BARRA BAJA RESTAURANTE Barra Baja Sevilla opened in October 2019 on Calle Javier Lasso de la Vega, in the city’s historic centre, just a short walk from Plaza del Duque. The restaurant was created by chefs Rafael Liñán, originally from Sevilla, and Patricia Moliner, from Badalona, near Barcelona. The couple met while working at Dani García’s two-Michelin-starred Calima restaurant in Marbella and subsequently gained experience in several prestigious kitchens, including Zaranda

MARABUNDA FOOD Marabunda Food Sevilla opened in July 2022 in Calle Jesús del Gran Poder, in the city’s historic San Lorenzo neighbourhood. It was founded by chef Francis Balongo and his friend and business partner, Pablo Gabella. The premises have an interesting gastronomic history, having previously housed the original La Azotea, which opened around 2009 and became one of the pioneers of Sevilla’s modern tapas scene. Francis Balongo is an experienced Sevillian chef who spent

BODEGAS REAL TESORO Y VALDESPINO The parent company, Bodegas José Estévez S.A., traces its origins back to 1809, when José Leña Rendón established a business in Jerez de la Frontera dedicated to ageing sherry and brandies. The Estévez family took full control of the company in 1974 and renamed it José Estévez S.A. in 1984. True to its family traditions, the company has continued to place great importance on carefully ageing its wines and maintaining their quality. In

TABERNA LA SORPRESA On a short trip to Cádiz, we stopped at Taberna La Sorpresa for a few tapas and glasses of local sherry. It is an underrated hidden gem, especially when you have had enough fried fish and want fresh, carefully sourced seafood in a genuinely traditional setting. Founded in 1956 as a traditional wine shop, Taberna La Sorpresa is one of Cádiz’s surviving old-style tabernas. Pepe Terrero ran it from 1959 until his retirement in 2012, preserving its high bar, w

BODEGAS FUNDADOR (FORMERLY PEDRO DOMECQ) Founded in 1730 by the Irish merchant Patrick Murphy, this is one of Jerez’s oldest working bodegas. It later became closely associated with the Domecq family, especially Pedro Domecq Loustau, who created Fundador in 1874 — regarded as Spain’s first brandy. Formerly known as Bodegas Pedro Domecq, it is now Bodegas Fundador, part of the Emperador Group. Its historic complex includes the old Puerta de Rota cellars, gardens, the Riquelme

JOSÉ TAPAS & SHERRY BAR José Tapas Bar, Bermondsey Street, opened in 2011 as José Pizarro’s first solo restaurant, following his time as executive chef at Tapas Brindisa near Borough Market. It was designed as a small, informal Spanish bar, inspired by the busy tapas bars of Barcelona and Andalucía, with a changing blackboard menu, sherry by the glass and no reservations. A few months later, Pizarro opened his more substantial restaurant, Pizarro, further along Bermondsey Str

CAPOTE Y TOROS HAM & SHERRY BAR Capote y Toros South Kensington opened in 2011 as part of Abel Lusa’s successful Cambio de Tercio restaurant group. He aimed to recreate the atmosphere of a traditional Andalusian taberna, bringing a little of Cádiz, Jerez de la Frontera, and Sevilla to London’s Old Brompton Road. The intimate bar quickly became known for its remarkable selection of sherries, originally numbering more than 100, alongside an excellent selection of Spanish tapas.

TABERNA MANOLO CATECA Tucked away in a corner alleyway, this hidden gem gives you the feel of being a local. Taberna Manolo Cateca dates back to 1920, when the Escobar family established a small despacho de vinos, a traditional wine shop. In 1952, it became Taberna La Goleta, a popular local bar specialising in wines from Huelva and the Jerez region. In August 2013, Manuel Rodríguez Navarro, better known as Manolo Cateca, took over Taberna Manolo Cateca Sevilla, giving the c

LA VENENCIA The fabulous La Venencia Madrid is like stepping back into an Andalusian sherry bar from the 1920s or ’30s. The bar has a fascinating history; many believe anti-Franco supporters met here during the Spanish Civil War. It is doubtful the place has changed much over the years, with its unassuming sign above the door, dusty old sherry bottles behind the bar, and vintage posters on the walls, all giving it great character. This refreshingly unmodernised, quirky old ba

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 t