New Spanish restaurant with tapas, long wine list opening on South Lamar

A new Spanish restaurant called El Raval opened in the former Barlata space at 1500 S. Lamar Blvd., Austin, on May 12. The restaurant seats 115 people, has a full bar and an outdoor patio.

What’s on the menu?

El Raval serves charcuterie, a raw bar, and a wide range of vegetarian, seafood and meat tapas—small, savory dishes. The menu also includes large, shareable dishes, including a paella and a squid ink rice with cuttlefish 'nduja relish and sea urchin.

El Raval has a long drink menu featuring Spanish, French and Italian wines and a couple skin contacts, or orange wines that are made by allowing the grape juice to make contact with the grape skins.

Meet the chef

El Raval is led by chef Laila Bazahm, who named the restaurant after her neighborhood.

“El Raval is a neighborhood that celebrates diversity and cultural exchange. The different languages spoken on the streets, the various festivals celebrated throughout the year and the wide range of cuisines available all speak to its richness and complexity,” Bazahm said in a news release. ”The restaurant will reflect the same excitement and be a place where people from all walks of life come together to create something unique and special.”