Opened in 2008, El Willy is a long-established star restaurant under the Willy Group. In addition to El Willy, the Willy Group also operates two Spanish restaurants, Elefante (which officially closed in February 2018) and Tomatito, which occupy a significant position in the Spanish restaurant industry in Shanghai. El Willy has won numerous awards in the past 10 years of operation, including "Best Spanish Restaurant" at 2016 China Restaurant Week, "Best Restaurant of the Year" at 2016 City Weekend, "Best Mediterranean Restaurant" at 2016 City Weekend, "Best Spanish Restaurant of the Year" at That's Shanghai 2017, and many other media awards, as well as recommendations from the Spanish Consulate in Shanghai. After the restaurant moved from Donghu Road to the Bund, it has been in high popularity among many Spanish restaurants in Shanghai due to its better geographical location, and is known as the most well-known Spanish restaurant on the Bund in Shanghai.
Originally from Barcelona, owner and chef Willy has a serious and rigorous approach to Spanish cuisine underneath his bold and playful personality. He has worked at the three-Michelin-starred Georges Blanc restaurant in Paris, the Aquavit restaurant, which was awarded a four-star local restaurant by The New York Times, and was nominated by Time Out magazine as a legend in Shanghai's dining scene. Originally from the Netherlands, the head chef Koen began his cooking studies at the age of 16 and went to Dubai to further his studies, and he also has a passion for Spanish cuisine. The restaurant uses modern cooking methods to combine traditional Spanish food with modern Shanghai local food culture, which is deeply favored by Chinese and foreign diners.
The restaurant is very popular, and it is very lively during meals. A variety of seafood, ham, meat, cheese and wine fill the open bar. El Willy's Paella paella is divided into 12 varieties, including juicy risotto and traditional paella, and you can choose seafood, meat, and mushrooms to match. Among them, the order rate of iron plate lobster rice is quite high, the meat quality of crayfish is full, and the improved rice is no longer sandwiched to suit the taste of the Chinese people, and it is still chewy, but it will be slightly salty for the taste of the Chinese people. The restaurant's Iberian bacon collection is a sumptuous collection of signature meats, consisting of three types of sausages: Salchichon, Chorizo, Lomo and the traditional ham Jamon. Among them, Lomo Embuchado (Iberian pork loin smoked sausage) is made from the best of the Iberian black pork parts, which is extremely precious and has a mellow aftertaste. Another type of Chorizo (Iberian smoked sweet paprika pork sausage) is more special, with the slight spicy and fresh sweetness of red peppers, accompanied by sweet and sour tomato sauce bread, and finally a sip of red wine, that is, the true taste of "national quintessence" is in the stomach.
Tapas embody the sensuality of the Spaniards. Willy's Tapas menu is five pages long, enough to dazzle first-time diners. The restaurant's tapas are divided into two categories: one is traditional Spanish snacks, such as baby octopus in Spanish Gulf olive oil, crispy fried squid with garlic sauce, and crispy fried Iberian ham cream balls, which are as original in taste and appearance as possible; The other is called Willy Style Tapas, which are all Willy's creative dishes and seasonal dishes made with fresh ingredients, with some elements of Japanese fusion cuisine, which are also very popular among diners.
The signature dessert mix is the most popular among diners with difficult choices, and the colorful miniature desserts are visually tantalizing to the taste buds. The dessert platter of chocolate mousse, millet pudding, doughnuts, mulberry frosting, etc., is very satisfying to eat one by one, and it will be slightly sweet and greasy when eaten by one person, so it is recommended that you can share it with multiple people.
"Happy Spanish Restaurant" is positioned as a playground for diners. The restaurant blends warm tones, wood elements and hand-painted styles. Dark leather seats and old tiles from Spain add an authentic touch. The glass used for the partition is printed with interesting recipes hand-drawn by Willy's friends, almost all of which are colorful and playful sea creatures. On the red wall in the corner of the dining room is a hand-drawn bullfighter by Willy's grandfather, which reflects the style of the bullfighter in a few strokes. The most distinctive feature of the restaurant is the iconic piggy logo, which was designed and drawn by Willy himself. There are sculptures of pigs, colorful plates with large pigs' noses, cutlery racks that look like piglets, menus with cartoon images of piglets, and Chinese tableware such as chopsticks for the convenience of Chinese diners. The large semi-circular window faces the Huangpu River, and you can take in the beautiful scenery of Lujiazui. Food aside, El Willy is more like a happy family, allowing diners to enjoy the most simple relaxation and joy.
It is worth mentioning that after the "big brother" Elefante restaurant officially closed due to the expiration of the contract, Tomatito became the only Spanish brother restaurant of El Willy in Shanghai. Tomatito means tomato, and it is located in Zhangyuan, which is known as the "No. 1 Garden in Shanghai". The restaurant follows El Willy's ethos of classic Spanish cuisine. However, because the overall dishes are similar to El Willy, and the standard is slightly inferior to El Willy, it will not be on the list repeatedly.
