Forget year of the tiger – 2010 is the year of Spain. The World Cup winners followed up their victory by opening a mouthful of Spanish restaurants across our fair city. And let’s not forget the galaxy of Michelin stars that the Spanish Pavilion brought in to show off the country’s regional cuisines. Shanghai’s never had a better chance to sample the culinary exports of España.

Bravo 10

What: Shanghai's new best kept Spanish secret

Where: 10 Baoqing Lu, near Fuxing Zhong Lu. Tel: 6437 5805

Why: No frills Spanish... what can we say but bravo!

The first in the this new wave of Spanish restaurants that has the city knee deep in Jamón ibérico, Bravo 10 opened in June and has been quietly surprising Shanghai with its consistent dishes and impeccable service. Located inside the Lapis Casa hotel complex off of Baoqing Lu, the restaurant has all the right ingredients to become a new dining staple.

The building that houses Bravo 10 might not be the restored villa that is all the rage today, but it did previously hold a bank, so high ceilings and full length windows came with the property. The outdoor patio is comfortably spacious and boasts an awning to protect al fresco diners from heat, rain and other unpleasantness and the dining room has full-on views of the open kitchen from practically any seat in the house. In short, there’s ambiance to spare and the wait staff does more than its part in maintaining the illusion.

Although dinner started with an unpromising glass of sangria that reminded us of the time we accidentally purchased a bottle of Great Wall, the night quickly recovered. A bright red bowl of “typical” gazpacho Andalusian was anything but ordinary – the chilled tomato soup was bursting with the taste of fresh vegetables while peppers added just the right level of heat to keep our taste buds intrigued with every spoonful.

The stuffed mussels with bechamel and peppers came covered with a delicately fried layer of bread crumbs that didn’t trip into any of the greasy pitfalls that too often plague this dish. Unfortunately, the broken eggs with Serrano ham and potatoes couldn’t avoid the same fate as the glorified plate of olive oil-soaked French fries drastically outnumbered the ham and eggs. This dish belongs on a bar menu, not next to the sophisticated cuisine the chef is churning out. We rounded out our meal with a carne paella featuring a ménage à trois of beef, sausage and chicken. The Valencian specialty could have use a few more morsels of meat, and a pinch or two more of spices wouldn’t have hurt, but as we were already so stuffed from the rest of the meal, we didn't complain.

 

El Patio

What: Modern Spanish food served with a side of terraces

Where: 110 Fenyang Lu, near Fuxing Zhong Lu. Tel: 6437 5839

Why: If you liked Bonito, you’ll love El Patio

With so many Spanish and Mexican restaurants popping up around town, it was only a matter of time before Shanghai reached a confusing surfeit of El prefixed names. Luckily for El Patio, the space lives up to its nominal inspiration, having transformed a beautiful corner villa with terraces to spare into a tranquil and welcoming restaurant. El Patio is a step in the classy direction, a determined move after the failed Bonito (owned by the same guys) floundered in real estate obscurity at the Loft, and the modern cuisine lives up to the refined new digs.

Bread baskets came with a tomato and garlic puree drizzled with pesto that would have made ruining my appetite an easy task – had the bread been warm. Perhaps the cold carbs were a blessing in disguise because the kitchen didn’t skimp on portions. A hefty chunk of lamb on a bed of Idiazabal cheese was a revolution in smoky, rich flavours, while a heaping steak tartare imported from Australia subtly spices up the meal with an artful combination of capers and mustard. An artichoke and squid ink paella was another hit with its surprisingly flavourful rice and smooth texture. According to the menu, the dish was made for two, but it easily could have served a small army. A cheese plate served alongside homemade jams and a shot-glass of ambrosial honey put the finishing touches on a table of wholly enjoyable food.

While the cooking was definitely worth coming back for, the service left a lot to be desired. A locked door keeps out the riffraff who might want to admire the architectural triumph that is El Patio, but a constantly ringing doorbell interrupts the ambiance that the renovations have manufactured. An unprepared wait staff more often than not couldn’t answer questions about the menu, and left us without answers after promising to check with the kitchen. Glasses were left unfilled, requested menus never arrived and empty plates weren’t cleared, but El Patio was still in soft opening during our visit. We’re hoping they sort out any teething issues so that the service lives up to the setting and the menu before they open up hard (or whatever they do after a soft opening).