Where to Find the Best Spanish Restaurants around Boston

Spanish restaurants have a knack for elevating mealtime from a “cram food in your gullet and leave” sprint to a social meander of the menu. Grab a few pals and graze over a table full of tapas—maybe some spicy grilled shrimp or melt-in-your-mouth manchego-filled croquetas—plus a few glasses of wine. Then, what’s the hurry? Might as well put in an order of saffron-rich paella, too. From a Somerville vanguard to a Basque-focused Beacon Hill newcomer, check out this itinerary of tapas and more.

This guide was last updated in February 2025; stay tuned for periodic updates.

Barcelona Wine Bar

Sure, it’s a chain with roots in Connecticut, but don’t sleep on the singing flavors of Barcelona Wine Bar, with its wealth of tapas and a handful of larger plates—there are three local outposts. The menu’s star might just be the spicy-sour-sweet small plate of smoky chorizo with caramelized figs. Finished off with a balsamic reduction, it’s enough to have you tipping the mini crock to your lips to guzzle the rest of the sauce. Shout out to the jamón and manchego croquetas with their dopamine hits of salty cheesiness, too, along with the bold simplicity of the roasted whole branzino served with just broccolini and potatoes.

1700 Beacon St., Brookline, 617-264-8900; 525 Tremont St., South End, Boston, 617-266-2600; 1688 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, 617-468-2200; barcelonawinebar.com.

Boqueria

Another out-of-town chain, but we’ll allow it: Boqueria was founded nearly 20 years ago in New York City by a French restaurateur who spent time in Spain as a child and student. The restaurant draws inspiration from Barcelona’s famous public market, La Boqueria; this sizable Seaport location is one of 11. An all-Spanish wine list bolsters a crowd-pleasing tapas-and-paella-focused menu, and those who don’t want to make decisions can try one of two tasting menus.

25 Thomson Pl., Seaport District, Boston, boqueriarestaurant.com.

Dalí Restaurant

Best of Boston winner, 1990, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, and 2022

With an artful atmosphere amplified by the tin ceilings and a Salvador Dalí-inspired wall of “dripping” plaster, Dalí was among the first Spanish spots in Greater Boston, as the temple to tapas has been open since 1989. Sample some of the painterly plates—the patatas bravas with smoky aioli, pristine sautéed spinach that’s served with slivers of garlic and pine nuts, braised rabbit with red wine and an almost floral touch of juniper—and it’s no surprise why. While it’s tempting to get your fill of these morsels (do try the paella, too), be sure to save room for dessert, even if only the churros served with chocolate dipping sauce and dulce de leche. Each sweet bite is like ending your meal with a masterpiece.

415 Washington St., Somerville, 617-661-3254, dalirestaurant.com.

Estragon

You’ll find the usual tapas talent at this South End eatery—the kicking and craveable garlic shrimp, the empanadas with artichoke, spinach, and creamy Mahón cheese—but also a few creative riffs, perhaps best exemplified by the hamburgeusa de la casa. With Australian wagyu beef, Spanish manchego cheese, and crispy onion, the offering is a nod to chef/owner (and Madrid native) Julio de Haro and co-owner Lara Egger, who hails from Australia. While many of the tapas draw from de Haro’s family recipes, he’s not afraid to think outside the small plate, like with the addition of sesame miso and tomato chutney to the lamb sliders.

700 Harrison Ave., South End, Boston, 617-266-0443, estragontapas.com.

Pagu

Spain meets Japan (and beyond) at Tracy Chang’s autobiographical Central Square destination, which nods to her culinary resume (including stints at Martín Berasategui in San Sebastián, Spain and Boston’s own O Ya). For the most part, dishes stick to their country of origin, but you’ll find hints of cross-pollination: togarashi-spiked boquerones, for example, or patatas bravas dressed up with Thai chili alioli and mojo verde. Whether your table goes all-in on Spain or you throw some braised pork belly bao or ramen into the mix, be sure to leave room for Basque cheesecake.

310 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge, 617-945-9290, gopagu.com.

Taberna de Haro

Best of Boston winner, 2024

While Taberna de Haro chef-owner Deborah Hansen retired in 2024, she left the mainstay—established in 1998—in good hands with industry vet Kristie Weiss (an alum of wine bars Haley.Henry and Nathálie) at the helm. The restaurant continues to delight with an expansive menu that traipses from the Brookline spot’s popular patio to across Spain, with both tapas and unexpected entrees. Take the arroz negro paella—perhaps a dark horse compared to the more locally available saffron-punched variety—which owes its jet-black beauty to squid ink. Gobble up the ever-changing specials, too, like grilled seasonal vegetables with romesco sauce—ideally with a glass or two of sherry.

999 Beacon St., Brookline, 617-277-8272, tabernaboston.com.

T’ahpas 529

Have yourself a swanky suburban date night (there’s parking!) in Melrose at this Spanish and more broadly Mediterranean tapas joint. You’ll find dishes both traditional and eclectic—and tasty either way—alongside fun cocktails like Hot Lips, which features a Thai chili-infused tequila. Don’t miss the weekend brunch specials, such as a manchego and chorizo omelet or the house Benedict with serrano ham and patatas bravas.

529 Franklin St., Melrose, 781-590-4916, tahpas529.com.

Tasca

Best of Boston winner, 2000

Executive chef and owner Joaquin Galan fuses the flavors of his native Spain into his menu of traditional tapas and paellas at this buzzing Brighton spot, which he’s owned for about eight years; it’s been around for 30. Galan also specializes in pintxos, or small bites usually served on bread, like the pinxto de txistorra. House-made chorizo—its paprika smokiness only boosted by a turn on the grill—paired with a crunch of crispy bread? Heaven. The six paella dishes range from the simple feasts of seafood to rabbit and vegetable variations, plus a hearty Catalán stew called fideuà, with angel hair and seafood in a lobster broth. Having a slow start to your week? The $5 tapas special (available from 4 to 6 p.m., Monday through Wednesday) makes slogging through to the weekend infinitely tastier.

1612 Commonwealth Ave., Brighton, Boston, 617-730-8002, tascatapasrestaurant.com.

Toro

Best of Boston winner, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019

Chef-restaurateur Ken Oringer’s spots are always winners. Case in point: Bumping Spanish tapas spot Toro, where the plates may be small but pack take-the-bull-by-the-horns flavor. (He cofounded Toro in 2005 with chef-restaurateur Jamie Bissonnette; the two parted ways in 2023, and Bissonnette moved on to other projects, including Zurito below.) Menu stars include dates stuffed with marcona almonds, blue cheese, and serrano ham; roasted bone marrow with oxtail marmalade; and the always-popular maíz asado, grilled corn. The locally sourced and sustainable focus of the menu means that some dishes are in flux, but be sure to sample mainstays from the jamónes y quesos (hams and cheeses) section of the menu, including the rich Ibérico ham with nutty manchego cheese, which is made from sheep’s milk.

1704 Washington St., South End, Boston, 617-536-4300, toro-restaurant.com.

Tres Gatos

Best of Boston winner, 2012

This gem in JP offers the unique experience to scarf down tasty small plates and then hit the back of the restaurant, where you’ll find a small shop selling books and vinyl records. Before indulging in some retail therapy, though, hit up the patio to cheers with some charcuterie (perhaps some serrano ham and manchego curado cheese). The tapas menu rotates according to seasonal availability, though you can usually find goodies like patatas bravas jazzed up with a hazelnut and almond romesco, blistered shishitos with smoky harissa, and boquerones with the bracing crunch of fried garlic.

470 Centre St., Jamaica Plain, 617-477-4851, tresgatosjp.com.

Zurito

Boston’s newest Spanish restaurant pays tribute to Basque Country with a menu full of ever-changing pintxos and some hefty steaks, breathing new life onto the main drag of Beacon Hill. From the team behind Somaek, Temple Records, and Sushi @ Temple Records—including Jamie Bissonnette, who cofounded Toro 20 years ago (see above)—Zurito is full of fancy hams, loads of anchovies, and creative cocktails. There’s tons of wine, too—a nod to the previous occupant of the space, Bin 26 Enoteca (whose co-owner Babak Bina is part of the Zurito crew).

26 Charles St., Beacon Hill, Boston, zuritoboston.com.