CAN SALINAS MANUEL EL REY DE LA FIDEUÀ Excellent Valencian-style paella and fideuà are served at this family-run Restaurant away from the busy summer crowds of Ibiza on the way to ses Salinas beach and its famous chiringuitos like Sa Trinxa and Jockey Club. Start with the local pan y aioli. Fideuà is a dialectal pronunciation of the Valencian or Catalan word fideuada (which means a large number of noodles). It is a seafood dish originally from the coast of Valencia, similar t

A FEW DAYS IN PLASENCIA - CÁCERES Our initial reason for going on this trip was to see the almond blossoms, but unfortunately, we were a little too early, so we spent our time in and around the town. Plasencia, a walled market city in the province of Cáceres in Extremadura, has a population of around 40,000. Situated on the banks of the Jerte River, Plasencia has a historic quarter, a result of the city's strategic location along the Silver Route (Ruta de la Plata), which gua

LA COSMOPOLITA MALAGUEÑA Michelin Plate IIO This place is a great little spot just off the calle Granada in the centre of Málaga's old town. The decor is immaculate, with a traditional twist. You can have tapas at the bar or sit in the main restaurant. There is also an outside terrace for warm evenings. We returned one evening in January for a few late-night tapas at the bar, where we enjoyed Ensalada Rusa (Russian Salad) Bacalao (deep-fried cod) Albóndigas de cola d

RESTAURANTE KAIA-KAIPE Michelin Plate IIO In December 2019, we returned to the fishing port of Getaria and the excellent Restaurante Kaia-Kaipe. Getaria is the typical picture postcard Basque Country fishing village. The village was home to Plácido Domingo's mother and the famous fashion designer Cristóbal Balenciaga. You can now visit the Cristóbal Balenciaga Museoa (€7 entry fee) Cristóbal Balenciaga Museoa It was also home to the explorer, navigator, and mariner Juan

CANTO We came to Canto, a recent creation of Simon Shaw, of El Gato Negro Tapas fame, on an unusually sunny Sunday Lunchtime In Manchester, for a meal before going to the football at Old Trafford later that day. You will find this younger sibling of Simon's in the heart of Manchester's latest to be redeveloped neighbourhood, Ancoats, on Cutting Room Square. It is quite a stunning, ample space with blue Portuguese tiles that reminded me of a recent visit to Braga. They use th

RESTAURANTE VISTAS  One Michelin Star We had a short hop over the border into Portugal for a round of golf at Monte Rei Golf & Country Club. The course is set on over 400 hectares in the East Algarve countryside. This refined country club with villa accommodations is 9 km from the Praia da Manta Rota beach and 13 km from the Castle of Castro Marim. We topped off our afternoon on one of Europe's best golf courses with dinner at Restaurante Vistas, which has stunning views ove

APONIENTE Three Michelin Stars A return visit to the Angel Leóns Restaurant (famous for its cuisine of the sea and only from the sea). We had previously visited the restaurant in its old guise in the centre of El Puerto de Santa Maria, which is now their upmarket tapas bar/restaurant. The new, far more glamorous place is just outside town, in what was an old flour mill, built in 1815. A small river/stream flows under the current building, and the energy generated was used

RESTAURANTE ANTONIO Zahara de Los Atúnes is a fishing village and a summer tourist resort with a fantastic Atlantic-facing beach. The town is appropriately named after the fish because of the local, traditional seasonal La Almadraba (an age-old Phoenician technique for trapping and catching Atlantic bluefin tuna in elaborate nets). The Moors introduced this technique, which takes place every May and June, during which many fiestas are held. In a land that so honours the pig,

TAST- LLER Chef Mikel Peinador's small restaurant is in a back alley loft off La Rambla. It serves excellent, innovative food in a wonderful environment. The restaurant is like a quirky host's home and feels like a house dinner party. You think you are in his home, and he is cooking just for you. The loft is decorated with many interesting artefacts and close personal attention to detail. The only menu is the tasting menu, and everything is down to Mikel, who buys top-qualit

CASA MACA (HOTEL RURAL ES TRULL DE CAN PALAU) UPDATED SEPTEMBER 2022 Hotel Rural Es Trull de Can Palau was taken over by the Mambo Group around 2019 and renamed Casa Maca, so I don't know if the information is correct. I believe they now have a minimum spend policy of €150 per person (to be paid in advance) and limit the table to a maximum of 2.5 hours. Many have complained that it is significantly overpriced. It is still a great venue, but you should be aware of the chang