Owned by restaurateur and chef Grant van Gameren, Bar Isabel has been a staple on the Toronto food scene since opening its doors in 2013. It can be credited with establishing van Gameren as a unique creative force at the pinnacle of the city’s culinary scene following his rise in the kitchen of the legendary

Grant van Gameren and Robin Goodfellow, of the superb Bar Isabel, opened Raval to mimic the tapas bars of Barcelona. Its look is pure Gaudi, mahogany carved into great swooping curves and cutouts, a triumph of gorgeous whimsy. It’s a bar. You stand. No cutlery save for a tiny fork, mostly finger food — pintxos

With a specialty in sangria and taking inspiration from Gaudi, Picasso and Dalí, what else has to be said to lure you in to Barsa Taberna?  Perhaps that it’s housed in a 19th-century heritage protected building and its authentic tapas bar perfectly captures the essence and ambience of the Barcelona nightlife all the way on

If you judge a book by its cover, then this place is dead. It looks like a cheesy, overdecorated ethnic caricature, with more Spanish tchotchkes than any sane person should have to look at. The menu too is off-putting, in its excessive length, which suggests that you can have anything you want — from the

A few short blocks north of Yonge and St. Clair, Cava has been serving eclectic and inventive food to diners for over 10 years. The classy yet cosy space is complete with a lighting fixture that takes up much of the dining room’s ceiling and a large bar with wooden finishes. The cuisine is inspired

To visit Edulis is to feel immediately like a friend, ushered to a convivial dinner party that celebrates authentic cooking. The ever-changing, made-from-scratch menu highlights and celebrates seasonality, but does not veer from its cornerstones: seafood, vegetables, and wild mushrooms. The no-tipping eatery was deemed the best new restaurant in Canada when it opened in

Taking over the former Niagara Street Café space is Edulis, a charming new bistro from Tobey Nemeth and Michael Caballo. After a veritable tour of the world saw the married duo working and living in Italy, Spain, Panama and Vancouver, it was time to find a place to call home. Last year, when they caught wind that Anton Potvin was selling the Niagara space, they figured it was just what life had in store.

Take a trip throughout Latin America without leaving Queen West at El Almacen. This cafe specializes in mate, a earthy tasting drink made from the yerba mate, a species of holly. The drink, which at El Almacen is served in a gourd and drank through a filter-tipped metal straw called a bombilla, is ubiquitous in

Although it gained attention as a tapas spot, Labora has graduated to becoming a fully realized restaurant with incredible drinks and raw bars, plus weekend brunch options! Labora specializes in rustic Spanish food from the Andalusia region where chef Rob Bragagnolo had spent time in Mallorca. Classics include a fried squid sandwich reminiscent of the

Leña is the newest addition to the Oliver & Bonacini empire. For Anthony Walsh, the company’s corporate executive chef, this project is especially close to his heart. Leña is named after his Argentinian mother-in-law and pays homage to her country’s cuisine.

Catalan flavours are flamenco dancing onto peoples palates at the Distillery District’s Madrina Bar Y Taperia. Celebrated gastronome and native Catalan Ramon Simarro  has curated a tapas menu that features your favourite memories from the Mediterranean with some international influences. The interior is beaming and whimsical and, in typical Spanish fashion, is fitted with native

Owner and Chef Luis Valenzuela jumped at the opportunity when he learned that Delica Kitchen was up for sale, the space is next to his traditional regional Spanish restaurant Carmen

For Hanif Harji and Charles Khabouth, it’s all about the details. Originally slated to open properly in time for TIFF — when it did open for a brief stint — Patria officially swung open its doors a few weeks ago. Harji and Khabouth’s latest offering is an ode to all things Spanish. Translating into “fatherland,” the term patria is reflective of the restaurant’s desire to showcase traditional Spanish cuisine.  

The slabs of jamón serrano hanging in the window are the first clue as to Pimentón’s offerings. José Arato’s uptown space is part grocery store and part take-out joint, with a dash of cooking school on the side; the essence of Spain links everything together. Fire-engine-red and lime green walls set off rows of high-end products (think homemade strawberry jam and wedges of goat cheese), while salads and sides greet visitors from the countertop display.

Owner Gary Tsang and chef Richard Andino have opened Tapagria on Commerce Valley Drive in Markham as an ode to their shared loved of Spanish food. The menu ranges from tapas and pintxos to full plates to desserts.