CHOCOLATERIA SAN GINÉS The San Ginés Chocolatería & Churreria has been in business since 1894. It is the most famous and centrally located Chocolatería in Madrid. It is open all night, so when the late-night crowds exit the bars and dance clubs, they all head to San Ginés to fill their hungry stomachs with something tasty and sweet. The chocolatera is in an attractive location, with two floors of plush green velvet seating, marble tables, and many mirrors. There is also an um

ES REBOST DE CAN PRATS In September 2024, we returned to one of our favourite restaurants, serving 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’ gran

ANTIGUA CASA DE GUARDIA After a visit to the Mercado Central de Atarazanas (Málaga’s local food market, which also has excellent tapas bars), a short walk will take you to the oldest bar in Málaga, founded in 1840.  Here, they mainly sell Málaga sweet wine directly from the barrel. It is a typical spit-and-sawdust, old-fashioned drinking bar, and it is great fun.  It’s like stepping back in time to one of the few places in Málaga that still maintains its atmosphere. Try the p

BODEGA BAR EL PIMPI This boisterous bar, right in the historical city centre, next to the Alcazaba, is one of Malaga’s most famous. El Pimpi is mentioned in every imaginable tourist guide. Despite its reputation as a tourist hotspot, this restaurant has maintained the quality of its food that first made it famous. It is well-priced. Bodegas Bar El Pimpi is an interesting maze-like building with a series of rooms with many different styles and cultural experiences. Photo:...

CASA LABRA It is said history was made at this bar on the 2nd of May 1879 with the formation of the PSOE (Spanish socialist party), and on walking in, it appears you could still be back in 1879 as nothing seems to have changed since then! It is an excellent traditional bar. It is famous for its croquetas de bacalao. Some of the best in Madrid. The tajadas de bacalao are pieces of cod deep-fried in batter until crispy. They are served with wooden cocktail sticks or eaten with

HOSTAL MARINO & M HOTEL We returned to Hostal Marino in September 2025, when it was finally joined by its new sister hotel, M Hotel . You can now check in at the new hotel by walking through the bar area of Hostal Marino and the new garden area to the M Hotel check-in desk. The new hotel has a restaurant, fitness centre, bar, and garden area, with access to the bar and restaurant areas at Hostal Marino. It is a place to relax after a long night/day! There is a new swimming p

Restaurant CAN RAFALET After a few years away, we returned to Restaurante Can Rafalet, in Es Caló de Sant Agustí, on the Island of Formentera, which boasts some of the most stunning views in the Balearic Islands. The sea is at its fabulous best here, and from our reserved front table, we could see it in all its stunning turquoise glory. When you sit down, you receive a delicious bowl of aioli (rich with garlic) and olives, along with a basket of crusty rolls to scoop up the g

RESTAURANT SA CALETA We returned to our old favourite restaurant, Sa Caleta, during a spring trip to Ibiza. On this occasion, we had lunch, which included Almejas Marinera (clams in a fisherman’s style) Endivias, queso azul Roquefort, miel y nueces (Endives, Roquefort blue cheese, honey & walnuts). Fideruada (a seafood paella with pasta instead of rice) Combination tres tartas We had a refreshing bottle of Belondrade y Lurton (Rueda) 2016 to drink @ €50 To finish, we had

CASA ELADIO Michelin Plate IIO Casa Eladio was founded in 1965 by Eladio Cabello Serrano. It was managed by José Eladio Cabello Santaella (the founder’s son) for 38 years during Marbella’s golden age. It has a contemporary, maritime-inspired décor that has been given a new lease of life, with José’s son, Carlos Cabello Jimenez (the family’s third-generation), now working in the kitchen. Carlos worked in Northern Spain and Málaga before returning to the family restau

HOSTAL RESTAURANTE CAPRI Located around 100 metres from the seafront in the little tourist village of Es Pujols, this restaurant/hostal is one of the island’s oldest (since 1963) and has always been owned by the same family. If you are looking for 100% fresh fish, seafood, and rice dishes in a non-hectic, calming place with white tablecloths and pressed napkins, a relaxed atmosphere, and trained cooks who know what they are doing, well, you have come to the right place. Capri