OMG this resturant is intimate with great presentation and the food is awesome

We visited this restaurant in March 2008. Staying in Daytona Beach Shores, and bored of all the restaurants there, we made the half hour trip to New Smyrna Beach to have dinner at the Spanish River Grill. Let me tell you, it was worth the trip!!

Let's start by saying, this is a fairly expensive place, so you will want to save this for a special night out. Come early because this place is small and popular with locals. The restaurant is tucked in the far left corner of the Publix Shopping Center, which is on the right after you come over the South Causeway into NSB.

Despite its location in a strip shopping center, the restaurant is classy inside, dimly lit, tables have white tablecloths and candles, and the dark red painted walls are adorned with posters of bullfighters. Service is excellent. We started with drinks (offerings include sangria and Spanish wines) and a selection of appetizers from the tapas menu. I had the halibut ceviche which was flavored with fresh cilantro. Delicious!! Others in our party had the fried calamari, mussels, and empanadas. I really liked the calamari, so spicy and salty. I also had a taste of the mussels which were soft and tender, bathed in a creamy sauce. My daughter would only let me have one, they were so good.

For main courses, we had yuca crusted mahi-mahi (tender and juicy on the inside crunchy on the outside), portuguese pan roast (a kind of spicy stew with shellfish in it), orzo paella (very tasty) and a mojo marinated pork chop. Everything was so good we had to sample some desserts too, including flan, apple tart and maduros foster (like bananas foster). They were all delicious, so try to leave room for dessert and coffee!!

The tab for our party of four came to almost $200 before the tip. However, it was worth every penny. We will visit again next time we travel to Daytona.

We live in the Orlando area and spend a lot of weekends in NSB, and we never miss at least 1 meal here. We've been going to NSB for over 20 years, and while there are some solid dining choices, nothing compares with Spanish River. The other "fine" restaurants are very inconsistent, and typically overpriced. I've seen a few reviews here that complain about the prices at Spanish River, but for the quality of the food and service, we think it's a great value. We've taken several friends (one who is kind of a big wig in the restaurant business) and they have all raved. You can't miss here! Make sure you try the ceviche, clams (if they're not on the menu, ask) and the shrimp grits. YUM! The sangria is also homemade and awesome! Always a great experience all around! Enjoy!

Could not believe how great the food, the service, the atmosphere was. Coming from NYC where Spanish Restaurants "are a plenty", this place is right up there with them. Food was outstanding and "made to order". Service was alway's with a smile and catered to your needs. This was our first stop when we arrived and it should be yours! You will go back! The Steamed Little Necks and Blackend Flat Iron Steak ----wow! Nice job, Spanish Grill.