Tio Pepe • $$ ★4.1/5
Tio Pepe is a storied West Village restaurant that has been serving authentic Spanish cuisine to diners for over 40 years. With a thoughtfully curated menu featuring time-honored classics and a stellar bar program offering Spanish beer, wine and seasonally-driven cocktails, Tio Pepe has become a beloved institution in New York City’s ever-changing culinary landscape.
Opened in 1970 by Jimmy Sanz Sr. – a Spanish-born restaurant entrepreneur who immigrated to NYC in 1959 – and now run by his son, Jimmy Sanz Jr., Tio Pepe aims to introduce diners to the intricacies of Spanish cuisine in a relaxed atmosphere. The restaurant’s traditional Spanish decor is warm and inviting with rich, earth tones accented by vibrant Spanish tile-topped tables. Seating options include the front dining room, where patrons can people watch through the floor-to-ceiling windows; the tapas bar modeled after those of Madrid; and the glass-enclosed back garden room with a view of the stars. Throughout the restaurant, there is an aura of old-school authenticity, and with past customers including legends such as The Beatles and Robert De Niro, diners can’t help but feel like an important part of the Tio Pepe story.