollington's

Finsbury Park - 172 Tollington Park, London N4 3AJ

This was once a Finsbury Park chippy and has now been transformed into one of the hottest spots in the area by Four Legs, the people who also opened The Plimsoll nearby. It's based on the kind of seafood bars that the team loves from Barcelona and other Spanish hot spots and features both traditional and unique takes on tapas. The oh-so-crispy chips bravas are a must; they've perfected a mean tortilla, and it's hard to resist a slice of their amazing flan once you see it perched on the bar. That's all backed up by cañas of Estrella and great-value Spanish wines.

Tasca at Cav

Bethnal Green - Arch 255 Paradise Row, London E2 9LQ

This is actually a year-long residency at Bethnal Green bar Cav, but given how great the food is, we fully expect it to find itself a permanent home somewhere. In the meantime, this sees Josh Dallaway and sommelier Sinead Murdoch in charge of a menu that takes its influence from their travels across both Spain and France. Their unique take on gildas are a must, as is their twist on the Spanish bikini sandwich - Iberico ham and Tomme de Chèvre between slices of brioche, toasted and drenched in hay-smoked maple. Expect the menu to evolve through the seasons, and make sure to peruse the wine that celebrates female-founded vineyards and female winemakers.

Topa at Provisions

Holloway - 167 Holloway Rd, London N7 8LX

Provisions on Holloway Road is best known as a cheese and wine shop, but in the evenings it becomes Topa. The space is transformed into a Basque-style tapas bar with everything created from a tiny kitchen at the back. In charge of Topa at the time of writing is Chef Chino González (who trained in San Sebastian) with an evolving menu that features pintxos like mussels escabesche, chorizo plates and more, with the option to order all the pintxos for a set price. Given the location inside Provisions, it's not surprising to find an excellent wine list alongside.

The Prince Arthur

Belgravia - 11 Pimlico Road, London SW1W 8NA

This Prince Arthur is somewhat unique on this guide as it's a Basque restaurant that happens to be inside a recently revamped pub. It's notably upscale from your average pub food - their own-brand caviar makes more than a few appearances for one. But if you wanted to pair huge carabineros with a pint, this is the place for you. The turbot dripping potatoes, topped with crab, tartare or caviar are a must, but a roam around the menu, which is a mix of small plates and larger grill dishes, is extremely rewarding (although it is one of the pricier Spanish restaurants in town). Make sure to save space for a pitch-perfect Basque cheesecake.

Sabor

Mayfair - 35-37 Heddon St, London W1B 4BR

Expectations were sky-high when Nieves Barragan moved from Barrafina to set up her own restaurant with GM José Etura. From the word go it was a huge success, and you honestly feel like you could be sat in a tapas bar in Madrid rather than just off Regent Street. It won a Michelin star in its first year and has gone from strength to strength since. The counter is still walk-in only, so it's one of the best places to get a Michelin-starred Spanish meal at short notice.

Also see: Look out for Nieves' next restaurant in Shoreditch, Legado.

José Pizarro's Bermondsey Street takeover

102, 104 and 194 Bermondsey Street, SE1

One of London's best Spanish chefs, Jose Pizarro seems to be on something of a stealth takeover of Bermondsey Street with three Spanish restaurants there that are all well worth visiting. José is a tiny, authentic, walk-in-only tapas bar that's worth popping into any time of the day, Pizarro offers a more traditional slightly upmarket Spanish meal, and the more recent Lolo is great if you're after something a little more casual (that you can still book). Visit any of these restaurants and you're sure of excellent food and wine all night.

Also try: Jose Pizarro at The Royal Academy, perfect for pairing tapas with culture.

Maresco

45 Berwick St, London W1F 8SF

Expect Scottish seafood in a range of Spanish tapas in this central London restaurant from North London restaurateur Stephen Lironi (who's also behind Escocesa in Crouch End). The window counter on the ground floor is perfect for Soho people watching over a plate of razor clams fresh from the Scottish coast that day, served up with some amazing Spanish wines.

Bar Kroketa

Soho, Marylebone and City of London

Coming from the team behind Brindisa, the clue to this tapas bar's speciality is in the name (that's the Basque way of spelling croqueta). With a regularly changing menu of inventive croquetas and pintxos, the original Carnaby spot quickly became a great place to while away an hour or two. Since that opening, they've opened two more locations that are well worth visiting too (even if we like the compact nature of the original best). If it's on, the king prawn croquetas with prawn head alioli are the absolute business.

Arros QD

Fitzrovia - 64 Eastcastle St, Fitzrovia, London W1W 8NQ

The QD in the name stands for multiple Michelin-starred chef and restaurateur Quique Dacosta. This is his London restaurant and focuses not on tapas but on another great Spanish tradition - paellla. Expect some of the very best paella in town, cooked over their bespoke burners alongside some excellent dishes like their cheese stones (not a typo).

B arrafina

Soho, Covent Garden, King's Cross, Borough

Barrafina changed the landscape of the Spanish food scene in London. When Sam and Eddie opened the first Barrafina on Frith Street in 2007, it was to evoke their best times sitting up at the counter at Barcelona's Cal Pep. They succeeded in introducing Londoners to a new level of tapas by cunningly procuring the talented Nieves Barragán (now at Sabor) to run the show. Barrafina has since grown to five restaurants across town, and it still serves up some of the very best tapas in London.

Also see: Parrillan (King's Cross, Borough) - the Barrafina spin-off with some larger dishes and a grill-your-own meat option

Lurra

Marylebone - 9 Seymour Pl, London W1H 5BA

Lurra specialises as a Basque grill and imports its own Galician beef (supplying other restaurants in town, including Ibai above), so you will want to make sure to order the Galician steak here (to share), alongside some Presa Iberica. The sourdough with bone marrow is also excellent. (Lurra pic by Issy Croker)

See also: Just across the road is their sister restaurant, the tapas bar Donostia.

Morito

Exmouth Market and Hackney

Sam and Sam Clark first opened this tiny offshoot of their popular Exmouth Market restaurant Moro in 2010. Part tapas, part mezze bar, it’s now expanded to Hackney and both places serve up a super selection of twists on classic tapas and dishes that flirt with a North African theme.

Bar Tozino

Bermondsey - Lassco Ropewalk, Maltby St, London SE1 3PA

This little jamon bar, under the arches at Maltby Street, will really bring back memories of Spain. Owner Chuse Valero was working as a carver in Barcelona when Monika Linton from Brindisa enticed him over to London. Now, together with friend Zac Fingal-Rock Innes (whose family are the Fingal-Rock wine merchants), he runs this tight ship of excellent jamon and very good wines.

Copita

Soho and Fitzrovia

Noisy and vibrant, these central London spots pack them in year-round. The mixture of standing space and stools gives it an authentic tapas bar vibe. Don’t forget to peruse their excellent sherry list.

El Pirata of Mayfair

Mayfair - 5-6 Down St, London W1J 7AQ

A true London classic, this restaurant has been in London for over 25 years - and has seen the odd celeb pop in from time to time. It's old-school in the best way, with excellent service and easily some of the best prices in the surrounding Mayfair area. The tapas menu here is more expansive than most, with dishes like sardines and artichoke hearts among more standards like croquetas and tortilla. There's a tapas sharing menu if you fancy going all-in.

The Tapas Room

Tooting - Unit 3, Broadway Market, 29 Tooting High St, London SW17 0RJ

The Tapas Room originally started up under the name Donostia Social Club, appearing at Pop Brixton. Once three restaurants, just one remains in Tooting that's well worth a visit. Expect classic tapas like cod croquetas and pan con tomate alongside larger plates like Confit Panceta or Chilled Octopus & Tomato Salad.

Boqueria

Battersea - 278 Queenstown Rd, Nine Elms, London SW8 4LT

When you name your tapas bar after the biggest and best food market in Spain (maybe even Europe), then you’d better have the goods to go with that. Happily, Boqueria does. Barcelona-born co-owner Jaime Armenter serves up a menu that covers all the classics but also showcases modern dishes like Beef Tenderloin, Foie & Pedro Ximénez on toasted bread.

Brindisa

London Bridge, South Ken, Soho, Battersea and Richmond

Brindisa founder Monika Linton's contribution to the London tapas scene can't be underestimated. Way back in 1988 she began importing top-quality Spanish produce to London. Restaurants inevitably followed and the group now have five dotted around London. Our favourite is still the Borough Market one, even though it's probably the hardest to get into.

Camino

King's Cross, Monument, Shoreditch and Victoria

Camino's group of restaurants have a menu that covers Spanish tapas from all over Spain. All the classics are here, from jamon croquetas through to calamari, chorizo, presa Iberica and more. They have pretty large bar spaces too - so it's often easy just to pop in for a drink and a couple of tapas.

See also: In King's Cross, they have a Spanish Quarter going with the newly-opened Bar Rioja in the same courtyard.

Little Taperia

Tooting - 143 Tooting High St, London SW17 0RU

This Tooting tapas bar comes from locals Hikmat Antippa (who also owns Meza in Tooting) and Madeleine Lim. The aim here is for more innovative tapas, so alongside croquetas and tortilla, you'll also find dishes like morcilla scotch eggs and grilled hispi cabbage with romanesco sauce.

Llerena

Islington - 167 Upper St, London N1 1US

Llerena comes from Extramadura jamon specialists Jamon & Salud who have been raising Iberian pigs since before the second world war - so you'll definitely want to make a beeline for the jamon section of the menu here. You should also try the platter of pork cuts with presa and secreto Iberica too.

Lobos

London Bridge and Soho

Lobos chef Roberto Castro was originally at Brindisa and brought an ex-Brindisa crew with him to Lobos, realising their dream of opening their first garito (neighbourhood joint) in Borough. Of the two branches, the Borough is definitely the more atmospheric. Meat is as big a focus as the tapas, with the secreto Iberico a must-have.

Salt Yard

Fitzrovia (the original), London Bridge

Any tapas roundup is going to have a lot of jamon mentions, but if you're looking for a top veggie pick, then Salt Yard is just the place, the flagship in the group with the same name. Since opening way back in 2005 their courgette flowers, stuffed with Monte Enebro goat’s cheese, lightly deep-fried and drizzled with honey haven't been off the menu. They started expanded with another Salt Yard in Borough Yards, but the original remains the best.

Also try: The sister restaurants in the group, Ember Yard, Dehesa and Opera Tavern.

Tranga

61 Newington Green, London N16 9PX

Trangallan was a big hit on Newington Green, but they came back post-pandemic in a slightly new guise. They still focus on Galician tapas, though. Standard tapas like tortilla, Padron peppers and jamon croquetas sit alongside a market paella with aioli and keep an eye on the daily specials board too.

More about Tranga