The tapas bar that launched the mini Spanish empire in town is helmed by James Beard-nominated chef Katie Buttons and her husband Felix Meana, whose bright, bustling space in a 1920s bus depot on the main drag remains a hot ticket more than a decade after its debut. A great place to bring friends for Spanish favorites — jamon, patatas bravas, and setas washed down with a great selection of vermouths — the seasonal menu is reliably unexpected, exciting, punchy, and very shareable. If you can’t score a reservation at Cúrate, their new spot, La Bodega by Cúrate right around the corner, is a great all-day spot for tapas, daily specials, cocktails, and take-home Spanish comestibles.

Photo by Team Fathom.