After touring Spain for 3 1/2 weeks in October, passing on some restaurants we enjoyed. Only a few misses.
Barcelona:
Zarautz (Sants) quiet local area, good meals & tapas.
Cuidad Condal & Tapas24 (pricey but good, especially octopus) near Placa Catalunya.
Girona-Bar Boira set menu overlooking Onyar River.
Zaragoza:
Dona Casta-THE place for croquettes, unique flavours like chicken-chocolate.
Bal d'Onsera-we had the 43eu Senses tasting menu, best dining experience, excellent staff, great value!
San Sebastian .. tapas, tapas, tapas!!!!!
Zeruko hands down for innovative creations + variety.
Borda Berri melt-in-your-mouth beef cheeks, pigs ears. Never thought I'd try them nor like them but went back for seconds!
Paries Basques for chocolate, toffees & gelato.
Bayonne:
L'Embarcadere
La Chistera-terrine & duck.
Le Bistro Quai-ravioli ... craving pasta by now!
Bilbao:
Cafe Iruna-beautiful Moorish design, delicious lamb skewers @ eu2.50 by Ahmed.
Aizian-AVOID!! Terrible service, some dishes awful, disappointing Michelin star.
Malaga:
Taberna del Pintxo-our go-to for tapas & wine.
Granier bakery on Calle Nueva-fav breakfast spot. Coffee & sandwiches for 4 under eu12 total!
AC Hotel rooftop terrace for views & drinks. Didn't get a chance to eat there.
Nerja-Parador for lunch, lovely views, good value & you can park for free. 😉
Granada-Parador for lunch, peaceful overlooking gardens.
Valencia:
Panorama at Las Arenas beach-awesome ocean view. Good chicken+rabbit paella. Loved all dishes, very nice desserts. Ate here 3 times!
La Pepica-loud, touristy, poor value paella.
Seu Xerea-eu19 set lunch menu very good.
La Comisaria-creative fusion with an asian twist. Soft shell crab yum! Enjoyed watching chef create dishes.
Refugio-eu12 3-course lunch. Duck appetizer rocks!
Canalla Bistro by Ricard Camarena
Overall we learned quickly that Spaniards pour alcohol very generously so buying 4 glasses of wine better than getting a bottle. We had to say stop a few times when ordering liquor!
We had to ask for butter when served wonderful warm bread.
We had no problem communicating with our very limited 10 words of Spanish & some sign language. Many eager & patient to help. Loved Spain!