RESTAURANTE ARTEAGA LANDETXEA     Michelin Bib Gourmand During our three-night stay in the Basque Country town of Elorrio, the friendly duo of Niko Moreno and Maider Ugarriza of Hotela M&UGA organised a seven-seater taxi to take us to Restaurante Arteaga Landetxea for lunch. The restaurant was a twenty-minute drive away from Elorrio to Arrasate (Gipuzkoa). It is a restored historic farmhouse in the heart of the stunning Basque Countryside.  Maider Larrañaga and Igor Ezpeleta

LA COSMO Michelin Bib Gourmand La Cosma is the younger sibling of Dani Carnero ’ s La Cosmopolita. It has a more modern vibe and setting, but still serves big-flavoured Andalucian cooking without any gimmicks. We enjoyed an excellent early dinner, sitting at the long bar looking into the open kitchen.  We started with some excellent bread. Ostras (oysters) La Gilda atún, tomate, piparra y anchoa (a new take on the Gilda, the iconic pintxo inspired by actress Rita Hayworth,

CASA BIGOTE      Michelin Bib Gourmand It was in 1951 when a local sailor, Fernando Hermoso, opened a despacho de Vinos selling manzanilla to fishermen. Fernando grew an Errol Flynn-style moustache, and his friends started calling him “El Bigote”.   Manzanilla, a salty, extremely dry sherry (the salt comes from the local bodegas’ proximity to the sea air), originates from Sanlúcar de Barrameda, and you will still find it on almost every table. In 1970, Fernando Jr. took over

TAST CATALANA PERMANENTLY CLOSED 2026 With Chef Paco Perez at the helm, Tast Catalana opened in King Street, Manchester, in 2018.  Although we are in Manchester quite often to watch football, this evening, Manchester United vs Olympique Lyonnais, this was our first visit here, on this chilly Mancunian spring day. They offer two different dining areas, both stylishly modern: a bar and terrace on the ground floor, and a casual restaurant on the first floor. After settling in a

TABERNA ABASTOS 2.0 Michelin Bib Gourmand We have been to this excellent restaurant a few times before. It is located in the town’s farmers’ market, giving it access to fresh ingredients daily. They announce proudly that they do not have a fridge in the restaurant. This unique restaurant is a surprise. It occupies six small market stalls, which have been given a bright, modern facelift. To enjoy the personalised menus here, you must book the only table in advance. We ha

12 TAPAS Michelin Bib Gourmand The menu at this great little spot, recently awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand, is not very extensive, but the quality is outstanding. The tapas here are reinterpretations of traditional dishes like migas, aioli shrimp montadito, and salmorejo, but with a thoroughly modern touch. We had the 8-course Menú Degustacíon at €35 per person. Foie al Palo Cortado sobre torta de anís y naranja amarga (foie with Palo Cortado on aniseed and bitter orange

EL GATO NEGRO TAPAS Michelin Bib Gourmand Simon Shaw opened El Gato Negro Tapas in an empty former pub in Ripponden in 2005. With a view to good luck and a nod to a favourite old shop in Madrid, he named it El Gato Negro (Spanish for the black cat). Strangely, it later transpired that the pub had been called the Black Cat many years before. El Gato Negro’s move from the Pennine village of Ripponden to Manchester has proved a great success story. Simon, whose love of Spanis

RESTAURANTE TRICICLO Michelin Bib Gourmand The restaurant's name fits like a glove, as the “tricycle” is a very accurate metaphor for the three young chefs running the show here. One worked in the original DiverXO restaurant in the Madrid district of Tetuán; one was always a chef, and the other was a cyclist and poet. The simple décor combines the height of rusticity with an endearing bistro charm. This simplicity is offset by a high degree of culinary expertise, showcas