This jumping tapas bar from Joe Miller of Joe's restaurant in Venice serves tasty bites like Dungeness crab wrapped in smoked salmon and jamon sofrito with fried leeks. (Be forewarned. The $4 and $5 nibbles are priced per piece.) There are platos, too--the gambas al ajillo and croquetas de pollo y jamon are first-rate. In the authentic Spanish style, samples of the offerings are displayed along a narrow bar and your table is turned around quickly; with stools this hard, good luck having a leisurely dinner anyway. What are tapas without wine? There are plenty of affordable bottles here, including a number of lesser-known Spanish imports. High stools and a wood counter surround a stove where a cook rustles up fiery patatas bravas, pivots to expertly shave a cured ham leg, and turns again to slap a skewer of shrimp onto the plancha. At Bar Pintxo—Joe Miller's ode to the Iberian cubbyhole—authenticity is the guiding light. The only foam you'll be served here is on the head of your San Miguel pilsner. While other chefs see Spain's storied cuisine as a point of departure, Miller lets bold flavors, like a smoked paprika vinaigrette or an aged sherry vinegar, conjure a nation.

Best Spanish Restaurant, August 2012

High stools and a wood counter surround a stove where a cook rustles up fiery patatas bravas, pivots to expertly shave a cured ham leg, and turns again to slap a skewer of shrimp onto the plancha. At Bar Pintxo—Joe Miller's ode to the Iberian cubbyhole—authenticity is the guiding light. The only foam you'll be served here is on the head of your San Miguel pilsner. While other chefs see Spain's storied cuisine as a point of departure, Miller lets bold flavors, like a smoked paprika vinaigrette or an aged sherry vinegar, conjure a nation.