ANYWAY WINE BAR Mark Walsh paid a visit to this fantastic little wine bar in Malaga City, founded in 2018 by local entrepreneur David Camino after he returned from working abroad and pursued his idea for a wine-centric concept in Málaga. It is a wonderfully cool place for serious wine drinkers, quite near the paseo marítimo; it’s the perfect spot for an early evening drink after work for the city’s creative in-crowd.   With over 200 wines, all served by the glass, the list is

O CURRO DA PARRA Santiago de Compostela, located in Galicia, northwest Spain, is a historic city famous as the final destination of the Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James) pilgrimage. Known for its stunning UNESCO-listed Old Town and Romanesque Cathedral, which houses the tomb of St. James, it is a major spiritual and cultural hub. O Curro da Parra is located in the old part of town in the historic city centre. It is very close to the old market, the Mercado de Abastos de

EL GATO NEGRO TAPAS Michelin Bib Gourmand Simon Shaw opened El Gato Negro Tapas in an empty former pub in Ripponden in 2005. With a view to good luck and a nod to a favourite old shop in Madrid, he named it El Gato Negro (Spanish for the black cat). Strangely, it later transpired the pub had been called the Black Cat many years before. El Gato Negro’s move from the Pennine village of Ripponden to Manchester has proved a great success story. Simon, whose love of Spanish fo

CASA PUGA There is no more classic bar in all of Almería than this one. It is an old-style bar known for traditional Andalusian tapas steeped in history. It dates back to 1870, undoubtedly one of the oldest in Almería. Overloaded with ancient wine bottles on dusty shelves, tiled walls, a marble bar, an exposed iron grill, and hanging Jamónes, these are key parts of the decoration, as are the several non-stop waiters. All the tapas are excellent but straightforward. Try, Ques

MADRID TAPAS BARS IN THE CALLE DE JESUS AREA The Plaza de Jesús and its extension, the Calle de Jesús, is a street with many bars, mainly filled with locals, near the Prada Museum and other historic sites, and a good spot for lunch after visiting the museums, etc. On a Thursday lunchtime in February, we had a stroll to a tapas bar for drinks. CERVANTES Plaza de Jesús 7, 28012 Madrid +34 914 29 60 93 We did not eat here this time, but it is a very good cerveceria offering typi

LA JOSEFITA IBIZA La Josefita is a lovely little restaurant in the backstreets of Sant Antoni de Portmany (San Antonio), near the infamous West End, which is currently undergoing a massive transformation. This new tapas restaurant, opened in August, pays tribute to Grandma Pepita - Josefa Pepita. The Josefita offers a concise menu of reimagined, familiar tapas. We started with; Sabrasada con calamares bebés (a stunning sabrasada with deep-fried baby squid) Albóndigas (incredi

It is not easy to have a tapas bar crawl in Marbella, at least, not in the strict sense of the term, as the bars are not very close together. So we were pleasantly surprised with our evening stroll in mid-January. The town’s geography is quite peculiar, without a clearly defined old town or centre, which means there can be a bit of walking between bars. There are various styles here, including tapas and pintxos, markets and seafood cuisine, from traditional small wineries to

MUSEO DEL JAMÓN A few of these Museo del Jamón tapas bars are scattered around Madrid, and this one at Carrera San Jeronimo 6 is our particular favourite. They all offer an eclectic mix of traditional Spanish food, centred on ham, bread, beer & wine. This place can be a godsend for those concerned about how much they spend. A beer and a ham & cheese bocadillo (roll) can be bought for around €1; you cannot beat that. If you have more money, try one of the less expensive Jamón’

CAFÉ BAR FLOTANTE The mythical Bar Flotante (floating bar) is set on the shore of the stunning Platja de Talamanca, just outside Eivissa (Ibiza Town).  Along with its neighbour, Hostal Talamanca, it has been here since the 1960s. Serving locals and tourists alike. You will find nothing fancy here, nor do you need it. The service isn't great or fast, but if you're on vacation and not in a rush, you can enjoy the ambience for as long as you like. The food is basic but decent, w

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