Best Spanish cuisine in the Bay Area
andI recentlyseveral readers reviewed emailed Barcino me in asking Hayes for Valley, more Spanish restaurants I could recommend. In the past couple of years, quite a few Spanish restaurants have opened. Some of the newer ones go to the top of my list, but one of my than favorites20 which years is hason also Hydebeen one in Streetof businessthe in oldest:San for Francisco,Zarzuela, more offering a more traditional vibe. Some such as the Commissary are excellent and use the cuisine for inspiration but are really more Californian than Spanish. Here are my five top picks in the Bay Area. Each offers paella, tapas and a good time.
Bellota: This restaurant and Barcino are owned by the Absinthe group, but Bellota has a more fully realized execution. The grand restaurant, opened last year in the Airbnb headquarters in the design district, is beautifully designed. In my opinion it makes the best paella in the Bay Area.
I also love the bravas (extra crispy potatoes), whole roasted fish, and the Gin/Tonic, in which diners mix and match the two main ingredients. 888 Brannan St., San Francisco; (415)430-6580 or www.bellotasf.com. Lunch Monday-Friday; dinner Monday-Saturday.
Shakewell: Jen Biesty cooked for many years in San Francisco and decided to feature a Spanish theme with her partner, Tim Nugent, when she opened in Oakland nearly three years ago. Although the menu has become more eclectic since then, it still offers some exceptional preparations.
The four paellas are distinguished by the crunch of caramelized rice on top of the dish rather than on the bottom. Other must-order dishes are octopus with salsa verde, olives, Calabrian chiles and chorizo; and fried chicken with fenugreek yogurt (OK, it may not all really be Spanish, but it’s so good I don’t care).
3407 Lakeshore Ave., Oakland; (510) 251-0329 or www.shakewelloakland.com. Lunch Wednesday-Friday; brunch weekends. Dinner Tuesday-Sunday.
Coqueta: The Spanish cuisine here is shaped by Northern California sensibilities, and with views of the Bay Bridge out some windows, that blend makes sense. Everything is good, but the restaurant has become known for its pea and chicken coquetas, grilled branzino with green olives and preserved Meyer lemon, and the gaucho steak that serves two to four. I also appreciate the paella cooked with a serrano chile and seafood broth.
Pier 5, the Embarcadero, San Francisco; (415) 704-8866 or www.coquetasf.com. Lunch Tuesday-Sunday; dinner nightly.
Zarzuela: When Zarzuela opened more than two decades ago, there were very few places serving Castilian-inspired specialties.
Chef-owner Lucas Gasco seems to always be in the kitchen, and the food is consistently good. Some favorite small plates include sauteed mushrooms, sauteed shrimp in olive oil and garlic, and squid with aioli. Also consider the rich oxtail stew and zarzuela, a seafood stew.
The interior looks like something you’d find in Barcelona, but the cable cars rolling along outside let you know you’re in San Francisco.
2000 Hyde St., San Francisco; (415) 346-0800 or zarzuela.cafes-world.com. Dinner Tuesday through Saturday.
La Marcha: Opened in Berkeley a little less than two years ago, La Marcha is the place to go for paella in the East Bay.
Owners Sergio Emilio Monleón and Emily Sarlatte started Ñora Cocina Española mobile catering in 2013 and quickly became known for the giant paellas they served at private events and at Off the Grid. Several are featured in their restaurant, but my favorite is the Arroz Negro ($32): The shiny black rice, stained with squid ink, is topped with clams, fennel sausage, peas, piquillo peppers and salmon roe, with a scattering of anchovy breadcrumbs on top.
The menu features about 25 tapas, including several flavors of croquetas, wild boar meatballs and goat-cheese stuffed piquillo peppers.
2026 San Pablo Ave. (at University), Berkeley; (510) 647-9525. www.lamarchaberkeley.com. Dinner Tuesday-Sunday.