Malagón Mercado y Taperia

Don't be fooled by this unassuming spot off King Street; Malagón is a find. It's a small space with an appealing old-world ambience, where shelves are stocked with wines and imported produce and an open kitchen offers a peek at the goings-on. Chef Juan Cassalett's tapas-focused, Spanish menu has a clear spark. Nothing is overcomplicated, and there is beauty in the precision in dishes like fried rabbit leg with a savory crème fraîche dipping sauce and la bomba de la Barceloneta, with diced pork stuffed inside mashed potato and then fried. It's all deceptively simple and deliciously surprising, as in the arros con cangrejo, a paella-style dish tossed with crab that delights with each bite. Spanish wines steal the spotlight on an interesting list.

• A combined market and tapería in Cannonborough, Elliotborough, focused exclusively on Spanish food and drink.
• Tapas cooking by chef Juan Cassalett, with Spanish wines central to the list.
• One MICHELIN Star.

Signature Ingredients

• Crab (used in a paella-style arròs)
• Rabbit (served fried with a crème fraîche dipping sauce)
• Imported Spanish pantry goods, including canned seafood
• Spanish cheese and charcuterie

A Spanish market and tapería in Charleston, pairing a small, old-world dining room with a store for imported Spanish produce.

• Tapas-led menu with small and larger plates, kept deliberately simple and precise.
• The market side stocks Spanish pantry goods, canned seafood, wine, cheese and charcuterie.
• Dishes highlighted by the MICHELIN Guide include fried rabbit leg with crème fraîche, la bomba de la Barceloneta, and arròs with crab.