The Best Spanish Food in Chicago
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The best Spanish food in Chicago, according to the experts: the World's 101 Best, Esquire, and Bon Appétit have all weighed in, and their honors are what rank this list. Asador Bastian comes out on top.
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Bocadillo Market and COA - Drake Oakbrook hold the next two places. Eater shows up on more of this list than any other guide, with AAA next.
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Rank 1. Asador Bastian
Basque Steakhouse
The Txuletón, a Basque-style ribeye from mature dairy cows, grilled over open charcoal with salt, heat, and not much else, is the organizing principle of this Basque-inspired chophouse in River North. The kitchen takes its cues from the asador tradition, applying that discipline to seriously sourced beef, carefully aged. Spanish reds anchor the wine list. Esquire named it among the best new restaurants in America, and it lands at number 15 on the World's Best Steak Restaurants list.
The awards
- World's 101 Best World's 101 Best: #15 · World's Best Steak Restaurants
- Esquire Esquire: Dirty Dirty · The Best Martinis in America
- Esquire Esquire: The Spanglish · The Best Martinis in America
- World's 101 Best #15 · World's Best Steak Restaurants
- Esquire Dirty Dirty · The Best Martinis in America
- Esquire The Spanglish · The Best Martinis in America
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Rank 2. Bocadillo Market
Contemporary Spanish
The awards
- Bon Appétit America's Best New Restaurants
- Eater Chicago’s Best Lunch Options
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Great Lakes · James Martin
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Rank 3. COA - Drake Oakbrook
Spanish
Tucked into the ground floor of the Drake hotel in Oak Brook, COA is a Spanish restaurant where the kitchen splits its attention between tapas, paella, and prime cuts for anyone who wandered in expecting a steakhouse. The vibe shifts noticeably after dark, when the music climbs, the cocktails multiply, and the dining room starts feeling more like a party someone forgot to end.
The awards
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Rank 4. mfk.
Iberian Spanish
Named for M.F.K. Fisher, the great American food writer, this Iberian restaurant sits in a whitewashed, tile-lined basement on Diversey that somehow feels like a terrace in the sun. The menu runs small to large, with the kind of clean, confident cooking that makes an anchovy crostini feel like a complete argument. Lakeview locals fill it early and often, which means booking ahead is less optional than it sounds.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
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Rank 5. Gilda
Basque Tapas Bar
Gilda is a Basque-style pintxos bar in West Town, named for the skewer of anchovy, pickled pepper, and olive that arrives early and sets the tone for a lot of small, salty things on toothpicks. Cod croquettes and a cheesecake round out the food, and the cocktails get weird in a good way, like mezcal washed in jamón fat. Reservations are the rule most days, with Mondays left for walk-ins.
The awards
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Rank 6. Lolo y Lola
Spanish
The awards
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Rank 7. Mercat a la Planxa
Catalan Tapas Bar
The awards
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Rank 7. Tapas Valencia
Tapas Bar
The awards