📍Santa Marta Bar y Tapas – 869 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M6J 1V6
🌍Country: Spain 
🔥Must-try dish: Boquerones en Vinagre
🪑Seating: Indoor seating with tables out front in the warmer months.
👍The High: The atmosphere, food, and the pace of life are exactly like being in Spain. 
👎The Low: They no longer serve the Valenciana Paella – the original recipe for this dish that was made with rabbit in the mountains outside of Valencia. 

Stepping into this restaurant feels like ducking into a little taverna somewhere along the Spanish coast. It’s chic-meets-cozy with just the right amount of charm, right in the heart of Toronto. The menu covers all the classics, from tapas to paellas to indulgent desserts, and if you’re lucky, you’ll meet the owner herself. She somehow does it all: running the show, greeting tables, and sharing the stories behind the dishes with this effortless warmth that pulls you in.

Originally from the Canary Islands, she has a real command of Spanish cuisine as a whole, and it shows. Santa Marta is the place to come if you’re craving a little culinary nostalgia from a past trip, or if you’re getting your taste buds ready for one. It’s Spain, distilled into a meal, without ever leaving the city.

It’s dangerously easy to settle in here, cocktail in hand, friends around you, and time slipping away as you chat and graze your way through the menu. You start with a couple of tapas, then a couple more, and before you know it, you’re eyeing the paellas (which, by the way, are non-negotiable). It’s the kind of place where the night unfolds slowly and deliciously, just the way it should.

With a reunion many months in the making, catching up over a couple glasses of red was an excellent start to the night. 

We started with a bundle of tapas:

• Boquerones en Vinagre: The favourite of the night, since anchovies aren’t always an appealing choice, but here it’s the best choice you can make. You’ll get white anchovies covered in vinegar that are both tender and flavourful. 
• Croquetas Mixtas: A classic. Four tiny fried dumplings come in the order with the option of getting cheese and jam, or the special of the day which was blue cheese. We opted for two of each and tried them all. You should do the same! 
• Pan con Tomate y Aceitunas: How can something so simple be so delicious? Hearty slices of crispy, toasted bread with a tomato paste that’s seasoned with fresh garlic, olive oil, and salt. This is a consistent crowd pleaser. 
• Gambas al Ajillo: A tapas meal wouldn’t be complete without sauteed garlic shrimp. It’s exactly what you expect, and can never disappoint. 

With another bottle of red open, it felt like the perfect moment to dive into the paellas. There are a few solid options on the menu, but sadly the OG from the hills of Valencia has disappeared, apparently Torontonians weren’t quite ready for rabbit. Traditionally, Paella Valenciana uses rabbit and chicken because the dish was born in the mountains, far from the coast, where those proteins were abundant (and let’s be honest, a lot more affordable). It’s a shame it’s gone, but the story behind it is still worth sharing.

Diners have the choice of getting rice or noodles, but rice is always the way to go. 

• Paella de Marisco: A gorgeous seafood medley of tiger prawns, mussels, shrimp, and clams, all tucked into fragrant, spice-kissed rice. With the generous portions, every bite delivers a little bit of the good stuff.
• Paella de Carne: How can you go wrong with carbs and steak? You simply can’t. The seasoned rice is light and flavourful, and the pieces of steak on top bring just the right amount of richness. It’s not as flashy as the seafood paellas, but it’s a solid companion dish, especially since we were craving a little red meat in the mix.

Spain isn’t known for heavy, decadent desserts, so when the four of us spotted the Torrijas, their take on French toast, we had to try them. Made with a soft, baguette-style bread, they offer just the right touch of sweetness without overwhelming the meal. Traditionally enjoyed during Semana Santa, Spain’s Holy Week before Easter, they’re the kind of dessert that feels both simple and special.

This is one of our favourite places to get tapas and paellas in the city, so much so that we’ve been before. Viva La Paella! Will tell the story of our first dinning experience at Santa Marta Bar y Tapas last year. 

Eat with you soon!