Mercado Little Spain Has ‘More Great Food Than Anywhere Else in NY,’ Wells Says

“As a general rule, everything is good” at Mercado Little Spain, Times critic Pete Wells declares this week in his column, which is not a review but rather a ranking of his favorite dishes at the Hudson Yards Spanish food hall.

First on the list is cochinillo, or a three-week-old Ibérico piglets grilled over an open fire. “Like Peking duck, the meat is dark, sweet with melted fat and served under a crunchy rectangle of skin,” Wells writes. The rest of the list, below, includes churros and chocolate, tortilla, a pineapple with rum, and hazelnut soft serve.

Wells is decidedly a fan of Mercado Little Spain, though he finds that he prefers wandering the kiosks and bars to sitting down for a meal at one of the three full-service restaurants — the “least rewarding places to spend time” at the food hall. “You can see the action outside, and when things get slow you can start to wish you were out there, moving freely,” he writes.

But other than that, Wells concludes that Mercado Little Spain — which mega-chef Jose Andres opened in the West Side development complex in March — “offers more delicious things to eat per square foot than anywhere else in New York.” Here’s what he likes most:

1. Cochinillo at Leña
2. Tarta de queso at Granja, Pasteles and Spanish Diner
3. Liquid olive at Bar Celona and La Barra
4. Piña borracha at Leña, Spanish Diner and Frutas y Verduras
5. Churros y chocolate at Churros and Spanish Diner
6. Gambas al estilo de El Bulli at Mar
7. Huevas de mujol at Mar
8. Ensalada naranja at La Barra
9. Chistorra con patatas fritas at La Barra
10. Pomelo en texturas at La Barra
11. Lacón con patatas at Tortillas de Patatas y Lacón con Patatas
12. Pan de cristal con tomate at Spanish Diner, La Barra, Frutas y Verduras, and Leña
13. Pomada at Bar Celona, Spanish Diner, Mar and Leña
14. Cardenal at Pasteles
15. Empanada de cerdo at Bocatas y Empanadas
16. Paella Valenciana at Paella al Plato
17. Gazpacho at Leña, Spanish Diner, La Barra, and Frutas y Verduras
18. Tortilla de patatas at Tortillas de Patatas y Lacón con Patatas
19. Xuixo at Granja, Pasteles, and Spanish Diner
20. Hazelnut soft serve at Helados

• The 20 Most Delicious Things at Mercado Little Spain [NYT]
• All Coverage of Mercado Little Spain [ENY]
• Where to Eat (but Mostly What to Avoid) at Hudson Yards [ENY]