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If you want the latest taste of this city's mini–Spanish revolution at the ground level, the place to go is a cheery little establishment in the Flatiron district called Boqueria. The proprietor isn't Spanish, and neither is his chef-partner, Seamus Mullen. And Boqueria isn't, strictly speaking, a tapas joint either. In fact, the main dishes and midsize plates are arguably better than the tapas. But this place is packaged like a tapas bar—a stylish, updated one, that is. There's a bar up front, a narrow, communal table in the middle of a long room, and rows of clubby, bar-size tables lining the walls. The room (along with the uniforms of the competent, terminally perky wait staff) is carefully coordinated in tones of toffee, beige, and sandy brown, and the thing you notice, after a visit or two, is that it's very loud, in a convivial tapas-like way, and it's almost always packed. — Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld

Ideal Meal

Tortilla española, $7; suckling-pig special, $29; paella Valenciana (for two people), $29; hazelnut ice cream with chocolate-and-coffee mousse, $7

Related Stories

New York Magazine Reviews

• Adam Platt's Full Review (10/30/06)

Best of New York Awards

• Best Paella (2007)

Featured In

• Where to Eat 2008 (1/7/08)
• Where to Eat 2008: Best Up-and-Coming Chefs (1/7/08)
• Restaurant Openings & Buzz: Province, Roll and Dough, Boqueria, Subtle Tea, and Macchiato Espresso Bar (8/21/06)

Recipes at Boqueria

• Oil-Poached Mackerel, Navy Beans, Grapes, Eucalyptus (2006)