RESTAURANTE ESCÁNEZ We returned to an old favourite, Restaurante Escánez. Located on the Almeria coast, in the municipality of Garrucha since 1982, it was remodelled in 2004. A few years earlier, we were invited to Almería 2019, a food celebration held after Almería was named Capital Española de la Gastronomía 2019. We toured the fish auction, then had a lavish feast at Castillo San Ramón/Las Escobetas on the outskirts of Garrucha. Local chefs, including Paco Escánez of Rest

We had been invited to attend “The Festival of Andalusian Gastronomy 2020”, which, unfortunately, was cancelled in March 2020 due to the start of the COVID-19 restrictions. We now fast-forward two years to March 2022. After meeting the group at the Hotel Abades Nevada Palace de Granada, we board the coach for our first visit to the Costa Tropical (where there are dozens of beaches and small coves with crystal-clear water and 320 days of sunshine per year). It has an average

CASA SEVILLA This restaurant is in the middle of Almería, heading toward the port area. It is set in an alleyway off the main street and was full of locals on the evening we attended, which is always a good sign. There are tables outside in the alleyway, a restaurant in a room at the back, and tall tables with stalls in the bar area. They serve a very varied menu, including Almería’s typical traditional dishes and house specialities. With every drink, we had a copa de cava (

RESTAURANT GRESCA Michelin Plate IIO This restaurant is a hidden gem, but from its discreet, tiny entrance, you would hardly guess it could be a fantastic culinary journey. We arrived early Monday night for a 9 pm booking, but the place looked closed, so we went for a drink around the corner. On our return, there was still only one other diner. Within half an hour, the place was full, including ex-Barcelona footballer and TV pundit Gary Lineker. He had local knowledge.

RESTAURANTE AMA LUR This famous restaurant has been an institution for over 35 years. Just before the COVID-19 disaster, the owners decided to close after all that time. In October 2021, new owners, whose story started in Formentera with a paradise called Can Carlos, reopened Ama Lur with the same ambitions but a new Italian style. The restaurant has had a makeover and is now in stunning blue to match the Ibicenco sky and sea. From its previous yellow. On a roundabout on the

HOTEL CASA DE LAS CUATRO TORRES Cádiz is a city and port in south-west Spain. It is the capital of the province of Cádiz, one of eight that make up the autonomous community of Andalusia. The city is the oldest continuously inhabited city in Spain and one of the oldest in western Europe. Despite its unique site, on a narrow slice of land surrounded by the sea‚ Cádiz is, in most respects, a typically Andalusian city with a wealth of attractive vistas and well-preserved historic

UPDATED - APRIL 2025 - CLOSED In October 2021, we visited a Vilarnau cava-tasting evening with tapas at Ibérica Canary Wharf, London. A brief history of Vilarnau Cava. Members of the Spanish nobility, the Vilarnau family, settled in Penedés, Catalonia, in the 12th century. Vilarnau is a contraction of the Latin “Vila Arnau,” i.e., the Arnau family’s “country house” or “domus.” Formerly, it stood within the estate of the Castillo de Subirats, where vines had been grown since t

EL INVERNADERO RODRIGO DE LA CALLE One Michelin Star We had an enjoyable and excellent vegetarian meal at this newly awarded one Michelin star restaurant run by chef Rodrigo de la Calle, who has worked at various Michelin-starred restaurants over the years, especially with Martín Berasategui at his eponymous restaurant in Lasarte. We chos e the #VegetaliaPowe r menu at €135 (there are other menus at €95 and €65), including water, bread, cheeses, and pairing with their dr

VENETIIS RESTAURANT This restaurant is undoubtedly a great discovery for us in Benalmádena Pueblo. Chef Matteo Manzato mixes Italian and Malagueña cuisine to stunning effect in a carefully designed, atmospheric environment. It has its own style, mixing great service, excellent food, and fine cuisine. The presentation of every dish is an ultimate picture that everyone would love to share on Instagram. We had the extremely reasonable tasting menu, un paseo por Ventiis menú degu

CASA JULIAN This is an unremarkable, easy-to-miss little restaurant in the little-known Tolosa, 28 km inland from San Sebastián. Once you find it and walk in, you will think you are in the wrong place. You will see an area containing several fridges and a load of crates, and you are likely to turn around and walk out again until you are greeted warmly and seated in the old-fashioned dining room, which doesn’t look like it’s changed much in a century. The steaks are cooked to