La Nacional
Spanish restaurant · Chelsea ·
Traditional Spanish dishes, tapas, paella, and wine served
Traditional Spanish dishes, tapas, paella, and wine served
"Shrimp reigns supreme at La Nacional, a restaurant located within a Spanish cultural center in Chelsea. They serve mostly Valencian food, and their large paella mixta, which comfortably serves four, and contains plenty of bouncy, paprika-stained shrimp, is $60. They also have some of our favorite tapas, like creamy croquetas, gambas al ajillo, and a lively citrus and seafood salad. Cocktails are $11, and pitchers of sangria around $28." - willa moore, will hartman, molly fitzpatrick, sonal shah
"When you see the gigantic Spanish flag waving outside, you’ll know that you’re in the right place. La Nacional is located inside Chelsea’s Spanish Benevolent Society, and the Spanish culture is on full display here. It’s also one of the best value restaurants on this list, getting a table is reliably easy, and they make three different preparations of shrimp (in olive oil, in a seafood salad, and in the paella) that we’d happily eat on repeat for the rest of our lives. Come with a big group and split the paella, making sure everyone gets a bit of that speckled socarrat." - will hartman, willa moore, molly fitzpatrick, bryan kim
"For a single, beautiful moment at La Nacional in Chelsea, you could convince yourself that you’re in Spain—in some small-town plaza, surrounded by blue mosaic-tiled tables, fresh seafood, Spanish meats and cheeses, and some European tourists smoking cigarettes while sitting in black-and-white wicker chairs. Before you switch your brain to vacation mode and ask to bum one, a truck honking its way down 14th street reminds you that this isn't the Valencian countryside, but just the Spanish Benevolent Society. The cultural institution, founded in 1868, is one of the last vestiges of the area’s historic Little Spain, and a massive yellow and red flag on the building still waves people into the basement restaurant. photo credit: Will Hartman Far as you are from the Mediterranean, the possibility that a 2pm snack and a glass of wine will accidentally turn into dinner, leaving you buzzed on tinto with a bellyful of tapas and paella, is dangerously close. But is that actually dangerous? Or just a good excuse to take a sick day on Monday? Focus mostly on the seafood—especially the various different shrimp dishes. If you’re with at least three people, the paella mariscos is an excellent way to soak up the $9 glasses of wine. Food Rundown Gazpacho We’re here for this light, aerated gazpacho, well emulsified with olive oil. It’s served ice cold, and a required order on a hot day. photo credit: Will Hartman Croquetas Caseras The cheapest way to get your jamón fix at La Nacional comes in croquette form, served adorably in an egg carton-like vessel. Tasty, but we actually prefer the wild mushroom version, which has more flavor. photo credit: Will Hartman Pulpo a la Plancha This pulpo never makes it past first base with la plancha. It’s a bit gummy and chewy, and the broiled potatoes with aioli underneath don’t help. Skip. photo credit: Will Hartman Gambas al Ajillo In the La Nacional shrimp awards, a prize we just made up, these gambas win the category for Most Outstanding Shrimp Flavor. Rich and juicy with garlic and paprika, these fat shrimp simply must be on every table. It’s non-negotiable. photo credit: Will Hartman Citrus Seafood Salad The award for Outstanding Shrimp Texture goes to this Citrus Seafood Salad, where we recognize the extraordinary plumpness of the shellfish, the light zesting of citrus, and some pretty small, yet juicy scallops. photo credit: Will Hartman Paella Mariscos This paella wins our award for Shrimp in A Supporting Role. While the socarrat is only concentrated toward the center of the pan, the seafood flavor is pronounced enough to make us forget we ever needed a crispy bottom in the first place. The chewy squid rings don’t hurt either. photo credit: Will Hartman" - Will Hartman
"This unique and affordable Spanish spot in Chelsea is housed inside the historic Spanish Benevolent Society’s brownstone — the organization dates back to the late 1800s. The Society first began serving tapas in 2002, and closed for an extensive refresh in 2016 before reopening in 2018 with a rotating selection of chefs in residence, hailing from different parts of Spain. Dishes like patatas bravas are just $7, with bigger dishes starting out in the low $20s. A daily happy hour from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. offers Spanish wines by the glass for $6." - Alexandra Ilyashov
"After a hiatus of over two years, La Nacional has reopened in the basement of the Spanish Benevolent Society—the neighborhood anchor since 1868 of what’s known as Little Spain—returning from its earlier life as a men’s bar and social club turned tapas bar. The relaunch was conceived to host itinerant chefs who would stay in the transient rooms upstairs—the same rooms once used by Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali—and the space has been spiffed up while retaining timeworn décor: a pixilated poster of grapes and a whitewashed fireplace enliven the front room, tables (some raised, others at normal height) have replaced old school desks, dimpled banquettes add bright red accents in the back, and a counter now lets you watch the chefs at work. Four chefs from Valencia—Jordi Morera, Salvador Boix, Gracia Sales, and Javier Parreno—were in the kitchen when we visited, and the menu is more tapas-focused than before, with four cheese and charcuterie boards, nine tapas, two rice mains, and three desserts. The tapas often thrilled: a pink-frothed gazpacho with cucumber shaved ice ($7), a creamy potato-and-egg tortilla served in wedges with allioli, gambas al ajillo ($16) with generous shrimp in olive oil (and note that bread won’t arrive unless you ask), grilled octopus on a cushion of whipped potatoes, tuna belly with avocado, wild-mushroom or ham croquetas, and pan tomaca. By contrast, the two rice mains disappointed: the paella del día ($20) seemed to be chicken and white beans rather than an exciting paella, and the arroz con secreto ibérico ($23) came across like an Italian risotto topped with strips of pork shoulder and dry shredded mushrooms. Desserts were a return to form—a dense, flavorful flan that a friend who travels often in Spain called one of the best she’d had in New York City, and a deconstructed lemon tart with sharp, perfectly executed flavors—and overall we’d say La Nacional is undeniably a better restaurant than it was previously." - Robert Sietsema
