Chef Hector Santiago just opened his second Ponce City Market restaurant this week, debuting Spanish tapas restaurant La Metro in the former Biltong Bar space. La Metro joins Santiago’s Latin American sandwich bar, El Super Pan, in the central food hall.
Santiago said that “after falling in love” with the food and wine culture of Spain during his travels, “a tapas bar felt like the right fit” for his next restaurant at Ponce City Market. This includes the tradition of displaying dishes offered each day behind a glass partition. People order at the counter before finding a seat at high-top tables, or they can sit at the bar for full service.
Look for traditional Spanish tapas like patatas bravas, croquetas, and endive with anchovies, as well as pintxos (small bites) such as Padron peppers and montaditos (tiny open-faced sandwiches). La Metro also serves fresh, cured, and tinned seafood, charcuterie and cheese boards, and entrees of paella, lamb with olives, and canelones (stuffed pasta rolls). Tapas boxes are available to order for takeout.
Later this year, Santiago plans to launch what he’s calling a “tapamakase” experience, a sort of chefs table in the La Metro kitchen seating four people where he will serve off-menu, omakase-style tapas.
Santiago tapped veteran Atlanta bartender Jose Pereiro to oversee the bar program at La Metro. Pereiro served as the beverage director at Storico Fresco in Buckhead and Forza Storico at Westside Provisions District for years.
Expect a mostly Spanish wine and beer list, Basque ciders, and Spanish vermouth and sherry from the bar. Cocktails at La Metro come with Spanish twists, including the restaurant’s signature drink, the Mercado Sour, with pisco, raspberry liqueur, amontillado sherry, lemon, and egg white.
In addition to La Metro and El Super Pan at Ponce City Market, Santiago also owns a location of El Super Pan at Battery Atlanta in Cobb Country. Earlier this year, the chef closed his Juarez-style burrito stand and ceviche bar, El Burro Pollo, at the Collective at Coda food hall in Midtown.
Santiago once owned the highly regarded Latin American restaurant Pura Vida in Poncey-Highland. He closed the restaurant in 2012 after the landlord chose not to renew the lease. Sweet Auburn BBQ now occupies the North Highland Avenue space.
Take a look at the food and drink menus for La Metro below.
Inside Ponce City Market, 675 Ponce De Leon Avenue, Old Fourth Ward. Open Monday – Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
