Just in time for the weekend, the owners of State Street Eating House are opening a new tapas restaurant on Lemon Avenue this Saturday, June 10. Beso, which is located in The Mark building, will offer amaro-forward cocktails and plenty of traditional tapas to accompany them.

The dining room is bright and airy, with wide spaces between tables to encourage your party to grow as the night continues. The idea, co-owner Jason Waganheim explains, is for guests to invite their friends to join them throughout the course of the evening, pulling more chairs around the table and encouraging visitors to linger longer.

“Tapas isn’t only about taste,” co-owner Chris Voelker added in a press release. “It’s communal, it’s passing dishes around the table and indulging in conversation with friends. It’s the social aspect along with the food that make up the overall experience.”

Start the evening with a “Besito” ($7), Spanish for “little kiss." It's made with botanicals, cardamaro and other aperitifs and meant to be drunk through a straw as quickly as possible, reminiscent of the Mind Eraser shots of the '90s, but much more sophisticated and delicious.

The food menu features more than 30 small plates, as well as three paellas meant to share. The paella mariscos ($39, pictured above) is teeming with seafood and the obligatory chorizo and chicken. Each bite of rice takes on the flavor of whichever protein is nearby. Some taste of shrimp, others of clams or the rich, house-made chorizo.

Meanwhile, the pan con tomate ($8) keeps things simple. Crusty garlic bread is topped with puréed tomato, creating a fresh garden aroma that follows through to the palate.

The Spanish grilled cheese ($10) is guaranteed to be a crowd favorite. It’s made with salty Manchego cheese and a spicy alioli (the Spanish word for "aioli"), then griddled to crispy perfection.

For another traditional tapas bite, try the patatas bravas ($9). The fried chunks of potatoes are tossed with a smoky paprika alioli and topped with chili flakes. Or you can go the meaty route with albondigas ($10), tender chorizo meatballs tossed in sofrito (the base sauce for most Spanish dishes, flavored with bell pepper and tomato). The result is spectacular; my favorite bite of the afternoon.

But you can’t enjoy your Spanish fare without a sip of sangria. Beso offers four renditions of the classic wine cocktail. The sangria classico ($8) is mixed with plenty of brandy and orange liqueur, while the sangria amargo ($10) utilizes cynar and carpano roso to create an herbal bitterness that is immensely interesting.

Beso could capitalize on its prime location, rest on its laurels and serve Americanized tapas that we’ve all been disappointed by. But it doesn’t. Beso is capturing the flavors of Spain, and I look forward to returning for more.

Beso is open from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday at 30 S. Lemon Ave. in downtown Sarasota. For more information, call (941) 279-2999 or click here.