25 of the best tapas restaurants London has to offer

Before there were small plates, there was tapas. For some time, plates of food have been shrinking and multiplying as the London food scene embraces a transition to eating small plates designed for sharing. It seems only right that Spanish tapas, which centres on snack-style dining, is becoming a sought-after cuisine amongst foodies.

Traditionally, Spanish food revolves around the ritual of sharing small dishes, with classic menu items including croquetas, patatas bravas and tortilla. Tapas typically involves hot plates as well as cold starters, such as gazpacho, olives and cured meats. Across the board, the country’s cuisine focuses on simple cookery to let quality ingredients shine through but different regions have their own take. For example, the Basque country specialises in pintxos, which are bite-sized snacks often served in bars and designed to be enjoyed with drinks like vermouth. Elsewhere, Catalonia makes use of fresh seafood coming in from its neighbouring Mediterranean coast, as well as specialising in vegetable-forward dishes, like pan con tomate.

Tapas restaurants often offer an intimate, interactive experience with many choosing to have an open kitchen where guests can see their food being prepared first-hand. Dishes tend to be served as and when they’re ready, making for a fun, dynamic experience. London has welcomed a range of modern Spanish restaurants that use refined cookery or innovative techniques to elevate the cuisine. However, traditional tapas bars dotted across the city have remained popular over the years for a more authentic, carefree experience.

How do we decide the best tapas restaurants in London? Well, our team of expert restaurant critics is out and about pretty much every day of the week, looking for the best London restaurants. We've visited pretty much every noteworthy tapas restaurant in London, and the list below contains ourr favourites, both old and new. Check out our top picks below or explore our full list of tapas restaurants near Central London.

Pizarro, Bermondsey

What: Renowned as being a pioneering force in making Spanish food popular in the UK, José Pizarro is the owner of seven restaurants, with the majority in London as well as one in Abu Dhabi. Pizarro is a larger-sit-down restaurant, located just down the road from his original tapas bar, José and his all-day diner, Lolo. All of his Bermondsey Street spots are excellent quality, but Pizarro is best-suited for groups or those who want to enjoy bigger plates, like grilled Galician sirloin or sucking lamb leg.
Where: 194 Bermondsey Street, SE1 3TQ
Book now: Pizarro

Tasca at Cav, Bethnal Green

What: Cav is a new highly-anticipated wine-come-listening bar in Bethnal Green from the duo behind Oranj and Half Cut Market. Their current chef residency is Tasca, who specialise in Spanish and Portuguese small plates, including Galician octopus gildas, confit duck rice and their must-have item, the bikini sandwich covered in maple syrup. To wash it down, the wine list is an impressive array of female winemakers and the cocktails are hard to beat.
Where: 255 Paradise Row, E2 9LE
Book now: Tasca at Cav

La SPOT, Fitzrovia

What: La SPOT is a new tapas restaurant in Fitzrovia specialising in brioche sandwiches. The brioche here takes multiple forms, including as a slow-cooked octopus hot dog with onion marmalade and Makoto cheese or as a pulled oxtail and cheddar burger with red wine sauce. Dubbed as 'highly addictive', these adventurous sandwiches are the main event but there’s also a range of delicious tapas, including sea bass carpaccio and crab salad, that’s well worth a try.
Where: 18 Charlotte Street, W1T 2LZ
Book now: La SPOT

Tollington's, Finsbury Park

What: Following their roaring success at The Plimsoll, the Four Legs team decided to turn a former North London chip shop into a traditional Basque pintxo bar. Emulating the casual, care-free style of these Spanish eateries, Tollington’s encourages guests to come as walk-ins and perch up on a bar stool to eat. Their fish-forward menu features saltfish pintxo, sardines escabeche with crisps and cod cheeks with curry sauce but they have also become well-known for their chips bravas and pork bifana.
Where: 52 St Thomas's Road, N4 2QQ
Book now: Tollington's

Jamon Jamon, Multiple Locations

What: Having originated as 'George and Nicky’s' back in the 1950s, Jamon Jamon is the place to go for truly authentic Spanish cuisine. Now with three locations across London, including Soho, Camden and Belsize Park, Jamon Jamon credits their popularity to word-of-mouth recommendations, with many of their guests becoming regulars. Their no-frills restaurant offers classics like Spanish omelet, gazpacho and Iberian pork a la plancha. 
Where: 3 Caxton Walk, WC2H 8PW; 38 Parkway, NW1 7AH; 177 Haverstock Hill, NW3 4QS
Book now: Jamon Jamon Soho; Jamon Jamon Camden; Jamon Jamon Belsize Park

Mar I Terra, Southwark

What: For another taste of tradition, Mar I Terra is a neighbourhood tapas joint specialising in simple, home cooking. The restaurant opened its Southwark doors back in 2000 having taken over a pub called 'The Hop Pole' which had been trading for over a hundred years. The menu includes fresh Cantabrian anchovies and sizzling tiger prawns, with much of their produce shipped directly from artisan producers in Spain.
Where: 14 Gambia Street, SE1 0XH
Book now: Mar I Terra

Morito, Hackney

What: Morito is a sought-after restaurant in Hackney with food that draws influence from Southern Spain, North Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean. The menu pays attention to vegetarian options, including crispy aubergine with date molasses and whipped feta and the wine list incorporates some lesser-known producers, such as from the Canary Islands. For a more casual affair, head to Morito Exmouth Market.
Where: 195 Hackney Road, E2 8JL
Book now: Morito

Bar Kroketa, Soho and Marylebone

What: From the team behind Brindisa, Bar Kroketa brings one of Spain’s most favoured dishes to the forefront, the croqueta. From chicken with homemade mustard and chicken skin to sobrasada with granny smith picada, there’s over eight styles of croqueta to choose from. But that’s not all, their innovative menu also includes anchovy gildas, Guinness chorizo popcorn and crab toastie with house pickles.
Where: 21 Beak Street, W1F 9RR; 23 Barrett Street W1U 1BF
Book now: Bar Kroketa Soho; Bar Kroketa Marylebone

Barrafina, Multiple Locations

What: For tapas with a more modern touch, Barrafina blends the charm of Spanish tapa bars with the upmarket taste of cosmopolitan Londoners. With multiple locations in the city, all of their restaurants centre around an open kitchen where guests can soak up the energy of the chefs at work. The food is refined, with a focus on both seasonal and regional specialties, including scallop crudo, cod pil pil with trinxa and ox cheek fritters.
Where: 26-27 Dean Street, W1D 3LL; 10 Adelaide Street, WC2N 4HZ; 43 Drury Lane, WC2B 5AJ; 27 Coal Drops Yard, N1C 4AB; 2 Dirty Lane, SE1 9PA
Book now: Barrafina Soho; Barrafina Adelaide Street; Barrafina Drury Lane; Barrafina King's Cross; Barrafina Borough

Sabor, Mayfair

What: This tapas joint is the place to go if you want the sort of Spanish-accented small plates you won’t find anywhere else in the UK. Seats at Sabor’s long, L-shaped counter surrounding the open kitchen can be tricky to come by, but once you’re in, you can expect the likes of oil-soaked pan con tomate topped with a vivid ruffle of cured meat, wild mushroom croquetas, and bombas de chocolas (grown-up profiteroles).
Where: 35 Heddon Street, W1B 4BS
Book now: Sabor: The Counter; Sabor: El Asador

Escocesa, Stoke Newington

What: Several ex-Barrafina chefs are behind the steel dining counter at this Stokey favourite, so you can be sure of top-quality Spanish fare. Escocesa, which is Spanish for ‘Scottish’, claims to hijack Scotland’s finest seafood before it reaches Spain to be sold. The open kitchen specialises in seafood-based tapas, like Ullapool mussels a la plancha and Shetland razor clams. They also have two sister restaurants, Maresco, also in Stoke Newington and Bar Esteban in Crouch End.
Where: 67 Stoke Newington Chruch Street, N16 0AR
Book now: Escocesa

Copita, Soho and Fitzrovia

What: Copita is popular with West Enders looking for authentic Spanish tapas and a good, affordable copita of Spanish wine. Pull up a wooden stool amid tile-clad walls and glowing candles (or people watch from one of the little tables out front) and tuck into the likes of mushroom croquetas or tuna tartare with bone marrow and bonito flakes. The menu changes all the time, but the quality is always top-notch.
Where: 27 D'Arblay Street, W1F 8EN; 62 Goodge Street, W1T 4NE
Book now: Copita Soho; Copita Fitzrovia

Capote y Toros, South Kensington

What: Located next-door to its flagship restaurant Cambio De Tercio, Capote y Toros is the younger, louder and boozier alternative. With live Spanish guitar, classic tapas and a BYO licence, the restaurant transports its guests straight to the streets of Andalusia. Indulge in their popular selection of ibérico hams, pop in for a bite of Basque cheesecake or choose from their list of over 125 sherries! 
Where: 157 Old Brompton Road, SW5 0LJ
Book now: Capote y Toros

Bravas Tapas, St Katharine Docks

What: This family-run tapas in St Katharine Docks offers a modern take on Basque small plates. Their vibrant menu features foie gras “crema catalana” with cherries, Bellota ham and home-made brioche, Spanish black pudding sliders with green apple slaw and spiced lamb chops with rosemary aioli. In the summer months, this riverside restaurant is a lovely location to enjoy one of their carefully selected Spanish wines and artisanal snacks.
Where: St Katharine Docks, E1W 1AT
Book now: Bravas Tapas

Donostia, Marylebone

What: Located just across the road from its sister restaurant, Lurra, Donostia takes its name from the city San Sebastian. Specialising in Basque cuisine, it offers gildas, crab and caviar pintxos and white anchovies with red piquillo peppers. The food focuses on quality and seasonality with an open kitchen where guests can check out the behind-the-scenes. The interiors are clean, modern and polished with a private dining room available for those looking to celebrate a special occasion.
Where: 10 Seymour Place, W1H 7ND
Book now: Donostia

Brindisa Tapas, Multiple Locations

What: Brindisa is one of the UK’s best-known importers of Spanish produce so you can count on their restaurants to deliver on quality ingredients. Enjoy their fresh produce with an array of hand-carved cured meats or appreciate some of their classic dishes, like fried goat’s cheese with orange blossom honey or squid ink black Bahia rice. Their restaurants are dotted all over London and are great places to host groups and events.
Where: 18-20 Southwark Street, SE1 1TJ; 46 Broadwick Street, W1F 7AE; 7-9 Exhibition Road, SW7 2HE; 25 Circus Road West, SW11 8EZ; 5 Whittaker Avenue, TW9 1EH; Floral Hall, Borough Market, SE1 9AF
Book now: Brindisa London Bridge; Brindisa Soho; Brindisa South Kensington; Brindisa Battersea; Brindisa Richmond; Brindisa Borough

The Port House, Covent Garden

What: Located in the heart of the West End, The Port House is a cosy, candlelit Spanish restaurant. Having built their reputation with three restaurants in Dublin, the team brought their winning formula of excellent wine and thoughtful food sourcing to London. With a comprehensive menu offering everything from Catalan style cannelloni to truffle croquetas, there’s something for everyone here.
Where: 417 Strand, WC2R 0PD
Book now: The Port House

Barcelona Tapas, Aldgate

What: This family-run restaurant has cheerful interiors featuring a bar covered in colourful mosaics, full-size matador costumes and mustard yellow walls. Their a la carte menu covers all bases, from charcuterie to paella, and a sharing set menu is a good way to go for a bit of everything. Between its charming feel and traditional flavours, this quirky tapas bar might have you mistaking your industrial Aldgate surroundings for the leafy Las Ramblas.
Where: 1 Middlesex Street, E1 7AA
Book now: Barcelona Tapas

El Pirata, Mayfair

What: This Mayfair restaurant has been serving informal, inexpensive and authentic Spanish cuisine for over thirty years. A classic neighbourhood Spanish tapas, El Pirata is a buzzy back-street hidden gem in the heart of London. With a range of snacky tapas, brunch dishes, speedy lunch specials and party menus, El Pirata caters to all occasions. Expect classic dishes, like pan con tomate as well as modern snacks, like chorizo and quail egg mini buns.
Where: 5-6 Down Street, W1J 7AQ
Book now: El Pirata

Lobos, Soho and London Bridge

What: Dreamed up by a team who met while working at renowned Spanish food group, Brindisa (also featured on this list), Lobos is born out of a love of hospitality, good wine and outstanding meat. Sourcing their meat just a few paces away, their Borough Market tapas joint brings Spanish classics to London’s exciting food scene. Their menu includes a “hidden” cut of Iberico pork, herb crusted lamb rack and sirloin on the bone as well as more typical dishes like patatas bravas and grilled octopus leg. They also have a sister restaurant in Soho.
Where: 48 Frith Street, W1D 4SG; 14 Borough High Street, SE1 9QG
Book now: Lobos Soho; Lobos London Bridge

The Little Taperia, Tooting

What: Sandwiched between the many Indian restaurants on Tooting High Street, The Little Taperia is a small yet buzzy tapas joint with traditional bar seating and a focus on Iberian flavours. Complete with wooden furnishings and ceramic tiling, this homey Spanish haven is a cosy spot serving courgette tortilla, stuffed baby squid and some knock-out Negronis.
Where: 143 Tooting High Street, SW17 0SY
Book now: The Little Taperia

Dehesa, Soho

What: Conveniently located in the heart of Carnaby, Dehesa (part of the tapas restaurant group, Salt Yard) is the perfect midday lunch pit-stop. Specialising in charcuterie and seasonal tapas, the bar offers Spanish and Italian small plates, from aubergine parmigiana to pil pil tiger prawns. Zigzag your way across the Med with their head chefs tasting menu and be sure to save room for dessert, there’s dulce de leche, churramisu and pistachio with white chocolate buñuelos!
Where: 25 Ganton Street, W1F 9BP
Book now: Dehesa

Parrillan, London Bridge and King's Cross

What: Taken from the Spanish word for grill, Parrillan is all about cooking over fire. Guests can decide whether they want to take on the challenge of grilling their own food on their own mini parrillas or leave the cheffing to the professionals. Their stripped-back menu is a selection of traditional snacks, pintxos and parrillada (for the grill) including mussels, queen scallops and tuna tarantelo.
Where: 4 Dirty Lane, SE1 9PA; Coal Drops Yard, Stable Street, N1C 4AB
Book now: Parrillan London Bridge; Parrillan King's Cross

El Ganso, Hackney

What: This cafe-come-bar hidden on the corner of Broadway Market offers both British breakfasts and Spanish tapas. It’s a family-run affair with a fun atmosphere; if you’re lucky you might catch one of their live flamenco nights or Spanish fiestas. Their versatile menu encompasses charcuterie, seafood and snacks that use bread from their Hackney neighbourhoods, E5 Bakehouse.
Where: 59 Broadway Market, E8 4PH
Book now: El Ganso

Decimo, King's Cross

What: Michelin-starred chef Peter Sanchez-Iglesias heads up this King’s Cross restaurant, where he merges his Spanish heritage with his love for Mexico. The menu is a real hybrid of cuisines, from aguachile, ceviche and tacos to gildas, patatas bravas and Iberico pork chop. This fusion extends to the drinks list, with a Catalan Rosado Brut at one end and a mezcal martini at the other.
Where: The Standard, 10 Argyle Street, WC1H 8EG
Book now: Decimo

If you love Spanish cuisine, check out our round-up of the best Spanish restaurants in London. 

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