BILBAO - PLAZA NUEVA PINTXO BAR CRAWL On a recent trip to Bilbao, we had a little pintxo bar crawl around the Plaza Nueva. The arcaded Plaza Nueva heaves with locals from early evening on. Try to observe the alcoholic convention of pacing yourself with a txikito (small glass of wine or beer). In Pintxos bars, people always throw paper napkins on the floor, and only shy tourists leave them on plates or surfaces. At weekends, it gets busy around 11.30 am. Our favourite places

SEGOVIA - MESÓN DE JOSÉ MARÍA Michelin plate IIO If you are looking for a traditional Spanish food experience, then Mesón De José Maria, a conventional Castilian Tavern off of Plaza Mayor, is the place for you. The restaurant has been here since 1982. Walk into the busy bar, and you will find it filled with a mix of locals, from those taking a break at the end of the day to families who wheel their baby prams into the bar to catch up with friends and family to enjoy a drink

ASADOR LA CHUMBERA MIchelin Plate IIO Update January 2026: Asador La Chumbera has moved from its original place just outside Agua Amarga to a new spot overlooking the beach in what was previously the Restaurante Playa. It is still hands down one of the best restaurants in the Cabo de Gata, and its new idyllic location overlooking Agua Amarga’s stunning little beach adds to the enjoyment. The handling of the grill is still masterful. Highly, highly recommended if you’re in t

We spent a few days in Alicante City in October. Arriving late on Saturday night, we checked into our hotel and then headed to  GASTROBAR DISTRIKT 41 Michelin Plate IIO Calle de Navas, 41, 03001 Alacant, Alicante +34 965 181 426 www.distrikt41.es This is an extraordinarily buzzy and busy bar/restaurant with modern décor and a great ambi e nce. It is run by two chefs originally from the Netherlands. They have a contemporary à la carte menu with a few Central European influen

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

CAL PEP This place has been here since September 1989 and is as much a tapas bar as it is a restaurant. In fact, it is said to be “the best tapas bar in the world” and certainly one of the first of its type. The London restaurant Barrafina is supposedly based on the concept of Cal Pep. There are only twenty of the coveted seats at the bar, so to grab one, you need to queue on most days around twenty minutes before each service, which starts at 1 pm or 7.30 pm. There is also a

RESTAURANTE CA’S MILÁ Michelin Plate IIO We revisited the stunning restaurant, which is high up and overlooks the great beach of Cala Tarida, in September 2025. It features a fabulous terrace area overlooking the sea, bathed in sunshine. The restaurant opened in 1987, and today, it is run by the second generation of the Milà family. The view of the stunning beach at Cala Tarida from the restaurant. As it was pretty windy, we chose to sit inside on this occasion and starte

RESTAURANT ES XARCU Michelin Plate IIO UPDATED SEPTEMBER 2025 Es Xarcu is finally back at sea. Two years ago, they were forced to move to the village of Es Cubells. The menu was great, and the food was fantastic, but the vibe just wasn’t the same. The good news is they are back at their old, trusted spot! For more than 30 years, Mariano Torres and his wife have been running this chiringuito, which is very popular with the many boats and their fancy owners who st

RESTAURANTE LASAI Michelin Plate While we were in Bilbao, we had lunch at Lasai. The entrance is in a basement down a side street, so it’s not easy to find. Once inside, there is a lovely, relaxed vibe and a good atmosphere. The team behind this concept is Bilbao native and chef David Garcia, who holds one Michelin star for Corral de la Morería and serves as the gastronomic director here. The head chef is Igor Méndez. Once settled in, we chose the Crystal tasting menu. To

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-frie