A three-day trip across the border into France took us to southeastern France, where we stayed in Lyon and Vienne (35 kilometres south of Lyon, on the Rhône). Our first restaurant on the trip was LES SAVEURS DU MARCHÉ Michelin Plate IIO An attractive, well-run restaurant where the immaculate tables and chairs back onto stone walls. This contemporary decor is the ideal backdrop for chef Sebastien Désestet’s market-fresh products, which are full of flavour, as you would e

CLOSED AND RENAMED 2026 This top hotel is set on beautiful golden sands and is a great escape from the madness of Platja d’en Bossa. There are so many room options. If you are worried about space, book any room or suite other than the basic silver room, as these can be small, and the location is in the tower, so it is not as good. The stylish, modern rooms offer free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs with satellite channels, and great sound systems to charge your iPod with tunes. Plus,

FINCA LISTONERO MAYBE CLOSED 2025 Reborn after the terrible raging wildfire that swept across the Sierra Cabrera and into the valley at Cortijo Grande and destroyed the previous fabulous incarnation in 2009. Finca Listonero is back and just as fabulous, now run by Ian and Sandra. They are very welcoming hosts and serve up excellent food. It is a boutique guest house and restaurant, hidden away amongst the mountains surrounding the beautiful valley of Cortijo Grande, near

RESTAURANTE TRIBECA Michelin Plate IIO This excellent restaurant is located in the residential barrio of La Buheria, an eight-minute drive from the historic centre of Seville (or a twenty-minute walk). It is modern and well-fitted, and the tables are not too close together. At least three waiters looked after us. The charming chef Pedro Giménez came out to explain the menu to us. He then took us downstairs into the preparation area to choose our fish and shellfish. We

LA CARBONÁ This spacious and elegant dining room is in what was once an Antiguo Casco de bodega (sherry winery/cellar). It was transformed into a fabulous restaurant showcasing the local food of Jerez de la Frontera and the rest of Spain, as well as local sherry wines. In this old bodega, light enters the room through the Spartan windows, bringing in the Jerezana breeze, especially on warm days, maintaining the optimum temperature for their wines. The room is on the origi

LES PRÈS D’EUGÉNIE Three Michelin Stars On this occasion, we took a trip over the Spanish border from San Sebastián (some 175 km) into France to the wonderful Les Prés d’Eugénie. Michel Guérard opened Les Prés d’Eugénie in the tiny commune of Eugénie-les-Bains in 1974, and the restaurant gained a third Michelin star in 1977, only three years later. He has retained 40 years of 3-star status and now holds the longest such continuous run since the recent death of Bocuse, who

BAIRRO DO AVILLEZ For our third and final lunch on our short Lisbon trip, we decided on something more modern and trendy after two very traditional restaurants. From the outside, the place looks relatively small, but it is actually two restaurants in one building. The front is the Taberna and delicatessen, which serves small plates and tapas and has a buzzy atmosphere. The rear is the Páteo, which is a full restaurant with modern interpretations of Portuguese cuisine. We at

MOMA GRILL SOME VERY BAD RECENT (2025) REVIEWS SO BE WEARY. IT WAS OK WHEN WE WENT, BUT THAT WAS A FEW YEARS AGO. CHECK THE CURRENT REVIEWS FIRST. This little restaurant was the second traditional place we visited on our short trip to Lisbon. You need to walk past all the aggressive street touts who stand with menus featuring pictures of food on this street and find this restaurant at the end of Rua dos Correeiros. It can be hard work making your way up the Rua dos Correeir

MESÓN EL MOLINO The drive to this restaurant will take you through Almeria’s desert interior, the only official desert in Europe. Upon entering the pretty village of Vélez Blanco, you can first visit the stunning Renaissance castle, which towers over the town. Built in the early 16th century, it is worth visiting both for the castle and the fantastic views overlooking the village and beyond. The castle closes at 2 pm, which is perfect, since lunch begins here at that time.

ASADOR IZASKUN We had driven past the sign for Asador Izaskun, looming above the trees on the motorway the day before, and I told friends in the car it looked like a nice restaurant. Without realising it, this was our third and final restaurant visit on our short trip to Sax in Alicante to visit our friend Howard Goldsmith. We arrived at a restaurant set in beautiful surroundings with manicured gardens. We were taken to a large dining room with extensive window views of the g