TABERNA LA NIÑA DEL PISTO This is one of our favourite bars/restaurants in the old town of Marbella. You will find it hidden, down a small, narrow pasaje (passageway), but you won’t if you don’t pay attention to where you are going. This authentic Andalusian tapas bar is always busy with locals and tourists alike and is reputedly the oldest tapas bar in the Marbella area. The bar area inside is very traditional, beautifully decorated, with many photos of bullfighting scenes

TABERNA CASA MANTECA Cádiz is one of Western Europe’s oldest continuously inhabited cities. The Phoenicians founded it, and archaeological remains date back 3,100 years. During the 18th and 19th centuries, it became a trading port with the Americas. This famous spot in the Casco Antiguo (the older part of Cádiz), within the remnants of the city walls and commonly referred to as the Old Town, is an old-school restaurant and tapas bar (the name means "house of Lard"!). A few f

GANDARIAS JATETXEA We returned to Casa Gandarias for our regular fill of pintxo de solomillo and red wine! We had a bottle of El Lagar de Isilla Paraje Peñalobos Tinta del Pais 2018 DOC Ribera del Duero . This was a good match with the solomillo. The famous Basque Gildas. Guindilla pepper, green olive and fresh anchovy - named after Rita Haywood (hot, tall and spicy). During this visit, we also had a sit-down lunch with a group at the restaurant. Something not done before a

LA CUCHARA DE SAN TELMO We visited one of our favourite pintxo bars in the old town of San Sebastián. It’s located in a side alley off 31 de Agosto Kalea, at the back of the historic city. It’s definitely worth seeking out, so don’t hesitate to walk in, even if it’s busy. Thankfully, we were no longer under COVID-19 restrictions, and everything had returned to normal. The list of pintxos looked very inviting indeed. The small kitchen staff were hard at work, as usual. We made

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. Getaria is a fishing port. You can wander down the old streets to the harbour. Walking past various shops selling their wares. There are a couple of lovely beaches in and around the town. Set on a crossroads above the harbour of G

HOTEL NIZA Eastbourne hotels could learn much from Hotel Niza. It boasts the desirable seafront location and the classic facade that every charming hotel needs. The bedrooms are bright, spacious, and stylish in a classic way. The front rooms offer views of the promenade and the beautiful Playa de la Concha. The view to the right takes you to parte vieja (old town) and the harbour. It is a beautiful place to sit and watch the world pass by while enjoying a glass of Basque win

BAR PACO BUENO This is a traditional Pintxo bar with a social-club atmosphere, reminiscent of old-school style. It attracts a diverse crowd, including many local families and tourists of all ages. The bar prominently features themes of boxing, rugby, and Basque rowing, with its walls adorned with vintage memorabilia. It is run by owner Paco Bueno (who was a boxer in his younger days ) and his sons. It’s lively, entertaining and has a friendly atmosphere. The specialities incl

UPDATE DECEMBER 2024: This venue has gone through many changes and is now LA MARUJONA CHÁCHARA BAR Calle de Caballeros, 2, 11403 Jerez de la Frontera, Cádiz, España +34 618 05 02 82 The venue currently gets good reviews for the food and drink, although we have not been there ourselves. PREVIOUSLY PULPO Y APARTE & LA TAPERÍA MESÓN DEL ASADOR If you are looking for grilled and or octopus in Jerez de la Frontera, this is the place to come. If you like pulpo (octopus), you wi

BAR TXEPETXA We returned to another favourite. You may have second thoughts when you walk into this traditional bar and see all the retro ceramic anchovy pintos displayed there. Don’t…………….. nothing here is false. All anchovy/boquerone pintxos here are made to order and served within a few minutes. You can choose from a variety of toppings displayed on the fish-shaped menu boards at the back of the bar. One board features the antxoas (anchovies), while the other shows the exc

HOTEL CASA DE LAS CUATRO TORRES Cádiz is a city and port in south-west Spain. It is the capital of the province of Cádiz, one of eight that make up the autonomous community of Andalusia. The city is the oldest continuously inhabited city in Spain and one of the oldest in western Europe. Despite its unique site, on a narrow slice of land surrounded by the sea‚ Cádiz is, in most respects, a typically Andalusian city with a wealth of attractive vistas and well-preserved historic