45 CURTAIN ROAD We had an excellent long lunch at the new 45 Curtain Road in trendy Shoreditch, London. The restaurant is set on the ground floor of the 45 London Hotel, with a large dining area, bar and open kitchen. The cuisine, led by Executive Chef Alex Furusawa-Cadoni, is a Spanish/Japanese fusion chophouse that combines bold Spanish flavours with Japanese techniques.  From the relatively short menu, we chose, Aonori milk bread, miso & shiso butter. Gilda (Gordal olive,

We often visit the Parque Natural del Cabo de Gata-Níjar in the province of Almería (Andalucía's most significant protected coastal area, with a wild, isolated landscape and a hot desert climate). This time, we went to Agua Amarga, which borders spectacular, barren spaghetti western territory. This low-key village packs in cool bars, restaurants, locals, and fishermen. Beside a headland of troglodyte caves at the southern end of the beach. Most of the tourists here are Spanis

IBAI LONDON As we had previously been to the famous Ibai (click here to view) restaurant in San Sebastián (the original, run by Alicio Garro and his wife , not the current one Michelin-starred run by  Paulo Airaudo ). We thought it was time to try the much-talked-about ibai in London. This is a place to worship steak in Basque-style indulgence in London. It is an authentic taste of the Basque Country, right in the heart of London, set in an old industrial warehouse, where t

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

ES GERRET One of the new upscale restaurants in Sant Antoni de Portmany (San Antonio) goes against the town's preconceived image. There is a terrace and a large indoor seating area. We started with tartar de atún (tuna tartar). Calamare panko (deep-fried squid rings coated in panko breadcrumbs). Patatas bravas. Spicy potatoes. Gambas ajillo (sizzling garlic prawns). We had the highly recommended Crema de pistacho (pistachio cream) for dessert. We had a bottle of the very acce

RESTAURANTE ELKANO    One Michelin Star Getaria is the picture-postcard Basque Country fishing village that produced designer Cristóbal Balenciaga, Plácido Domingo's mother, and Juan Sebastián Elcano (the first mariner to circumnavigate the globe). You can wander down the old streets to the harbour, where you will see the fishing fleet, walking past various shops selling their wares. There are stunning little beaches on either side of town. Set on a crossroads above the harbo

RESTAURANTE VENTORRILLO DEL CHATO This Restaurant is a beautiful historic Goya-esque 18th-century roadhouse, situated near the beach dunes, an oasis in the heart of a desert strip. Jose Manuel Cordoba makes magic with fish here.   We come here for the Tortillitas de Camarones (shrimp fritters). The ones here are larger but also incredibly crispy, with more batter edges and significantly more shrimp than any others we had. They are great with a cold fino sherry. Other excellen

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 off the shore, which 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

RESTAURANTE CAN PUJOL We returned to Can Pujol in September 2025, after previously visiting during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, when all the restrictions were in place. It was great to see everything seemed to be back to normal. Can Pujol started as a small snack bar over thirty years ago and is now a no-frills restaurant serving superb seafood. Pan con alioli We had a few dishes we had not had in previous visits, and started with some zambariñas (scallops) Al

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