Where can you find great Spanish food in Los Angeles?
This used to be a tough question, with only a few authentic spots — like Gasolina Cafe, located deep in the San Fernando Valley — coming to mind. Over the last few years, though, Spanish cuisine has arrived. From menus filled with tinned fish and other conservas to tortilla española, skillets of paella and plates of jamón ibérico, the Spanish restaurant renaissance has hit L.A. hard — and the corresponding wine lists are just as impressive.
For Gasolina’s owner Sandra Cordero, the influx of new spots has been a boon. “It was definitely a little bit lonely in the beginning,” Cordero says. “I’m glad to have some more company — we need more kids growing up eating Spanish!”
Currently, Cordero is about to open a new Spanish tapas bar in Santa Monica, Xuntos, so the expansion continues. Whether you’re a jamón expert or a newcomer to this cuisine, here are our picks for the best new places to grab some Spanish food and wine around the city.
Gasolina Cafe
Woodland Hills
This O.G. spot for traditional Spanish cuisine opened its doors way back in 2015, serving up tapas, conservas and paella for breakfast and lunch in a small, motorcycle-themed outpost in Woodland Hills. Since then, the restaurant has opened its doors for dinner, and jamón-wrapped dates, patatas bravas and gambas al ajillo (shrimp with garlic) are just a few of their must-try dishes. If you’re ordering paella, make sure to plan ahead, as this traditional dish can take 30 to 45 minutes to prepare. The mariscos with shrimp, squid and scallops are always delicious, and a bottle of Spanish vino like Albariño will round things out nicely. Pick up more wine and conservas at the market on your way out.
Bar Moruno
Silverlake
One of the trendiest spots on the Sunset Strip hardly needs our help to get guests in the door, but since opening last year in the former Kettle Black space, Bar Moruno has done an impeccable job of putting tinned fish and even fishy Martinis (with salmon-infused gin!) on the map. After several iterations as a pop-up at the Beverly Hills Farmers Market and Grand Central Market, this kitchen is finally permanent, and a wine, vermouth and sherry list from David Rossoff only adds to the appeal. After a conservas course, any of the morunos (read: skewers) will blow you away, as will the bacalao (salted cod) and gold potato fritters.
Flor Y Solera
Arts District
From the Factory Place Hospitality Group, a collective known for their authentic Italian kitchens, comes Flor Y Solera, helmed by Catalan-born chef Mònica Angelats. Created to showcase dishes from all of Spain’s 17 distinct regions, the tapas bar serves everything from fried swordfish, gildas and cod fritters to fideus, paellas and arròs negre, or black rice with squid ink and cuttlefish. You really can’t go wrong with this extensive menu, so order what sounds good and pair it with a stiff pour of sherry.
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Tatel
Beverly Hills
With heavy hitters like Cristiano Ronaldo and Pau Gasol involved (as investors), Tatel was destined to be a hit before it even opened. Beverly Hills denizens love their celebrities, and in this case, the quality of the place lived up to the big names. Already one of the most popular restaurants in Madrid, the stateside Tatel serves a similar menu with tortilla de patata (Spanish omelet), a signature veal Milanese and red paella with lobster. Get the Tatel cheesecake to close it out, or go really Iberian and end your meal with a plate of Spanish cheese.
Bar Chelou
Pasadena
While the latest restaurant from chef Doug Rankin (Bar Restaurant, Trois Mec, Petit Trois) has a French name (“chelou” translates to “weird”), there’s a decidedly Spanish bent to plenty of his strangely delicious offerings. The crispy bread in the clam toast mimics a Catalonian dish, a deconstructed boquerones and piquillo peppers is more Spanish than most stateside gildas manage to be, and a strangely umami snap peas dish is topped off with chistorra, or Basque sausage, crumbled like bacon bits. Then there’s the potatoes, fried crispy and served with aioli, like all the best patatas bravas. Other influences from Thai, French and Japanese cooking make their way in, but an Ibérico pork chop — with mustard and cabbage, the best entree for my money — centers the menu firmly in Spanish cuisine. At least for now.
Soulmate
West Hollywood
If it’s good enough for the cast of Selling Sunset, it’s good enough for the rest of us. Actually, the prime location in the heart of West Hollywood notwithstanding, Soulmate is an excellent restaurant in spite of being a celebrity hotspot, not because of it. Expect a mix of Spanish and Mediterranean cuisine, and spicy paella bites, aged jamón ibérico and standard paella dishes. Lamb skewers, chicken croquettes and mussels with chorizo round out the entree section. Save room for Basque cheesecake to close out the meal.
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