El Quinto Pino

It's tough to resist the uni panini at pocket-size tapas superstar El Quinto Pino. One of the most exhilarating sandwiches ever invented—domestic sea urchin spread on a baguette with Korean hot mustard oil—is served tucked away in a cute little sack like a fancy gift, which indeed it is. And yet, chef Alex Raij has other out-of-this-world bocatas up her sleeve, such as a fried squid sub with spicy aioli, typical of Madrid, and a Basque-influenced pork loin rubbed with smoked paprika, garlic and oregano and layered with Galician tetilla cheese and piquillo peppers. In Italy, it's a no-no to eat fish and cheese together, but in Spain, it's definitely a yes, particularly when it comes to the Bikini—a two-piece sandwich of Ortiz anchovies pressed with melting cheese and piquillo peppers on thin Pullman bread.