This Upper West Side neighborhood joint, which opened in 2008, serves up solid tapas and an extensive selection of wines. Classic small plates like garlic shrimp, bacalao croquettes, and bacon-wrapped dates are popular picks here. It’s a good option for a meal or a few glasses of wine and a snack before or after a show at nearby Symphony Space. Buceo 95 is open after 5 p.m. every night.

Pil Pil is one of the few tapas spots on the Upper East Side and a reliable choice, particularly for brunch. On Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., choose between a few regional menus (Basque, Catalonia, Galicia, and a vegetarian, gluten-free Andalucia option) with three dishes, plus unlimited sangria, mimosas, and bellinis, for $18.95. The red-hued, brick-walled space sports a tangle of tree branches on the ceiling and a colorful, glowing wall of wine bottles behind the bar.

The fourth location of NYC tapas go-to Boqueria opened in Hells Kitchen in April 2018. The large, attractive space is distinctive from Boqueria’s other locations by serving breakfast, starting at 6:30 a.m. on weekdays. Other unique offerings at this good-for-groups spot is a six-spit rotisserie churning out crispy chicken and whole suckling pig. The Barcelona-style chain opened its first outpost in Flatiron in 2006.

Mercado Little Spain — an ambitious Hudson yards food court modeled after markets in Spain and helmed by humanitarian and celebrated chef José Andrés — is 35,000 square feet of tapas choices, broken out into stalls that specialize in each dish. There are ones dedicated to paella, tortilla, jamón, churros, and a whole lot more, plus several bars and three full-service restaurants. Leña and Mar, two of the three pricier, full-service restaurants, are open for lunch and dinner, whereas Spanish Diner is open from 7 a.m.

El Quinto Pino — part of Alex Raij and Eder Montero’s successful mini-empire of tapas restaurants in NYC — has been around, and consistently packed, since 2007. The uni panino, with sea urchin and mustard oil pressed between crispy bread slices and served casually in wax paper, has long been a lauded hit. More traditional small plates compose most of the menu, including well-executed classics like shrimp in garlic oil, pan con tomate, and white anchovy fillets. If El Quinto Pino is packed, be sure to stop by Txikito, another tapas restaurant by Rajj and Montero, but focused on Basque cuisine.

This Boston import from restaurateurs Ken Oringer and Jamie Bissonnette opened in 2013 with a very extensive menu of creative tapas spanning Catalan, Basque, and Galician favorites, with a few Moroccan and Italian dish cameos as well. There’s a wide selection of options for any type of eater, whether it’s to please vegetarians, pescatarians, or offal-lovers. With a clubbier vibe than many other restaurants on this list, Toro is a better early-in-the-game date as opposed to a romantic special occasion.

This unique and affordable Spanish spot in Chelsea is housed inside the historic Spanish Benevolent Society’s brownstone — the organization dates back to the late 1800s. The Society first began serving tapas in 2002, and closed for an extensive refresh in 2016 before reopening in 2018 with a rotating selection of chefs in residence, hailing from different parts of Spain. Dishes like patatas bravas are just $7, with bigger dishes starting out in the low $20s. A daily happy hour from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. offers Spanish wines by the glass for $6.

The tapas at this Greenwich Village charmer, situated in a 19th century townhouse on a pretty stretch of Tenth Street, skew Mediterranean instead of traditionally Spanish, like fried goat cheese with lavender honey and octopus a la plancha. The multilevel space has high ceilings and two wood-burning fireplaces, and thanks to a range of different seating configurations, works well for intimate dates as well as big group meals.

This Greenpoint tapas spot is housed in a sleek, minimalist space, with a lengthy marble bar that serves several occasions well, whether it’s sampling a bunch of tapas or just a couple of drinks. Opened by restaurateur Elena Manich and chef Diego Gonzalez in 2014, El Born serves a family-style bottomless brunch for $27 per person, as well as an unlimited taco Tuesday deal for $12, from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the bar.

There are many reaons to head to this all-encompassing Soho Spanish spot. Take a top-notch, likely ham-filled sandwich to go; pick up hard-to-find imported Spanish foods and wines for home; and sit down for some tapas. It’s a daytime (or early dinner) spot, however, as it closes at 7 p.m. on Mondays through Thursdays, 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 6 p.m. on Sundays. The original location is in Jackson Heights, which opened in the 1970s; there’s now an outpost in Princeton, New Jersey as well.

The focus is on Galician tapas at this Little Italy gem, which serves up fresh seafood plucked from a long glass case lining the bar, such as the buttery langostinos a la plancha. Besides small plates, there are substantial options, like bacalao con coliflor, featuring fresh cod with potatoes, cauliflower, and béchamel sauce. Chef manager Lucia Freitas runs one of Galicia’s top restaurants, A Tafona Casa de Xantar.