Escocesa

You're walking down Church Street on a Friday evening and the place is absolutely rammed—the kind of busy that means people aren't there for the novelty, they're there because the food's worth the squeeze. Escocesa does Spanish tapas the way they should be done: jamón ibérico that melts on your tongue, patatas bravas with proper bite, and seafood that tastes like it actually came from somewhere. The wine list skews Spanish and Portuguese, which is refreshing when you're tired of Italian options everywhere else. It's proper, unpretentious food in a place that feels like it genuinely belongs to the neighbourhood rather than trying to impress anyone.