Any good Spanish restaurants in your neck of the woods?

[Ben]

One thing I discovered when being taken to Spanish tapas bars in London is that Spanish food does not export well, not in the same way as say Italian, or Thai. Maybe it's because hardly any Spaniards emmigrate that there is such a poor Spanish food culture outside Spain. At least in my experience, mostly based on South London eateries.

Do those of you who live outside Spain have a place nearby to eat really good Spanish food? Does it exist outside Spain?!

[Chiny]

Do those of you who live outside Spain have a place nearby to eat really good Spanish food? Does it exist outside Spain?!
I have been to several places with an all-Spanish menu here in Bristol, UK with varying quality. Based on my Spain experiences, two of these are good, one easily confused with the real Spain but for one obvious difference - the price - a tapa at £4.50 or €6.40 :o

--
Chiny

[simonb]

Hi Chiny

What's the name of the good places in Bristol and where abouts are they?

Thanks

Simon

[ValenciaSon]

I live just outside of Washington DC. In DC, there is a restautant which is run by a Spanish priest who actually runs several in Spain as well. It's called La Taberna del Alabardero. It's pretty good.

In Bethesda, Maryland, we have a pretty good tapas restaurant called Jaleo's. My father, who is from Spain and a bit finnicky about authenticity, thought it was pretty good.


Has anyone heard of these places?

[timg]

La Giralda in Pinner Green (UK) is nice, though I haven't been there for 2 or 3 years here's a review (http://www.viewlondon.co.uk/info_restaurant_6502.html)

[Brian]

When we lived in Texas, we were quite spoiled to have an excellent restaurant in Dallas, Café Madrid. We do have a "Spanish" restaurant here, but it's far from authentic. I'd much rather start a wood fire and cook my own Paella to get my Spain fix. :rolleyes:

[amp]

I live in Melbourne, Australia, and despite the fact that we are spoiled for choice when it comes to food from around the world, I agree with Ben that the Spanish restaurants and bars I have encountered don't really live up to the real thing.

There is a bar in the centre of the city called Movida that tries very hard and comes very close, especially with the cheeses and wines, but it is incredibly expensive and too 'pijo'.

A churros place called 'San Churro' has just opened in Fitzroy (inner city area), and their 'churros con chocolate' are as good as any I tasted in Spain (complete with Estopa music playing), but it's hardly a substitute for all the fine tapas I miss.

There has been very little Spanish migration to Australia, and so there isn't much authentic Spanish food. Many places try to do tapas, but it is just an attempt to be trendy and not at all real tapas. And don't get me started on the quality of the paella!!

There is a fine deli called 'Casa Iberica', also in Fitzroy, that sells imported food and other items from Spain and Portugal. They are the best place to go for queso, jamon, arroz de Calasparra, magdalenas, azafran de espana, etc, etc.

[Mikebriscoe]

Here in Manchester, England, there is a sizeable Spanish community - mostly students at one of our three universities. There's an Instituto Cervantes, too. There are three above-average Spanish restaurants. First a branch of the La Tasca chain, which is always busy, and noisy and good. There is a oposh (and to my mind posing) restaurant called Evuna. The best is El Rincon, owned and run by real Spaniards. It's great

[Chiny]

What's the name of the good places in Bristol and where abouts are they?
El Puerto near Queen Square on Prince Street
Oceans next to the Estate Agent with the same name on Blackboy Hill

--
Chiny

[Kelly]

Chicago has some of the best food in the country. I didn't realized how spoiled I was until I tried living in other states for a while. There is a reason we always make the list of the top 20 fattest U.S. cities, though I wouldn't blame it on the healthy Spanish restaurants. I think some of the best Spanish restaurants here are Barcelona Tapas in Evanston and Emilios Tapas, Iberico Cafe & Bar and Cafe Ba-Ba-Reba in Chicago. There are others but I haven't tried them yet.

[Jimmy]

Here in Australia (well at least in Perth) - there are no good spanish restaurants - there is hardly any at all - One called Costa Brava - which everyone kindly refers to as Costa Packet - and it hardly ever has paella:eek: . There are a few mexican ones around - but all these are relatively cheap and nasty.......The food in spain was amazing, and i don't know why with all the european immigration that spanish food has not taken off over here. Italian on the otherhand is outstanding and plentiful - along with all the asian cuisine here !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Maybe a business opportunity for some spanish cooks who want a change of scenery (the beaches here are fantastic !!!).

[wil129]

We have two spanish resturants in San antonio Tx one is called Las Ramblas located in hotel contessa in downtown San Antonio we have only been there once,it is a bit pricy, the other resturant that we go to often is called Don Quixote located at 1721 Babcock rd our favorite tapas a are calamares a la Sevillana, gambas a ajillo,ensalada rusa which is potato salad with tuna,tapa mixita which is served with serrano ham chorizo manchego queso and aceitunas or olives, and tortilla espanola.
Entrees that I like are alcachofas con Jamon,cocido,fabada astriana, and Paella. Desets are flan which they won best in San antonio.
www.donquixotesa.net (http://www.donquixotesa.net)

[saiguanas]

Don Quixote has been around for a while, hasn't it? I never knew we had any Spanish restaurants in town. Of course, to be honest, I didn't think much of Spanish food as a whole. The paella, gambas al ajillo, and some of the tortillas were good. The jamon took some getting used to but then it kind of grew on you. Kind of like Cruz Campo.:eek:

I thought that the Spanish food that was good was really good and that some of it needed a little more spice or seasoning. Of course, I don't have to tell you Will, that I was probably used to our spicy fat Mexican food here. Though I can't stand eating anything that has been cooked in any oil except olive now.

Aw, heck, I get to rambling. I'll check out Don Quixote if for nothing else the gambas! Do they have any Spanish beer there? I have only recently found that HEB Central Market on Broadway caries Alhambra but only the premium lager.

[saiguanas]

From Don Quixote's website:

We are now serving Mexican Plates with a lunch special of $5.25

You can't go anywhere without getting Mexican food here.:D

The review sounds promising. Too bad the menu is not available though. I think I know where I'm going for lunch tomorrow. Thanks.

[Acosta]

Last weekend my wife and I found a very nice authetic place called Sevilla in Long Beach (they have other locations too).

http://www.cafesevilla.com/


Here's the menu


http://www.cafesevilla.com/LongBeach/menu_dinner.cfm

[saiguanas]

Have to give a thumbs down to the Don Quixote in San Antonio.

Half of what was on the menu was Mexican food. The paella was not bad but not real good either. Definately not worth $15. The gambas al ajillo had a decent flavor but "something" was wrong. Maybe the size of the shrimp or the texture. The beer was all American or Mexican with the exception of San Miguel which was probably the Phillipines version.

When we walked in we were greeted by Tejano music not Spanish. The waitress had a very Tex-Mex Spanish. When asking for cafe con leche she thought I simply wanted some milk in my coffee.

Although they had pictures of Spain and a flag and the red and yellow colors, it didn't have a very Spanish atmosphere. It reminded me of a taco house but with Spanish decor instead of Mexican.

I would pop in again but I wouldn't go out of my way.

[Tali]

I live just outside of Washington DC. In DC, there is a restautant which is run by a Spanish priest who actually runs several in Spain as well. It's called La Taberna del Alabardero. It's pretty good.
Has anyone heard of these places?


There are two Tabernas del Alabardero in Marbella - one on the beach in San Pedro de Alcantara and another up the road that goes to Ronda. Excellent food, but alas, exorbitantly priced.

[allan]

One thing I discovered when being taken to Spanish tapas bars in London is that Spanish food does not export well, not in the same way as say Italian, or Thai. Maybe it's because hardly any Spaniards emmigrate that there is such a poor Spanish food culture outside Spain. At least in my experience, mostly based on South London eateries.

Do those of you who live outside Spain have a place nearby to eat really good Spanish food? Does it exist outside Spain?!

I think there are two main problems. First, tapas bars in London are tryingto attract a trendy, affluent twenty-something clientele and so feel the need to "dress" it all up and make it more into a restaurant experience. In Spain it's basically pub grub - arguably the best pub grub in the world.

Secondly, with the best will in the world I think it's difficult to source many of the ingredients especially on the fish & seafood side and if you can it's going to be expensive. Navarros in Charlotte St. mentioned by someone else in another thread used to have a pretty good one in the basement but I haven't been there in decades. They had very good cigalas - and I mean
nice big fat ones not some skinny little langoustines. When I asked the manager where he got them from he said that he had shot down a plane flying down from Scotland to Madrid. Reveal your sources or what?!

Even the much vaunted Moro in Exmouth Market, so beloved of London foodies, is only so-so when compared with what you can get in pretty much any ordinary local bar in Spain. They're fairly good by London standards though.

Avoid the La Tasca chain like the plague. They started off well but then success went to their heads and quality went down as they opened more branches.

Another moan, most of them don't seem to able to distinguish between Spanish and Mexican food. I like Mexican food and could rant on about the state of that in the capital, but that's another topic

Allan

[Edith]

Casa de Sanchez in Utrecht serves simple but authentic Spanish fare:

http://www.dinnersite.nl/utrecht/casasanchez/menu.htm

This is what it looks like on the inside:

http://www.dinnersite.nl/utrecht/casasanchez/index.htm

[Edith]

I'd much rather start a wood fire and cook my own Paella to get my Spain fix. :rolleyes:

No wonder, you're married to an expert! :D

[tad]

This place is in North London, I've been 3 times and had a great meal each time- although the service can be rather lax (not unfriendly, but lacking attention sometimes). It's a bit out of the way (although next to Harringey mainline)-some mixed reviews from other people though.

http://www.london-eating.co.uk/3193.htm

Use this site for more ideas for Spanish eateries in London.

[Jon Hundt]

there are some good tapas bars in Amsterdam, some are even pretty authentic. There are also lots of tapas places with good enough food, only it's like nouvelle tapas and has very little to do with real Spanish food.

what gets me is all the so-called tapas places don't serve tapa-size tapas, only the large plate (isn't it called racione in Spain?) and at really large prices. Which sort of defeats the whole purpose of tapas...

[fuseli]

One thing I discovered when being taken to Spanish tapas bars in London is that Spanish food does not export well, not in the same way as say Italian, or Thai. Maybe it's because hardly any Spaniards emmigrate that there is such a poor Spanish food culture outside Spain. At least in my experience, mostly based on South London eateries.

Do those of you who live outside Spain have a place nearby to eat really good Spanish food? Does it exist outside Spain?!

Totalmente de acuerdo con esa opinión.Comer de "español" en Uk es horrible.Especialmente por la "materia prima" .Está a años luz de la de la península.

[tad]

We went to La Rueda in Wigmore St. on Saturday night and I enjoyed it (in spite of some of the comments here (http://www.london-eating.co.uk/2456.htm))-don't know if my pigeon Spanish helped but I thought the service was OK and the food good. I've never actually been to a proper Spanish tapas bar(as in, in Spain) this place has tapas and full meals. The flamenco dancer was a game old bird too. :)


*I would like to thank eldeano for the technical assistance that made this post possible.*

[eldeano]

*I would like to thank eldeano for the technical assistance that made this post possible.*

Careful, I don't want the others calling you a lameculos! :blush:

[tad]

Careful, I don't want the others calling you a lameculos! :blush:
I would never lamer anybodies culo.:cool:

(..although if a boxed set of LOST DVD's is up for grabs....:rolleyes:)

[ZeroTX]

Not much worth mentioning here in Houston.... In Ye Olde Republic of Texas :)

I ate here the other day for a friend's birthday party:

http://www.mi-luna.com/

The food was OK. A few things were good, others were just so-so. I doubt it was terribly authentic. Also, it was way overpriced. We kinda have high expectations in "bang for the buck" here in Texas (and in most of the U.S.) for restaurants. A place as casual as this should cost no more than $15-20 per person and it easily cost $35-40 per person to eat. Also, I asked for a Spanish beer selection and they could only offer me MEXICAN beers. I love Mexican beer, but that wasn't exactly my intent!

Also, the paella tasted good, but I'm told it was not authentic.... whatever it was, it was pretty good though.

-Michael

[gtappend]

There is a page in Germany called Restaurant-Kritik.de (http://www.restaurant-kritik.de/suche.php?n=n&send=send&art=&send=send&rname=&ort=&plz=&bundesland=&adk=spanisch&umkreis=&sub.x=52&sub.y=10&sub=sub) that currently lists 745 Spanish restaurants here! Some of them even have reviews or evaluations attached to them.

[Alison30]

If you are up Newcastle way then try El Torero - the tapas are as good as any I have tried in Spain (so far anyway, I am still not that well travelled as far as Spain is concerned) - seems pretty authentic. I went for the second time last night with a friend before we went to a concert. The only disappointment I had was it seemed to be the Spanish staff's night off and we were served by an English girl. The last time I went was on a Saturday night and all the staff were spanish which gave it a much more authentic atmosphere (and gave me an opportunity to speak a bit!)

they have a website anyway - http://www.eltorero.co.uk/ so check it out!

[Alison30]

Hey guys, if we keep this up we will have a guide to spanish restaurants around the globe:)

[gtappend]

The only disappointment I had was it seemed to be the Spanish staff's night off and we were served by an English girl. The last time I went was on a Saturday night and all the staff were spanish which gave it a much more authentic atmosphere (and gave me an opportunity to speak a bit!)

Our Spanish group went out to eat together once at a catalonian restaurant and our teacher ordered first. The waiter gave her a blank look and told her that he was Italian and asked her to repeat what she had said in German.:rolleyes:

[Alison30]

Our Spanish group went out to eat together once at a catalonian restaurant and our teacher ordered first. The waiter gave her a blank look and told her that he was Italian and asked her to repeat what she had said in German.:rolleyes:


Oh dear!!¡¡!! At least the English waitress managed to repeat my perfect (jeje) pronunciation of the Spanish names for the dishes when she brought them to the table...don't think she did it with as much flair as me tho :D:D

[La Pueblerina]

I went to Jaleo (D.C.) and it was good. Here in Rochester, MN they have opened a tapas bar that is anything but....Anyone know of any good restaurants in Minneapolis?

Gracias!

[Edith]

Yesterday I went to a new Spanish tapas restaurant in Utrecht, Casa Granada. The food was a bit overpriced but on the other hand, it was authentically Spanish! We pigged out on the aioli and the croquetas. :D

Many so-called 'ethnic' restaurants in Holland cater to the Dutch first and foremost, which often means compromising on taste and authenticity (Mexican restaurants, for instance, skimp on cilantro :rolleyes:).

This is not what Casa Granada seems to be about. There were several Spanish guests in the restaurant.

A snapshot of the bar:

http://www.casagranada.nl/

And here's the menu:


http://www.casagranada.nl/menu/

[greytop]

Edith - that looks like a good place to go. Glad you enjoyed it. Were the portions tapas or raciones? Bit steep if the former.

[Edith]

Porciones. I was with a friend and we shared the following tapas:

Pan con aioli € 2,90, croquetas con jamón € 5,00, gambas a la plancha € 6,50, chorizos fritos € 5,00, chuletitas de cordero € 6,95, pollo con salsa € 6,50, ensalada Casa Granada € 5,00

We both had two glasses of vino tinto, and flan for dessert (€ 4,00), and we both spent € 35 (tip included).