FEW GOOD IDEAS ARE BORN IN THE MIDNIGHT HOUR, but after working together at King Street’s Spanish-themed Labora, four friends — Rob Bragagnolo, his wife Caroline Chinery, Tommy Conrad and Ailbhe McMahon — decided it was time to open something more personal. So, in a wee yellow house on Clinton Avenue, in the city’s west end, they get intimate, serving a menu that pulls from Bragagnolo’s Italian roots and his time in Spain with Chinery, where they captained three restaurants. As such, the pulse of the place comes from the paella — steaming pans with scallops on the half shell and hard-seared curls of shrimp, which add a further crunch to the crispy bomba rice. The oeuvre here trots through all sorts of strange little wonders of the sea — 00 anchovies slicked over tomato bread, charcoal-grilled octopus cooked on a Spanish asador-style coal grill, and diver-caught Newfoundland sea urchin. The space is bright, with a slew of vibrant paintings, plenty of greenery and festive food — an artful mingling of convivial Mediterranean cuisine and the buzz of a lively restaurant. Drinks are low-ABV and sessionable, echoing the space’s invitation to stay a while.

Specials: Paella is served only on Sundays, when the doors open early in the afternoon for family-style Spanish feasts.