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 that 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 Spanis

LA AZOTEA Michelin Plate IIO UPDATED DECEMBER 2024 The branch in this review is now closed , but they do have two similar, excellent branches here. LA AZOTEA Calle Conde de Barajas 13, 41002 Sevilla +34 955 11 67 48 www.laazoteasevilla.com/es LA AZOTEA VINOS & TAPAS Calle Mateos Gago, 8, 41004 Sevilla, Spain +34 955 69 78 88 www.laazoteasevilla.es @AzoteaSevilla This is a review of the previous venue. A cosy and intimate tapas bar and restaurant just a five-minute walk

CERVECERIA CATALANA Michelin Plate IIO A return to this restaurant in April 2022 for a few tapas when Covid-19 restrictions were still in place. All tables were spaced out, and the bar area had plastic shields. A nchoas escalivar. V ieira y gambas . The restaurant was not as busy as on previous visits, which is understandable given the COVID-19 restrictions. A previous visit in more convivial times. This is an excellent spot for tapas at the bar or a full-blown meal in th

ROSARIO VARELA During our visit to Granada for the Premios Andalucía de Gastronomía 2022 (The Festival of Andalusian Gastronomy 2022), we had a couple of free nights and spent our second one here. Due to the still-in-play Covid-19 restrictions, there was no standing/eating at the bar, and everyone had to be seated. This is a little Local pearl in Granada. We went on a relatively quiet Sunday evening, when many other bars were closed, but still had to wait 10 minutes for a tab

TABERNA LA TANA During our visit to Granada for the Premios Andalucía de Gastronomía 2022 (The Festival of Andalusian Gastronomy 2022), we had a couple of free nights and spent our first one here. Due to the still-played Covid-19 restrictions, there was still no standing/eating at the bar, and everyone had to be seated. We waited 20 minutes for a table outside. The restaurant is a very cosy, tiny, crowded, and noisy taberna on a side street. There are three tables inside the

RESTAURANTE ESCÁNEZ We returned to an old favourite, Restaurante Escánez. Located on the Almeria coast, in the municipality of Garrucha since 1982, it was remodelled in 2004. A few years earlier, we were invited to Almería 2019, a food celebration held after Almería was named Capital Española de la Gastronomía 2019. We toured the fish auction, then had a lavish feast at Castillo San Ramón/Las Escobetas on the outskirts of Garrucha. Local chefs, including Paco Escánez of Rest

CASA SEVILLA This restaurant is in the middle of Almería, heading toward the port area. It is set in an alleyway off the main street and was full of locals on the evening we attended, which is always a good sign. There are tables outside in the alleyway, a restaurant in a room at the back, and tall tables with stalls in the bar area. They serve a very varied menu, including Almería's typical traditional dishes and specialities of the house. With every drink, in our case, a c

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'

An evening tapas tour in the stunning, sunny city of Sevilla with Shawn Hennessey of Sevilla Tapas . After meeting Shawn in the Plaza Nueva by the Hotel Inglaterra, we headed to our first stop at Bodeguita Romero. BODEGUITA ROMERO Calle Harinas, 10, 41001 Sevilla +34 954 229 556 www.bodeguitaromero.es This is the place to go if you want the best pringá montaditos (a small toasted bun filled with pork, chorizo, and blood sausage) in town. Their famous papas aliñadas (marinated

PULPEIRA A LANCHIÑA A bustling little bar/restaurant serving up Galicia's favourite dish, polbo á fiera (Galician) or pulpo a la feria (Spanish/Castellano) (which means octopus in the style of the fair). This place is always packed with locals eating this and other Galician delights like empanada de bonito (a Galician tuna pasty), pimientos de Padrón, and parroches en A Coruña (local anchovies).