¿CóMO? Taperia
Photograph: Courtesy of ¿CóMO? Taperia | ¿CóMO? Taperia
Photograph: Courtesy of ¿CóMO? Taperia

The 9 best Spanish restaurants in Vancouver

Tapas, paella, jamón, vermut and enough garlic to destroy a first date: these are Vancouver’s essential Spanish eats

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Vancouver may not have a Spanish restaurant on every corner, but what it lacks in quantity it increasingly compensates for with swagger. Among the dizzying selection of incredible Vancouver restaurants, there are frenetic tapas bars channelling Madrid, ambitious kitchens taking paella very seriously, old-school institutions, magnificent jamón and enough vermouth to turn an innocent snack into an evening. Don’t sleep on these Spanish eateries for your next date night.

Time Out Market Vancouver

Best Spanish restaurants

¿CóMO? Taperia

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First, abandon any fantasy of a quiet little tapas dinner. ¿CóMO? channels the standing-room bars of Barcelona and Madrid, complete with tapas displayed in custom cases imported from Barcelona. Order tortilla española, a Bikini sandwich and whatever glorious conserva catches your eye. Then discover there’s Spanish vermut on tap and all the sherry you could want. Plans for an early night: cancelled.

Casa Molina

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Casa Molina is Spanish home cooking in its Sunday best. Start with 48-month acorn-fed jamón Ibérico, then get ambitious: salmorejo comes topped with Manchego ice cream and jamón crumble, while paella Valenciana sticks to chicken, rabbit and Albufera rice. Seafood fideuà and inky arroz negro are equally persuasive. Even the Basque cheesecake contains blue cheese. Subtle? Not especially. Memorable? Absolutely.

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España Restaurant

Tiny, intimate and refreshingly uninterested in beige food, España has been feeding the West End at this original location since 2012, and now they’re in Time Out Market Vancouver too. The changing menu at the OG restaurant might bring crispy anchovy-stuffed olives, chicharrones glazed with paprika honey, prawns in fino sauce or squid with sobrasada. There’s a daily paella, too. Wash everything down with sherry, Spanish wine or a kalimotxo, because red wine and Coke is considerably classier when served with Spanish flair.

Bodega on Main

Bodega has history on its side, drawing on the legacy of the Rivas family’s beloved original Vancouver Spanish restaurant. Happily, nostalgia hasn’t fossilized the menu. Current temptations run from gambas al ajillo and grilled octopus to callos a la madrileña and an Ibérico pork tomahawk. For maximum drama, order paella senyoret with lobster and shell-free seafood. Eating with your hands is charming. Fighting shells in public, less so.

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Social Corner

Purists, avert your eyes. Social Corner gleefully mixes Spanish and Italian traditions, which is precisely why it works when half the table wants paella and the other half is emotionally attached to pizza. The Spanish side comes armed with 48-month jamón Ibérico de bellota, patatas bravas, chorizo and seafood or chicken paella. Diplomacy has rarely involved this much saffron.

Jamoneria by ARC

Yes, it’s in Richmond, but trust us, it’s worth the schlep. Jamonería is destination dining for anyone who understands that great ham is a legitimate reason to cross a municipal boundary. Cinco Jotas 100-percent acorn-fed Ibérico is carved by hand, while gildas, Cantabrian anchovies, Galician octopus and secreto Ibérico round out the menu. The signature bocadillo puts Ibérico ham, tomato and olive oil between bread: more than the sum of its parts.

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Ultramarinos Pepe

Not every Spanish meal needs candles, reservations and a paella pan large enough to require planning permission. Ultramarinos Pepe recreates the neighbourhood corner shops of Spain, selling pantry goods alongside café and counter food. The move is a freshly made bocadillo built from the same Spanish ingredients stocked on the shelves. Eat sandwich. Buy ingredients. Attempt recreation at home. Realize Pepe did it better. Return.

Violeté

Spain and Italy flirt shamelessly at this Commercial Drive bistro, and nobody needs to pick a side. Start Spanish with gildas, jamón Ibérico croquetas and patatas bravas, then veer toward pasta if temptation strikes. Weekend brunch gets especially cheeky with tortilla española and chorizo with fabada Asturiana. A Spanish Old Fashioned made with vermut seals the cross Mediterranean affair.

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Paella Guys

Restaurant? No. Worth knowing? Very much yes. Paella Guys chef Javier Blanc took second prize for the world’s best paella at the 2023 Concurs Internacional de Paella Valenciana de Sueca in Valencia. Vancouverites can hire the team to cook giant paellas live at parties, weddings and events, complete with that all-important crispy socarrat. For fans of the dish, it’s worth organizing a neighbouthood block party just to get a taste.

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