Juan Espanola Cantina

The space makes an impression right away: the bar is tucked into the courtyard of the Myasnikov mansion, and inside you'll find stained-glass patterns, mosaics, tiled decoration, pointed arches, tropical plants and natural marble. In summer, a terrace with loungers and a ping-pong table joins the mix. Seating is compact, but there's a communal table for larger groups, so the place easily shifts from an intimate scenario to a loud evening scene.

Our guide's team calls this a loud city spot — better suited to an evening cocktail than a quiet dinner.

The kitchen is built around an authentic Spanish Josper oven with open fire: natural firewood, coal and grapevine are used for fuel — the latter giving dishes their characteristic smoky aroma. The meat dishes come out of it especially convincing: the machete with smoked sweet potato is a favorite among those who've already been. The Spanish side of the menu includes jamón, aged cheeses, paella and an extensive tapas section. The Mexican side brings tacos on corn tortillas with various fillings, quesadillas, guacamole and plenty of lime. Smashed olives are a simple but well-executed starter that regularly makes the recommendation list.

The bar at Juan Cantina Espanola is a story of its own. Head bartender Artem Shmonin built the cocktail list around fresh fruit and juices: there's Spanish classics here alongside original creations. The Margarita holds a special place, a natural extension of the restaurant's large tequila and mezcal collection, which gets its own dedicated menu. Tequila and mezcal are served with sangrita, a nod to tradition. The Matador on Dewar's also deserves a mention. The wine list was put together by head sommelier Anastasia Maximova: alongside approachable classics are pét-nats and Spain's new wave of contemporary winemakers.

Our undercover guests rated it 7 out of 10 for dinner and 7 out of 10 for cocktails — the kitchen and bar operate at roughly the same level, though on a Friday night it's the cocktail program that takes the lead. In warm weather, the terrace opens with loungers and a ping-pong table; the entrance is from Grodnensky Lane, with the bar tucked unassumingly into the courtyard, which only adds to its character.