Telefèric Barcelona Palo Alto

Pan con Tomate

Grilled bread rubbed hard with ripe tomato and finished with good olive oil — deceptively simple and the truest test of whether a Spanish kitchen gets it right

Paella

Served tableside in the pan with proper socarrat on the bottom, available in seafood and mixed meat versions — the centerpiece dish the kitchen is built around

Croquetas

Creamy jamón ibérico béchamel inside a thin, properly fried crust — a reliable benchmark of kitchen discipline

Patatas Bravas

Crispy fried potatoes with both a spiced tomato salsa brava and aioli — better executed here than at most Bay Area Spanish spots

Pulpo a la Gallega

Grilled octopus with smoked paprika and olive oil over potato — tender when the kitchen gets it right, occasionally over-chewy on busy nights

Jamón Ibérico Board

Thinly sliced cured ibérico ham with accompaniments — imported, not house-cured, but the quality of the source product carries it

Gambas al Ajillo

Shrimp in garlic-forward olive oil with a bit of heat — good for mopping up with the pan con tomate bread

Churros

Fried dough with chocolate dipping sauce — crowd-pleasing but rarely the kitchen's most creative output

Sangria

House-made red or white sangria — enjoyable and well-balanced but overshadows an otherwise strong Spanish wine list worth exploring instead