La Nacional (CLOSED)

It may look unremarkable from the street, but this completely unpretentious and absolutely authentic Spanish tapas restaurant is one of the best in the city. When a table frees up in the cozy, roughly hewn dining room, order the sangria and sample as many small plates as you can. The boquerones (anchovy fillets), calamari and shrimp are all delicious—and liberally doused in garlic—but the paella is sublime. The pan brims with chicken, shellfish and rice basking in a succulent stock that smacks of the ocean.