6 Spanish Restaurants in Sydney

Sydney has to be one of the most iconic tourist destinations in the world; a place where everything is super-sized and sun-drenched! The capital of New South Wales, its most recognised feature is perhaps the Opera House located on the harbourfront, along with the arching, dazzling Harbour Bridge. Darling Harbour is massive, and a huge visitor destination for waterside life, along with Circular Quay Port. Visitors flock to the city for the culture, entertainment, retail and for high-quality dining, with the city making a mark for itself on the international gastronomic scene. It's great news if you love Spanish restaurants as Sydney has plenty!

If you're hunting down Spanish restaurants in Sydney, you can take a wander through some of the main dining areas for inspiration. There is a thriving dining scene in the city, helped by a culture which sees workers making the most of their leisure time with social activities, dining and enjoyment of the good weather. Look out for Spanish restaurants in Sydney with roof gardens or outdoor terraces, as al fresco dining in the sunshine will only enhance your experience! Why not follow up your meal at one of Sydney's Spanish restaurants with a drink in one of the quayside bars, or listen to some live music? The nightlife is enticing and the people are friendly. Even better, the great weather means that you can enjoy being outdoors until late!

When it comes to tapas venues, Sydney’s got the lot. Among the simplest are bars or cafes that serve up Iberian style snacks, where you can simply pull up a barstool or snag a table, order your drink, load up on small plates and start feasting. Also popular are dedicated taverns with moody black and red colour palettes, as well as flamenco music playing in the background. So they may be a little kitsch, but after a few jugs of sangria, you might just start to imagine yourself in Seville. Other options are full-blown Spanish restaurants where small plates make up just one item on a packed menu. Here, they can function as hors d'oeuvres to accompany an aperitif.

Sydney’s a sprawling metropolis with a vibrant downtown, enchanting harbourside, and a clutch of breezy suburbs. After a day in the office or shopping malls of the CBD, tapas bars offer opportunities for both sustenance and relaxation. Join savvy locals in guzzling chicken liver parfait, pan-seared scallops with chorizo, and other delights at the Barrafina Tapas Bar. Both the Rock and Darling Harbour feature a bevy of tapas taverns overlooking the harbour, and City South, East and West are each known for its respective small plate experience. Unsure of where to go? Let Quandoo find the right spot for you!

Great places to begin your search for Sydney's Spanish restaurants are Darling Harbour, Circular Quay, the Central Business District, The Rocks and the little mini-burbs that dot around the city centre. For example, you'll find interesting Spanish restaurants in Sydney's Walsh Bay, which is a bustling entertainment precinct and home to the city's dance and theatre companies. Circular Quay is also a great spot and home to some of the most exciting chefs in the city, including Peter Gilmore, Matt Moran and Neil Perry. Remember to explore the lanes that wind under the city's skyscrapers too, as they are often home to smaller Spanishrestaurants in Sydney, along with great cafes and bars to try out after your meal.

If you simply want to hunt down the Sydney Spanish restaurants that get the best feedback, then why not read some of the reviews from our community at Quandoo? You'll find honest, detailed insights that will make it easier for you to select the Spanish restaurants in Sydney that suit your wallet, hotel accommodation and plans for the night. Some of the smaller venues are naturally better suited to couples and quieter occasions, and the larger venues are perfect for birthday parties, engagement parties and any occasion that calls for a fiesta! Remember too that you can book your table up to 2 hours in advance with Quandoo; why queue at Sydney's Spanish restaurants when you can just cruise in and get seated straight away!

When the sun sets over Sydney’s suburbs, one popular seaside spot is Mojo's Tapas Bar on Bondi Beach. It’s a big draw with its happy hour, refreshing sangria, and vibrant chilli prawns. Darlinghurst with its Bohemian feel and funky bistros also boasts some of Sydney’s finest tapas dining, as do Surry Hills, Manly, Woolloomooloo Wharf, Parramatta and Neutral Bay. So when you head out to the ‘burbs for some tapas action in Sydney, let Quandoo show you the way to the best restaurant.

One of the best things about Sydney's Spanish restaurants is the diversity of menu choices. Perhaps you fancy classic tapas, such as croquetas, Gambas al ajillo, Ensaladilla Rusa (a potato salad with Russian roots which is highly popular in Spain) or Pimientos de Padrón - spicy green fried peppers from Galicia in the north of the country. Tapas are ideal for a light lunch, and you'll find that most of the Spanish restaurants in Sydney recommend ordering around 3-4 tapas dishes to make up a meal. If you are on holiday, why not combine your meal with a glass of chilled sangria. Actually, make that a jug; this fruit-infused punch is a real crowd-pleaser!

Tapas is quintessentially Spanish, but in multicultural Sydney, questing Aussie chefs are dreaming up their own take on small plate cuisine. Making maximum use of local ingredients, they cook up tantalising creations such as lime and tuna tataki salad with avocado. Another popular variant is Latino-Spanish fusion which is done well at the ever bustling Bodega in Surry Hills. Choose from fish fingers, scallops, lamb dishes, and more – and see them cooked up in the open kitchen.

If you're visiting one of the high-quality Spanish restaurants in Sydney for dinner, you can go down the tapas route for a leisurely, social meal, or try a meal from the menu. Classic paella is packed with prawns, chicken, chorizo and delicately spiced saffron rice, and it works perfectly as a main, perhaps with a light gazpacho as an appetiser and a serving of Crema Catalana for dessert; the Spanish equivalent of Crème brûlée. Pulpo A La Gallega - or octopus - is well worth experiencing in a city where the seafood is always fresh, and Fabada Asturiana combines everything that you'd want in a stew to hearty perfection. Remember that, although the Spanish tend to dine very late by most standards at home - often from 10pm onwards, the Spanish restaurants in Sydney will start serving food from late afternoon onwards. You may also find cheaper 'early bird' menus to enjoy. Buen provecho; enjoy your meal!

One small plate snacking phenomenon currently in vogue is the Street Market Asian Tapas. Yum cha outlets by day, they spice up the snacks and swap tea for liquor as the sun goes down. Sample all of Asia in one place with Sichuan-style spicy squid, Filipino inasal chicken BBQ, and Vietnamese spring rolls, which all taste great washed down with a stubbie or even plum wine and sake. Other Asian fusion tapas joints in Sydney include About South East Asian Tapas out in the suburbs in the Cronulla area. If your tastes veer towards Japanese, you should definitely try one of the many gastropubs known as izakayas.

One of the most appealing thing about tapas dining in Sydney is its relaxed informality. It’s a feature that fits perfectly with the laid-back Aussie lifestyle. Tapas dining offers the freedom of a bar crawl with great food along the way. Find a place you love and spend the night there, or decamp to another when the mood strikes. It's completely up to you. Heading to the theatre, sports game or other event in Sydney? Tapas makes for the ideal quick meal before the show, game or opening night. Or after a stressful day in the office, cast off the cares of the day over some spicy nibbles, a glass of wine or two, and some invigorating banter in great company. That's the magic of tapas, Sydney style.