Mercado Little Spain – NYC

Initially explained as the combined dream of Washington DC-based José Andrés (Jaleo, Zaytinya, The Bazaar) and the Adrià brothers (Albert and Ferran) of el Bulli fame – three of the world’s foremost chefs and Spanish culinary innovators – Mercado Little Spain mirrors Eataly’s distillation of Italian food experiences into a unified food hall. Inspired by famous Spanish markets including Barcelona’s La Boqueria and Madrid’s El Mercado de San Miguel, the Hudson Yards complex in New York City enables guests to experience some of the chefs’ collective brilliance from afar.

Dessert shop Que Sweet is representative of the experience, located directly underneath a caricature of World’s Best Pastry Chef Albert Adria while serving desserts that wouldn’t have looked out of place at his Barcelona or London dessert counters – though served on paper plates, and minus some of the fancy frills. You can go fancy with an intense chocolate tarte sprayed with gold and a shimmering slice of rolled apple cake, or sample rustic Catalan pastries such as a cream-filled Xuxo (choo-cho) croissant, a heart-shaped Palmera Chocolate, or fruit-topped Coca Nata roll. It’s the easiest way to get nearly Michelin-caliber snacks without boarding a flight to Spain (or DC).

Roughly 20 food concepts inside Little Spain are divided into three categories: restaurants, bars, and kiosks each offer items you can snack on within common spaces, or bring home as you prefer. In the “restaurant” category, La Barra feels like a more casual interpolation of Andrés’ Jaleo and Albert Adrià’s (sadly shuttered) Bodega 1900, serving a mix of Spanish classics such as tinned anchovies, croquetas, tomato bread, Galecian oysters, and tuna and chips, plus new interpretations such as an el Bulli-inspired shrimp tartare with crackers, and a savory grilled cheese and honey enseymada roll.