Espana Restaurant

Growing up in London, England, Edward Perrow travelled to Spain on a number of family vacations throughout his childhood. Those Iberian trips made an indelible impression on Ed, who became enthralled with Spanish culture. “I loved their attitude toward food and wine, the relaxed atmosphere,” he explains. “In Spain, I saw groups of people share plates, eat with their hands, join in the ancient bond of breaking bread together.” Today, Ed has successfully recreated that Spanish feel at his Denman Street Spanish tapas and wine bar, España, starting with the exterior red door. “I painted it myself, before we opened.” he says.

Ed had long wanted to open a Spanish tapas restaurant. After serving as the general manager at the famed Bin 941 and Bin 942 on Davie Street, he moved on to a stint at Uva and Cibo at the Moda Hotel, where he met chef Neil Taylor. The duo earned a lot of press in 2009 when Cibo won a slew of best restaurant awards, and decided to take the opportunity to secure funding for their own venture.