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

ASADOR LA CASTILLERÍA To reach this meat mecca, just outside the pretty Andalusian hill-top village of Vejer de la Frontera, you must go up an extremely small road, but it is well worth the effort. You will find it is an idyllic setting amongst the trees, which ensures it is coolish on warm nights. Juan Valdés and Ani Melero run the restaurant. The restaurant is a selector, ager, ripener and steakhouse all in one. There are only a few of these around, and here they have their

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

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

ANTONIO BAR If you sometimes need a change of pintxo bars from the Parte Vieja (old town) or the Gros area across the bridge, head to the central location and Antonio Bar. It’s an unassuming, tiny place that’s always busy, with primarily local customers. You will find a few seats inside by the bar and more outside, where the jovial waiter will serve you. Finding a space may take a minute, but the turnover is pretty quick. It is a great spot to enjoy, Txistorra (spicy sausage

MANERO ALICANTE - MANERO MOLLÁ On our few-day trip to Alicante, we ate on a Monday evening at Bar Manero Alicante—Manero Mollá —which was quite busy for a Monday. This is an elegant and lively tapa bar in the middle of town, not just in style but also in food quality. The deli counter has carefully prepped plates of food above the beautiful mosaic floor. The tapas menu sticks to the standards but is thriving with every one of them. After sitting down, we had an appetiser.

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 offshore that 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.  It i

TITAS GASTROBAR This is the second restaurant our friend Howard Goldsmith, who lives in the area, took us to. It was a completely different experience from the first one, which was very traditional, but both were very good in their own way. Titas gastrobar is in the old historic centre of Villena and serves tasty, well-presented food, whether you are vegan, vegetarian or carnivorous. There’s a real buzz about the place, with many locals sharing tapas at the bar. This gastrob

Pristine sand and dunes with a few good restaurants await you at Playa de Bolonia. RESTAUARANTE LAS REJAS It is a surfer's beach all year round, backed by the remains of a Roman settlement (the ruins of Baleo Claudia, 380 BC). The town had a massive theatre and temples dedicated to Juno, Jupiter, Minerva, and the Egyptian Goddess Isis for the next three centuries. The Romans were equal-opportunity believers. On the shore were the circular stone vats used to salt the tuna. Re

CAL PEP This place has been here since September 1989 and is as much a tapas bar as it is a restaurant. In fact, it is said to be “the best tapas bar in the world” and certainly one of the first of its type. The London restaurant Barrafina is supposedly based on the concept of Cal Pep. There are only twenty of the coveted seats at the bar, so to grab one, you need to queue on most days around twenty minutes before each service, which starts at 1 pm or 7.30 pm. There is also a