FORMENTERA CAN FORN The Sant Ferran de Ses Roques (San Fernando) village is on the Island of Formentera, in the Mediterranean, north of North Africa and east of Spain. I wanted to take my friend Bernadette Mundy out for a pre-birthday dinner, so I followed my nose to Restaurante Can Forn in the village of Sant Ferran de Ses Roques (San Fernando). As a young hippie, I met Bernadette in the Fonda Pepe bar in 1973. Tonight, though, I was hungry, and I managed to score a table

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’

LA COCHERA DEL ABUELO We visited this fantastic and intimate little gem twice in a week. It is nicely decorated and laid out. Cinta Romero has run the restaurant, which was once a tiny bar called El Abuelo, since 2016. The owner has extensive experience working in Restaurants in London, including The Ledbury and Michelin-starred Indian restaurants. The main seating is on the ground floor by the bar, plus a few tables up on a small mezzanine. They serve a tasting menu, includ

FRANCISCO LA FONTANILLA We returned to this old favourite in August and arrived just as the late summer sun was setting. You will find the fabulous seafood displayed in the cabinet before you. So you can have a good look and be ready to choose. The restaurant was filling up at 8.30 pm, as is the way in Andalucía. We settled down, and after making our choices, we started the meal with, Fabulosas anchoas de Cantábrico. The restaurant's own Cantabrian anchovies. Ensalada mixta (

HOSTAL RESTAURANTE FONDA POU DES LLEÓ This perfect little hostal is in a delightful country setting, about 50 meters from the coast and the beautiful coves of Pou des Lleó and Canal d’en Marti, where you can swim and sunbathe. There is an outside terrace and an indoor dining room. It has a lovely little swimming pool, so it’s great for chilling out with friends and catching the sun. It’s perfect if you have young children. This hostal is a few rooms above a traditional local

ES REBOST DE CAN PRATS This is our second look at traditional Ibicencan cuisine in Sant Antoni de Portmany (San Antonio). Located in a house built in the early years of the 20th century, it was one of the first shops in Sant Antoni. It sold food like chickens, eggs, cheeses, pebrassos, rabbits, vegetables, potatoes, and other products necessary for everyday life. When they opened in 1994, in the home of the current owners’ grandparents, who had been in the family for more th

TABERNA REAL DO FADO As we were in Portugal and Porto, it seemed a good idea to take in a Fado evening. This Fado Taberna is a perfect way to end the day with a group of friends or in a romantic environment with a loved one, and it is a good introduction to Fado music. I loved the guitarists’ performance, and the performers’ voices were outstanding, even though I did not know what they were singing about. The dinner was perfect for the price: €40 per person for all the food

ATELIER ETXANOBE One Michelin Star This restaurant has an unusual setting in a former glass factory in the centre of Bilbao, which has retained a few vestiges from its past. Bilbao-born chef Fernando Canales is at the helm of this culinary project, featuring an elegant and intimate gastronomic dining room where he is keen, first and foremost, to impress his guests with creative cooking based on two tasting menus (Chef Atelier and Chef Atelier Plus) and the very best raw ing

RESTUARANT EL RACÓ DE L'AGÜIR A guest review by Siddu Amin. We came to this restaurant in 2023, which the Agüir family has been running since 1990. It is a modern classic in the Sant Antoni neighbourhood and offers an innovative touch on market cuisine and excellent Alcoi-style rice dishes The restaurant is unassuming, but everything is prepared well with fresh ingredients. They turn even simple dishes like bread with tomato into something special. Which is what we started wi

ANTONIO BAR This is a top modern pintxo bar with a restaurant in San Sebastián. It’s located a few blocks from Parte Vieja (the old town), making it worth the detour. It’s a fantastic place to visit, whether you’re alone or with friends, and it offers a casual atmosphere for socialising. Many locals stop by to have a bite to eat and catch up with friends before heading home. They serve some of the best tortillas (Spanish omelettes) in town, featuring ultra-caramelised onions,