Spanish cuisine’s visibility has ebbed and flowed in Los Angeles, though newer players like Teleferic, Xuntos, and San Laurel have upped the game in town. But down south in Orange County, Top Chef regular Amar Santana has been cooking polished Spanish food for years at his restaurant Vaca, which quietly opened in Downtown Los Angeles in December 2025. Finding Vaca feels like a treasure hunt that’s well worth the effort. Park in the 777 Figueroa Building and take a rather ominous tunnel down to the main retail stretch along Figueroa Avenue. Make a hard right at the end of the tunnel, and Vaca resides on the ground floor of a tall residential tower. Santana’s approach to Spanish fare bucks the trend of mid-range prices, featuring high-end dry-aged beef, lush seafood paellas, and precise tapas.
Flan will seem like a tempting dessert but the modest-looking tres leches cake packs a sweeter punch. Also: make sure to get your parking validated, or else it’ll cost more than an order of jamón Ibérico.
Expense account lunches or dinners, quiet date-nights that feel like a real find, top-tier pre-theater or Laker game snacks and drinks.