So good from start to finish. Everything we ordered hit, and I already know I'll be back to try the rest of the menu. Service was great. Our server was attentive and around when we needed something but never interrupting, and his recommendations ended up being some of our favourite dishes. The anchovy olives were a standout, super crispy, packed with flavour, and not overly fishy at all (great if you're a bit hesitant about anchovies). The mushroom toast was rich, savoury, and full of umami. Just a heads up not to let it sit too long since it softens the bread. The tuna tartare was fresh and well-balanced. Not my personal favourite served on toast, but still really enjoyable overall. The paella was excellent, perfectly cooked shrimp, tclams, and crispy pork belly chicharrón that added the best salty, fatty crunch. The roasted cabbage completely surprised me and was easily one of the best veggie dishes I've had in a while. I could have eaten a whole plate of it. We wrapped things up with churros and shared a pitcher of sangria. For three people, it came out to about $68 each before tip, which felt very fair for how much we ordered. Would definitely recommend. read more

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The service was friendly and prompt but we were a bit disappointed by the food. We ordered the meat and cheese plate and they did say one of the options was fattier, but it was essentially a strip of fat (as you can see in the photo). As well, the manchego was so tiny it was like a shaving . The bone marrow amounted to about three teaspoons of marrow. We were so sad and dissatisfied. The patatas bravas was okay. Unfortunately we do not have a reason to return. read more

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Fantastic cuisine and service, consistently, with a lovely outdoor seating option in the summer. We are incredibly fortunate to have this restaurant in the West End. Highly recommended! read more

I invited my family here and the food was amazing! I'm definitely coming back to try their deserts too as I have heard they're pretty good too. It's quite expensive but worth every dollar Staff were friendly and the space is decorated nicely, but keep in mind it becomes busy at rush hours so make sure to reserve ur spot beforehand read more

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Tonight we tried this place for the first time. Such a good Tapas styled place. Super friendly service. We brought our dog and sat at the patio. Our waitress Jessica is so warm and brought water for our dog. She recommended amazing dishes for us and it was for perfect quantity. We had the pork Belly, probably the best I've ever had. The anchovy sandwich. The spicy eggplant was delicious, which I got so excited and finished without taking a photos. Their fish special today was salmon with buttery sauce, and the sauce is divine! Everything we had was absolutely delicious and will be back! Thank you for being awesome! read more

España Restaurant - Pork Belly, so good! - Spanish Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Had a delightful dine out experience here! I absolutely loved the anchovies toast, it is a must get here! Their service and vibes here are excellent, perfect for a date night or hangout with friends! read more

Nice place on Denman Street in downtown Vancouver. We sat at the bar as the wait for a table was long, especially if you don't have reservations. We got the chicarrones (pork belly), roasted spiced eggplant, galacian style grilled squid and pork skewers. The pork belly and squid were great. The pork skewers were a little dry but that seems normal as I rarely find any place where skewers aren't dry. The service was good as they are attentive and the place has an intimate atmosphere. read more

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Have you ever had a craving for a Margarita that just hits the spot? Well....I like them with a kick, strong and as a bonus, smokey...and that is exactly what I got with the Spicy Smokey Margarita at cozy Espana. Loved it. Coincidentally, I was also into tapas that night and they delivered that marvellously with the array of Spanish flavours and fresh ingredients it was one of those dine outs that was an experience rather than sit, have a few laughs, eat and go home. If I were you I would get a little bit of everything off their menu as that would give you close to the 180 degree venture. Ok...my faves this time around....The Margarita, The Eggplant, The peppers and the deep fried olives....oh and The Parmesan Mushroom. That Margarita though.... The atmosphere again was what I was looking for that night....mood lights, comfortable seats, great ventilation and warm and welcoming expert service.....I don't know...maybe I'm gettin' old but ....my patience for subpar service is on a massive decline these days. Our server was an absolute pro and with the amazing food and drinks and a "don't wanna leave" table....Yup. Yeah.....I think I'll make another reservation. read more

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This cozy tapas bar offers an assortment of small plates that are interesting twists on traditional tapas. We particularly enjoyed the Spanish tortilla, the sautéed mushrooms on toast, and the cheese assortment. Be sure to try the churros, which are almost more like beignets, offered with two different dipping sauces. There's a nice selection of appropriate wines by the glass. Reservations are needed on Friday and Saturday nights, even to sit at the bar. read more

España Restaurant - Exterior - Spanish Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Came out on a Friday night and was extremely pleased! The ambience was fun and lively, making for an extremely satisfying tapas night. Our server was extremely knowledgeable and made sure that we tried the show stoppers on their menu. Favorites for the night were for sure the anchovy stuffed fried olives and the eggplant dish! The paella was also on point, but seemed like they were just throwing whatever they had in the kitchen - the pork crackling was a little overkill. Do not make the same mistake as I did and over order your mains! You must save space for their homemade churros! Overall a great spot with great food! Try some sherry too if that's what floats your boat! read more

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I don't think the food was that great. The food was so greasy and it would have been ok if it was olive oil like how it is in Spain, but I don't think that was olive oil. It also served "sea bass" that tasted like cod.... And the texture too. read more

I went here with a friend for dinner with a high expectation for their paella. Our server was amazing and very sweet, and the vibe is more like a Spanish tavern so the space may be limited when it is crowded. Though we had a high expectation for the paella, unfortunately our paella was too salty for our liking. However, everything else was excellent and I loved the cheese so much. Overall, it was a great experience and would have been perfect if the paella met our expectation. read more

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Can't say enough great things about this place. Super cute, delicious food, and genuinely exceptional service. We loved it. Can't wait to return. read more

As the scent of Spanish cuisine pervades the atmosphere, I'm taken to the dimly lit dingy restaurants on the shores of Cadaques... truly a taste of Spain. This place may be small (cozy), with the usual lineup at dinnertime, it's worth the try. The steak stands out, though I'd prefer a larger portion, but it's small plates - authentic sharing food. I don't need to list out the menu, though have tried almost every dish, the olives, beets, squid, un vino tinto (my standard order in every corner of Spain) is sheer perfection. Go for the food, you'll forget the service could do with a teeny upgrade read more

Great service, food and drinks. Since the indoor dining ban, they've increased their outdoor seating. We have been to Espagna many times, but have never posted before. I've popped in for a quick drink and a bite twice in the past week, and really enjoyed it. We tried several of their cocktails and I'm especially keen on their iteration of the Jungle Bird, my favourite tiki drink! I've already had it three times, and the only reason I didn't have more is that things start get "sloppy" ha ha. We didn't eat much, just a couple of small snacks. Looking forward to going back and having a full dinner again soon! read more

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Came here for dine out and was impressed with everything. Delish flavours and the perfect amount of food that left me satisfied. Especially enjoyed the fish that was perfectly cooked-crispy on the outside and tender and moist on the inside served with a very silky celeriac purée. The churros were amazing. Not too sweet with that dulche de lèche sauce is to die for. Warm atmosphere, perfectly timed food and excellent service. Will be back to try more of the menu. read more

Was taken here for dinner tonight. As we arrived a little early, we also slid into happy hour (Monday-Friday, 4 to 6 PM) and ordered the Chorizo Scotch Egg, Octopus Conserva with Toast and a glass of the Spanish house red (all $5 each). The 2 tapas were delicious and wished we had ordered more of the other tapas to go with the well balanced red wine. For the main, we had the daily paella (at market price and since I didn't pay for dinner, didn't know how much). The paella was more than enough for 2-4 people to share. The first serving was delicious and loved eating the hot rice with shrimp and ham. With the second serving, I truly felt the saltiness and couldn't finish the final serving. I love paella and understand Spanish food leans on the salty side. My friends took 1/3 of what was left home. For dessert, Churros with thick rich hot chocolate. It was really good and the closest to what I have had in Spain. The churros at Espana is soft while in Spain a bit more crunchy. Still, the sweetness was a good balance to the saltier paella. Service was fast and efficient. The restaurant is small so strong suggest you make reservations. I would return for the happy hour as there are 9 items and the 2 that we ordered had good portion size and $5 for a glass of Spanish wine is hard to beat. Would be curious to try the other dinner items too. read more

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A very delightful evening spent at España. A very friendly neighborhood restaurant which offers great selections of tapas and daily special. Menu is easy to navigate, and good emphasis on seafood choices. Will definitely return, suitable for party of a few, or dine alone at the bar. read more

España Restaurant - the entrance to the restaurant - Spanish Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

During our work-cation, we came in right around opening time for dinner. The paella was a seafood paella with clams and shrimp. We also had the daily fish which was a crispy rock cod. Our waiter was super polite and professional, and gave us a good explanation of the daily specials. The food was really good. Fresh, hot, not too salty, not too oily. Had a good balance of spices while not overwhelming with any specific flavor profile. The crispy rock cod was our favorite; but the paella was definitely solid too. Ended our meal with some yummy churros. Excellent dining experience. read more

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My husband and I came here in 2019 and had a fantastic meal. We returned tonight and had yet another fantastic meal: crispy olives, pork belly, baby beet salad, grilled calamari, ribeye steak, churros and chocolate mousse. Everything was absolutely delicious. This is now our favorite restaurant in Vancouver. But don't tell anyone - the place is tiny and I want to be able to get a seat the next time we return : ) read more

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I love España for cozy, intimate nights, sharing a bottle of wine and eating share plates slowly over conversation. This place is about the experience. I wouldn't eat on the outdoor patio, as I think that the full experience of España would be missed by sitting on the sidewalk. The food is good. I've enjoyed everything that I've ordered here. The food is not exceptional, but the prices are moderate and so I don't expect Michelin level plates here. The service is warm and welcoming. Sitting at the bar is a good option if you didn't make a reservation for a table. I consider this a gem of the West End, and the fact that it's busy every night means that others agree. read more

it was a's bday a week ago and so we decided to do a belated bday celebration at my place with takeout frm espana. we also wanted to take advantage of the dineoutside deal that's going on right now. a called into the restaurant the day before (so saturday in this case) and ordered the paella picnic set for pick-up. the restaurant told her pick-up time would be around 5:30pm due to the time it takes to make the paella (im guessing). fast forward to sunday, day of pick-up, and a shows up at the restaurant at around 5:25pm to be informed by the staff that the kitchen had a mix-up - the order was apparently taken down incorrectly and there was to be another 25min wait due to the mistake. s and i found this to be very odd - the call for the order wasn't planned super ahead of time (1 day only) and if a didn't show up, what would have happened to the order? also, though there was complimentary items provided (olives and 1 can of pop), it still left a dark stain for the start of the celebrations. the paella did taste amazing - there was a lot of seafood and the portion size was decent. it's advertised as 2-person size but the 3 of us was def full by the time we finished the paella. the salad that was included was...lacking compared to the paella. some of the arugula and romaine leaves looked welted and the size of the salad failed in comparison with the paella. the sangria that came in the combo - it basically tasted like chilled red wine. not sure if it was due to the fact that there wasn't enough time to let the fruit infuse or the fact that there was only 3 slices of orange in the 1L mason jar? i hope this was just a off-chance subpar experience with this restaurant, considering the other amazing reviews for this place. read more

España Restaurant - Spanish Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

We had our Staff Christmas party last nite at Espana. It was closed to the public as out peeps filled the restaurant. The Food was delicious, atmosphere was excellent, but the best part of the evening was the outstanding service. I have to give a special shout out to our server Jessica who made our time there special. Thanks to the staff and management. Jeff read more

Getting a table at España is tricky because it is so popular, but it was worth the wait. The atmosphere is cozy and intimate, and the staff are friendly and engaging. It was our first visit, and our server gladly helped us navigate the well-considered tapas. Everything was fantastic, well-portioned and flavourful. The chicharrones and roast baby beets were particular favourites. We explored two Spanish wines we'd never tried before--the Verdeo Verdejo 2019 (white) and Atteca Garnacha (Old Vines) 2018 (red)--and both were excellent. My only complaint is the restaurant is poorly lit. Besides that, we had a terrific experience and expect to return again soon with our flashlights. read more

When you're near English Bay and Denman, this place has patio and indoor seats with excellent Spanish food. We'll be back with a group of four to try their daily paella. The chicharron is also a must to order, pairing it with a cerveza or sangria. read more

España Restaurant - Fish feature: Sockeye salmon with pomegranate and grapefruit, avocado and fried capers. - Spanish Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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We had an amazing experience dining here at Espana. The food here was phenomenal and the drinks were delicious. Definitely recommend checking this place out, the staff was super nice too. All the dishes we had were so good but the steak was unreal. read more

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Flavours and good, menu is a little bit limited. My only complaint is the prices. I understand that food now cost more than ever but patatas bravas is basically fried potatoes with a paprika based sauce. They shouldn't be expensive. This is a tapas bar. Portions are small. So if you are looking for a place to enjoy a drink and a small tasty snack, this is your place. read more

Popular hole in the wall on the West End that spills into al fresco dining on the street. The deep fried anchovy olives were a nice twist on the things that come out of the can. The pork belly was quite good: sweet crispy and of course a lot of fat. The paella was tasty: it was a "special" that night and one order was plenty enough for two people. I ordered the flight of dry sherries but did not really care for them. Maybe I just don't like sherry wine. Heads-up: if you are paying with non-canadian money beware: they will add a surcharge of 4.99% above the exchange rate to the bill. Unfortunately you do not know this until you're done with your meal. read more

Overall, I quite enjoyed the food here! But España has two things going against it. It's very busy and fills up really quickly, with people waiting in line starting about an hour after it opens; and service seems to be very slow. The first isn't much of an issue if you come early, but it is certainly a bit frustrating to wait half an hour or more between finishing your appetizers and getting your main meal. That said, I enjoyed my Dine Out menu here in terms of food. I started off with patatas bravas, which are potatoes cooked in a delicious tomato sauce and topped with some aioli. These were great! Then I had the meat paella - it had a few chunks of perfectly cooked pork belly, some nicely seasoned chicken, and all of it was cooked together with rice that really absorbed the flavours well. And dessert was great too - their churros are yeasty and breaddy rather than crunchy and dense, which was a fun change of pace, and they came with a great dulce de leche and yogurt dip. But as I said - the restaurant was crowded, loud, and slow to bring out food. So while I'd like to come back and try some of their other food, which I'm sure is tasty, I'm hesitant because of how long it took to get our food. Of course, it may have just been because Dine Out was especially busy for them - I'd be willing to give them that chance! read more

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Relatively small but it's in Vancouver and it's a tapas & bar place so that's expected. Easily packed so make sure you make a reservation! Staff are all very friendly except one was cold and confusing. Our waitress is from Spain himself and he's extremely attentive and friendly. The other blonde lady that seems to be a waitress and host was nice and full of smiles too. The other waitress in all black has a cold tone and not the most helpful when the two older couples seating beside us had trouble seeing the menu. The place is quite dimmed down so that might be a problem for some people with eye problems. The same waitress brought us our bowl (for shells) since we orders the Paella. My boyfriend moved it in the middle of our table and she slide it right back to the edge of the table and said, "this needs to be on the side or else how can I put the Paella" and we were both looking at each other like 'oh, we didn't know'. Then when our Paella came, she slide the bowl in the middle and told us it needs to be moved. (In my head I'm like, you moved it there and told us to leave it so we didn't dare to touch it and now you are telling us we need to move it like we got that in your way?) Other than that particular experience, the rest of the night was great. Some are really worth it like the drinks, tapas, and the desserts. Some other main dish were good but not too memorable and overall considered a little overpriced. The tapas are worth every penny. Fresh ingredients, mice plating, and delicious. The Paella was yummy but not the best I've ever had. The shrimp was way too salty for me without the rice but my boyfriend likes it. The swordfish was AMAZING, tender and flavourful. The calm was a bit small but otherwise tasty too. The rice is softer and wetter the ones I'm used too, but not a bad thing at all. Just different, so if you are used to and only like drier and firmer paella rice then be prepared that this is different. Some street parkings and a paid public parking lot right across the street. Walking distance to the bus stop. Not my favourite tapa bar but they do have some great dishes so will come back again! read more

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Good food, really wish the service was better. There were 2 people working there, both not very attentive and a smile wouldn't hurt. It's a small place and it's quite romantic to sit in the corner seat at the back. Their vanilla bourbon sour was delicious! I didn't try their paella...apparently it's for 4 or more so will have to go back to try it! read more

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We went for a Dine-Out dinner here. The food was fantastic and the service was excellent. Cute place....it was busy but it didn't feel crowded. Thank you! read more

When visiting Vancouver, I don't stay around English Bay too often, but this restaurant will be the reason to for future stays. España provides a solid experience from service, atmosphere, food and drink. From the moment I entered, I was greeted promptly, and seeing as I came for a table for one, I was seated quickly for a busy Friday night. My welcoming server was prompt and stayed so for the whole evening. I was introduced to the menu and I allowed the server to make recommendations. I started with the deep fried chickpeas. Light and crispy, not greasy, and seasoned with sweet paprika and mint. A great starter or shareable tapas as most of the menu is. I opted for an entree which was the daily catch. It was sea bass, pan fried with crispy skin. This was served on top of crispy Brussels and potatoes, with a sauce made with capers. I had progressed from an appetizer light and sweet, to a most filling dish with the most strict balance of salt, oil, crunch, and chew. My recommended wine pair was the Godello. She also let me try the Verdejo which wouldn't have cut the saltiness of my entree as well. Perfect suggestion. I finished naturally with the churro x2 with the dolce du leche/yogurt. These were done spot on. Airy fried and dusted perfectly in sugar. I spooned all of the leche as this sat on the bottom of the glass, so as to not waste any of it as I dipped and dipped...and dipped. España is a 5. You must eat here, whether solo, small group, or with your honey. Don't wait. Go. read more

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It's my 1st time staying in Vancouver and I saw the reviews and figured I should give this place a tey. It was just me so I sat at the bar trying to escape from the snow. I had a really good Red wine from the Happy Hour menu and the Daily Tortilla which was amazing! I have been craving Jamon and for $6 I feel like I scored! Churros and a cafe bombon to end my meal. Reasonably priced! read more

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Absolutely loved the chicharrone! They have great wines & good service. I cannot wait to return. read more

Can I just say I love every single Vancouverite I met? Like seriously they were all amazing and full of helpful tips for our trip especially recommendations for restaurants. This particular spot was recommended to us by Dan at Marquis Wines and it did not disappoint! The location is definitely on the smaller side and when we walked in there were no tables, so we sat at the bar. Bartender was amazing! Super friendly and talkative she picked a few of their Spanish wines for us to try and a gluten-free beer that happens to be my new favorite. FOOD: Chorizo Scotched Egg (4 stars) - kinda spicy and very fatty tasting especially with the egg yolk. I'm glad we each only had half because this was huge! served with a green peppercorn aioli that was really good. Outside was fried perfectly and gave the whole thing a needed crunch. A little heavy to start a meal with this, probably better shared between more people as just a bite. Grilled Octopus and Prawns (3.5 stars) - incredibly tender octopus. I did enjoy the caperberries and cucumber with this dish, but also felt there was too much going on with the ingredients and it overpowered the prawns. Iberico Pork with Crispy Garlic *Special (5 STARS) - holy whoa....it was like magic on a plate. I should have taken an order to-go because I just found myself thinking about it the next day. Cooked to med-rare temp because of the quality which was something I've never heard of but was all for. Best piece of meat I've ever had hands down no comparison. Loved it here. Perfect way to end our trip. read more

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Long story short : Wanna have an authentic spanish paella? this place is the answer. One more thing we were amazed by the appetizers as well : the fried chickpeas was a masterpiece , I would never think about frying chickpeas if I havent tried this ; also while waiting for the paella ( around 20 minutes as they make it in the spot) we ordered the Andalucia Olives and we enjoyed the glimpse of sundried tomato taste on the olives. The service was great and the staff was very friendly. Will come back when I get the spanish food's crave read more

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This is probably my favorite restaurant in Vancouver. I've been here a number of times and always have a great experience. All of the dishes I've tried so far are of great quality. To me this is a real hidden gem. When you walk on Denman it's easy to miss. No large signs that point to this restaurant. It's not necessary. The quality of their food does this for them. The restaurant doesn't take reservations. This might seem inconvenient for some, personally I like it. I usually arrive between 7pm and 7:30 and never had to wait long. As a European and being to Spain numerous times this actually feels like a place you could find in Spain. For drinks I really recommend either the España Sangria or Tinto de Verano. Both are very refreshing and a fruity option compared to wine. Since I believe you can't go wrong with any of their dishes I'll point out a few of my favorites. I really enjoy the daily tortilla (don't get this confused with Mexican tortillas). It's light and fluffy but very tasteful. I'm not a big fan of octopus because of its texture but España takes that concern away. The grilled octopus was amazing! I was actually sad when we finished the octopus. The Patatas Bravas need to be renamed to Patatas Bravo! This potato dish is awesome! The potatoes itself are done well and the sauce with a little kick is delicious. The Daily Paella is great and a lot of food! It says it's for 2 people but you could feed 3 or 4 people with it. The seafood is very fresh and the flavor of the rice is rich. It's tempting to stuff yourself with the tapas, but save room for dessert because the Churros with yoghurt and dulce de leche. I usually have to order extra churros because I really like the sauce. The sweetness of the dulche de leche combined with the fresh flavor of yoghurt is amazing. What I really like about this place besides the food and the authentic feeling is the fact that no one is rushing you. The staff is friendly and gives you space to enjoy your night. No one is trying to rush you through your meal but if you want to you could sit here for hours and eat/drink just like it is back home in Europe but unfortunately rare in North America. It's perfect for catching up with people or date night. read more

This place was soo yummy! We did not order any main dishes because we wanted to try all the tapas (appetizers). I recommend the Jamon Croquettes. They were soo juicy and they come with such a unique dipping suace! We also tried the tortilla, and that was yummy! It comes drizzled with some honey so you get a sweet and salty taste! For drinks I recommend the Sangria!!!!! The churros for dessert are so good! The only issue with this place is that they are pricey! One slice of Manchego Cheese is $8. read more

España Restaurant - White Anchovies On Toast (Appetizers) - Spanish Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

This is one of my favourites in Vancouver!! The chef is incredible and every single dish on the menu is a hit. The service is fast and everyone who works there treats you like family. If you're looking for a cozy little date night with a great atmosphere and amazing wine and food, then this place is for you! read more