HOTELA M&UGA We stayed for three nights in the Basque Country town of Elorrio. The Town stands out for its unique medieval and modern heritage. In 1964, it was declared a Medieval Heritage Site. It is set in a green valley with the river Zumelegi running down its centre. It is a delightful walk through the streets of palaces and ancestral houses, built of stone and carved masonry from the 17th and 18th centuries. We chose to stay in the M&UGA Hotela. The hotel is a minute's w

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 quick. It is a great spot to enjoy, Txistorra (spicy sausage and cri

AZURMENDI Three Michelin Stars Chef Eneko Atxa Azurmendi was the youngest Spanish chef to obtain 3 Michelin stars in 2012. You will discover why when you arrive at this subtropical glasshouse, which overlooks the stunning Basque countryside 25 minutes outside Bilbao. Azurmendi is an ecosystem by itself, based on sustainability. It is environmentally friendly, uses renewable energies, recycles any generated waste, harvests rainfall, and heats and cools the facilities using

CASA JULIAN In March 2025, we returned to this remarkable, easy-to-miss little Restaurant, now famous on TV, in the Basque countryside town of Tolosa, 28 km inland from San Sebastián. Tolosa is a town and municipality in the Basque province of Gipuzkoa in northern Spain . It is located in the valley of the Oria River , and Casa Julian is directly across from the river. Once you find the Restaurant and walk in, you might think you are in the wrong place. You will see an are

BAR CAN TONI - THE HEART AND SOUL OF THE REAL FORMENTERA This place is in the small village of El Pilar de la Mola, almost opposite the hippie market (open on Wednesdays and Sundays). It is run by an Italian (like many other places on the Island). They serve food all day. Bar Can Toni is the heart and soul of Formentera. It is where the locals go to eat, drink, chat, play, and watch live flamenco music and dance. The place is friendly and ideal for a drink and to eat a few

NOU MANOLÍN    Michelin Plate IIO This well-known spot in Alicante's city centre has two distinct areas. Upstairs is a chic destination restaurant serving consistently excellent, creative seafood dishes. Downstairs, you will find a casual, come-as-you-are type of bar. We r ecommend sitting at the bustling bar counter on the first floor. (it is wise to turn up when they open the doors in the evening) . We started with good ostras (oysters), then buñuelos de bacalao (deep-fr

O CURRO DA PARRA This restaurant is in the old part of town in the historic city of Santiago de Compostela. It is very close to the old market, the Mercado de Abastos de Santiago (from which they stock daily). This trendy and contemporary restaurant has two areas. A casual wine and tapas bar on the ground floor And a more formal, small but cosy dining room on the first floor of this old house The open kitchen offers a new take on Galician dishes. When the weather permits, a s

CAN SALINAS MANUEL EL REY DE LA FIDEUÀ To find this restaurant, head past the church on the way to Ses Salinas. It is on the left, just before the turnoff to Platja des Cavallet, just before Salinas Beach. This family-run restaurant serves excellent Valencian-style paella and fideuà away from the busy summer crowds of Ibiza. 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 fr

CHIRINGUITO SES BOQUES This rustic and authentic chiringuito has been located at the end of a long, steep road down from Es Cubells since the 1970s. It is set among pine trees and offers a full view of a small pebble beach. To reach the restaurant, take the road on the left before you reach Es Cubells church. Around a mile or so later, you will see it signposted on the left on the cliff road going down the hill. After a steep slope, you will reach the restaurant next to the s

The restaurant is now iBAi by Paulo Airaudo, ONE MICHELIN STAR (new 2025) We have not been to this new version yet. This centrally located restaurant, a famous name in local cuisine under chef Alicio Garro's baton, has reinvented itself and given itself a new lease on life thanks to award-winning chef Paulo Airaudo, who brings his vision of classic recipes. The place is very respectful to the old Ibai. Despite the star, the bar at the entrance is still there and accessi