Santa Marta Bar y Tapas  – 869 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M6J 1V6
Country: Spain        
Must-try dish: Paella Valenciana
Seating:Indoor seating with outdoor seating in the front in the warmer months. 
Dinner guests: Patreat, Ceruoko, Staz & Suited Sebastien 
The high: This is your destination for paella, try them all! 
The low: The chicken in the paella could have been crispier. 

As Santa Marta celebrates its first birthday, we had to get on the tapas train both to feel nostalgia for better times in Spain, but also because this is the Spanish restaurant in Toronto that attracts all the ex-pat’s from the motherland. It’s definitely all that it’s cracked up to be whether you’re looking for a date night, to ring in a birthday, or for a catch up with friends. 

It’s an intimate space with a bar and several tables that can grow in size depending on the groups of diners. The frames that adorn the walls give the place character alongside the Spanish rap playing from the sound system. Even before the first bite, this place had our hearts. 

In anticipation for the main event, there’s an epic list of tapas to order and enjoy before the paella arrives. Please note that cooking time is around 40 minutes, so make sure to plan ahead for that. 

We mixed the order up with old favourites and new go-to dishes. All the tapas are made to be shared, and come served on small plates. The kitchen will accommodate if extra pieces need to be added to ensure each diner gets their share. Pan con Aioli kicked things off, which is warm bread with a creamy garlic infused aioli that’ll wake you right up for more. The aioli comes in handy throughout the meal with other dishes, so make sure to save some for later. 

A perfect pairing with the bread is the Boquerones en Vinagre, a traditional and beloved tapa across Spain. The long sardines are marinated in vinegar and served on a plate to enjoy with the pan. If there’s any apprehension about sardines, you’ll want to extinguish those negative thoughts immediately. Sardines don’t have the best reputation but when salted or dunked in vinegar, they lose any fishy taste and the texture is firmer. Trust us. 

Now for the old favourites that make you think of Barcelona’s architecture, Rioja’s wine, Andalucia’s dancing, or Basque’s Pintxo’s, you’ll feel like you’re right in the action, Spanish-style. Patatas Bravas are a thing of beauty, and even more so, taste. Their pieces of fried potatoes are topped with a combination of a creamy and a spicy sauce that can vary in heat depending on where you are in the country. The ones at Santa Marta have a kick to them, but nothing too spicy. 

Next up are the Croquetas Mixtas – a trio of small deep-fried pockets stuffed with cheese and perhaps other ingredients. It’s a crowd pleaser for any age group. We opted for the ham and cheese, and the mushroom and cheese varieties but a blue cheese option is also available for those looking to have something stronger. It’s like biting into the most delicious, cheesy cloud ever. 

Not all omelets are for breakfast. The Tortilla Española is a renowned tapa across Spain that’s made up of eggs, potato, and onion. Depending on what region you’re dining in within Spain, the runnyer the egg. In the North, it’s typical for the egg to be gooey, making it a great opportunity to use bread to pick up every last drop. Whereas the chef’s in the South prefer a firmer and dryer egg for their tortilla. Luckily Santa Marta cooks it somewhere in the middle, ensuring that everyone is happy. How thoughtful. 

There’s nothing better than someone making you a good paella, and this is what Santa Marta does best. You have your pick of six combinations including a vegan option, that all sound incredibly tempting. The quantities start at a minimum of two people and it goes up from there. The portions are big and it can be a heavy meal, but who ever complained about left-over paella for lunch? 

The birthplace of paella in Valencia, which is both the name of the state and the capital city within it. In-land from the coast, there are rice fields and the dish was created in this region with the ingredients most available like chicken and rabbit. It’s for this reason that the classic version of this dish is made with meat rather than seafood. Ordering the Paella Valenciana was a no-brainer, and it exceeded its reputation. Everyone at the tables loved the seasoned rice and the moist pieces of chicken and rabbit cooked inside it. The spices and herbs used in the rice were a winning recipe. 

One of the most popular paella dishes in Spain, especially among Spaniards is the Paella Negra – a blackened blend of seafood (tiger prawns, mussels, clams, and shrimp) and the black ink from a cuttlefish that tints the rice a dark colour. This is the type of dish you want someone to make for you because the process of cooking with black ink and a variety of seafood could be daunting to say the least. Santa Marta makes a good batch that will satiate a craving. 

All the paella dishes are offered with rice, which is traditional and what kept to, but you can also switch the base to a Spanish noodle called a Fideua. It’s a personal decision, but if you’re going to go the noodle route, the Paella o Fideua de Marisco on the menu would be a terrific option. 

There are some classically Spanish desserts available for the sweet-tooths out there, but we stuck to the sangria by the pitcher, and will certainly be back to sip on it again in the sunshine once the patio opens. 

Eat with you soon, 

Mandrea Bike
(Mat & Andrea)