Tapas fever kept the toothpick trade roaring throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s until Asian fusion knocked all things Mediterranean (and often, sadly, quite clunky) off the pedestal. Spanish flavours are back in the spotlight and what we see served up today is more nuanced and diverse, informed more thoughtfully by travel, migration and cultural appreciation. A number of stalwarts have in recent years been joined by a steady stream of newcomers to offer a significant Spanish showing throughout New Zealand.

Chef Matt Ross fell in love with Barcelona’s tapas bars while living and working in Spain and aimed to bring the same kind of atmosphere to Auckland when he opened Candela in 2020, followed more recently by back bar and events space Barcita. Combined with those of co-owner Leola King, Matt’s efforts have seen the duo’s bar/ restaurant baby earn ICEX ‘Restaurants from Spain’ certification – the only establishment in Aotearoa, and the furthest restaurant from Spain to be granted the badge. From the current menu, Leola reckons the duck Bomba rice is a winner, and says it’s hard to go past a classic combination of a plate of melt-in-the-mouth jamón Ibérico and pan con tomate with a manzanilla sherry alongside. candelabar.co.nz

When MoVida arrived in Aotearoa two years ago, it brought with it a legacy built over the two decades since Frank Camorra opened his first outpost in Melbourne’s Hosier Lane. Kiwi fans rejoiced that a trip across the Tasman was no longer required to get a fix of Frank’s classics, including the Ortiz anchovy on croutons with smoked tomato sorbet. Opening here has given Frank the chance to explore the best of Aotearoa’s produce, and his fishing trips and farm visits ensure his menu speaks of the place it’s in – even that most Kiwi and polarising of subtropical fruits, the tamarillo, has graced the MoVida-branded plates dished up in Britomart. On page 48, Frank shares recipes for some of his favourite MoVida dishes. savor.co.nz/movida

Andalusian flavours are licked by the flame at Alma, where chef Jo Pearson does a lot of the cooking over an open fire. Sip on a vermouth and nibble on wafer-thin slices of jamón as you watch your larger dishes being prepared – make sure one of them is the beef tongue with olive and preserved lemon. “We brine the tongue for five days then poach, peel and chill it before slicing it into steaks and cooking it over embers”, says Jo. Glazed with olive oil and preserved lemon brine, the tongue is then garnished with saffron aïoli, preserved lemon and tarragon picada and sliced Gordal olives. Jo shares some of the Alma magic in recipes here. alma.nz

Wellington has a love of Latin American cocktails and cuisine centred around, and no doubt inspired by, its hospitality hub Cuba Street, but Spanish pickings are slimmer. Violeta Calzadilla Borges, born in Venezuela and taught to cook by her Spanish grandparents, noticed that and decided to take a punt with Olé Spanish Cuisine in Petone. Violeta laughs at the fact that people argue over what makes an ‘authentic’ paella. To her, they’re missing the point. “Paella is a humble dish of rice, with whatever was available to add to it.” These days, we’re privileged to have a lot that’s available to add, and it’s the paella mixta, packed with a variety of seafood, chorizo and chicken that’s the biggest hit with diners. olecuisine.co.nz

For 24 years, The Curator’s House has been operating in a pretty 1920 stone building in Christchurch’s botanic gardens. Owner Jackie Garcia-Knight carries on a legacy established with her late husband, Spaniard Javier Garcia Perea, and the menu today is comforting. Whether you’re cosying fireside or outside basking in sunshine and the perfume of overhanging wisteria, make sure you start with a plate of the restaurant’s own Chorizo Garcia sliced and grilled to perfection. curatorshouse.co.nz

Frustrated at the priciness of imported Spanish charcutería and the pale-imitation quality of locally made versions of chorizo, Manuel Martinez decided to make his own Spanish-style cured meats in Cromwell, Central Otago. Martinez Charcutería Autentica has bloomed but remains a family business, with Manuel’s daughter Nadine and son-in-law Vaughan on the team and the jaunty red-packaged delicacies stocked in gourmet suppliers and some supermarkets around the country. Taste the difference that extra-long fermentation gives to the Chorizo Extra, and spread the Sobrasada Picante all over everything for a tastebud workout. martinez.co.nz

Over more than three decades, Sabato has introduced novel Spanish ingredients to the local market and answered the prayers of keen cooks hunting down tastes acquired on travels or ingredients from a Cuisine recipe they’re dying to try their hand at. Owners Jacqui and Phil Dixon are perpetually ahead of trends, travelling regularly to source from small, often family-run, producers making things the time-honoured way. Trust Sabato to introduce your palate to the subtle difference in taste between jamóns, such as acorn-fed bellota and acorn- and grain-fed cebo, and to supply you the ñoras peppers that lend an earthy, sweet note to stews, seafood dishes and paellas. Online and in-store in Auckland’s Mt Eden. sabato.co.nz

When seeking the best Spanish libations, there are several suppliers you should bookmark. Importers St. Vincent’s Cave, named for the Spanish patron saint of winemakers and viticulturalists, showcases founder Sophie Cotter’s passion for the layered, textural wines Spain excels at, plus sherries and deliciously thirst-quenching Moritz beer, made with water from the same natural springs that fill bottles of Vichy Catalan. stvincentscave.com

Glengarry staff are always well-versed in recommendations and its Spanish selection runs the gamut from cheap and cheerful cava to rare riojas. glengarrywines.co.nz

Trust Planet Wine to introduce you to fresh new flavours, a Xarel.lo from the chalky soils of Penedès perhaps, aged in amphorae and rich in body and acidity, or the unique marriage of vermouth and manzanilla in Delgado Zuleta Goyesco Vermut – your signature aperitif for the summer, sorted. planetwine.co.nz

MORE TASTES OF SPAIN TO SAVOUR:

At Ellerslie’s Bonita, new chef Sebastian Valdes has doubled down on the Spanish focus. bonitabonita.co.nz

At Grape & Olive at the Sofitel, the tapas offering comes with Viaduct views from a sunny terrace that give the added bonus of feeling like you’ve escaped the real world momentarily. sofitel-auckland.com

Perhaps the most convincing ‘Escape to Spain’ dining experience is at Casita Miro on Waiheke Island, where the glassy Art Nouveau restaurant overlooks the eponymous vineyard, and mosaic- lined paths wind through an olive grove leading to shade-dappled spots in which to recline with a bowl of warm, herby olives and a sangria. casitamiro.co.nz

Tucked down Parnell’s back pocket, Barulho brings Spanish and Portuguese flavours to the table, its jovial atmosphere matched with bold flavours. barulhoparnell.com

Castro’s was born with the opening of the Riverside Markets in Christchurch, and head chef Adrian Gil from Huesca, Spain, cooks up a menu designed to make the most of the Josper oven. Co-owner Hazel Nicoll says they particularly love the chance to cook for big groups – if you need to feed 100 folks well, you can count on a giant paella from Castro’s. castro.co.nz

Paella Pan has a loyal following for its event-catering prowess with Spanish flair. The business was established 20 years ago by chef Aaron Kirkland, whose captivation with Catalonian cuisine saw him segue from playing rugby in Perpignan to completing a cheffing apprenticeship under the Pyrenees. paellapan.co.nz

Spanish for ‘game hunter’, Cazador in Auckland’s Mt Eden is best known for its delicious preparations of sustainable meat, but has also built a reputation as the place to be initiated into sherry drinking. The tradition begun by former co-owner Barbara Lolaiy of encouraging guests to stay a while to sip on a little digestif has been carried on with the current generation. Barbara’s daughter-in-law and current co-owner Rebecca Smidt and her front-of-house team including Simon Benoit have the right sherry for you, even if you think such a thing doesn’t exist. Next door, the delicatessen stocks an array of essentials for Spanish cooking and platter-perfecting. cazador.co.nz

When trying your hand at Spanish dishes at home, ensure they cook and look the part by shopping at Epicure Trading beforehand. There you’ll find Catalonian black-glazed dishes that can go from stovetop or oven to table, terracotta serving ware in natural or colourful glazes, enamelled, stainless steel and induction-friendly paella pans as well as the burner stand to sit a paella pan on (move over boring barbecue!). epicuretrading.co.nz, theecotable.co.nz

Let locally grown saffron penetrate your paella. Aotearoa boasts several producers of the famously finnicky crop. Check out Wynyard Estate in Roxburgh (wynyardestatesaffron.com), Ziggy Ardor in Gisborne (ziggyardor.co.nz), Gozie Saffron in Ashurst (goziesaffron.com) and South Island Saffron in Oxford which even offers pick- your-own opportunities at harvest time.

Pedro’s House of Lamb, in both Queenstown and Christchurch, takes top-quality New Zealand lamb and cooks it to melting perfection with a Spanish family recipe passed down through generations. pedros.co.nz

Pull up a stool and tuck into a trio of tapas at Wellington’s Avida, where live Latin guitar lends the place a festive atmosphere. avidabar.co.nz ■