Planning a trip to Spain? One of the first things you'll want to nail down is where to stay. Spain offers a dazzling array of accommodation options, from charming rural cottages to sleek city apartments and beachfront villas. But how do you find the perfect spot that fits your style, budget, and itinerary? Let me walk you through the essentials of finding the ideal accommodation in Spain, sharing tips, tricks, and a few laughs along the way. Spain's accommodation scene is as

RESTAURANTE ES VENTA LL Michelin Plate IIO We returned to one of our favourite places in Sant Antoni de Portmany (San Antonio): Es Ventall. The restaurant has been open for over 35 years. Since 2005, when the younger José Miguel Bonet took over, the traditional dishes have been given a much more inventive twist. However, they still include many of the Island's favourites. These include rice dishes, such as paella, fideuá, arroz a banda, bullit de peix, and fish and seafood

CASA TONI Casa Toni is a small, basic bar/restaurant that at first glance doesn’t look like much. However, give it a try. The food is excellent for the price, and there are always plenty of locals, which is usually a good sign. You can find extra seating upstairs. Please note that the dishes they typically serve are generous portions, so keep this in mind. This is the place to try offal (i.e., animal innards), such as the mollejas (sweetbreads, often mistakenly believed to be

RESTAURANTE LA PRIMERA We were looking for a restaurant in Madrid for 12 friends to have lunch, and we decided La Primera was the place. The restaurant is located in an ideal spot to enjoy Madrid, on the first floor (hence the name) of an iconic building on the famous Gran Vía. The interior design is elegantly minimalist, with a Scandinavian aesthetic and a dark yet cosy colour palette. It is spacious and comfortable. They offer a fine-dining interpretation of traditional Spa

ANTONIO BAR If you sometimes need a change of pintxo bars from the Parte Vieja (old town) or the Gros area across the bridge, head to the central location and Antonio Bar. It’s an unassuming, tiny place that’s always busy, with primarily local customers. You will find a few seats inside by the bar and more outside, where the jovial waiter will serve you. Finding a space may take a minute, but the turnover is pretty quick. It is a great spot to enjoy, Txistorra (spicy sausage

MANERO ALICANTE - MANERO MOLLÁ On our few-day trip to Alicante, we ate on a Monday evening at Bar Manero Alicante—Manero Mollá —which was quite busy for a Monday. This is an elegant and lively tapa bar in the middle of town, not just in style but also in food quality. The deli counter has carefully prepped plates of food above the beautiful mosaic floor. The tapas menu sticks to the standards but is thriving with every one of them. After sitting down, we had an appetiser.

RESTAURANTE S’ILLOT DES RENCLÍ  S’Illot des Renclí is a stunning, small beach, one of those that captures the essence of tranquil Ibiza.  The entire area is stunning, surrounded by pine trees and fishermen’s huts, with a famous islet offshore that lends the bay its name. The crystal-clear water is perfect for swimming and snorkelling, with a seabed teeming with sea life. There are four jetties where you can put your towel down if you don’t want to sunbathe on the beach.  It i

TITAS GASTROBAR This is the second restaurant our friend Howard Goldsmith, who lives in the area, took us to. It was a completely different experience from the first one, which was very traditional, but both were very good in their own way. Titas gastrobar is in the old historic centre of Villena and serves tasty, well-presented food, whether you are vegan, vegetarian or carnivorous. There’s a real buzz about the place, with many locals sharing tapas at the bar. This gastrob

ALQUERÍA EL BROSQUIL This restaurant is a bit out of the way. You will have to go down an old farm road off the highway, then turn onto a gravel road that leads to a car park inside a beautiful orange grove. It is a bit like a farmhouse in the middle of a town and only 15 minutes from the city centre. You can have drinks outside on the terrace and take in a bit of the sun before taking your seats inside the restaurant. There is also a fun board in the terrace, where you can p

TABERNA CASA MANTECA Cádiz is one of Western Europe’s oldest continuously inhabited cities. The Phoenicians founded it, and archaeological remains date back 3,100 years. During the 18th and 19th centuries, it became a trading port with the Americas. This famous spot in the Casco Antiguo (the older part of Cádiz), within the remnants of the city walls and commonly referred to as the Old Town, is an old-school restaurant and tapas bar (the name means "house of Lard"!). A few f