XUNTOS

"Xuntos is the best Spanish restaurant on the Westside and the kind of place where dinner can turn into a three-hour party without really noticing. That’s because everyone in this homey, two-story spot in Downtown Santa Monica lets loose over vermouth cocktails, Basque cider, and however many rounds of garlicky gambas they can get in before their parking meter runs out. The menu is specifically northern Spanish—that’s right, LA has hyper-regional Spanish food now—and features things that belong on a José Andres travel special, including grilled baby squid balloons full of minced shallots, fatty seabass collars we eat like chicken wings, and scallops on the half-shell bathed in golden saffron butter." - brant cox, sylvio martins, arden shore, cathy park

"This charming tapas bar and Spanish restaurant from talented chef Sandra Cordero takes over a bi-level space in Santa Monica’s Downtown area, adorned with interesting visual touches inside and a sleek seating area across four rooms. Cordero’s pan-Spanish cooking sticks to a simple formula of quality ingredients and skilled cooking, including excellent fried anchovies, gambas al ajillo, and razor clams when in season." - Matthew Kang, Mona Holmes, Rebecca Roland

"This two-tiered, four-dining room restaurant offers plenty of options for those on first dates. Serving some of the most impressive Spanish tapas and cocktails around, those wanting to stand or sit at a bar can just waltz into the landing area. Upstairs, find two separate mezzanines with smaller, quieter corners for conversation while the main dining room offers views of the street for a truly European feel. Try the razor clams or fried anchovies if they’re available." - Rebecca Roland, Matthew Kang

"This two-tiered, four-dining room restaurant offers plenty of options for those on first dates. Serving some of the most impressive Spanish tapas and cocktails around, those wanting to stand or sit at a bar can just waltz into the landing area. Upstairs, find two separate mezzanines with smaller, quieter corners for conversation while the main dining room offers views of the street for a truly European feel. Try the razor clams or fried anchovies if they’re available." - Rebecca Roland, Matthew Kang

"Giant portions during date night never end in anyone’s favor, which means tapas works well. And this warm, energetic Spanish spot in Santa Monica serves LA's best versions. The menu spans several regions, so you can eat crumbly Galician tuna empanadas, Cantabrian anchovy toasts, and grilled Basque squid stuffed with shallots and minced scallops, with most shareable dishes falling below $15. Xuntos is the kind of place to order some food, drink a bit, then order some more, so make sure you like this person, because you’re going to be hanging out for a while. When in doubt, there’s always an icebreaker: vermouth.  " - brant cox, sylvio martins