Socarrat Paella Bar

Seats are a hot commodity at this tiny Spanish restaurant. Those patient enough to wait will find deftly executed tapas, like grill-marked endive and leeks with a zesty romesco. But the focus is on the namesake dish. The signature version delivers with aromatic rice and a bounty of delicious morsels—mussels and clams, piquillo peppers, chicken and cuttlefish. Desserts are not the restaurant’s strong suit—ho-hum chocolate cake and crema catalana. Instead, conclude the meal with porcine candy: Iberico ham.