🍷🇪🇸 Discover the best Spanish restaurant in London! 🇬🇧🔥

🌞 Craving that real Spanish flavour in London?
Think crispy croquetas, fresh pan con tomate, juicy gambas al ajillo and a glass of perfectly chilled Albariño 🍤🍷

London is packed with incredible Spanish restaurants, from Michelin-star gems to tiny tapas bars that feel like Madrid — and yes, some spots will make you forget you're not in Andalucía 😏💃

Let’s discover the best Spanish restaurants in London, explore famous spots like Barrafina, and learn a little Spanish foodie vocabulary along the way. ¡Vamos! 🇪🇸✨

⭐ Michelin-Star Spanish restaurant in London

When we talk about fine Spanish dining in London, one name always pops up:

✨ Sabor – Mayfair

Sabor (meaning flavour) brings the bold taste of Spain right into the heart of London. Imagine:

🔥 smoky seafood cooked over live fire
🐖 Iberian pork so tender it melts
🍋 Galician-style octopus with paprika
🍷 wine selected from the best bodegas in Spain

The energy inside feels vibrant, casual and wildly authentic — no stiff white-tablecloth vibes here. Just great food, loud laughter, and a warm 'bienvenidos' the moment you walk in.

💡 Why Sabor is special:
It captures regional Spain: Galicia in the seafood bar, Andalucía at the grill, and the Basque Country in the pintxos style.

🗣️ Perfect phrase to say when you eat there:
¡Qué sabor tan increíble! (What an amazing flavour!)

t🍤 Best tapas in London

If there's one Spanish concept London has mastered, it's tapas culture. Shared food, buzzing atmosphere, and endless dishes to try — es perfecto.

🍽️ Barrafina (Soho, Covent Garden & King’s Cross)

A London tapas institution. At Barrafina, you sit at the bar and watch chefs cook right in front of you.
Expect:

🥔 Spanish tortilla just like grandma makes
🦐 sizzling prawns drowning in garlic oil
🍅 the silkiest pan con tomate
🐙 grilled octopus cooked to perfection

It’s lively, it’s noisy, it’s delicious chaos, in the best possible way.

Pro tip: There might be a queue. Bring good vibes… and a big appetite 😋

Other amazing tapas spots to explore:

🍷 Lobos Meat & Tapas – carnivore heaven

🧀 Lurra – Basque grilled excellence

🌶️ Tapas Brindisa – perfect for first-timers

🎭 Spanish restaurants in Covent Garden

Ah, Covent Garden — theatre lights, cobblestones and… incredible Spanish food.

Whether you're grabbing tapas before a musical or planning date night, Covent Garden offers:

🍤 iconic tapas bars like Barrafina Adelaide Street
🍷 intimate wine-led restaurants
🫒 Andalusian-style spots for fried fish & olives

The atmosphere is cosy and romantic, and terraces make it perfect for people-watching (a Spanish favourite pastime 😉).

Imagine hearing street music, sipping cava and sharing patatas bravas… típico español 😍

🏙️ Best Spanish restaurants in London (beyond tapas)

Spanish cuisine is so much more than tapas. London lets you taste entire regions:

🇪🇸 Basque asadores with charcoal-grilled fish and steaks
🐟 Galician seafood houses with octopus & percebes
🍋 Andalusian bars serving fried fish and sherry
🧀 Cheese and jamón temples that worship Iberian flavour

Look out for:

🐖 Iberian presa (tender pork cut that tastes like steak)

🥩 Txuleton steak (Basque beef: huge, smoky, incredible)

🐟 Boquerones (marinated anchovies — trust us)

Whenever you see a jamón leg hanging, you’re in the right place 😌🐖

🧾 Useful Spanish restaurant vocabulary

Impress your waiter with these 😏👇

🗣️ Example phrase:
¿Podemos compartir varios platos? Can we share several dishes?

Discover Spanish tapas vocabulary with this interactive game! 🍤🇪🇸

Ready to test your knowledge of Spanish tapas? Click on the interactive game below to learn or refresh your vocabulary on some of Spain’s most popular tapas. It’s a fun way to improve your Spanish and discover more about Spain’s delicious cuisine! Enjoy and learn! 🎉👇

😋 Fun Spanish Expressions for Foodies

🫄Estoy lleno, pero feliz I'm full, but happy

🤤 Esto está de muerte This is insanely good

👌 ¡Qué rico! How tasty!

🗣️Want to practice more?

Head over to this handy blog post: Conversations at the Restaurant 🍽️🇪🇸
There you’ll find real‑life dialogues in Spanish at a restaurant, useful phrases, and helpful tips — perfect for building your confidence when you dine out or visit a Spanish restaurant in London. Dive in and get ready to speak like a local! 👍

🍽️ Tapas to order like a Spanish local 😎🇪🇸

If you want to eat como un auténtico español, aquí tienes una lista VIP de tapas esenciales — perfect to show off when ordering:

🧀 Jamón ibérico de bellota

Silky, nutty, legendary. If you order this, you get Spain.

🥚 Tortilla de patatas 

Say it like this to sound local:

Una tortilla jugosa, por favor.
(A juicy tortilla, please.)

🦐 Gambas al ajillo

Hot prawns swimming in garlic & olive oil. Heaven in a pan.

🥔 Patatas bravas

Spain’s national addiction. Ask for extra sauce 😏

🐙 Pulpo a la gallega

Tender octopus with paprika, salt & olive oil. Simple. Wow.

🫒 Aceitunas aliñadas

Marinated olives — classic, simple, muy español.

🥖 Pan con tomate

A Catalan masterpiece. Simplicity done right.

🍚 Paella (but careful 👇)

Not a tapa! But if you find a place making it properly — order it.
If not… huye (run 😂).

🧠 Bonus phrase to sound truly Spanish:
Vamos a picar algo
Let's nibble on a few things / get tapas