Gaucho

Just off Ome Kaido, the door to Gaucho opens into a compact room arranged with counter seating and a handful of small tables. An easy way to start is with a bottle of Spanish beer, a spritzy Basque txakoli, or a glass of house-made sangria paired with a few small plates. The tapas menu is well-tailored for drinking, ranging from bright, pleasantly acidic marinated sardines and spice-fragrant Moroccan-style lamb skewers to patatas bravas drizzled with a sweet and piquant sauce.

The centrepiece of a meal here is the seafood paella, cooked until each grain of rice absorbs the deep flavours of seafood stock and saffron while retaining an appealing bite. It is sized well for sharing at the table. For a change of pace, the kitchen also turns out an inky, full-flavoured squid ink paella, as well as seafood fideuà made with short noodles rather than rice.

Because the owner cooks every dish solo, orders can take a little time to arrive—a pacing that suits an unhurried evening of good drink and easy conversation. With seating limited, evening reservations are sensible. The atmosphere feels equally accommodating whether dining by yourself at the counter or sharing plates across the table.