Spanish food in Paris: a guide by occasion

Updated 11 Sep 2026 · Based on 41 tracked Spanish venues in Paris · Best-ranked list

Not every Spanish restaurant fits every plan. Using the Google ratings, review counts and the dishes we have confirmed on each menu, here is how we would play Paris depending on the occasion.

For a date

Les Piétons (8 Rue des Lombards, 75004 Paris, France) — the strongest all-round rating in the city (★ 4.3 from 5,170 reviews; the menu confirms patatas bravas, croquetas, Ibérico/serrano ham, Galician-style octopus (pulpo a la gallega), fried calamari, pan con tomate, paella, Padrón peppers, albóndigas (meatballs), chorizo, ensaladilla rusa, churros and gazpacho / salmorejo). Book ahead at weekends.

Tapas with friends

Les Piétons (8 Rue des Lombards, 75004 Paris, France) — the widest confirmed Spanish spread in Paris: patatas bravas, croquetas, Ibérico/serrano ham, Galician-style octopus (pulpo a la gallega), fried calamari, pan con tomate, paella, Padrón peppers, albóndigas (meatballs), chorizo, ensaladilla rusa, churros and gazpacho / salmorejo (★ 4.3 from 5,170 reviews; the menu confirms patatas bravas, croquetas, Ibérico/serrano ham, Galician-style octopus (pulpo a la gallega), fried calamari, pan con tomate, paella, Padrón peppers, albóndigas (meatballs), chorizo, ensaladilla rusa, churros and gazpacho / salmorejo). Order several plates to share and ask what is on special.

A special occasion

Caves Saint Gilles (4 Rue Saint-Gilles, 75003 Paris, France) — ★ 4.2 from 1,893 reviews; the menu confirms patatas bravas, croquetas, Ibérico/serrano ham, Galician-style octopus (pulpo a la gallega), fried calamari, pan con tomate, paella and ensaladilla rusa. Tell them you are celebrating when you book; Spanish restaurants are usually generous with a celebration table.

A quick, casual bite

Maria Belza (90 Quai de Jemmapes, 75010 Paris, France) — ★ 4.6 from 943 reviews; the menu confirms croquetas and Ibérico/serrano ham. Bar seating and a couple of tapas is the fastest way to eat well here.

Something sweet to finish

Les Piétons (8 Rue des Lombards, 75004 Paris, France) — one of the few places in Paris whose menu confirms churros.

What to order in Paris

These are the classic dishes most often confirmed on the menus we checked, each linked to our recipe so you know exactly what should arrive at the table:

croquetas — confirmed on 12 menus in Paris
patatas bravas — confirmed on 11 menus in Paris
Ibérico/serrano ham — confirmed on 11 menus in Paris
fried calamari — confirmed on 10 menus in Paris
pan con tomate — confirmed on 9 menus in Paris
paella — confirmed on 9 menus in Paris

All 41 tracked venues, filterable by dish, price and rating: Paris on the map.

Rankings by dish in Paris: Croquetas (12) · Jamón ibérico/serrano (11) · Patatas bravas (11) · Calamares (10) · Paella (9) · Pan con tomate (9) · Chorizo (8) · Albóndigas (5) · Ensaladilla rusa (5) · Pimientos de Padrón (5) · Pulpo a la gallega (4) · Gazpacho / salmorejo (4) · Gambas al ajillo (3) · Churros (3)

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