For years "Spanish restaurant" abroad meant the same handful of tapas. That is changing. A new generation of chefs is exporting Spain’s regions specifically — and it is the most exciting thing happening in Spanish food outside Spain.
Spain is not one cuisine
Spain is a country of regional kitchens that barely resemble each other: Galicia’s cold-water seafood, the Basque obsession with fire and produce, Andalusia’s frying and sherry, Valencia’s rice, Catalonia’s bridge between land and sea. The interesting chefs abroad are picking one and doing it properly.
What to look for
- Galician — pulpo a la gallega, percebes, Albariño.
- Basque — grilled steak and turbot, pintxos, txakoli.
- Valencian — rice cooked to order, paella and beyond.
Regional kitchens to look for
- Galician: Sangria 71 on Long Island, founded by two Galician brothers.
- Basque: Casa Xabi in Miami, cooking the food of San Sebastián.
- Valencian: Arros QD in London, Quique Dacosta's wood-fired rice restaurant.
- Alicante: Levante Gastrobar y Arrocería in Cayey, Puerto Rico, built around Alicante rice dishes.
Follow the specifics
When a menu names a region and a technique instead of just "tapas", pay attention — that is a chef with a point of view. Cities like Paris and London increasingly have them. Explore the full directory to find your region.
