#spanish-tapas

#spanish-tapas

El Pirata, a few steps from Shepherd's Market, black-beamed as a galleon with white walls heaving with Miro and Picasso prints as if raided from Athena, has a refreshingly non-corporate, non-Instagram atmosphere. Seating is intimate and candle-lit at small tables. If you've not booked (although to do so is wise), there are stools to sip and snack at the mirrored bar as you wait. A timbered spiral staircase drills down to a terracotta tiled basement able to host larger groups.

A South End restaurant, which features Spanish-style tapas, a curated wine list and cocktails, was recently named one of Eater's most essential and influential restaurants in America over the past 20 years. Toro has been a Boston staple since it opened 20 years ago but the list further cements its status as one of the best restaurants in the country.