ANTONIO BAR This is one of the top, more modern pintxo bars with a Restaurant in San Sebastián. It's in a not-so-busy area, a couple of blocks from the Parte Vieja (old town), but it's well worth the detour. It's a great place to visit, whether alone or with friends, to socialise in a casual atmosphere. Many locals stop by to grab a bite and chat with friends before going home. They also serve one of the town's best tortillas (Spanish omelettes). They have ultra-caramelised o

TABERNA LA SORPRESA On a short trip to Cádiz, we stopped at Taberna La Sorpresa for a few tapas and a glass of the local sherry wine. This Taberna is a very underrated hidden gem. It is quite particular in that the tapas and platos here highlight fresh fish rather than the mainly fried seafood found in other parts of Cádiz. Go here once you have had enough fried food and want to try something unique to the area. We started with a couple of copas of manzanilla, followed by sar

ES CODOL FORADAT UPDATE 2025 This restaurant is a great spot to visit on the Island, especially in the evening, when you can see stunning sunsets. It offers excellent seafood dishes and a good wine list. Tuna tartare Anchovies Melon Mojito A whole turbot grilled over coals I think the restaurant changed owners in 2022. It is now owned by the same family that owns the excellent Can Carlitos in La Savina, near the ferry terminal. Updated photos and a few words @thomhetheringto

RESTAURANTE EL CAMPERO Michelin Plate IIO Barbate, a rather scruffy fishing village on the southern coast of Spain near Cádiz, has been catching bluefin tuna using the same methods for over 3,000 years. This traditional method, almadraba, is famous throughout Spain for catching the country's most popular tuna. The almadraba season runs from May to June. Small fishing boats attached to giant round nets float in an ever-widening circle in the narrow Strait of Gibraltar betw

UPDATED - APRIL 2025 - CLOSED In October 2021, we visited a Vilarnau cava-tasting evening with tapas at Ibérica Canary Wharf, London. A brief history of Vilarnau Cava. Members of the Spanish nobility, the Vilarnau family, settled in Penedés, Catalonia, in the 12th century. Vilarnau is a contraction of the Latin “Vila Arnau,” i.e., the Arnau family’s “country house” or “domus.” Formerly, it stood within the estate of the Castillo de Subirats, where vines had been grown since t

HOTEL MiM IBIZA ES VIVÉ́ Fresh from a reasonably recent overhaul, in quiet Figueretes, about a mile from Eivissa (Ibiza town), This uber-chic Miami-style art deco hotel is an excellent destination for Balearic chilling. All rooms and suites had an upgrade. With a series of pool parties and fashion events in a high season packed with sexy bikini-clad dance divas recovering on white sun lounges from the previous day/night excesses, please be aware this hotel is an over-18s-only

RESTAURANTE ES VENTALL Michelin Plate IIO A visit to Sant Antoni de Portmany (San Antonio) during the Covid - hit summer of 2021 saw us return to one of our favourite restaurants. Since 2005, when the younger José Miguel Bonet took over, the traditional dishes have been given a slightly more inventive twist, while still including many of the Island’s favourites. There are various rice dishes, like paella, fideuá, arroz a banda, bullit de peix, and fish and seafood. The

FERA restaurant & BAR Michelin Plate IIO An excellent dining experience, only a minute away from the lively shopping area of Jaime III in Palma de Mallorca centre. The restaurant is in a tiny side street, set in a beautiful old casa with a garden featuring many local plants, where they also grow their own herbs. The restaurant garden. The excellent tasting menus by Chef Simon Petutschnig are either meat or vegetarian, priced at €65 each and are great value. Wine pairing at

PULPEIRA A LANCHIÑA A bustling little bar/restaurant serving up Galicia’s favourite dish, polbo á fiera (Galician) or pulpo a la feria (Spanish/Castellano) (which means octopus in the style of the fair). This place is always packed with locals eating this and other Galician delights like empanada de bonito (a Galician tuna pasty), pimientos de Padrón, and parroches en A Coruña (local anchovies).

VERMÚ MARBELLA In the Kitchen, you have Tatiana Bautista, with guidance from Michelin-starred chef Jaume Puigdengolas Rey, who worked at Abac and Hoffman in Barcelona, as well as at Atlantis The Palm in Dubai and Skina in Marbella. On this lunchtime visit, we had Anchoas Cantabria (Cantabrian anchovies). Berberechos de la casa. (house style cockles). Cebolletas a la brasa y en tempura con romesco. Mini calçots (a type of giant spring onion/leek) grilled and fried in tempura