Mercado Little Spain Opens Two of Its Full-Service Restaurants at Hudson Yards

Spanish seafood and grilled meats are officially on tap at Mercado Little Spain, now that the Spanish food hall in Hudson Yards has opened its full-service restaurants Mar and Leña.

Mar serves seafood from all over Spain, while Leña dishes out grilled meats and vegetables cooked over a giant fire pit, and both restaurants are now accepting “limited” reservations as well as walk-ins, a spokesperson for the project from superstar chef trio José Andrés and brothers Ferran and Albert Adrià says. They’re two of three full-service spots planned for the Spanish food market, which made its highly anticipated debut with the rest of Hudson Yards last month.

Leña, which translates to “wood” in English, hones in on all the different Spanish dishes that are cooked over wood; nearly everything on the menu from meat and seafood to vegetables will be cooked that way. Larger cuts of meat like suckling pig and lamb will be a focus. It’s an open kitchen and diners are seated at a separate 80-seat dining room next to the kitchen, though the space is very much integrated with the rest of the market.

The restaurant was originally going to serve paella, but that dish now has its own kiosk called Paella al Plato.

At Mar, the menu veers toward seafood, with dishes like a Catalan stew known as suquet and Galician-style grilled octopus meant to represent all regions of the Spanish coast. It’s also got an open kitchen and a 45-seat dining room that wraps around it.

The third and biggest restaurant, Spanish Diner, is set to open in a few weeks, according to the spokesperson. That’s in addition to already open stalls BarCelona (vermouth bar), Bravas (fried potatoes), Churros (fried pastries), Vinos (wine bar), and Colmado (retail shop). A full list of what’s open is below.

All in all, the 35,000-square-foot food hall will have three full-service restaurants; tapas, wine, and cocktail bars; a coffee shop; nearly a dozen food stalls; and three shops selling flowers, dry goods, and souvenirs. It’s a significant gain for Spanish cuisine in New York City from a well-renowned team.

Mercado Little Spain opens daily at 4 p.m.

Now open

Mar: Seafood restaurant

Leña: Paella and grilled meats

Paella al Plato: Different paellas

Bocatas & Empanadas: Bread shop selling sandwiches and empanadas.

Tortilla de Patata: Spanish omelette

Frutas & Verduras: Fruits and vegetable stand that also makes salads, juices, and gazpacho on the spot

Cocas: Flatbreads cooked on the spot topped with Ibérico hams and vegetables

Pasteles: Dessert shop selling pastries like xuixo, a deep-fried, sugar-coated pastry filled with crema catalana; a sponge cake filled with vanilla cream and burnt egg custard; and a San Sebastian-style goat cheesecake. Ice cream will arrive later.

Paella al Plato: A counter by the Leña paella pit where people can now order paella

Jamon & Queso: Ham, cured meats, and cheese

La Barra/Vinos: A tapas and a wine bar serving icons like patatas bravas and empanadas

BarCelona: A cocktail bar with a focus on vermouth and a bar snack food menu

Bravas: Specializes in a traditional tapas dish of fried potatoes and sauce, called patatas bravas

Churros: Churros and hot chocolate for dipping

Colmado: Small grocery stand selling dry goods like olive oil and everything one would need to make paella at home

Arriving soon

Granja: A coffee shop serving drinks and pastries.

Spanish Diner: Biggest full-service restaurant serving home-style Spanish meals.

Correction: April 17, 2019, 10:10 a.m. This article was corrected to show that paella is now served in its own dedicated kiosk.