EL BIGOTES The Fish Shack at Cala Mastella is also known as El Bigotes Ibiza, which translates to “The Moustache”, a nod to the proprietor’s distinctive whiskers. El Bigotes will be remembered for sitting at his table every lunchtime while enjoying a flagon of his favourite red wine with his fish and rice. Sadly, he passed away in 2025 at nearly 100. His funeral was massive on the island, with everyone paying their respects. Rest in peace, El Bigotes, and thank you for your i

ASADOR CAN PILOT We returned to Restaurante Asador Can Pilot Ibiza, an old favourite in the small inland village of Sant Rafel de sa Creu (San Rafael). Since 1989, it has been an excellent place for traditional Spanish food, especially BBQ meat. The traditional, rustic restaurant is always busy, and sometimes you may have to wait in the vibrant bar. A large BBQ grill sits in one corner of the room. The room is furnished with traditional Ibicencan wooden tables and chairs. We

RESTAURANT BALNEARI We paid a long-overdue visit to restaurant Balneari in Cala Carbó. The restaurant has been part of this small Ibiza cove since 1974, when it began life as a simple beach kiosk. Founded by Pepe Benet, the restaurant became one of the best-known traditional fish establishments in the southern part of the island. After Pepe retired, the business was transferred in 2005 to Antonio “Toni” Torres, one of his trusted employees. Toni now manages the restaurant. Mo

RESTAURANTE NIU BLAU We returned to Restaurante Niu Blau, which is one of Ibiza’s long-established traditional beach restaurants. Located directly on Es Niu Blau beach, between Santa Eulària and Es Canar, it has served customers for more than 40 years. Unlike many of Ibiza’s newer beach clubs, Niu Blau has retained the feel of a traditional Mediterranean seaside restaurant, specialising in rice dishes, fresh fish and seafood. Es Niu Blau is a small sandy bay surrounded by pin

LA CUCHARA DE SAN TELMO We visited La Cuchara de San Telmo, San Sebastián, one of our favourite pintxo bars in the old town, tucked away in a side alley off 31 de Agosto Kalea, at the back of the historic city. It’s definitely worth seeking out, so don’t hesitate to go in, even if it’s busy. La Cuchara de San Telmo is known for its traditional Basque spoon dishes, which differ from pintxos — small portions of food often served on a slice of bread and sometimes held together w

SA TRENKA RESTAURANT We decided to take a trip up north of the Island from Sant Antoni (San Antonio) to a beach and restaurant we had not been to before. We found Sa Trenka Cala Martina Ibiza on a stunning beach: a charming, unpretentious chiringuito with a great vibe, specialising in rice dishes and seafood. The perfect ‘alternative’ Ibiza to some of the trendy, expensive places in the south of the island. We booked a table for 2 pm and then walked along the beach. Current m

I wanted to explore the traditional café bars in Sant Antoni de Portmany (San Antonio) to find out the current cost of a basic breakfast. These establishments are primarily popular with locals, along with a few tourists. We ordered the same food and drinks at each location for comparison. Zumo de naranja recién exprimido (freshly squeezed orange juice). Café con leche (coffee with milk). Tostada con tomate, aceite de oliva con sal (toast with tomato, olive oil and salt). CAFE

ANYWAY WINE BAR Mark Walsh visited Anyway Wine Bar in Málaga City, founded in 2018 by local entrepreneur David Camino after returning from working abroad to pursue his idea for a wine-centric concept in Málaga. It is a wonderfully cool place for serious wine drinkers, quite near the paseo marítimo. It’s the perfect spot for an early evening drink after work, popular with the city’s creative crowd. With over 200 wines, all served by the glass, the list is quite extraordinary

Pamplona/Iruña is the historical capital of Navarre/Navarra and was the capital of the medieval Kingdom of Navarre. In the early 16th century, Castile conquered the southern part of the kingdom and later incorporated it into the Crown of Castile. The city is famous worldwide for the running of the bulls during the San Fermín festival, which is held annually from July 6 to 14. This festival gained literary renown with the 1926 publication of Ernest Hemingway’s novel, The Sun A

CASA JULIAN In 2026, we revisited Casa Julián Tolosa, this remarkable, easily overlooked little restaurant, now famous on TV, located in the Basque countryside town of Tolosa, which is 28 km inland from San Sebastián. Tolosa is a town and municipality in the Basque province of Gipuzkoa, northern Spain. It sits in the Oria River valley, which runs through the town. When you arrive at the restaurant and step inside, you might initially feel like you’re in the wrong place. You’l