Throughout April and May 2026, España on the West End is offering a special Paella for Two promotion. $75 gets you a pan of paella that feeds two, with two glasses of Spanish wine red, white, rosé, or sangria to pair. This is the perfect set up for date night, especially if you visit on a Tuesday like we did, and get serenaded by their live musician.
I am surprised that it took me this long to visit España, as they have been a West End favourite since 2012, and have spent over 13 years serving their beloved Spanish-inspired dishes designed for the table. The menu is complemented by an extensive beverage program featuring Spanish wines by the glass, classic sherries, and craft cocktails with a distinctly Spanish twist.
The space is cozy with a well stocked bar and a stretch of smaller seating tables that run down the length of restaurant. This is the kind of spot where everyone knows your name and you can quickly be drawn into becoming a regular.
The paellas in question are on rotation, so you won’t know what you are getting until the week and day of. Today we had one with chorizo, prawns, clams, white anchovies, garlic, and saffron. All topped with a salad of fennel, radish, and aioli for freshness. This was more than enough food for two, with plenty of leftovers to take home for future meals. The rice was dense, flavourful as is, but lacked textural interest without the above mentioned meat and seafood. I found that the sardines overwhelmed the dish and that there was not enough salad to go around to help balance things out. It wound have helped to have the rice less saucy and starchy, but drier and crispier to contrast the bolder toppings.
Thankfully the red we choose with higher in acid, and it helped greatly to cut into richer morsels. I would also recommend getting an appetizer as a side to have as breaks in between bites.
My pick would be the Roasted Spiced Eggplant, this is a dish I would come back specifically for. What read like a dip was whole slices of eggplant topped with muhammara, (piquillo pepper & walnut hummus), pickled shallot, dill dressing, za’atar, and kale chips. This was so well conceived and balanced with soft bits and crispy toppings. The kale chips were the highlight, so fragrant and zesty, alongside the flavour of red roasted pepper. I would have loved a bowl of them as is.
Similarly, I recommend taking a break from your pan of rice by way of one of their desserts. The Hand Rolled Churros were delicious. Two lengthy, thin sticks served with either rich thick hot chocolate or dulce de leche & house made yoghurt. I recommend getting both for the best experience. Crispy cinnamon and sugar dough that you can generously swirl in either dip.
In short, this is a good reason to come down to the Westend and share something tasty with a friend or loved one.
España Restaurant
1118 Denman St, Vancouver, BC V6G 2M8
(604) 558-4040
espanarestaurant.ca
