Since Spain took home the trophy at this summer’s FIFA World Cup, it seems like the whole Bay Area has developed a serious craving for the nation’s extraordinary gastronomy.
You’ll find us at these tapas institutions, lively wine bars, and buzzy newcomers (including Bad Bunny’s favorite local spot) from San Francisco to Silicon Valley digging into Basque pintxos, Valencian paella, Catalan classics, Andalusian sherry, and more.
Macarena
(Alvaro Valiente)
Macarena is one of the Bay Area’s most exciting Spanish newcomers, a buzz Bad Bunny helped turn up when he chose it for a private post–Super Bowl celebration. Opened in 2025 by chefs Sergio Box and Toni Santanach, the stylish Palo Alto restaurant brings a lively, modern spirit to Spanish dining. Start with jamón Ibérico croquetas, potato churros bravos, chargrilled octopus, or squid-ink cones filled with tuna tartare, then move on to the signature paella negra con vieiras or seafood rossejat de fideuà. Three styles of sangria and a tableside Spanish G&T cart keep the mood festive from the first pour to the last plate.
// 420 Ramona St. (Palo Alto), macarenarestaurant.com
Coqueta
The late Michael Chiarello conceived Coqueta as a love letter written from California to Spain. The Embarcadero’s Pier 5 provides the drama for this restaurant, where patatas bravas, wood-grilled pulpo a la parrilla, chicken croquetas, and head-on prawns with black garlic are standouts. The signature paella mar y montaña combines prawns, clams, mussels, chorizo, and peas over bomba rice. Add an oversized Spanish G&T and Bay Bridge views from the waterfront patio, and you’ve got yourself a night out.
// Pier 5, The Embarcadero (Embarcadero), coquetasf.com
Canela Bistro Bar
(Courtesy of Canela Bistro Bar)
Chef Mat Schuster and Madrid-born co-owner Paco Cifuentes have blended Spanish tradition with California seasonality at Canela since 2011. Crowd favorites include jamón croquetas, patatas bravas, tortilla española, pulpo, and garlicky gambas al ajillo. For the main event, try the made-to-order mixed seafood-and-chorizo paella, then finish with churros and chocolate. Spanish wines, sherry, vermouth, sangria, and a dog-friendly patio make lingering easy.
// 2272 Market St. (Castro), canelasf.com
Pícaro
Madrid-born Carlos Muela and Matilde Gómez opened Pícaro in 1982, and the Mission institution remains old-school, affordable, and ideal for groups. The huge menu covers gambas al ajillo, chorizo salteado, morcilla, croquetas, and grilled artichokes. Longtime favorites include tortilla española, garlic mushrooms, and the meat-and-seafood paella. Add a pitcher of Picaro’s famously potent sangria and snag a table on the sunny back patio.
// 3120 16th St. (Mission), picarocafe.com
Telefèric Barcelona
(Mariam Rubalcava)
Telefèric has the most direct line to Spain on this list: the Padrosa family opened the original near Barcelona in 1992 before bringing the concept to California. Patatas bravas are a guest favorite, crab croquetas rank among the most ordered tapas, and the slow-cooked Pulpo Telefèric is a signature. For paella, lobster is the crowd-pleaser, the squid-ink negra a bestseller, and the mixta the classic. More than 200 Spanish wines complete the experience. At the Los Gatos location, El Merkat, a Spanish market stocked with imported delicacies, pantry staples, wines, and other treats to take home gives you another reason to stop by,
// 1500 Mt. Diablo Blvd. (Walnut Creek), 855 El Camino Real #130 (Palo Alto), and 50 University Ave., Ste. B270 (Los Gatos), telefericbarcelona.com
PintxoPote
PintxoPote gets its inspiration straight from San Sebastián and the Basque Country. Chef-owner Hector Figueroa keeps the Los Gatos spot intimate and focused on the region’s popular pintxos “small snacks” and Spanish wine. Favorite plates include pulpo a la plancha, clams in chorizo broth, anchovy-topped pintxos, shrimp-and-mushroom skewers, and Spanish cheese and charcuterie. Finish with a caramelized torrija and let the staff suggest a sherry or Spanish wine pairing.
// 424 N. Santa Cruz Ave. (Los Gatos), pintxopote-tapas.com
La Marcha
(Courtesy of @lamarchaberkeley)
Michelin Guide–selected La Marcha takes its paella seriously. The classic mixta”combines chicken, chorizo, and head-on prawns, while the Tres Cerditos goes all-in on pork with shoulder, morcilla, and chorizo. Seafood fans can choose marinera or arroz negro. Start with patatas bravas, croquetas, garlic prawns, or braised beef cheeks; happy hour adds a complimentary tapa with drinks.
// 2026 San Pablo Ave. (Berkeley), lamarchaberkeley.com
El Lopo
El Lopo imagines the neighborhood bar California might have had if it had remained part of Spain. The changing menu brings favorites like Yukon Gold potatoes with saffron aioli and Ibérico pork fat, Galician-style empanadas, anchovy-stuffed olives, jamón Ibérico, and conservas. Drinks are a real adventure, with sherry, vermouth, Spanish wines, Basque and Asturian cider, and pours from a porrón.
// 1327 Polk St. (Lower Nob Hill), elloposf.com
Zuzu
(Courtesy of @zuzunapa)
Downtown Napa veteran Zuzu has mixed Spanish inspiration with Northern California ingredients since 2002. Gambas al ajillo are a longtime staple, joined by favorites such as boquerones, queso frito, tortilla española, and paella. The rice dishes are cooked to order, with seafood, arroz negro, lobster, and seasonal versions appearing on the menu regularly. Zuzu’s extensive gin-and-tonic program offers a refreshing detour after a day of cabernet in Wine Country.
// 829 Main St. (Napa), zuzunapa.com
Nook
Nook is part café, part tapas-and-wine hangout, and one of the best perches on Hyde Street for cable-car watching—the stop is practically at the front door. Come for brunch, then return after work for Spanish wines and casual tapas-style plates such as bocadillos, cheese, charcuterie, and rotating small bites. Corner windows and sidewalk tables are especially fun spots to linger over tapas and one more glass.
// 1500 Hyde St. (Nob Hill), nooksf.com
