Paella, Sangria, Beach Vibes And So Much More At Xiringuito Escriba, Shibuya

The best place to grab paella in Tokyo? Certainly.

Surrounded by music, relaxed vibes reminiscent of the Mediterranean, a spoon full of paella in one hand and a glass of sangria in the other, you’d almost start believing that you’re on the stunning beaches of Spain. But here you are, sitting in the very heart of Tokyo, enjoying your meal at Xiringuito Escriba, a brand new restaurant import from Barcelona.  

Although not positioned on the beach like the original Xiringuito Escriba, the Tokyo branch is located inside the new shopping and dining complex Shibuya Stream, strategically overlooking the recently revamped Shibuya river and boulevard. Cleverly designed to replicate the fresh breezy feel of the beach that first inspired chef and owner Joan Escriba, Tokyo’s Escriba branch is officially the new little sister to the Barcelona original.  

 

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A long (but steady) road to Tokyo

Joan Escriba’s road to opening a restaurant in Tokyo is far longer than he would have ever imagined. Almost 30 years ago while following in his father’s chocolatier footsteps, Joan came to Japan hoping to share his love and passion for pastry culture. He instantly fell in love with Japan and always hoped to return and open his own original restaurant here.

While he had an obvious flair for desserts, at a certain point in his career Joan felt that chocolates were a seasonal business (just think of Valentine’s in Japan!). But just when Barcelona was busy reconstructing and establishing new areas ahead of the 1992 Olympics, the idea struck him — he was going to open a restaurant in a seaside area that could operate year-round and invite people to experience Spanish food right on the beach. The rest is culinary history. This summer, the restaurant finally expanded abroad, and naturally, it was Tokyo on Joan’s mind.

 

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Share the joy — and the paella

If you know a little bit of Spanish, you’ve probably figured out the theme of this restaurant already, but if you’re not, allow us to break the news. Xiringuito in Spanish means a “beach house” which sells easy bites and lots of drinks. In Japan, this would be the equivalent of umi no ie, or a “sea house” that operates only in summer. But, Xiringuito Escriba is a permanent establishment and beyond the casualness and its seaside location, it carries its name with pride for one simple reason: that everyone there shares the experience (after all, you don’t usually go to the beach alone, do you?!).  

Xiringuito Escriba’s predominantly seafood menu is share-style and the one specific dish that everybody goes crazy over is its paella. The Tokyo store boasts four kinds of the famous rice dish: the signature Escriba paella, cooked with Japanese lobsters, red shrimps, clams and mussels; the Squid Ink, a pitch-black dish with squid ink, shrimps, clams and  mussels; Valencia, made of chicken, kidney beans and green beans, and a Vegetarian one with mushrooms, broccoli and green beans for those who can’t eat meat and seafood.

The paella can also be cooked a la Catalan with Fideua (above), a type of short pasta instead of rice. Each paella comes in two sizes of your choice to share with either 2-3 or 4-6 people and the prices vary from ¥2,800 to ¥7,200.

 

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If you’re just stopping in for a quick bite and some drinks, though, there is also a fully stocked bar (with six different kinds of sangria) and plenty of other must-try signature dishes and tapas.

Among them are the ultra cute and very Instagrammable Airbag Iberico ham (¥1,800), a delicious air-filled piece of bread topped with ham; fried small fish with calamari (¥1,600), and my personal favorite, Patatas Bravas (¥800), Spain’s favorite cubed potatoes with a smooth tasty aioli dish that you can also mix with the short pasta paella.

With Joan Escriba’s experience as a chocolatier, it also doesn’t come as a surprise that the dessert menu is as rich as it gets. For a seafood restaurant, you get quite a vast variety of all exclusive, Spain-inspired desserts: the mouth-watering Crema Catalana, Basque-style cheesecake, Cava and lemon sorbet, a tiramisu take on the traditional Spanish “Tocino de cielo” rich caramel pudding, and an almond cake. All desserts cost ¥800 (except for the sorbet, which is ¥500), and ¥500 during lunch time.  

Because life’s a beach

Apart from enjoying its delicious food and plenty of sangria options, Xiringuito Escriba is also a place where you can feel the sea, the breeze and the sunset along the beach, without even stepping outside Shibuya.

 

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Decorated in the colors of the ocean and surrounded by the relaxed beach house vibes, this seafood diner creates a calm peaceful atmosphere and sets the scene for your culinary journey. It’s a place to let loose, be casual and enjoy the cheer.

The restaurant’s open kitchen is also among its most addictive features and you’ll find yourself spending a considerable amount of time watching (and taking snaps of) the talented chefs preparing the paellas.

Whether you are visiting for lunch, dinner or just drinks, Xiringuito Escriba is worth stopping by — even if it’s just to enjoy the stream breeze!

 

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The Deets

Xiringuito Escriba

• Address: Shibuya Stream 3F, 3-21-3 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
  
• Tel: 03-5468-6300
  
• Business hours: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. (Lunch), 5 p.m.-11 p.m. (Dinner)
  
• Average cost: Lunch paella set from ¥2,800 per person, Grill set ¥1,480, Dinner sets from ¥4,800 per person. A la carte from ¥500 for tapas.

Xiringuito Escriba

The best paella from Barcelona to Tokyo.