MariPili Tapas Bar

"The Deal: $65 Small Plates (Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday) It's easy to rack up the bill on teeny tiny tapas at Maripili, but let it be known that you'll get 12 different Spanish small plates in this deal. For a meal that'll involve sea urchin, iberico ham, suckling pig, and two desserts, you're essentially (legally) stealing from this restaurant." - kayla sager riley, aimee rizzo

"Maripili is a Galician-style Tapas spot that fully delivers on the concept of good things coming in small packages. Among the stellar bite-sized dishes here are phenomenal ling cod bacalao with nutty manchego gnocchi and peas soaked in a tangy fish broth, tender tortilla española filled with grassy olive oil-poached potatoes, and the star of the show: paella tahdig with smoky chorizo, spice-rubbed prawns, dollops of triple garlic aioli, and a brittle, barely-there socarrat crisp. With a friendly staff, Spanish-forward wine list, and all-around good energy, it's easy to order upwards of a dozen dishes here. It makes Maripili a no-brainer for something like a double date, or solo meal at the bar." - aimee rizzo, kayla sager riley

"This Galician tapas bar from owner Grayson Corrales offers gorgeous, gussied-up takes on classic Spanish dishes. The menu includes Spanish cured meats and cheeses, a rotating selection of entrees that are literally bursting with creative uses of pork (scallops served with candied pork jowls, squid stuffed with Iberico pork, even a whole Spanish suckling pig set was in the mix at one point) , and of course, patatas bravas and croquettes. The wine comes from Spain and Washington, the cocktails are intricate, and Estrella Galicia beer flows from the tap. MariPili now has a mini-outpost at the Frye Art Museum serving sandwiches, salads and small plates. Come with a group — you’ll want to get everything on the menu and share." - Sophie Grossman

"We dare you to come to Seattle’s most famous tapas restaurant and not feel romantic. The menu is laden with savory treats like candied pork jowl served alongside scallops, veal cutlet stuffed with ham, and orange-poached octopus, all meant to be shared between you and your date(s). There’s something about watching a procession of carefully prepared meat and seafood dishes arrive at your table that feels... amorous, isn’t there? Or is that just us?" - Jade Yamazaki Stewart, Harry Cheadle

"When a pastry chef opens a tapas bar, the desserts are just as important as the bites of jamón-studded croquetas. That’s the case at Maripili, where you can have raspberry sugar-dusted churros dunked in white chocolate crème fraîche, bone marrow cake with rice pudding crema, or Galician almond cake with torched marshmallow and a turrón semifreddo we’d gladly slurp clean off the floor. Say what you will about fried potatoes and pan-seared fish—you could just as easily hop in here for a glass of cava and some sweets." - kayla sager riley, aimee rizzo, gabe guarente