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,

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

CAMBIO DE TERCIO Under Abel Lusa's excellent hospitality and guidance, this restaurant has been a long-standing favourite in South Kensington for many years. It has become a standard-bearer for Iberian food in London. Most Hispanophiles consider it the best in town. On this occasion, we sat down, wrapped up on a reasonably chilly lunchtime, starting with a glass of Amontillado or Cava. Followed by, Pan cristal y Cinco Jotas Jamón Ibérico de Bellota 100% (Jabugo) Five Jotas Ib

JOSÉ TAPAS & SHERRY BAR Situated on a corner of the now-trendy Bermondsey Street, this cosy little tapas bar serves excellent, authentic tapas. Opened by José Pizarro with his eponymous restaurant, Pizarro, further up Bermondsey Street on the same side of the road.   José is a buzzing spot for an atmospheric lunch or dinner. This is not a sit-down restaurant but a Spanish bar where you go to have a drink and some tapas, standing or sitting on stools around a barrel for a tabl

CAPOTE Y TOROS HAM & SHERRY BAR We returned to the little offspring of Cambio de Tercio, where you will find this lively little tapas bar specialising in sherry and Jamón and serving other delicious tapas. From the small menu, you can try: The wonderful 5J Cinco Jotas Jabugo Jamón Ibérico de Bellota. The patatas bravas here are served in all three of their restaurants and tapas bars. Tiny new potatoes are topped with a smooth tomato bravas sauce and a luscious dollop of sp

I had been looking for a reason to drink this special wine for some time. It came a few months ago, when I was looking through some of my old wines with my friend Mark Walsh, and he said 1942 was the year my dad, John, was born. So that was it...... You can find Mark here, on Instagram @walshjewellery , and at www.walshjewellery.com John was born in 1942, so this wine was still a grape then. The day we arranged to drink the wine, 23rd July, just happened to be my late Mother'

We visited the newly opened Bar Rioja in the Regent Quarter in Kings Cross, London. It is part of the Camino group, which has a significant presence in this area. This bar is dedicated to some of our favourite Spanish wines from the Rioja region of northern Spain. La Rioja, Spain's largest and most popular wine region, was the first to become internationally famous. It is also one of the 17 provinces of Spain, and the smallest. It lies in the country's north, approximately 12

SABOR One Michelin star Sabor, founded by Nieves Barragan and José Etura, is just off Regent Street in the little foodie enclave of Heddon Street. Sabor means flavour in Spanish. The Restaurant has three distinct areas: the bar and counter on the ground floor, and El Asador on the first floor. The first two are walk-in only, and at El Asador, you need to book. Sabor was awarded One Michelin Star in 2018. We arrived at 7 pm on a Saturday and, after a short wait, were given

JOSÉ PIZARRO @ The Royal Academy of Arts This is José Pizarro's first foray into central London, amazingly ten years after he opened the fabulous José Tapas Bar on Bermondsey Street in South London. He has taken over the Dorfman Senate Room on the first floor of Burlington Gardens. This beautiful, light, and airy space is a sit-down Restaurant with plenty of bar-top dining options. He has opened the Poster Bar downstairs, which is more of a café/tapas bar. It is best to pop

ANDANZA Andanza (luck or fate in Spanish) comes from the same people behind The Rose Gastropub opposite. In its previous incarnation, the Restaurant was a William Hill betting shop for over 30 years, so as everyone says to the owners, "I hope your gamble has paid off!" The chef worked formally in Basque Restaurant Lurra, and the team carver was from Restaurant Brindisa, so they have some of the best food. On a sunny Tuesday evening, we went when most of the customers were eat