Basque cuisine: how to cook like a local
Celebrate the unique flavours of the Basque Country, from melt-in-the-middle tortilla to perfectly charred steak served with sweet, smoky Piquillo peppers
Want to learn about the cuisine of the Basque Country? Discover what makes this unique cuisine special, plus three recipes to try, from María José Sevilla. For more global recipes, check out our guides to Grenadian cuisine and Neapolitan cuisine. Recipes extracted from <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cocina-Vasca-Recipes-traditions-Cookbooks/dp/1788796772/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3AK5J1ULCLYM5&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.q6ckSY2TLVS5b6M8tHQ1I429WdmAmvxT8jlJUoy_GGYfhzJw0lJeR-pKWnW2SSnC2osk7dX4I9kLXy-RAfF9xAoYMQ2-HbNz8BJa4ginVTCt-rcmGCe1ndtUVMGellOgObVkCQNNkMxDxD7ZV5_yMbaTaDRhusnrNAS3xkPnuG4MCetc94OUTC8qH7nnM3lpltFUCZ4BBU_g9B2Y6IT0qSfjfOgGFZtaqBigeZsyf9M.Rgq03CvX_Fx7RtPpM-k9JllmsyX9lkUZuXgf7wEe5II&dib_tag=se&keywords=La+Cocina+Vasca&qid=1749563399&s=books&sprefix=la+cocina+vasca%2Cstripbooks%2C182&sr=1-1&tag=olivemag-21&ascsubtag=olivemagazine-265631" target="_blank" rel="sponsored">La Cocina Vasca (£22, Ryland Peters & Small). Photographs: Clare Winfield, © Ryland Peters & Small. Recipes are sent by the publisher and not retested by us. Basque cuisine Basque Spain, known as Euskadi, includes the provinces of Vizcaya, Guipúzcoa, Alava and parts of Navarra. The land of the Basques, Euskal Herria, actually continues much further along the coast, right through to the Pyrenees and into the French provinces of Lower Navarre, Labourd and Soule. Basques simply love cooking, as much as to please themselves as to please others. The vegetables most strongly associated with the cuisine today are fresh, dried or preserved Basque peppers, both red and green. There are fresh or dry red Choriceros, cured or fresh green Piparras, Lodosa peppers (usually canned), hot red Guindillas or sweet Pimientos del Cristal, plus the French Piment d’Espelette. Basques also adore peas, especially the minute ones known as Lagrima (tear drops). Salads are often present on the Basque table, prepared with the popular Cogollos, which are Little Gem lettuces from Tudela; Escarola (Frisée or curly Endive); and young cartoons, which are particularly delicious in Navarra. Large cabbages that decorate traditional vegetable gardens are loved by everyone, especially when served with alubias negras (black beans), morcilla (black pudding) and Piparras. Due to the capricious weather conditions in ‘green’ Spain, tomatoes grown in the Basque Country can have an unbelievable taste. They’re served at restaurants and pintxo bars with very little preparation – just a little salt and olive oil. Basques love fish served with a good sauce and there are four main classics: the vibrant green salsa verde (parsley sauce), complex red vizcaína (red onion and pepper sauce), amazing light yellow pil pil (olive oil and garlic sauce) and intense black sauce made with squid or cuttlefish ink. Lamb holds a special place in Basque cuisine, too – since ancient times mountains and valleys everywhere seem to be populated by hundreds of little white dots, which are the sheep feeding on rich pastures. When socialising in bars, Basques drink cider and beer. They drink red wine, mostly from Rioja and Navarra, and, of course, the delightfully fresh and slightly acidic txakoli white wine, produced in the areas of Orduña and Orozko in Vizcaya, and on the hilly slopes of Getaria in Guipúzcoa. María's recipes from the Basque Country Sardinillas con guacamole en tostada (Guacamole on toast with silver sardines) Basque Country is a major producer of canned fish, including tuna, anchovies, sardines and sardinillas, which are tiny silver sardines – a true delicacy. Although guacamole is Mexican in origin, it’s been used frequently in the preparation of pintxos since the 80s. If you can’t find a Serrano pepper, use any other similar variety of green chilli pepper. Don’t make the guacamole too far in advance, as it will discolour. Tortilla de patatas, cebolla morada y pimiento rojo (Potato omelette with caramelised red onion and red pepper) There is no traditional way of cutting the potatoes when cooking a tortilla. You can slice them thinly, as I do, thickly or even dice them. The potatoes should never be parboiled but rather gently braised in plenty of olive oil along with, in this case, the onion and red pepper. The final result is not at all greasy, as most of the oil is drained off before the beaten egg is added. As the oil remains clean and very flavoursome, it can be reserved and used once more for another dish. Chuleta a la parrilla con piquillos confitados (Charcoal-grilled T-bone steak with confit Piquillo peppers) In the Basque Country, parrillero and parrillera are the men and women in charge of the grill. They are professionals working in asadores (restaurants that specialise in grilling meat or fish) as well as sidrerías (cider houses). I’ve eaten superb chuleta (T-bone steak) in these places, grilled to perfection over hot coals. You can cook a perfect chuleta on your own barbecue, as long as you follow my directions to the letter. The best steaks come from cows that are six or seven years old and should be 5cm thick, cut in a perpendicular way to ensure the same thickness at both ends. Once grilled and rested, cut the meat into thick slices and serve with potatoes, salad and roasted Piquillo peppers. I wrap a couple of potatoes in foil, bake them in the embers, then serve these with a little sea salt and extra-virgin olive oil.
Best restaurants in San Sebastián: where locals eat and drink
Sparkling white wine poured from a height, mounds of gooseneck barnacles and melt-in-the-mouth suckling pig with quince sauce – Spain’s coastal corner surely wins the prize for the world’s best bar crawl
Looking for the best restaurants in San Sebastian? Read our guide to the best places to eat and drink in Donostia San Sebastian. Including local favourites and must-visit haunts of Jose Pizarro (London's favourite Basque chef). From Michelin-starred restaurants to San Sebastian's best casual pintxo bars and bars to drink Basque txakoli wines. For more travel inspiration, check out our guide to the best Spanish food trips or travel across the border with our best French food trips. Jump to: Best restaurants in San Sebastián Best pintxo bars in San Sebastián Best bars in San Sebastián Best food shops in San Sebastián Where to stay in San Sebastián Best places to eat and drink in San Sebastián Michelin-starred restaurants in San Sebastián A picturesque port and resort on the Bay of Biscay, San Sebastián has notched up 16 Michelin stars. There are seven three-star restaurants across Spain and three of them are here: Akelarre, Martin Berasategui and Arzak, the bastion of chef Juan Mari Arzak. It has the second highest number of Michelin stars per square metre after Kyoto in Japan, and more than Paris. Jose Pizarro, London's favourite Basque restaurateur, loves Arzak. This three Michelin-starred restaurant continues to push the boundaries of Spanish food, turning it into art. It’s no wonder Arzak is included in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. A visit here will be one of the best food experiences you will ever have. The brightest in the constellation is Mugaritz. Chef Andoni Luis Aduriz’s insatiable appetite for pushing limits and unwavering loyalty to local ingredients and traditions results in a show-stopping tasting menu, with dishes like trompe l’oeil olives and beer, or perfect pork under autumn ‘leaves’. Read our extensive interview with Jessica Lorigo, head chef at Mugaritz. Topa Rowdy and colourful, all graffiti-covered walls, loud music and raw, recycled materials, the Basque-Latin American mash up tells the story of Basque immigration to Latin America. Try the iconic tacotalos al pastor vasco, marinated in Basque pepper and cider vinegar instead of citrus, and topped with roasted apple in place of pineapple. The corn tacos (‘talos’ in Basque) are blended with millet – its usage locally predates corn – to enhance the flavour. Meanwhile, kalimotxo, that love-it-or-hate-it local tipple of red wine and cola, enriches braised veal empanadas. Another borrowing comes from Mexican chef Enrique Olvera’s kitchen: a 1,100-day-old mole that is ‘fed’ daily with Basque spices for an infusion of subtle local flavour. And to drink?Pisco cocktails and micheladas come up against euskojitos (Basque mojitos) and the local txakoli wine. The idea of authenticity is thrown wide open. topasukalderia.com Casa Urola Anchovies, goose barnacles, baby peas, white asparagus; the menu at Casa Urola reads like a greatest hits of seasonal local produce. Under the deft control of chef Pablo Loureiro, and making the most its charcoal grill, the restaurant focuses on updating traditional Basque dishes. Tuck into an Instagram-perfect plate of alcachofa con praliné (artichoke with cardoon, mojo sauce and almonds) and txipirón, a mound of squid with creamy white bean sauce and the original pintxo, the Gilda; think a cocktail stick crammed with salty anchovies, fat juicy olives and local guindilla pickled peppers. There's a restaurant upstairs where chef Pablo Rodil serves a contemporary take on rustic Basque cuisine. A starter of charcoal-grilled artichoke hearts and cardoons with almond cream, salty praline and crisp Iberian ham is delicious, as are the sautéed baby broad beans with borage, artichoke and egg on potato cream. Another Basque delicacy: charcoal-grilled hake cheeks are soft, salty and delicate. casaurolajatetxea.es/en/ Zelai Txiki Call Zelai Txiki the day before to reserve the suckling pig and suckling lamb, served straight from the wood-burning oven and carved tableside. Or, if you prefer something less flamboyant, try the homemade charcuterie, then hake with clams, and finish with melon soup and coconut ice cream. restaurantezelaitxiki.com/es/ Casa Julian, Tolosa It’s worth the 20-minute drive (or bus ride) from San Sebastián to the colourful riverside town of Tolosa to try the sensational steak at Casa Julian. Head past bottles and boxes into a warren of vaulted rooms lined with dust-speckled vintage wine bottles. Bag a spot in the back to watch 1kg salt-crusted Basque chuletón (bone-in rib steak) steaks being tossed onto open flames. Steak is served rare here (its intense fat crisp and glistening), and brought to the table chopped into large pieces for diners to fight over. Kick off with crusty bread and oil, and a sweet Navarra white asparagus spear. Order a side of caramelised piquillo peppers, served in the dish straight from the oven with sticky blackened edges. casajulianmg.com Gandarias This lively pintxo bar and restaurant is larger than others of its kind. Fight your way to the front of the queue to order Coravin wines by the glass along with skewers of plump prawns covered in garlicky salsa and bitesize pieces of charred solomillo steak pinched into a slice of bread with a green chilli pepper. restaurantgandarias.com Best pintxo bars in San Sebastian Mimo San Sebastián pintxos crawl Embark on a pintxos – also called txikiteo in the Basque country – crawl with Mimo San Sebastián. Weave through the crowded warren of alleyways in the Parte Vieja or Old Town. There’s no delicate way to eat pintxos, traditionally a slice of baguette teetering with food and speared with a wooden toothpick or pintxo – hence the name. The juices soak into the bread, run down your chin, coat your fingers and are smeared onto paper napkins, which are tossed on the floor. Pintxos were born because “it’s not our custom to entertain at home. We meet friends for a drink and snack before dinner”. It’s one of the reasons that, originally, there were no sweet pintxos – these were pre-dinner snacks, not the main meal. You also went to one or two places not the string of bars you working your way through on this tour. There are over 100 pintxos bars to choose from, mainly in the Old Town, and so a tailored tour is a good way to narrow it down. The guide's top tip: ignore the piles of pretty pintxos on each bar’s counter and order dishes chalked on the blackboard. These are cooked fresh to order and each bar has its own specialities. mimo.eus/food-tours/pintxo-san-sebastian/lunch Goiz Argi – for prawn skewers At Goiz Argi the speciality is the brocheta de gambas, a juicy prawn served on a skewer, soaked in a sweet and sour garlic, pepper and onion marinade. The mari Juli baguette with salty slivers of smoked salmon, sardine and oily green pepper is equally moreish, with a glass of txakoli, the local sparkling white wine. Poured from great height to aerate it, the feisty, fruity white splashes into a tall tumbler. It conjures up vibrant green apples and has a slightly salty aftertaste. The grapes are grown on the coast near the towns of Getaria and it has denomination of origin status – as has the local idiazabal sheep’s milk cheese. The smoked version is more traditional as it was originally made in windowless shepherds’ huts and smoked naturally rather than by design. Borda Berri – for grilled octopus Borda Berri in the Old Town makes all its pintxos to order. The menu’s perfectly executed takes on traditional dishes change regularly, but piquillo peppers stuffed with beef cheek and the grilled octopus are perennial favourites, along with legendary risotto pintxos made with idiazabal. Fermin Calbeton Kalea, 12; 00 34 943 43 03 42 Restaurante Ganbara José Ignacio and Amaia have run this Basque-style bar in San Sebastián’s old town for over 25 years, and it serves some of the best pintxos you’ll find. Try the crab and prawns with a glass of txakoli. ganbarajatetxea.com Atari Gastroteka – for dessert This bar by the overblown baroque basilica of Santa Maria is a great place for dessert. The torrija is a cross between bread and butter pudding and French toast, made with brioche soaked in custard and then caramelised. atarigastroleku.com Best bars in San Sebastián Bodega Donostiarra This is Jose Pizarro’s favourite place to enjoy the Basque sunshine out on its terrace with a cold beer. He always orders the chicken wings, but the tomato salad is amazing too. bodegadonostiarra.com Bar Txurrut A midday vermouth is a Spanish weekend ritual, and Bar Txurrut’s picturesque terrace is the best spot for enjoying one. Try artisan vermouth, doctored with a touch of bitters and a dash of Amaro, shaken and strained into a chilled glass. Plaza De La Constitución, 9; 00 34 943 42 91 81 Sakona – for coffee This hip coffee shop is said (by in-the-know locals) to serve the best coffee in town. Owner Javier Garcia focuses on seasonal coffee beans, shipped from Ethiopia, Kenya, El Salvador and beyond, which he roasts in his home town, Irún. Sleek scandi wooden interiors are brightened up with pops of teal and you can order simple but filling plates of food to go with your brew. Traditional Spanish pan con tomate (puréed tomatoes and smashed garlic on toast) is modernised with chives, a runny egg sits atop zesty avocado, and eggs benedict provides hearty sustenance for walks along the beach. sakonacoffee.com Gu A stylish addition to the San Sebastián night scene, Gu is a restaurant and nightclub set in a striking building designed as the city’s yacht club in 1929. Go for sundowners and enjoy cocktails with a view – try the Gu Mule (vodka, ginger beer, green tea, and lime). gusansebastian.com Best food shops in San Sebastián Oiartzun – for ice cream, pastries an coffee Taking a stroll along the Boulevard while eating an ice cream is an obligatory summer evening tradition in San Sebastián. Various ice cream shops line the shaded avenue, but Oiartzun stands out for its artisanal, made-from-scratch flavours like torrija and New York cheesecake. Sit at the counter at the back of the shop and order like the locals – a "cafe con espuma" (coffee with foam) and a little palmita heart-shaped pastry. pasteleriaoiartzun.com Aitor Lasa – for Spanish produce Artisan deli Aitor Lasa is rammed with oils and preserves, local charcuterie and cheeses and baskets brimming with mushrooms to create the ultimate Spanish picnic to take to La Concha beach. aitorlasa.com La Bretxa market – best food market Buy ingredients from 19th-century La Bretxa market. San Sebastián is bordered by the sea, mountains and fertile Ebro valley and Basque cuisine reflects this bountiful natural larder. Local farmers sell their produce outside every day except Sundays, the stalls are piled high with the area’s famous artichokes and asparagus, beans in every hue (red, white, green, and black beans from Tolosa), petit pois so sweet they’re known as green caviar, and guindilla peppers. The fish and meat markets are inside, underground. Here you can find local specialities such as chistorra, a cross between chorizo and sausage, and salt cod (bacalao). At the fish counters there are mounds of percebes (gooseneck barnacles), a typical delicacy. Hake is popular as is turbot cooked over a grill with olive oil and garlic. On the stalls the gills are exposed, a vivid red to show that the fish is fresh. bretxa.eus/es/ Where to stay in San Sebastián Hotel Maria Cristina Doubles from £472, check availability at booking.com, expedia.co.uk or marriott.com The glamorous belle époque Hotel Maria Cristina is a fitting base for the gourmet capital of Spain. The hotel, which nudges up to the Parte Vieja and overlooks the River Urumea, was exquisitely revamped in 2012, the year that marked its centenary. Renowned filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar has stayed here, along with a string of Hollywood luminaries from Bette Davis to Woody Allen. Its food credentials include its own concierge-designed DIY pintxos trail, a gourmet shop where you can stock up on gastronomic souvenirs from local wines to smoked olive oil and Basque cookbooks, while in the basement there’s the sleek, state-of-the-art cookery school. The cookery school is run by Mimo San Sebastián, set up in 2009 by British expat Jon Warren, whose passion for the region’s gastronomy led him to leave his lucrative job in the city in London. They offer pintxos tours, cookery classes, wine and sherry tastings, vineyard tours and trips to sagardotegiak (aka cider houses). These pepper the surrounding region especially near the town of Astigarraga. The houses dish up set menus featuring salt cod omelette, chorizo cooked in cider, and idiazabal with quince and walnuts along with as much cider – lightly sparkling, cloudy and refreshingly sour – as you can drink from the huge barrels. The chef, Mateus Mendes, begins by teaching how to clean squid and carefully remove the ink sac. During the morning, soak and sear, beat, blend and blanch, and get to handle a blowtorch. Then sit down to eat the lunch you've cooked: a delicate dish of squid with sweetcorn and tart green apple and, for dessert, creamy sweet torrijas, for example. Doubles from £472, check availability at booking.com, expedia.co.uk or marriott.com More travel guides Best Morocco food trips Best French food trips Best Spanish food trips Best Portuguese food trips Best European vineyards to visit and stay Best foodie city breaks by train Best Spanish hotels Best Italian hotels Best country house hotels in the UK Best Scottish hotels Words by Lucy Gillmore,Marti Buckley Kilpatrick, Jose Pizarro and Hilary Armstrong Photographs by Alamy, Getty, JM Bielsa, San Sebastian Food and Markel Redondo
From boutique hotels in Ibiza to city break bases in Barcelona and Madrid, here's our pick of the best Spanish hotels
Looking for the best Spanish hotel to visit? We've found the best Spanish hotels for food lovers in Barcelona, Madrid, Ibiza and everywhere in between. Whether you're on a budget or looking for luxury, need a city break or a relaxing vineyard getaway, check out our round-up of the best Spanish hotels for something for everyone. For more travel and hotel inspiration, check out our guide to the best European hidden gem hotels, best Italian hotels or the best Paris hotels, or get more ideas for your Spanish holiday with our best Spanish trips for foodies. Best Spanish hotels for food lovers Gran Hotel Mas d’en Bruno, Priorat Rooms from €350 per night, check availability at mrandmrssmith.com In the vineyard-strewn hills of Catalonia’s Priorat region, Gran Hotel Mas d’en Bruno reimagines the Spanish manor house with design-led clarity. A Relais & Châteaux property with just 24 suites, it’s a study in refined minimalism, with arched stone walls, polished marble, hand-thrown ceramics and an infinity pool sculpted in the silhouette of a wine bottle. Inside, curves dominate the design language: vaulted ceilings, sculptural fireplaces and custom-made furniture soften the bold, monastic architecture. Food is central to the experience. At restaurant Vinum, chef Josep Queralt draws inspiration from Llibre de Sent Soví, a 14th-century Catalan recipe manuscript. Expect candied leeks with Bellmunt cottage cheese and confit egg yolk, or poultry broth layered with roasted Reus hazelnuts, dishes that feel both timeless and quietly radical. For a more relaxed rhythm, Tarraco serves poolside classics with polish: think citrus-cured ceviche, creamy Ibérico rice and chilled tomato gazpacho elevated by prawns and diced watermelon. Evenings unfold at Bruno’s Bar, where bold regional reds and vermouth-spiked cocktails are poured beneath vaulted stone, best enjoyed fireside or on the terrace overlooking the vines. Book the Bruno Suite for its vineyard-facing freestanding bath, vaulted interiors and full in-room bar stocked with local wines and gourmet Catalan treats. masdenbruno.com/en Rooms from €350 per night, check availability at mrandmrssmith.com Castilla Termal Brihuega, Castilla-La Mancha From £226 per room, check availability at booking.com Surrounded by lavender fields, this little town in the region of La Alcarria is home to a new boutique hotel in a restored cloth factory. Perfect for food lovers seeking to make new discoveries, it showcases regional specialities, while its thermal waters provide an opportunity to fully relax and rejuvenate. Breakfast is a delight: all the Spanish goodies like jamón ibérico, pan con tomate and tortilla, plus local ingredients like manchego, honeycomb and tarta de uvas – a grape sponge cake which teams well with the more contemporary touch in the cold drip coffee offered. At dinner, rustic plates like kid goat and the region’s famous rum baba style cake are served in the large glass-domed restaurant. Nearby food experiences include truffle hunting at family-owned TrufaZero, which supplies many restaurants in the region. Guests can dig for the black gold sniffed out by their dog, Nino. Brihuega’s thermal spa promotes a sense of wellness and relaxation with an outdoor pool, massage jets and a bespoke lavender treatment – a two-hour ritual which includes a lavender scrub, wrap and massage. Exposed brick, wooden beams and floors, a neutral colour palette and dried floral displays add to the calming effect. castillatermal.com From £226 per room, check availability at booking.com Atzaró Agroturismo Hotel, Ibiza Doubles from €245, check availability at booking.com Luxury meets nature in a hotel with exquisite indoor-outdoor design, a spa set within orange groves and a hard-working farm. White-washed buildings, manicured gardens and glistening swimming pools surrounded by huge, pristine day beds all create a gorgeous first impression. Discrete, secret VIP deluxe suites are where celebrities can holiday with complete privacy. So far, so luxe. But a stroll through the orange groves to the hotel’s vast vegetable plot reveals how sustainable and farm-to-fork this family-owned estate is. Solar panels and an on-site well supply power and water to the gardens, pools, spa and rooms. Herbs and botanicals are used in rejuvenating spa treatments. Figs, tomatoes, cucumbers and pomegranates are picked that day, and served just minutes and metres aways in the hotel’s sunny, vine-covered veranda. The garden also supplies its nearby, laid-back sister restaurant, Aubergine by Atzaró, where clever combinations like roasted aubergine carpaccio, cherry tomatoes, feta, dates, pistachio and rocket pesto create texture and zing. At Atzaró beach club, tuna ceviche with mango, chilli, coriander and tiger’s milk is light and flavour-packed. Design at Atzaró Agroturismo references Ibiza’s natural beauty with a profusion of plants, natural wicker and wood, bright whites, with splashes of colour provided through bougainvillea or swimming pool azure. atzaro.com Doubles from €245, check availability at booking.com Monasterio de Valbuena, Castile and León Doubles from £245, check availability at booking.com A kitchen garden, impressive cellar and spa experience make this converted monastery set within vineyards spectacularly unique. As you might expect in the Ribera del Duero, wine is a focus – from a welcome glass of sparkling verdejo to the hotel’s own production of Converso, an earthy tempranillo with well-balanced dark fruits. In the kitchen garden, rare-breed Black Castilian hens happily cluck away. Dishes made with produce nurtured here are expertly paired with the best regional wines in its three restaurants. Pickled partridge, ravioli stuffed with poultry and sheep’s cheese, game and mushroom rice and pigeon combine traditional regional ingredients with modern cooking techniques. A converted 12th-century monastery with high arches, courtyards and cloisters has windows overlooking the vineyards and river. The spa has an intriguing St Peter’s Chapel experience which reimagines the design of the monastery’s working chapel into a private spa experience including a relaxing sauna, invigorating shower and bathing, and atmospheric lighting. The hotel has forged ties with sympathetic businesses who share its values of sustainability and respect, and support for the land and community. At high-end bodega Pago de Carraovejas guests can discover the wine-making process, visit the cellars, taste the wines and have lunch at Michelin-starred restaurant Ambivium. castillatermal.com Doubles from £245, check availability at booking.com El Gran Sueño, Asturias Doubles from £124, check availability at booking.com There’s a “slow hotel” philosophy at El Gran Sueño, a boutique rural retreat in the mountains of Asturias. It uses renewable energy and serves only homemade, organic food, with at least one dinner a week meat-free. Tuck into freshly baked bread with grated tomato and local artisan cheeses for breakfast (with a glass of freshly squeezed Valencia orange juice or pressed Asturian cider-apple juice) before heading out to explore the surrounding mountains and woodlands. Having worked up an appetite, return to base for a hearty, home-cooked three-course dinner (the vegan chocolate and beetroot brownie is a must-try pudding). elgransueno.es Doubles from £124, check availability at booking.com Torralbenc, Menorca Doubles from £208, check availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com A cluster of 19th-century whitewashed farm buildings, with views out over the sparkling Med, Torralbenc is now a luxury hotel, surrounded by 70 hectares of fields, orchards and vineyards in the south-western corner of Menorca. The restored estate not only makes its own olive oil but also produces wine. Starting with just five hectares of vines in 2006, the property now has 16 hectares dedicated to growing grapes. Its first wine was bottled in 2016 and the estate now produces a merlot and syrah blend (all red berries and spicy black pepper with a tinge of toasted vanilla), a bright rosé from indigenous monstrell and parellada grapes (floral with strawberries and cherries on the palate) and an easy-drinking white blended from sauvignon blanc, viognier, chardonnay and parellada with citrus, stone fruits and floral notes. Guests can book a vineyard experience with the hotel’s oenologist, exploring the vineyards on foot or by bike, learning how the wines are produced and enjoying a tasting, with local Menorcan cheeses, among the vines. torralbenc.com Doubles from £208, check availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com Only YOU Hotel Atocha, Madrid Doubles from £127, check availability at booking.com Usefully positioned opposite Puerta de Atocha railway station, Only YOU Hotel Atocha impresses with its buzzy industrial-chic lobby (complete with barber, patisserie and restaurant) and complimentary glass of fizz on arrival. Spacious rooms have a sleek mid-century feel, and the hotel’s rooftop Sép7ima bar (with panoramic views of the city) puts on a lavish buffet every morning that includes pastries and churros, charcuterie and cheeses, fresh juice, fruit and cooked breakfasts. onlyyouhotels.com Doubles from £127, check availability at booking.com Son Brull, Mallorca, Spain Doubles from £530, check availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com Guests at gastronomic bolthole Son Brull can ask the kitchen to pack a gourmet picnic if they’re heading out to hike or bike around the surrounding hills. This elegant finca, or farmhouse, in the foothills of the Serra de Tramuntana, dates back to the 12th century but the approach to food and wine is bang up to date. The kitchen garden, where chef Rafel Perello sources the ingredients for his inventive menus and cookery classes, brims with home-grown herbs, salad leaves and vegetables, while the trees surrounding the hotel are laden with oranges, lemons and figs. The hotel has its own organic vineyard: pair its wines with dinner in the fine-dining restaurant, 365, where seasonal eight-course tasting menus showcase local Mallorcan ingredients. More casual, bistro-style dining can be had in the bar (with its ancient olive press) during the winter or on the terrace in sunnier months. sonbrull.com Doubles from £530, check availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com Casa Bonay, Barcelona Doubles from £197, check availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com Check into hip Casa Bonay, a renovated mansion where traditional hydraulic floor tiles are mixed with Gaudí’s iconic paving stones, adding a hint of edginess to its ground floor lounges, coffee bars and restaurant. Stylish, pared-back bedrooms redefine luxury with hand-woven blankets from Els Teixidors, maxi-bars stocked with premium gin, vodka and single malt, and room service in the shape of a tiffin tin to be eaten in bed. Casa Bonay makes other foodie hotels seem dull by comparison. Think house restaurant Bodega Bonay serving Mediterranean sharing plates, the hotel bar Libertine for grown up cocktails mixed with aplomb by a team of savvy mixologists, and the tropical-themed Chiringuito on the buzzy roof terrace for tapas as you watch the sunset. casabonay.com Doubles from £197, check availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com Corner House, Seville Doubles from £86, check availability at booking.com or expedia.co.uk Doubles at the Corner House, in the buzzy Alameda de Hércules (one of Seville’s most iconic squares), are very affordable. There's also an in-house restaurant/bar, El Disparate, serving a selection of traditional and innovative dishes; if you're lucky grab one of the tables on its spacious terrace, overlooking the square. thecornerhousesevilla.com Doubles from £86, check availability at booking.com or expedia.co.uk Iturrienea Ostatua, Bilbao Doubles from £58, check availability at booking.com This simple yet charming bed and breakfast is located right in the centre of the Old Town, housed in a property built in 1906 for a countess. Originally designed to look like a typical Basque country house, inside the largely modern décor is modest (simple white bedlinen, colourful quilted headboards, practical en-suite shower rooms) but homely. The nine bedrooms nod to the building’s history, with stone floors and wooden-beamed ceilings, and some have small private balconies. Breakfast is served in a country-style kitchen and stretches to local cheeses, charcuterie, sticky pastries and toast. iturrieneaostatua.com Doubles from £58, check availability at booking.com Hospes Casas del Rey de Baeza, Seville Doubles from €135 per night, check availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com The Hospes Casas del Rey de Baeza is a charming hotel housed in a beautiful 18th-century ‘corral de vecino’ (characteristic of the city, these are apartments built round a courtyard) in the barrio Santa Cruz. hospes.com Doubles from €135 per night, check availability at hospes.com, booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com Hotel Maria Cristina, San Sebastián Doubles from £472, check availability at booking.com or marriott.com The glamorous belle époque Hotel Maria Cristina is a fitting base for the gourmet capital of Spain. The hotel, which nudges up to the Parte Vieja and overlooks the River Urumea, was exquisitely revamped in 2012, the year that marked its centenary. Renowned filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar has stayed here, along with a string of Hollywood luminaries from Bette Davis to Woody Allen. Its food credentials include its own concierge-designed DIY pintxos trail, a gourmet shop where you can stock up on gastronomic souvenirs from local wines to smoked olive oil and Basque cookbooks, while in the basement there’s the sleek, state-of-the-art cookery school. The cookery school is run by Mimo San Sebastián, set up in 2009 by British expat Jon Warren, whose passion for the region’s gastronomy led him to leave his lucrative job in the city in London. They offer pintxos tours, cookery classes, wine and sherry tastings, vineyard tours and trips to sagardotegiak (aka cider houses). These pepper the surrounding region especially near the town of Astigarraga. The houses dish up set menus featuring salt cod omelette, chorizo cooked in cider, and idiazabal with quince and walnuts along with as much cider – lightly sparkling, cloudy and refreshingly sour – as you can drink from the huge barrels. marriott.com Doubles from £472, check availability at booking.com or marriott.com. Hotel Sant Francesc, Palma Doubles from £430, check availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com Food-focused short breaks at design hotel Sant Francesc, in the historic heart of Palma, include a paella masterclass with the hotel's head chef, Alfonso Lillo, and a tour and tasting at a gin distillery in the Santa Catalina neighbourhood (with tips on how to distil at home). With its historic setting – a restored 19th-century neoclassical mansion rich with original frescos and murals, cool verandas and wooden coffered ceilings – the hotel makes a perfect base for exploring Palma's gourmet markets and delis. Return from a hard day’s food shopping and spend time relaxing by the glamorous rooftop pool or splashing out on dinner in the restaurant, Quadrat. The restaurant, a vision of crumpled linen and painted wood in the property’s former stables, is the setting for Lillo's tasting menu peppered with Mediterranean-inspired dishes such as cream of grilled sweetcorn with tomato and avocado ceviche. hotelsantfrancesc.com Doubles from £430, check availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com Hotel Ses Sucreres, Menorca Doubles from £131, check availability at booking.com Hotel Ses Sucreres, in the village of Ferreries, is a quirky bolthole that epitomises the laid back, low-key authenticity of the island a world away in style from high profile party isles Mallorca and Ibiza. The hotel is decked out with reclaimed furniture, geometric prints and modern photography. There are six bedrooms and relaxed breakfasts are served in a leafy courtyard garden – think homemade fig jam, soft sugary buns, local slithers of Mahon cheese and salty air-cured ham, sobrasada, the local sausage, smashed tomatoes and olive oil smeared on freshly baked bread. hotelsessucreres.com Doubles from £131, check availability at booking.com Finca Can Marti, Ibiza Check rates and availability at canmarti.com A pine-cradled rural idyll in a leafy valley in the north of Ibiza, Finca Can Marti is a 400-year-old, whitewashed farmhouse turned rustic-chic retreat. All muted cream and beige tones, with terracotta tiled floors, ancient beams and white walls, the finca is surrounded by 42 acres of organic orchards, vegetable plots, strawberry fields, olive groves and vineyards. The fruit and vegetables are sustainably grown on the farm and sold in the estate’s small organic shop, along with homemade jams, extra virgin olive oil and free-range eggs – which you can also enjoy at breakfast, along with a feast of fruits and freshly baked bread. Once a week the finca also offers dinner. Ten minutes’ walk away is the sleepy village of San Juan, with its smattering of local restaurants and a traditional market every Sunday. Or you can simply hole up on site lounging by the natural pool (the water is free from chemicals, circulated through a lava stone filter, oxygenated by a waterfall and cleared of impurities by aquatic plants). Then zone out, with an Ayurvedic and Thai massage under a pergola, trying not to peep at the dreamy view beyond. Check rates and availability at canmarti.com Can Tres, Formentera Check rates and availability at booking.com Hop on the ferry from Ibiza to Formentera, the barefoot baby of the Balearics, for endless sweeps of sand backed by dunes and pine trees, crystalline waters and a hippy-chic vibe. This is where jaded clubbers come to hide out – and eat (sustainable) sushi and ceviche washed down with caipirinhas by the beach. There's a slower pace of life on Ibiza's chilled-out little sister, with its peppering of traditional villages and a nightly market during the summer. Base yourself at Can Tres, a clutch of three architect-designed houses surrounded by citrus and olive trees, all hanging beds and heavenly hammocks, thatched terraces perfect for lazy breakfasts of fruit from the gardens, freshly baked bread and homemade jam, and vivid splashes of colour against a pure white canvas. It’s also just a pebble's throw from Migjorn beach with its smattering of funky beach bars and restaurants. cantresformentera.com Check rates and availability at booking.com More travel guides Best Morocco food trips Best French food trips Best Spanish food trips Best Portuguese food trips Best European vineyards to visit and stay Best foodie city breaks by train Best hotels in Paris Best Italian hotels Best country house hotels in the UK Best Scottish hotels
Looking for places to visit in Spain? Check out our top Spanish food trips, from pintxos in San Sebastian to al fresco paella in Barcelona
Looking for places to visit in Spain? Check out our top Spanish food trips and discover where to eat and drink across the country, from natural wines in Barcelona to ibérico ham and hand-cut chips in Tarifa, and juicy skewered prawns in San Sebastian. For more travel inspiration, check out our best Portuguese food trips, best French food trips or best Morocco food trips. Learn about Spanish coffee culture with our expert barista Celeste Wong's guide, including traditional rituals, how to order it and the perfect recipe for at-home brewing. Best Spanish food trips San Sebastián For pintxos and Michelin stars A picturesque port and resort on the Bay of Biscay, San Sebastián has notched up 16 Michelin stars. There are seven three-star restaurants across Spain and three of them are here: Akelarre, Martin Berasategui and Arzak, the bastion of chef Juan Mari Arzak. It has the second highest number of Michelin stars per square metre after Kyoto in Japan, and more than Paris. It's not all fine dining though. Pintxos is a signature of San Sebastián, born because “it’s not our custom to entertain at home. We meet friends for a drink and snack before dinner”. It’s one of the reasons that, originally, there were no sweet pintxos – these were pre-dinner snacks, not the main meal. There are over 100 pintxos spots to choose from in San Sebastian, mainly in the Old Town, and so a tailored tour is a good way to narrow it down. A locals top tip: ignore the piles of pretty pintxos on each bar’s counter and order dishes chalked on the blackboard. These are cooked fresh to order and each bar has its own specialities. At Goiz Argi that means the brocheta de gamba, a juicy prawn served on a skewer soaked in a sweet and sour garlic, pepper and onion marinade. The mari juli baguette, with salty slivers of smoked salmon, sardine and oily green pepper is equally moreish, with a glass of txakoli, the local sparkling white wine. Find out where else to eat and drink in San Sebastian. Where to stay: The glamorous belle époque Hotel Maria Cristina is a fitting base for the gourmet capital of Spain. The hotel, which nudges up to the Parte Vieja and overlooks the River Urumea, was exquisitely revamped in 2012, the year that marked its centenary. Its food credentials include its own concierge-designed DIY pintxos trail, a gourmet shop where you can stock up on gastronomic souvenirs from local wines to smoked olive oil and Basque cookbooks, while in the basement there’s the sleek, state-of-the-art cookery school. Doubles from £472, check availability at booking.com, expedia.co.uk or marriott.com. Menorca For an island getaway Ibiza, Mallorca and Formentera might usually draw the kaftan-wearing scenesters, but word is quietly spreading that there is more to be discovered on Menorca than clean turquoise waters, pale gold beaches, secluded white-washed farmhouses and lush greenery (the island is a designated Unesco Biosphere Reserve). Unlike its neighbouring party isles, this small Balearic island has managed to stay relatively unspoiled – in everything from the landscape to the food and culture. As on mainland Spain, tapas is big here (try some at the Mercat des Peix – fish market – in Mahon), but thanks to numerous occupations by the Moors, Brits, Catalans and French, the local cuisine is a melting pot. The most famous dish is caldereta, a Menorcan lobster stew that’s cooked and served in an earthenware pot; the local shellfish, in season from April to August, are sweeter than their Atlantic cousins. Sobrassada (a soft paprika sausage, similar to chorizo) is another must-try. And don’t miss the chance to go gin tasting at the last remaining distillery on the island, Xoriguer. Its Gin Xoriguer is a liquid legacy of the British presence here and is served, locally, with lemonade in a pomada. Where to stay: Go luxe and book into Hotel Torralbenc. Set in 70 hectares of vine-draped countryside in the south west of the island, it recently introduced wine tasting experiences at its winery, on foot or by bike. Doubles start from £549, check availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com. Barcelona For the famous food market One of the best Spanish cities for food, Barcelona offers a vibrant restaurant scene and chance to dive into Catalan cuisine. Start your day at Granja M Viader: locals line up at long-standing breakfast spot before the shutters rise. Go for a thick, velvety hot chocolate with churros, or one of its famous ‘bikinis’ – a cheese-and-ham-filled toasted sandwich. After the Sagrada Família, the Boqueria food market is the most popular destination in town. Get there before 11am to beat the crowds, browse the stalls and rub shoulders with local chefs over a plate of eggs and a glass of cava at El Quim de la Boqueria. Continue the food shopping at Casa Gispert and pick up marcona almonds, dried figs, saffron and smoky pimentón to take home. To get stuck into tapas, head to El Xampanyet – particularly popular among locals, who come to drink the bar’s own-brand cava before a night on the town. Tapas are simple but on-point – order as the locals do with ‘pimientos con carne’ to receive a plate of blistered padrón peppers and soft, pink pluma ibérico pork. At night, convivial Can Cisa Bar Brutal is the place to work your way through local natural wines paired with more superlative tapas, or slip into tiny Bar Zim for wines by the glass with farmhouse cheeses and organic charcuterie (Carrer de la Dagueria, 20). Read our full guide to Barcelona. Where to stay: Check into hip Casa Bonay, a renovated mansion where traditional hydraulic floor tiles are mixed with Gaudí’s iconic paving stones, adding a hint of edginess to its ground floor lounges, coffee bars and restaurant. Stylish, pared-back bedrooms redefine luxury with hand-woven blankets from Teixidors, maxi-bars stocked with premium gin, vodka and single malt, and room service in the shape of a tiffin tin to be eaten in bed. There's plenty to attract foodies: house restaurant Bodega Bonay serving Mediterranean sharing plates, the hotel bar Libertine for grown up cocktails and the tropical-themed Chiringuito on the buzzy roof terrace for tapas as you watch the sunset. Doubles from £197, check rates and availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com. Tarifa For unspoilt coastline Perched on Spain’s southernmost tip, windswept Tarifa attracts a youthful kite- and windsurfing crowd. Head to Los Lances beach to kick back on the dunes with a goblet of Gin Mare and tonic at Arte Vida. Tarifa’s old town comes alive at night, when visitors descend on the cobbled streets to eat secreto ibérico and hand-cut chips at La Vaca Loca (Calle Cervantes 6) and falafel from tiny vegetarian joint Chilimosa. Start the following day with a fruit salad, crêpe or smoothie in Café Azul’s courtyard, then lounge outside hip Café 10 with a café con leche. Where to stay: Check into hip Hotel Misiana in the centre of the old town. Winning points for location, there are sea views to be had and all the local highlights are a quick walk away. The 15 light and airy rooms are simply decorated and there's a continental breakfast in the morning and hotel-restaurant tapas bar for the evenings. Check rates and availability at expedia.co.uk. Ibiza For a gourmet side to the party isle The famed White Isle may be most known for it's beach clubs, international DJs and nightclubs, but there is a quieter side to discover too. On Playa D’es Torrent, enjoy old world elegance at Es Torrent as you dine with your feet in the sand, under gnarled ocean pines, overlooking a beautiful bay on the west coast of the island. Call ahead to order fresh-from-the-boat fish. Start with the grilled clams and finish with the indulgent pineapple crema catalana. On Playa Es Cavallet, El Chiringuito delivers beachside glamour at its best: great people watching plus fabulous food. The spaghetti frutti di mare for two makes an extravagant but delicious lunch. Start with the artichoke and gambas salad. For watching the famous Ibiza sunset, head to La Torre for fabulous views over the water. Sip cocktails then order its signature steak with chimichurri and wrinkled potatoes. Where to stay: Luxury meets nature at Atzaró Agroturismo, a hotel with exquisite indoor-outdoor design, a spa set within orange groves and a hard-working farm. White-washed buildings, manicured gardens and glistening swimming pools surrounded by huge, pristine day beds all create a gorgeous first impression. Discrete, secret VIP deluxe suites are where celebrities can holiday with complete privacy. So far, so luxe. But a stroll through the orange groves to the hotel’s vast vegetable plot reveals how sustainable and farm-to-fork this family-owned estate is. Solar panels and an on-site well supply power and water to the gardens, pools, spa and rooms. Herbs and botanicals are used in rejuvenating spa treatments. Figs, tomatoes, cucumbers and pomegranates are picked that day, and served just minutes and metres aways in the hotel’s sunny, vine-covered veranda. The garden also supplies its nearby, laid-back sister restaurant, Aubergine by Atzaró, where clever combinations like roasted aubergine carpaccio, cherry tomatoes, feta, dates, pistachio and rocket pesto create texture and zing. At Atzaró beach club, tuna ceviche with mango, chilli, coriander and tiger’s milk is light and flavour-packed. Design at Atzaró Agroturismo references Ibiza’s natural beauty with a profusion of plants, natural wicker and wood, bright whites, with splashes of colour provided through bougainvillea or swimming pool azure. Doubles from €245, check availability at booking.com. Madrid For a capital city break Find salt cod croquetas, elaborate squid sarnies, Iberian eggy bread and orange cappuccinos (plus cured ham and sherry, of course) in Spain’s lively capital. Not sure where to begin? In the heart of one of the capital’s most vibrant neighbourhoods, Mercado de San Ildefonso is a custom-designed street food space is spread over three floors. Set on the site of a 19th century food market, there’s a fuss-free, industrial feel to proceedings and a sociable vibe that comes from having plenty of places to perch while you eat, plus the addition of several bars serving interesting Spanish wines by the glass. To try local specialities, visit Casa Labra (going strong since 1860). It's packed with locals who throng the restaurant's elegantly austere, high-ceilinged interior for the house speciality – salt cod. Served by efficient, white-jacketed staff, it’s best eaten deep-fried or cooked in plump, creamy croquetas, paired with a little glass of vermouth. Those with a sweet tooth should drop into La Casa de las Torrijas. Colourful tiling, plates of huevos rotos (‘broken eggs’) with crispy potatoes and slivers of jamón, and chilled cañas of local beer are all on offer. But the clue to the chief attraction lies in the name. Torrijas is an Iberian take on French toast, and this restaurant’s version – thick slices of bread soaked in milk, egg and sugar (and sometimes sweet wine), then deep-fried until deliciously wobbly, with a creamy centre – is irresistible. Where to stay: Usefully positioned opposite Puerta de Atocha railway station, Only YOU Hotel Atocha impresses with its buzzy industrial-chic lobby (complete with barber, patisserie and restaurant) and complimentary glass of fizz on arrival. Spacious rooms have a sleek mid-century feel, and the hotel’s rooftop Sép7ima bar (with panoramic views of the city) puts on a lavish buffet every morning that includes pastries and churros, charcuterie and cheeses, fresh juice, fruit and cooked breakfasts. Doubles from £122, check availability at booking.com. Seville For the home of tapas The spiritual home of flamenco, Seville is also the birthplace of tapas. One of the best ways to experience Seville’s fabulous gourmet scene is to engage in your own little ‘tapeo’ – a relaxed wander around some of its many bars. You can also ask for a media ración or ración, which are larger than a tapa. For authentic tapas with charm that is hard to beat, Casa Morales was founded in 1850 and now in its fourth generation. Enjoy some salt cod with salmorejo, tortilla de patatas or lomo en manteca, with vermouth, sherry or house wine alongside them. Walk to the Metropol Parasol – nicknamed 'the mushrooms', it dominates the Plaza de la Encarnación with its futuristic-looking wooden structure. Underground is a museum displaying some of the city’s Roman walls and artefacts while above it is one of Seville’s best daily food markets. Make sure you visit the stalls selling jamón de ibérico bellota; it can be vacuum packed to take home (from €60-120 per kg). On the upper levels there is a 30-metre high walkway with panoramic views which you can access through the Antiquarium below. Don't leave Seville without trying some sherry: it's Andalucía’s most iconic wine, yet is often misunderstood. Versatile and fascinating, there’s a sherry – or sherry cocktail – for everyone. Let José and his expert team at the Premier Sherry & Cocktail Bar help you discover yours. Where to stay: Doubles at the Corner House, in the buzzy Alameda de Hércules (one of Seville’s most iconic squares), are very affordable. There's also an in-house restaurant/bar, El Disparate, serving a selection of traditional and innovative dishes; if you're lucky grab one of the tables on its spacious terrace, overlooking the square. Doubles from £86, check availability at thecornerhousesevilla.com, booking.com or expedia.co.uk. Cadiz For historical delicacies The historical port city of Cádiz in Andalucia has bargain tapas bars, vibrant food markets and unique local delicacies to discover. Head to the Mercado Central, housed inside a former convent and watch as the theatre of the working day unfolds: swordfish are butchered, chocos (cuttlefish) cleaned of their black ink. If you're self-catering, stock up on vacuum-packed mojama (smoked tuna), ham, chicharrones and fritos, before hitting the stalls selling sherries, plates of local cheese, glasses of albariño at €2.50 and fat churros hot from the fryer. Stick with the locals at tapas bar Taberna Casa Manteca: try chicharrones de Cádiz, a speciality of the region, thin layers of soft, fatty pork dressed withe lemon and salt. Round the corner is Virgen de la Palma, a pedestrianised cobbled street in the heart of this slightly shabby former fishermen’s quarter. It’s lined with tapas bars and restaurants, but during daytime hours it becomes a magnet for weatherbeaten men selling oysters (six for €5) and prawns from carts on corners. For some more luxurious splendour, head to the rococo Cafe Royalty, a restored grand salon, and eat refined courses of Andalucian cooking, including a punchy gazpacho garnished with prawn, alongside a glass of albariño. It opened in 1912, and intellectuals, artists and politicians came here to chew the fat before it closed at the dawn of the civil war. Where to stay: Situated right on the coast, the Parador Hotel Atlántico affords astonishing views out across the ocean at almost every turn. It's central location makes it easy to walk anywhere, discovering new parts of the city down pretty cobbled streets. The stunning hotel pool equally makes the most of those sea views, plus you're just five minutes from the beach. Doubles from £211, check availability at booking.com or britishairways.com. Palma For local fusion cuisine Visit the capital city of Mallorca to get an insight into this unique island. Spend time browsing the city’s main market, Mercat de l’Olivar – check out the cheesemonger S’Aglà for the best Mallorcan and Menorcan cheeses. Elsewhere in the city a handful of gastronomic markets have also sprung up, including Mercado de San Juan and Mercat 1930, in an art deco building overlooking the marina, where you can also join cookery workshops. The international tourism that has generated a renewed appreciation for these types of markets has also fuelled a local spike in Mediterranean fusion cuisine. This is especially evident at Fera, where Austrian chef Simon Petutschnig combines Asian and Mediterranean influences in dishes as eye-catching as the space’s contemporary art. He dubs it borderless Mediterranean cuisine, and it’s anything but hearty, rustic mountain fare. This is the face of modern Mallorca. Where to stay: check into Boutique Hotel Sant Jaume in the heart of the historic old town. On hot days during a summer visit, the indoor pool, flower-covered roof terrace and outdoor plunge pool will have maximum appeal. Doubles from £451, check availability at booking.com, thomascook.com or expedia.co.uk. Bilbao For art and architecture Futuristic architecture, renowned art galleries, elegant cobbled streets and a thriving food scene make this Basque city a great Spanish weekend destination. Join locals at the bar for pintxos and txakoli wine, browse for seafood and croquetas at one of Europe’s largest food markets, and eat Basque-style French toast. A museum restaurant might not be your first stop in a new city, but the Bistró Guggenheim isn’t your typical gallery café. A favourite with locals and visitors alike, it focuses on Basque cuisine with a modern edge. Contemporary art decorates the walls and you can eat while enjoying soothing river views. Follow up with a coffee stop at elegant Café Iruña, or swing by Basquery – a brewery and bakery serving fresh crusty breads and flaky pastries. For traditional deli produce, head to Casa Rufo, a cute restaurant squeezed into a 1950s Italian deli. In the shop at the front they sell everything from cheeses and tinned seafood to bottles of wine; in the back, you can dine on regional delicacies such as anchovies from Cantabria, grilled asparagus from Navarra and peppers from Guernica. More shopping can be had at La Ribera market, which dates back to the 14th century and is one of the largest undercover markets in Europe, home to more than 100,000 square metres of food stalls. See our full foodie guide to the best restaurants in Bilbao. Where to stay: Iturrienea Ostatua is a simple yet charming bed and breakfast located right in the centre of the Old Town, housed in a property built in 1906 for a countess. Originally designed to look like a typical Basque country house, inside the largely modern décor is modest (simple white bedlinen, colourful quilted headboards, practical en-suite shower rooms) but homely. The nine bedrooms nod to the building’s history, with stone floors and wooden-beamed ceilings, and some have small private balconies. Breakfast is served in a country-style kitchen and stretches to local cheeses, charcuterie, sticky pastries and toast. Doubles from £85, check availability at booking.com. Trujillo For the finest Iberico ham The medieval town of Trujillo's kitchens have long been rich thanks to ibérico ham, smoky pimentón de la Vera and creamy sheep's milk cheeses. Just a few Spanish regions boast the holm oak trees (encinas) and open pastures necessary for the feeding and rearing of pure acorn-fed ibérico pata negra ham, including Trujillo. Everywhere, from restaurants to tiny cafés, offer plates of the stuff, freshly carved to order. All the steep, narrow roads in the town seem to lead to Plaza Mayor, the main square, with its ravishing conquistadors’ mansions. Restaurants are happily rustic, dependent on a wood grill and fryer for many of their treats. Just off the main square, is Corral del Rey where you can have jamón and also try ibérico pork secreto (the shoulder cut that, with its liberal marbling of fat, has sometimes been called pork wagyu) thickly dusted with another of Extremadura’s hero products – sweet, smoky pimentón de la Vera, and grilled over encino, the very wood that fed it – a wonderfully symmetrical cooking method. Sit on teh main square and people watch at Cerveceria for beers and the locals’ favourite dish, migas – paprika-laced breadcrumbs fried in pork fat, studded with chorizo and topped with a frilly fried egg. The Alpujarras For a rural escape The rugged foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, south-east of Granada, the Alpujarras exert a semi-legendary pull on many Andalucians, and indeed many other Spanish people. It’s a romantic, whimsical place, known to be remote, rural and – that most Spanish of things – quixotic. The region is blessed with extremely fertile soils that yield all kinds of ingredients, from almonds to grapes via figs, oranges and, of course, olives. The Moors, whose rule over the Alpujarras lasted for 800 years, introduced almonds, cumin, pomegranates and aubergines to the region, all of which thrived thanks to the many long days of sunshine. The ports, an hour or so away, are part of a thriving fishing industry, and the forests run thick with game and wild herbs – all high-quality raw ingredients that local kitchens make the most of. A largely unsung hybrid of North African and Spanish influences, la cocina Alpujarreña is as rudimentary as it is delicious. It is not fancy, it is seasonal and robust. What distinguishes it most of all is its relatively straightforward preparation – traditionally much of it would have been done outside in the fields, using portable ingredients and improvised fire-pits (when prepared inside, people used elementary hearths in the corner of a kitchen). Today, this approach hasn’t much changed. In Berber-like villages, small but resilient communities tend almond and olive terraces, and cultivate immaculate and ancient vegetable patches, while tiny local bars and restaurants serve recipes that have been handed down through generations of farmers. More travel guides Best European mountain escapes Best unique UK holiday cottages Best glamping for foodies Best Irish holidays Best Morocco food trips Best French food trips Best Portuguese food trips Best European vineyards to visit and stay Best foodie city breaks by train Best Spanish hotels Best Italian hotels Best UK summer travel ideas
Dani García hails from the southern Spanish region of Andalusia. He’s earned multiple Michelin stars throughout his career, before creating his own restaurants celebrating his native cuisine. He tells us the traditional local dishes that are not to be missed
Want to learn more about Andalusian cuisine? Looking for Andalusian dishes to try? Read Dani García guide below, then check out Dani's recipe for Spanish rice pudding and our best Spanish dessert recipes. We also have our guides on must-try Spanish produce, Spain's unique regional foods and a San Sebastián foodie guide. Andalusian-born chef Dani García nurtured his passion for food at the Málaga school of hospitality, La Consula, before he started his career with Martín Berasategui in 1996. He received his first Michelin star for Tragabuches in Málaga at just 25 years old, followed by two Michelin stars for Calima in Marbella. In 2013, he opened BiBo Andalusian Brasserie & Tapas in Marbella, and since then has opened restaurants in Doha, Ibiza and, in August 2021, at the Mondrian Shoreditch. Dani wanted to create a casual tapas and brasserie concept to democratise fine dining. Learn about Spanish coffee culture with our expert barista Celeste Wong's guide, including traditional rituals, how to order it and the perfect recipe for at-home brewing. 10 things I love about Andalucían food: Dani García's guide Mangoes from Málaga Málaga province is the biggest mango producer in Europe – the sub-tropical climate allows all kinds of fruit to be grown there. I couldn’t make a vegan sweet recipe without thinking about this tropical fruit. I like to pair it with oranges. Fried aubergine with sugarcane syrup This is one of the most popular dishes in Andalusia, and traditionally hails from Córdoba. Our heritage comes largely from Arabian culture, which is evident all over the provinces. We fry the aubergine before breading and serve it with sugarcane syrup, which proves to be the perfect sauce. In the evenings, we eat late, around 10pm, so this is the perfect tapas dish to soak up the cava. Atún encebollado One of the most popular seafood dishes is called atún encebollado, a traditional stew from Cádiz. The dish starts with only two ingredients, red tuna and onion, and ordinarily is accompanied with herbs such as thyme or bay leaves. Pescadito frito This dish transports you to the beloved beaches of Málaga, which is globally renowned for its famous frying technique. We love to fry. We soak the fish in ice water, then flour it and deep-fry it until crispy. Andalusians like to enjoy it with lemon and garlic aïoli. Tomate aliñado This tomato salad takes me back to my childhood when I went to the chiringuitos [bars] with my family. Traditionally this is made with three key ingredients: tomato, garlic and parsley. In this case, I like to add my own touch and to make it more synonymous with Andalusian flavours, so I include orange segments and green olive jus, finishing it off with Jaén olive oil. Rabo de toro One of our signature meat dishes in Andalusia is a stew made with oxtail, red wine and vegetables, known as rabo de toro. I started to experiment with my recipe 20 years ago when I was in Ronda and my personal preference is to serve it with a garnish of fries. In Andalusia, our culture dictates long leisurely lunches which are normally a family affair and the stew is perfectly accompanied with a glass of sangria. Gazpacho Gazpacho is a cold soup, also called gazpacho Andaluz. It is made with tomato, bread, garlic and olive oil. It is very popular in the hot summer months. I have made a lot of different gazpachos during my career as a chef – my most popular version is a traditional recipe, served with chopped vegetables on the side so that diners can mix and match according to their taste preference. Rice pudding Rice pudding is one of the most famous desserts in Andalusia and Spain in general. I like to use vanilla pods as a flavouring, classically cinnamon and lemon zest are used. It is slow-cooked to a creamy texture. Caramelised torrija This sweet is our Spanish take on French toast. Like other desserts in Spain, it was created by nuns. Spanish people usually eat it at Easter time. Tradition says that this is because its appearance is quite similar to a steak, which was a forbidden item during Easter. I like mine with vanilla ice cream and blueberry jam to enhance the taste. Flamenquín cordobes An Andalusian fried roll is made with pork loin and iberico ham slices coated with a delicious breadcrumb batter, and then deep-fried. Some people like to add some cheese into the filling. Usually, it is garnished with salad and mayonnaise. Where to stay in Andalusia Seville: Corner House Doubles at the Corner House, in the buzzy Alameda de Hércules (one of Seville’s most iconic squares), are very affordable. There's also an in-house restaurant/bar, El Disparate, serving a selection of traditional and innovative dishes; if you're lucky grab one of the tables on its spacious terrace, overlooking the square. Doubles from £86, check availability at thecornerhousesevilla.com, booking.com or expedia.co.uk Cádiz: Parador Atlántico Situated right on the coast, the Parador Hotel Atlántico affords astonishing views out across the ocean at almost every turn. It's central location makes it easy to walk anywhere, discovering new parts of the city down pretty cobbled streets. The stunning hotel pool equally makes the most of those stunning sea views, plus you're just five minutes from the beach. Doubles from £211, check availability at booking.com More cuisine guides Isle of Skye cuisine: 10 things we love Northern Ireland cuisine: 10 things we love Finland cuisine: 10 things we love Fez cuisine: 10 things we love Istria cuisine: 10 things we love Andalusian cuisine: 10 things we love Jamaican cuisine: 10 things we love Georgian cuisine: 10 things we love Colombian cuisine: 10 things we love The Algarve's cuisine: 10 things we love Thai cuisine: 10 things we love South Korean cuisine: 10 things we love Nashville cuisine: 10 things we love Norwegian cuisine: 10 things we love Tuscan cuisine: 10 things we love Cork cuisine: 10 things we love
Spain’s diverse landscape and climate provides plenty of natural resources that yield an abundance of fresh fruit and veg, celebrated in dishes, communities and customs across the country
Check out our guide to Spanish produce. Then try our Spanish recipes and learn about Spanish coffee culture with our expert barista Celeste Wong's guide, including traditional rituals, how to order it and the perfect recipe for at-home brewing. Tomatoes – Huesca and Catalonia Spain’s Mediterranean climate is ideal for growing a wide variety of intensely flavoured, juicy tomatoes. While perusing markets in northern Spain, look out for the intense pink tomato of Huesca, Rosa de Barbastro, grown in the foothills of Aragon's Pyrenees, and the uniquely shaped Montserrat tomato, famous in the neighbouring region of Catalonia. “Pa amb tomàquet”, more widely known as “pan con tomate”, is a breakfast staple in Spain. Toasted bread is rubbed with garlic, topped with grated fresh tomatoes and topped with olive oil and sea salt. Duck into any of Spain’s bars in the morning and you’ll see locals building their own tomato bread stacks and tucking into with an espresso or cortado (espresso with a splash of milk). Aubergines – Castilla La Mancha Aubergines are grown throughout the land-locked region of Castilla La Mancha, known for its vast, windmill-dotted plains and fruitful vineyards. In the area surrounding Almagro, a beautiful town boasting its own open air theatre, a particular, small variety of aubergine is grown, picked and preserved in clay jars and sent to tapas bars in Madrid and beyond. Aubergines are also combined with courgettes, peppers, tomatoes and spices to create the region’s signature dish, pisto. This simple stew lets the quality of Spain’s produce sing and is often served in locally-crafted clay pots on menus across the region, notably in UNESCO World Heritage site Toledo, where atmospheric restaurants are found down cobbled streets, nestled in the shadows of the spectacular cathedral. Oranges – Valencia Known across the world for their well-balanced sweetness and acidity, Valencian oranges benefit from the region’s warm climate and cooling sea breeze. The city is surrounded by orange groves in all directions, dousing the air in/with sweet orange blossom aromas; which gives the coastline to the north of the city its name “Costa del Azahar” (orange blossom coast). In the city itself, the pavements are lined with orange trees, and buildings such as the impressive Silk Exchange have their own orange tree courtyards. Symbols are even carved into port buildings and modern markets, as a nod to the orange’s part in the city’s impressive urban development. Locals make the most of the sweet citrus fruit in freshly squeezed juice, to give acidity to savoury sauces, and with cava in the local “Agua de Valencia” cocktail. Orange blossom even features in bridal bouquets as a token of good fortune. Asparagus – Navarra One of the most iconic products of Navarra’s diverse landscape of valleys, forests, lakes and rivers is its delicate white asparagus, softer and nuttier than the more common green variety. It’s served simply drizzled in olive oil as a side dish with aged steak from the neighbouring Basque Country, or as a pincho in one of the bars inside the centenary walls of the region’s capital, Pamplona. Head to the city during Pincho Week in March and April to sample the most innovative of these bitesize creations. Pomegranates – Granada Juicy, jewel-like pomegranates are a lasting legacy of southern Spain’s North African influence. “Granada” literally translates to “pomegranate”, and the fruit is an iconic symbol for this breathtaking Andalucían city. If you know to look for it, you will find hundreds of pomegranates motifs carved into stone, shining from pretty tiles and even etched into street signs throughout the city’s ancient, atmospheric Albaicín district. Most abundant in autumn, the fruit is plucked from trees that line Granada’s boulevards and surrounding mountain villages to be enjoyed as a snack, incorporated into tapas dishes, or infused with herbs into liqueurs. Olives – Jaén Take a roadtrip through Andalucía’s eastern region of Jaén and you will be rewarded with miles of perfectly manicured rows of olive trees; and a backdrop of Pico Pandera, the highest summit in the Sierra Sur de Jaén mountain range. As well as serving manzanilla, gordal and other varieties of this bitter fruit in pretty bowls as a snack in the region’s tapas bars, the Jaén province produces more olive oil each year than the whole of Italy. This “liquid gold” is drizzled over crisp bread for breakfast, boiled to sizzle fried seafood, courgettes and fritters, and combined with tomatoes, garlic and bread to create the iconic Andalucían chilled soup, gazpacho. The latter makes a refreshing lunch for farmers working the land during the region’s hot summers. Apples – Asturias The lush green region of Asturias boasts a fertile soil, over 7,000 hectares of which is dedicated to pumarada (apple growing land). This fruit, and the drink it produces, has formed deep roots in the culture of the region, and engrained into its people a deep respect for the land on which it’s grown. Asturian cider comes with its own drinking customs – it’s ordered in bottles, and shared in a group, with a drop traditionally held back to throw to the ground in order to give something back and say thank you. Head into any cider house in Asturias’s picturesque mountain villages, and you will see the golden liquid being poured from a height, in a ritual called “escanciado”, to splash around the glass and bring out the flavour, in the same way as txakoli is served in San Sebastián and Bilbao’s pinxto bars. Padrón peppers – Galicia These iconic peppers, also called herbón peppers, have become a staple tapas dish on menus across Spain and the UK, most commonly fried until blistered, doused in olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt. They are grown along banks of Galicia’s river Ulla, making the most of the fertile soils of this lush, coastal region. The unique nature of this pepper has brought about its own popular Galician saying “os pementos de Padrón, uns pican e outros non”, literally translated as “padrón peppers, some are spicy, some are not”. As the phrase suggests, approximately one in ten of these peppers is super spicy, but not even the grower can tell until bitten into. In households and restaurants across the region, and the country, groups gather to play a foodie version of this Russian roulette ritual.
The diverse regions of this vibrant country yield rich culinary rewards, from herbaceous gins and roast suckling pig to salty white wines, paprika-spiked octopus and handmade doughnuts dipped in hot chocolate
Aged steak – Basque Country This lush green region is where Spain’s most prized cows graze and roam until the ripe old age of 18. This long life, along with a dry-aging process of up to 100 days, results in dark meat with stunning marbling and deep flavour, served most famously in the form of txuleta rib steak. The countryside’s Michelin-starred restaurants and family-run taverns cook these huge cuts over charcoal, open flames or on hot plates until the edges are charred and crisp. Only simple sides are needed – fresh tomato salads or neighbouring Navarra’s delicate white asparagus. This regional delicacy isn’t only found in countryside spots – San Sebastián and Bilbao’s many pintxo bars serve little skewers of steak drizzled with olive oil, alongside homemade tortilla, salty slivers of sardine and green pepper, and glasses of the local wine, mineral txakoli, poured from a height into glasses to aerate. Mediterranean gin – Menorca This laidback Balearic island in the Mediterranean is wild and rugged, but also boasts plenty of greenery (it’s a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve) and bustling small towns. The drink at the centre of the island’s weekend celebrations (including the lively jáleo, where horses and riders dramatically process into town squares and dance to local music) is the refreshing pomada cocktail. Lemonade is poured over ice with Xoriguer, the island’s wine-based, juniper-forward gin. Though made in Mahón in wood-fired copper stills, the gin encapsulates the island’s wild side, with notes of Menorcan herbs, Mediterranean citrus and a subtle woody aroma from large oak barrels. When it comes to cuisine, the island’s rich cultural heritage makes it a true melting pot, with delicacies including caldereta lobster stew, sobrasada slathered on hot toast with a drizzle of honey, and salty Mahón cheese sprinkled with black pepper and tarragon. Cabrales cheese – Asturias Discover orchards, cheese caves and chorizo farms amongst the rolling hills and breathtaking mountains of this northern province. The dramatic, craggy Picos de Europa boasts walking routes with spectacular scenery, through which roam brown bears and Iberian wolves. Deep in this national park’s limestone caves is where creamy cabrales cheese matures to develop its distinct wiggly blue veins. Asturias is all about farm-to-fork (or glass!) – mountain village cider houses splash apple cider into glasses from a height, Oviedo’s cosy restaurants serve steaming bowls of fabada (a comforting concoction of morcilla, chorizo and buttery local faba beans) and fish markets offer freshly caught calamari and sardines to eat on the spot. Horchata and buñuelos con chocolate – Valencia This cosmopolitan east-coast city is known for its oranges (that can be seen growing in the picturesque Patio de los Naranjos at the Silk Exchange and sold at Central Market) and bubbling rice dishes (traditional paella, seafood black rice and oven-roasted rice with morcilla) enjoyed on the golden sands of the surrounding beaches. A lesser-known local tradition is the afternoon snack of horchata (tiger nut milk brought over by the Moors) with fartons (iced buns to dunk in), served in bustling neighbourhood horchatería​​s. Every March, these traditional canteens and cafés also offer donut-shaped fried churros dipped into molten chocolate (buñuelos con chocolate) to celebrate the city’s Las Fallas festival. Giant, elaborate wooden figures are processed through the streets and set alight in dramatic bonfires, bedtimes are pushed back until the early hours of the morning, and children line up in pairs to feed each other hot chocolate, wearing bibs to keep their Sunday best safe from stains. Pan de alfacar – Granada Nestled at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, this atmospheric Andalucían city boasts a rich cultural heritage. Sacromonte’s caves are used to host passionate flamenco shows, while the World Heritage Site Alabaicín district is bursting with teahouses, hammams and market places, and the magical Alhambra palace dazzles in the setting sun. Thanks to Granada's Moorish history, Arabic dishes are common, including colourful remojón salads, bean stews and spiced tagines. Old, wood-fired Arab ovens (hornos morunos) stand the test of time in the surrounding mountain villages, still used to bake the region’s smoky, slow-fermented alfacar bread. This bread is also used in popular regional dishes such as migas (garlicky breadcrumbs) and salmorejo (cold soup made from bread, oil and tomatoes), as well as being toasted with a drizzle of olive oil for breakfast. Papas con mojo – the Canaries This string of islands are known for their volcanic soils that make way for black and white sand beaches, lunar landscapes and renowned vineyards. Look closer, and you’ll also find starry skies, ancient forest trails and deep gorges. Though the warm climate means mangos grow in abundance and the clear waters produce bountiful parrotfish, grouper and corvina, the sea is also to be thanked for the Canary Islands’ signature dish, papas arrugadas (wrinkly potatoes). Boiled in sea water to form a salty crust and their distinct wrinkly shape, these little potatoes are traditionally served with mojo rojo, a vibrant sauce of chilli, cumin, paprika and garlic. This delicacy is found across the island in beach bars, on contemporary menus and most authentically in guachinches, traditional tavern-style restaurants serving local cuisine and homemade wine, named after the Canary Islands’ first inhabitants, the guanches. Pulpo a feira ­– Galicia This region has Celtic roots – lively dancing, a unique language, and landscapes to match. Thick forests nestle into rocky coastlines, broken up by river inlets, fishing villages and white sandy beaches. Ribeira Sacra’s rivers carve their way through monasteries perched on hillsides and vines growing on steep terraces, the latter producing some of Spain’s most famous wines. Galicia’s citrussy, salty white wine, albariño, is best enjoyed with the region’s most famous dish – pulpo a feira. Meltingly soft slices of fresh octopus come laced with olive oil on a bed of buttery paprika potatoes. Pair with a portion of blistered padrón peppers, and relish in the delight of Galicians’ faces to see if you come across a spicy one or not. Suckling pig (cochinillo) – Segovia This enchanting town lies beneath an ancient Roman aqueduct of 167 arches. Here, explore the hidden passageways of the otherworldly Alcázar, marvel at the cathedral and mooch along medieval city walls, all against the breathtaking backdrop of the Sierra de Guadarrama mountains. Steep, cobbled streets lead up into a warren of traditional restaurants serving the city’s iconic dish, cochinillo. A whole suckling pig is brought to the table – ear, hoof and all – and portioned out so each diner gets their share of delicately crisp crackling, a thin layer of melting fat and tender meat that falls apart into a pool of salty jus, mopped up with a rustic bread roll. Cocido Madrileño – Madrid Though every household in Spain serves its own take on this comforting dish during the winter months, cocido originates in the country’s capital. Hunks of jamón, tocino (veal shin) and morcilla (black pudding) are cooked in a big pot with chickpeas and jamón bones to create a salty, hearty caldo (broth). Each Spaniard has their own unique ritual when eating cocido, whether that be separating ingredients out and dousing the chickpeas in olive oil and vinegar, taking a little of each ingredient and plopping into the broth or slurping the soup first before mopping up the juices with meat and crusty bread. This reflects Madrid’s many personalities – from La Latina’s quirky nooks and bohemian community to Malasaña’s lively pavement cafés and neighbourhood vibe, and the majestic, pristine boulevards surrounding the manicured Retiro park.
10 things we love about Asturian cuisine
Nacho Manzano, executive chef at the Ibérica restaurants in London and Leeds, shares what he loves about the food of Asturias
Want to learn more about Asturian cuisine? Looking for Asturian dishes to try? Read our guide below then check out Nacho's recipe for Spanish scrambled eggs here. After, read our guide to best internal routes for food lovers. Nacho Manzano and his sisters Esther, Olga and Sandra were born in the house that’s now their two Michelin starred restaurant, Casa Marcial, in La Salgar, Spain. He is also executive chef at Ibérica restaurants in London and Leeds. While the menu at Ibérica showcases dishes from around Spain – including tapas, paella and jamón ibérico – it’s Casa Marcial’s dishes that have made Nacho one of Spain’s most celebrated chefs. Championing sustainability, his passion is for the produce that grows around his restaurant. His specialities include retired dairy cow beef and hyper-local ingredients. casamarcial.com Learn about Spanish coffee culture with our expert barista Celeste Wong's guide, including traditional rituals, how to order it and the perfect recipe for at-home brewing. 1. Fabada Leaving Asturias without eating a good fabada (faba bean casserole) is a sin. It’s our most popular dish and is a stew made from white beans, chorizo, blood sausage and pork belly. It’s a filling comfort food that everybody loves – you can make it in the UK with butter beans. The markets in Asturias sell vacuum packs of ingredients to take home to cook. Another classic Asturian stew similar to fabada is pote, made with pork, sausage, chorizo, beans, cabbage and potatoes. 2. Terrain Asturias lies between the sea and mountains, and is full of inspiration. Our cuisine is about roots, respect and tradition – the importance of the products and recipes. It’s also about how we develop, evolve and are creative with the ingredients that are on our doorstep. Many of our dishes involve combined sea and mountain produce that’s inspired by the landscape that surrounds us. The region is rich in amazing vegetables and fruits, meat, cheese, seafood, poultry, mushrooms and cider. 3. Seafood The variety of fish and seafood found in the waters of northern Spain is immense, and is served in our marisquerías (seafood restaurants) and sidrerías (cider houses). There’s every kind of seafood you can imagine: lobster, crayfish, velvet crabs, brown crabs, spider crabs, octopus, squid, limpets and, when the cold arrives, oricios (sea urchins). Fish dishes include fritos de pixín (fried monkfish bites), hake, sardines, red mullet, turbot, John Dory, dusky grouper, red bream, monkfish, red scorpionfish, conger eels, white seabream and gilt-headed bream. 4. Cider We have more than 500 varieties of apples in Asturias, so it’s only natural that cider (sidra) is our regional drink and part of our identity. In fact, more than 80% of Spain’s cider is produced in Asturias. It pairs beautifully with cheese and many traditional dishes. The way it’s served is a dramatic ritual in sidrerías – the practice is called escanciar, and involves pouring cider from the bottle to the glass from a height. This awakens the carbonated gas and volatilise part of the acetic acid in the cider. There are also new types of sparkling and natural ciders served directly in a glass. 5. Pitu caleya (wild chicken) Originally a celebratory dish, pitu caleya was typically eaten as the centrepiece of feasts in villages to pay respect to patron saints, or as a treat for family and friends who helped with the traditional pig slaughter. It’s a slow-grown chicken, bred in large, open spaces on a wild diet of insects and grubs, which produces a darker, denser meat than that of most farmed chickens. It needs to be cooked long and slow in a braise, and we serve it with Spanish rice. We have had it in our restaurants since our first menu in 1993 and it’s now one of our signature dishes. An Asturian dish that respects the real taste of chicken. 6. Corn In the 17th century, corn was brought to Asturias by the Spanish conquistadors from Mexico. The soil and climate make it a high-yielding crop, so it’s become a staple of the Asturian diet. If you travel through Asturias, you will see a lot of corn fields, which brings up a lot of childhood memories for me of playing around them. The first dish I cooked when I was 14 years old was a corn torto with scrambled eggs, onion and cabrales cheese. Corn tortos was a very humble food that you ate when there was no bread at home, and it wasn’t on restaurant menus. Now you can find tortos with all kinds of ingredients in most restaurants in Asturias. We put it on Casa Marcial’s first menu and the dish has been present in all my restaurants ever since – it’s still a success. Check out Nacho's recipe for Spanish scrambled eggs here. 7. Wine Asturias isn’t well known for its wine but wine-making has been present in the south-west of the region since the ninth century. Production is difficult because the landscape is rugged and mountainous, which makes maintenance and cultivation hard. For this reason, it’s called ‘heroic viticulture’ – a term that refers to the fact that the conditions force wine-growers and producers to overcome vertigo on the hillsides. The result is interesting white and red wines from the Cangas del Narcea area. 8. Cheese In Asturias, cheese is a religion. In such a small area, we have more than 50 amazing cheeses – more than any other region in Europe. In fact, it’s nicknamed ‘the land of cheeses’, making it the perfect home for the Asturias Paraíso Natural International Cheese Festival, host to the World Cheese Awards earlier this year. The cheese here is made with cow’s, sheep’s and goat’s milk, or by mixing different milks. The most popular are cabrales, gamonéu, afuega’l pitu, casín and beyos, which all have Protected Designation of Origin status. Cabrales is one of the most famous cheeses in Spain. It’s very blue and pungent. If you love cheese, you can’t miss visiting the amazing cheese caves of cabrales and gamonéu, where the cheeses are aged. 9. Cachopo This is basically two fillets of beef with cheese and Spanish ham sandwiched between them, which are then breaded and fried. Cachopo is very filling and contains a lot of calories, so it’s a great dish to share with friends and family, especially after a long walk in the mountains. For cheese lovers, we also have a traditional dish called ‘escalope and cabrales cheese’ – a flattened slice of beef smothered in a blue cheese sauce. 10. Arroz con leche (rice pudding) This is the most traditional dessert in Asturias, and one of the most popular desserts in Spain. I know that a version of rice pudding is present in every country but the Asturian one is exceptional – we’ve really mastered it. The secret is to use short-grain rice, which produces a soupy texture when boiled with full-fat milk. It’s then topped with a layer of caramelised sugar, similar to a crème brûlée. More cuisine guides Fez cuisine: 10 things we love Puglian cuisine: 10 things we love Andalusian cuisine: 10 things we love Jamaican cuisine: 10 things we love Georgian cuisine: 10 things we love Colombian cuisine: 10 things we love The Algarve's cuisine: 10 things we love Thai cuisine: 10 things we love South Korean cuisine: 10 things we love Nashville cuisine: 10 things we love Norwegian cuisine: 10 things we love Tuscan cuisine: 10 things we love Cork cuisine: 10 things we love Trentino cuisine: 10 things we love Austrian cuisine: 10 things we love
Bilbao foodie guide: where locals eat and drink
Futuristic architecture, renowned art galleries, elegant cobbled streets and a thriving food scene make this Basque city a great Spanish weekend destination. Join locals at the bar for pintxos and txakoli wine, browse for seafood and croquetas at one of Europe’s largest food markets, and eat Basque-style French toast
Looking for restaurants in Bilbao? Want to know where to eat in the Basque city? Local travel writer Esme Fox shares her insider trips for the best restaurants in Bilbao, along with where to find the best homemade tarts, Iberian cured ham and mushroom croquetas. Make it a longer trip and head onwards to San Sebastián, or check out our best Spanish food trips to discover more of Spain. Casa Rufo – for traditional deli produce This cute little restaurant is squeezed into a traditional 1950s deli, complete with original wooden shelves and floral green and red floor tiles. In the shop at the front they sell everything from cheeses and tinned seafood to bottles of wine; in the back, you can dine on regional delicacies such as anchovies from Cantabria, grilled asparagus from Navarra and peppers from Guernica. For something more substantial, order the succulent sirloin or traditional oven-baked cod. casarufo.com Bistró Guggenheim – for modern Basque cuisine A museum restaurant might not be your first stop in a new city, but the Bistró Guggenheim isn’t your typical gallery café. A favourite with locals and visitors alike, it focuses on Basque cuisine with a modern edge. Contemporary art decorates the walls and you can eat while enjoying soothing river views. Try pork meatballs with cauliflower cream in a Jerez sherry sauce, or creamy rice with mushrooms and duck (many dishes can be made vegetarian on request). Make sure you try the torrija for dessert – it’s the Basque answer to French toast, topped with caramelised sugar and served with a dollop of ice cream. bistroguggenheimbilbao.com Café Iruña – for coffee in style Serving locals since 1903, Café Iruña makes for an elegant coffee stop. Decorated with Moorish-style décor, it’s filled with geometric coloured tiles, intricately carved wooden panels and graceful arched doorways. Pair your coffee with a homemade tart such as the typical Gâteau Basque – an almond pastry case filled with smooth custard and sharp black cherries. cafeirunabilbao.net Gure Toki – for contemporary pintxos In the atmospheric Plaza Nueva, at the heart of the old quarter, Gure Toki offers a contemporary twist on traditional pintxos – think haute cuisine in miniature. Order bowls of marinated cod sprinkled with herbs, spoonfuls of wild mushroom risotto or bread topped with a quail egg and black pudding. Pair with a bottle from the bar’s own wine cellar – try txakoli, a lightly sparkling Basque white wine. guretoki.com La Viña del Ensanche – for cooking your own Basque dishes Part shop, part restaurant and part cookery school, Viña del Ensanche is a great all-rounder. It’s housed in a 1920s bar, complete with original wooden panelling, where you can graze on Iberian cured ham and sip sherry all day long. In the shiny chrome kitchen workshop, guests can learn how to make typical Basque dishes such as creamy Begihaundi rice with squid and pâté with apple vinaigrette. For dessert, you’ll make hazelnut biscuits with chocolate cream and speculoos ice cream. lavinadelensanche.com Basquery – for baked goods and craft beer Beer and pastries might not be a classic combination, but it works well at this hip Basque café. Beers are brewed on site, and fresh crusty breads and flaky pastries are delivered straight from the oven. Amid industrial brick walls, metal chairs and wooden tables, try one of the homemade focaccias (roast ham is a favourite) with a cold glass of mango-passion IPA – you can learn how to make your own organic bread at one of Basquery’s artisan workshops. Pop in at breakfast for a baked-that-morning almond croissant, or take your time over a lunch of smoked sardines, fried artichokes, and txipirones (squid cooked in white wine) with smoked romesco sauce and lima salt. basquery.com La Ribera – for market nibbles La Ribera dates back to the 14th century and is one of the largest undercover markets in Europe, home to more than 100,000 square metres of food stalls. That means plenty of wild mushrooms, homemade bread, local fruit, fish straight from Bilbao’s ports, organic vegetables and even smoked grasshoppers to stock up on – handy if you’re self-catering. Look out for the stalls selling homemade croquetas (try the prawn and mushroom filling, from Lautxo on the second floor), as well as those serving gildas – a typical Basque snack consisting of a cocktail stick with an olive, an anchovy and a pickled chilli pepper. mercadodelaribera.biz Victor Montes – for traditional Basque fare At Victor Montes you can dine at white-marble tables, with views over the historic Plaza Nueva and a backdrop of whiskies and cognacs from a collection dating back to 1846. One of the oldest restaurants in the city, it’s a great place to try regional dishes such as bacalao pil-pil (fried cod with herbs and garlic) or acorn-fed pork fillet. If you’re staying at Pension Luxury Lo Bilbao (a stylish guesthouse, less than a minute’s walk away), your booking will include a voucher for breakfast at Victor Montes (think fried eggs with Basque chorizo or toast and butter with homemade marmalade). victormontes.com Where to stay in Bilbao – Iturrienea Ostatua This simple yet charming bed and breakfast is located right in the centre of the Old Town, housed in a property built in 1906 for a countess. Originally designed to look like a typical Basque country house, inside the largely modern décor is modest (simple white bedlinen, colourful quilted headboards, practical en-suite shower rooms) but homely. The nine bedrooms nod to the building’s history, with stone floors and wooden-beamed ceilings, and some have small private balconies. Breakfast is served in a country-style kitchen and stretches to local cheeses, charcuterie, sticky pastries and toast. iturrieneaostatua.com Words by Esme Fox Photographs by Getty Images
Madrid foodie guide: where locals eat and drink
Find salt cod croquetas, elaborate squid sarnies, Iberian eggy bread and orange cappuccinos (plus cured ham and sherry, of course) in Spain’s lively capital
Looking for restaurants in Madrid? Want to know where to eat in the Spanish capital? olive’s sub editor Hannah Guinness shares her insider tips for the best restaurants in Madrid, along with where to find the best salt cod, artisan cheeses and squid sandwiches. Looking for places to stay in Madrid? Click here for our top Madrid hotel recommendations. For more travel inspiration, check out our best Spanish food trips. olive's must-visits for foodies in Madrid Casa Labra – for salt cod In Madrid's central Sol district, Casa Labra (going strong since 1860) is packed with locals who throng the restaurant's elegantly austere, high-ceilinged interior for the house speciality – salt cod. Served by efficient, white-jacketed staff, it’s best eaten deep-fried or cooked in plump, creamy croquetas, paired with a little glass of vermouth. casalabra.es Quesería Cultivo – for artisan cheese Enter cool, charcoal-grey Quesería Cultivo for shelves stacked high with hefty wheels of cheese, and a counter home to even more. It’s a collaboration between three master Spanish cheesemakers (they’ve recently opened a second branch on Carrera de San Francisco), who wanted to showcase smaller, artisan producers from across Europe. Try nutty Catalan Puigpedrós or buttery Asturian Rey Silo, paired with a freshly baked loaf from new wave bakery Panic, just a few doors down on Calle Conde Duque. queseriacultivo.com Taberna La Bola – for cocido Cocido madrileño is a beloved local dish, and at the venerable Taberna La Bola this hearty chickpea-based stew made with sausage, bacon, chicken and potatoes is slow-cooked over charcoal for hours in serried ranks of individual clay pots, before being served over two or three courses. First the intense, savoury broth, eaten with noodles; then the pulses and tender meat, alongside cabbage fried with garlic. labola.es Toma Café – for speciality coffee Toma Café was one of the pioneers of Madrid’s burgeoning coffee scene, and remains a must-visit if you’re craving something beyond a traditional café con leche. Its Malasaña site comes with airy, high ceilings, trailing hanging plants and white-tiled walls, making it a pleasing spot for a hipster caffeine fix. Their speciality coffee is the main draw – from orange cappuccinos to espresso tonics and overnight cold brews, but do also try the subtly bitter hot chocolate, spiked with warming chilli. tomacafe.es La Casa de las Torrijas – for Spanish eggy bread Colourful tiling, plates of huevos rotos (‘broken eggs’) with crispy potatoes and slivers of jamón, and chilled cañas of local beer are all reasons to drop into La Casa de las Torrijas. But the clue to the chief attraction lies in the name. Torrijas is an Iberian take on French toast, and this restaurant’s version – thick slices of bread soaked in milk, egg and sugar (and sometimes sweet wine), then deep-fried until deliciously wobbly, with a creamy centre – is irresistable. 910 25 29 02; 4 Calle de la Paz. Mercado San Ildefonso In the heart of one of the capital’s most vibrant neighbourhoods, this custom-designed street food space is spread over three floors. Set on the site of a 19th century food market, there’s a fuss-free, industrial feel to proceedings. And a sociable vibe that comes from having plenty of places to perch while you eat, and the addition of several bars serving interesting Spanish wines by the glass. mercadodesanildefonso.com Mercado Jamón Ibérico – for Ibérico ham Mercado Jamón Ibérico is a temple to one of Spain's finest exports. Pick up a few hand-carved slices or a whole leg of cured ham, as well as artisan cheeses, wines and olive oil. It's also worth sitting at the tiny bar for a platter of silky, ruby-red, acorn-fed bellota diamante (the very best), with a glass of velvety crianza. mercadojamoniberico.com La Campana – for squid bocadillos Madrid loves its seafood, despite being landlocked, and one of its favourite on-the-go meals is a bocadillo de calamares. Queues can snake out of the door at La Campana (located on a side street off the Plaza Mayor), but the wait is worth it for a baguette stuffed with freshly fried tender calamari, a lemon wedge its only necessary adornment. 6 Calle de Botoneras; 913 64 29 84 Santos y Desamparados – for a gothic cocktail bar The team behind the acclaimed 1862 Dry Bar opened Santos y Desamparados in Huertas last year. It’s a warren-like collection of dimly lit rooms with a quirky gothic vibe (rock music and a Catholic iconography-heavy décor) – try offbeat cocktails such as Pearl Harbor, a delicate, Asian-inspired twist on a piña colada with umeshu, rice milk, coconut, lime and sesame oil. facebook.com/Santos-y-desamparados Taberna La Carmencita – for authentic madrileño dining Though pretty, Taberna La Carmencita feels traditional, with its classic tiling and zinc bar (it's one of the city's oldest taverns). Owner Carlos Zamora introduced a focus on farm-to-table ingredients when he bought the restaurant a few years ago, giving a new lease of life to traditional Spanish dishes such as grilled razor clams with sherry, slow-cooked oxtail stew and roast kid goat. Even the simplest dish is elevated, like his tomato salad: thick, steak-like slabs of perfectly seasoned giant tomato, drizzled with peppery, grassy olive oil. tabernalacarmencita.es Devour Tours – for a gastronomic guide Devour Tours has a team of engaging and friendly guides, who are armed with hyper-detailed local knowledge on the history, gastronomy and culture of Madrid. For a useful introduction to the city’s eateries, try the Ultimate Spanish Cuisine tour – you’ll get hot chocolate at a 162-year-old family-run pasty shop; a tasting of Madrid’s most expensive cured hams; and a chance to see one of the city’s oldest kitchens at work. devourtours.com La Venencia – for sherry With its walls burnished by decades of tobacco smoke and faded posters, La Venencia hasn’t changed much since its 1930s heyday, when it was a watering hole for Ernest Hemingway and Republican Civil War soldiers. The bar’s strict house rules – no photos and no tipping – date from that period: the first to deter fascist spies, the latter in accordance with the socialist character of the bar's patrons. There’s only one thing to drink here, and that’s sherry – there are five different varieties available. Sit at the long, rustic wooden bar with a bone-dry fino or manzanilla, served straight from the barrel, with the tab written up in chalk on the bar. 7 Calle Echegaray, 7; 914 29 73 13 La Tasquería – for fine dining Javi Estévez’s elegant offal dishes earned the chef’s restaurant, La Tasquería, a Michelin star in 2019. Surf and turf-inspired plates especially impress – order crispy, golden lamb sweetbreads with sweet slices of raw scallop and creamy egg yolk; or tender pork cheek and red prawn tacos. And, if you’re feeling confident, tackle the whole deep-fried suckling pig’s head. latasqueria.com Vinoteca Vides – for unique wines Wines from Rioja and Ribera del Duero dominate most of Madrid’s bars, but to explore other varieties head to Vinoteca Vides in the lively Chueca neighbourhood. Bottles line every wall, and owner Vicente champions lesser-known vintages and regions – he’s produced a carefully curated, lengthy and diverse wine list, with plenty available by the glass. Perch at one of the high wooden tables with a glass of something special and a platter of cheese, soaking up the chatty, friendly vibe as you sip. vinotecavides.es La Hora del Vermut – for vermouth Vermouth is a national institution in Spain and it's available on tap throughout Madrid (traditionally served with ice, a slice of orange or lemon, an olive and perhaps a splash of soda water), but vermuterías are neighbourhood bars that actually specialise in this bitter fortified wine. La Hora del Vermut started out as a stall in the Mercado San Miguel, but has since branched out to a second location in the Ibiza barrio, a few streets away from Retiro Park. It’s a brightly coloured art deco-style bar that stocks some 80 different types of red, white and pink vermouth from across the country. lahoradelvermut.wordpress.com Where to stay in Madrid – Only YOU Hotel Atocha Usefully positioned opposite Puerta de Atocha railway station, Only YOU Hotel Atocha impresses with its buzzy industrial-chic lobby (complete with barber, patisserie and restaurant) and complimentary glass of fizz on arrival. Spacious rooms have a sleek mid-century feel, and the hotel’s rooftop Sép7ima bar (with panoramic views of the city) puts on a lavish buffet every morning that includes pastries and churros, charcuterie and cheeses, fresh juice, fruit and cooked breakfasts. Book your foodie hotel in Madrid here onlyyouhotels.com Written by Hannah Guinness in February 2019 Photographs by Diego Puerta More places to eat and drink in Madrid La Bodega de la Ardosa A typical Spanish taverna, La Bodega de la Ardosa is set in the lively Malasaña district and has been open for more than a century. Within its beautifully tiled walls, sit and enjoy salmorejo, croquetas and pincho de tortilla. Sala de Despiece At Sala de Despiece Javier Bonet has created a cool tapas bar decorated along the lines of a fishmonger’s, with an open kitchen, a bar counter and a smart young team. Choose between beef carpaccio with truffle, octopus or simple marinated tomato topped with crispy basil. academiadeldespiece.com El Corte Inglés restaurants Head to the seventh floor of the El Corte Inglés shopping centre for its Gourmet Experience collection of restaurants. StreetXo, the tapas bar from David Muñoz (of three Michelin-starred DiverXo), stands beside Cascabel, informal sister of Punto MX, and there’s an ice-cream cart by Jordi Roca, of El Celler de Can Roca. On your way out, stock up at the sixth-floor food hall. Sylkar One of the best places in Madrid to try a proper Spanish tortilla (which should be creamy and still a little liquid) is Sylkar. The recipe hasn’t changed at this family-run cafeteria in over 45 years, and with good reason. Calle de Espronceda 17, 00 34 915 545 703 Il Tavolo Verde An antiques and homewares shop as well as an organic café, stylish Il Tavolo Verde, near the Retiro Park, is the perfect place for a relaxing lunch or afternoon tea. The menu changes daily, but there’s always a good selection of homemade cakes, cheeses, soups, salads and quiches. Cristina Oria Opened just last Christmas, Cristina Oria stocks a wide range of foods from around Spain. It’s the ideal place to pick up gourmet gifts, from delicious ibérico hams to wines, flavoured oils and lemon cakes, all stylishly packaged. Triciclo At beautifully designed Triciclo three young Spanish chefs have created an affordable but polished restaurant serving clever twists on traditional dishes using fresh-from-market produce. Try the Nikkei ceviche made with corvina fish, lime and yuzu juices, soy and coriander, or the roast pigeon with mushrooms, truffle and liver pâté. Magasand For a quick sandwich or salad, Magasand’s three coffee bars are a cut above the competition (try a Hot Vegas sandwich – rye bread, hummus, chipotle, avocado, tofu, dried tomatoes, spinach and red onion). They also serve great weekend brunches. B de J The main attraction at this upmarket sandwich bar is its five-star produce. Though it also sells cheese plates and gazpacho, the focus is on the ultimate Spanish ham sandwich, made with freshly baked bread and fabulous Ibérico ham. All to be enjoyed with a glass of cava if you like. bocadillodejamon.com HOW TO GET TO MADRID Return flights from Birmingham, Manchester and Stansted to Madrid start at around £50 (ryanair.com). Trust olive: Marcela de la Peña writes the My Little Madrid blog and guidebook with her sister Almudena.
Head to the foodie Balearic islands of Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza. Here you can try homemade fig jam, soft sugary buns and sobrasada for breakfast before exploring the islands' vineyards and olive groves
Looking for places to eat in the Balearics? Here are our favourite restaurants, hotels and foodie tours to take in the Balearics. The best foodie spots include farm-to-table restaurants, luxury hotels and cookery classes in Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza. Mallorca: foodie hotels and things to do Son Brull – best foodie farmhouse in Mallorca Guests at gastronomic bolthole Son Brull can ask the kitchen to pack a gourmet picnic if they’re heading out to hike or bike around the surrounding hills. This elegant finca, or farmhouse, in the foothills of the Serra de Tramuntana, dates back to the 12th century but the approach to food is bang up to date. The kitchen garden, where chef Rafel Perello sources the ingredients for his inventive menus and cookery classes, brims with home-grown herbs, salad leaves and vegetables while the trees surrounding the hotel are laden with oranges, lemons and figs. The hotel also has its own organic vineyard; pair its wines with dinner in the fine-dining restaurant, 365, where seasonal eight-course tasting menus showcase local Mallorcan ingredients. More casual, bistro-style, dining can be had in the bar (with its ancient olive press) during the winter or on the terrace in sunnier months. Doubles from £361, check availability at booking.com The elegant finca, or farmhouse, in the foothills of the Serra de Tramuntana Culinary Tours – best food tour in Mallorca For a private olive oil tasting or a tailor-made tour of Mallorca Deborah Pina Zitrone, of Deborah's Culinary Island, is the woman to call. Mallorca-born but with a French mother, the former lawyer now creates off-the-beaten track itineraries for visitors who want to explore the hidden corners and cultural heritage of this well-known island. Olive oil is her passion, however, and she has trained as an Extra Virgin Olive Oil sommelier. She is also a private chef, and offers cookery classes and workshops on Mallorcan gastronomy between stints as a culinary guide for guests at gourmet bolthole Gran Hotel Son Net in the Serra de Tramuntana (sonnet.es). Full- and half-day bespoke culinary tours are available, as are olive oil tastings and themed lunches. For a more in-depth culinary tour, look out for Deborah’s one-off events and holidays. In May 2019 she is co-hosting a week-long Mediterranean Retreat in partnership with Carmen Ruiz de Huidobro of Espanolita; guests will stay in a rustic-chic finca on the Son Rullan estate, near Valldemossa, and spend their time visiting local farmers markets, ancient olive oil groves and mills, vineyards and cookery classes. deborahsculinaryisland.com; espanolitatrips.com Rustic-chic finca on the Son Rullan estate, near Valldemossa Hotel Sant Francesc – best foodie hotel in Palma Food-focused short breaks at design hotel Sant Francesc, in the historic heart of Palma, include a paella masterclass with the hotel's head chef, Alfonso Lillo, and a tour and tasting at a gin distillery in the Santa Catalina neighbourhood (with tips on how to distil at home). With its historic setting – a restored 19th-century neoclassical mansion rich with original frescos and murals, cool verandas and wooden coffered ceilings – the hotel makes a perfect base for exploring Palma's gourmet markets and delis. Return from a hard day’s food shopping and spend time relaxing by the glamorous rooftop pool or splashing out on dinner in the restaurant, Quadrat. The restaurant, a vision of crumpled linen and painted wood in the property’s former stables, is the setting for Lillo's tasting menu peppered with Mediterranean-inspired dishes such as cream of grilled sweetcorn with tomato and avocado ceviche. Doubles from £163, check availability at booking.com A plate of sushi at Hotel Sant Francesc Menorca: foodie hotels and things to do Torralbenc – best luxury hotel in Menorca A cluster of 19th-century whitewashed farm buildings, with views out over the sparkling Med, Torralbenc is now a luxury hotel, surrounded by 70 hectares of fields, orchards and vineyards in the south-western corner of Menorca. The restored estate not only makes its own olive oil but also produces wine. Starting with just five hectares of vines in 2006, the property now has 16 hectares dedicated to growing grapes. Its first wine was bottled in 2016 and the estate now produces a merlot and syrah blend (all red berries and spicy black pepper with a tinge of toasted vanilla), a bright rosé from indigenous monstrell and parellada grapes (floral with strawberries and cherries on the palate) and an easy-drinking white blended from sauvignon blanc, viognier, chardonnay and parellada with citrus, stone fruits and floral notes. Guests can book a vineyard experience with the hotel's oenologist, exploring the vineyards on foot or by bike, learning how the wines are produced and enjoying a tasting, with local Menorcan cheeses, among the vines. Doubles from £178, check availability at booking.com Learn how the wines are produced and enjoying a tasting, with local Menorcan cheeses, among the vines Menorca Food Tours – best food tours in Menorca There's more to Menorca than mayonnaise (or mahonnaise) and gin – although the island’s Xoriguer gin is justifiably famous. This laid-back, low-key island has been flying somewhat under the foodie radar but Annie B's Spanish Kitchen is set to change all that by launching week-long gastronomic tours of the island, guided by local expert Lorraine Ure. Showcasing local food producers, the trips include a wine tasting and lunch at Binifadet Vineyard, a visit to a cheesemaker and cocktail-making classes. Add in time for mooching around markets, cookery classes focusing on traditional Menorcan specialities, gin-tastings and gourmet dinners in a smattering of the island's best restaurants and you have the recipe for a delicious introduction to the local food scene. anniebspain.com Colourful chillis hanging in the market on Annie B's Spanish Kitchen Food Tours Hotel Ses Sucreres – best quirky hotel in Menorca Hotel Ses Sucreres, in the village of Ferreries, is a quirky bolthole that epitomises the laid back, low-key authenticity of the island a world away in style from high profile party isles Mallorca and Ibiza. The hotel is decked out with reclaimed furniture, geometric prints and modern photography. There are six bedrooms and relaxed breakfasts are served in a leafy courtyard garden – think homemade fig jam, soft sugary buns, local slithers of Mahon cheese and salty air-cured ham, sobrasada, the local sausage, smashed tomatoes and olive oil smeared on freshly baked bread. Doubles from £105, check availability at booking.com Ses Sucreres bedrooms decked out with reclaimed furniture, geometric prints and modern photography Ibiza: foodie hotels and things to do Finca Can Marti – best rustic retreat in Ibiza A pine-cradled rural idyll in a leafy valley in the north of Ibiza, Finca Can Marti is a 400-year-old, whitewashed farmhouse turned rustic-chic retreat. All muted cream and beige tones, with terracotta tiled floors, ancient beams and white walls, the finca is surrounded by 42 acres of organic orchards, vegetable plots, strawberry fields, olive groves and vineyards. The fruit and vegetables are sustainably grown on the farm and sold in the estate’s small organic shop, along with homemade jams, extra virgin olive oil and free-range eggs – which you can also enjoy at breakfast, along with a feast of fruits and freshly baked bread. Once a week the finca also offers dinner. Ten minutes’ walk away is the sleepy village of San Juan, with its smattering of local restaurants and a traditional market every Sunday. Or you can simply hole up on site lounging by the natural pool (the water is free from chemicals, circulated through a lava stone filter, oxygenated by a waterfall and cleared of impurities by aquatic plants). Then zone out, with an Ayurvedic and Thai massage under a pergola, trying not to peep at the dreamy view beyond. canmarti.com Love Food Ibiza – best plant-based workshops in Ibiza Chef and food editor Tess Prince launched Love Food Ibiza as an outlet for her recipe blog and YouTube videos after falling in love with the island and relocating there from the UK in 2013. She arranges tours of the island's gastronomic hotspots, organic farms and artisan producers and can be booked for private dinners or vegan cookery classes; smaller workshops take place in her outdoor kitchen in San Carlos, followed by lunch on the terrace with dreamy views over Tagomogo island, while larger groups are hosted at organic farm Ca'n Pere Mussona, in the heart of the countryside, the ingredients hand-picked that day for a real field-to-fork experience. Plant-based food, gut nutrition and the ayurvedic approach to eating are all discussed over a welcome kombucha-based mocktail at the workshops, while typical lunch menus include Ibiza white sweet potato with crushed avocado, preserved lemon and crispy dulse, or pink cauliflower falafel in beetroot pancakes with minted vegan kefir labheh and pistachio dukkah, followed by raw vegan desserts such as stacked cheesecake with berries and acai and pitaya puree, or chocolate, orange and cardamom mousse. lovefoodibiza.com Pots of chocolate, orange and cardamom mousse topped with orange slices and edible flowers. Credit: Nigel Edgecombe Casa Maca – best farm-to-fork restaurant in Ibiza Almond, carob and fig trees surround Casa Maca, a rural hotel in the hills of Can Palau with a restaurant headed up by chef, David Reartes, and views down towards Ibiza Town. This converted whitewashed farmhouse is 300 years old; an olive oil press in the lobby is a nod to its agricultural heritage. The restaurant's ethos has been dubbed “farm to table with flair”, its Mediterranean menus showcasing local organic ingredients. Think snapper ceviche with mango to start, followed by a Buddha bowl of bulgar wheat, chickpea, pumpkin, sesame, hummus, avocado, kale, radish and fresh greens or tuna poke with salmon roe and crispy garlic. casamaca.com The restaurant's ethos has been dubbed “farm to table with flair”, its Mediterranean menus showcasing local organic ingredients Formentera: foodie hotel Can Tres – best foodie retreat in Formentera Hop on the ferry from Ibiza to Formentera, the barefoot baby of the Balearics, for endless sweeps of sand backed by dunes and pine trees, crystalline waters and a hippy-chic vibe. This is where jaded clubbers come to hide out – and eat (sustainable) sushi and ceviche washed down with caipirinhas by the beach. There's a slower pace of life on Ibiza's chilled-out little sister, with its peppering of traditional villages and a nightly market during the summer. Base yourself at Can Tres, a clutch of three architect-designed houses surrounded by citrus and olive trees, all hanging beds and heavenly hammocks, thatched terraces perfect for lazy breakfasts of fruit from the gardens, freshly baked bread and homemade jam, and vivid splashes of colour against a pure white canvas. It’s also just a pebble's throw from Migjorn beach with its smattering of funky beach bars and restaurants. Doubles from £87, check availability at booking.com A clutch of three architect-designed houses surrounded by citrus and olive trees, all hanging beds and heavenly hammocks Words by Lucy Gillmore
Seville foodie guide: where locals eat and drink
Tapas is still at the heart of eating out in this orange tree-filled city. But the Andalucían capital also means vermouth, honey ribs and manchego ice cream
Looking for restaurants in Seville? Want to know where to eat in the southern Spanish city? Local food writer Shawn Hennessey and travel writer Aoife O'Riordain share their insider tips for the best restaurants in Seville, along with where to find the best tapas, vermouth and paella. After check out the our Bologna foodie guide and the 10 things we love about Sicilian cuisine. Best tapas restaurants in Seville The spiritual home of flamenco, Seville is also the birthplace of tapas. One of the best ways to experience Seville’s fabulous gourmet scene is to engage in your own little ‘tapeo’ – a relaxed wander around some of its many bars. You can also ask for a media ración or ración, which are larger than a tapa. Eslava Sixto Tovar’s Eslava bar is at the forefront of innovative tapas in Seville. Park yourself at the counter for must-try honey pork ribs and award-winning huevo tapa, along with a recommended wine. There are plenty of traditional pork and fish dishes, too, and manchego ice cream to finish. Casa Morales Founded in 1850, and into its fourth generation, the historic charm of Casa Morales is hard to beat. There are front and back sections, with the latter featuring massive terracotta wine urns. Enjoy some salt cod with salmorejo, tortilla de patatas or lomo en manteca, with vermouth, sherry or house wine alongside them. It’s the perfect place to start a “tapeo” tour in Seville. Calle Garcia de Vinuesa 11 Bodeguita Romero This family-run bar is always busy and friendly and serves some of the best traditional tapas in town. Don't miss the pringá (hot toasted pork bun), the braised pork cheeks or the spinach with chickpeas. Pedro and Angeles are in charge of the bar and kitchen, while son Alejandro is responsible for their extensive wine list, including some top quality sherries. bodeguitaromero.es Cañabota A modern restaurant specialising in top quality fish and seafood, Cañabota also has an eclectic wine list that includes international wines (unusual for Spain), and a wine-by-the-glass menu that changes monthly. Food-wise, expect seasonal menus with daily specials based on what's good and fresh at the market; recent hits have included swordfish toasts with garlic and truffle, and razor clams with pancetta and warm salsa verde. Calle José Gestoso 19 Enrique Becerra Cross into El Arenal to find this third-generation family-run bar and sample some of the house specialities: albóndingas (lamb meatballs with mint sauce), salt cod in filo pastry parcels, or bacon wrapped langostines in sherry sauce. Many of the dishes also appear in the restaurant’s cookbooks. enriquebecerra.com Bodeguita Casablanca Tucked around a corner from Seville's Cathedral is the sophisticated tapas restaurant, celebrated for its prawns in garlic, whisky tortilla and potato salad tapas. Adolfo Rodriguez Jurado 12, bodeguitacasablanca.com Bar Las Terasas Stop for a drink at this atmospheric bar in the buzzing barrio Santa Cruz. Order a Cruzcampo beer or a glass of fino and a plate of expertly sliced jamón ibérico de bellota, cured ham from free-range, acorn-fed "pata negra" pigs. Santa Teresa 2; 00 34 954 213069 Best bars in Seville Premier Sherry & Cocktail Bar Sherry is Andalucía’s most iconic wine, yet is often misunderstood. Versatile and fascinating, there’s a sherry – or sherry cocktail – for everyone. Let José and his expert team at the Premier Sherry & Cocktail Bar help you discover yours. Vermutería Yo Soy Tu Padre Pre-lunch is the traditional time for vermouth, and at Vermutería Yo Soy Tu Padre it’s made in-house by owner Estebán, using a sherry wine base and his own secret herb recipe. Try it served over ice with a snack of jamón. 70 Gravina, 00 34 619 470 784 Lama La Uva Boutique wine shop Lama La Uva has an excellent selection of regional wines to sample or take away, and English-speaking owner Ana Linares is happy to arrange small, casual tastings. She also sells artisanal olive oils and preserves, and can slice and vacuum-pack top-quality hams and cheeses for you to take home. Best cafés and breakfast spots in Seville Bar Europa A quick coffee, a glass of freshly pressed orange juice, and a slice of olive oil-rubbed toast is the classic Sevillano breakfast. This narrow bar with pretty tiles and local punters is the ideal spot. Siete Revuelta 35, bareuropa.info Suitcake Take a break from sightseeing with merienda, the Spanish equivalent of afternoon tea, at Suitcake, a quality café and pastry shop that makes everything on the premises. Try the chocolate truffle cake with orange, or a lemon curd palmera. Confiteria la Campana Stop for a coffee at this renowned pastry shop and choose between its delectable array of handmade sweets and cakes. Sierpes 1/3; confiterialacampana.com Best restaurants in Seville Fargo Restaurante At Fargo Restaurante, in Seville’s trendy Soho Benita neighbourhood, you’ll find locally sourced organic meat and fish, and a terrific selection of regional wines. The menu changes weekly, so check with owner Yann for what’s fresh from the market. La Moneda Tapas are not the only way to eat out in Seville. This classic old-school restaurant specialises in seafood from nearby coastal towns like Huelva. Don’t miss the coquinas – fingernail-sized clams sautéed in garlic and olive oil. Almirantazgo 4, 00 954 223642 Sahumo Sahumo means to perfume with smoke in Spanish, which classically-trained owner/chef Dario Dominguez does to perfection with his wood-fired grill. The small but varied menu includes smoked salmon from the Canaries, grilled aged Galician beef with bearnaise sauce and tender grilled whole squid. Zaragoza 18 Best food markets and shops in Seville Feria Seville’s oldest market, Feria, is the preferred option for local chefs. Try tapas in the new food court, set in a magnificent fish hall, or eat delicious seafood at La Cantina, which boasts a 13th-century church wall as part of its terrace. Plaza Calderón de la Barca Lonja del Barranco Gourmet Food Market Set a few hours aside to try all the food on offer at this indoor food market, from steak to seafood, tacos to croquettes. Dig into a bowl of spicy paella or try over 150 artisan cheeses from all over the world. If you're visiting in the summer, make sure to grab a few scoops of fruity sorbet from Mascarpone. Calle Arjona, s/n, 41001 Sevilla, Spain Salsamento A modern version of the traditional abacería (food shop with a small bar), at Salsamento you can relax with a drink and some chicharrones de Cádiz (like pork scratchings) while deciding what to take away with you from a range of quality charcuterie and seafood preserves. C. Jerónimo Hernández, 19, 41003 Sevilla, Spain Triana and Taller Andaluz de Cocina A two-in-one experience, at Taller Andaluz de Cocina you can combine a Triana market tour with a hands-on cooking class with chef Victor and his team. Learn how to cook dishes such as spinach with garbanzos, or authentic paella, with ingredients fresh from the market, then enjoy the fruits of your labours. Mercado de Abastos de Triana, Pl. del Altozano, S/N Locales 75-77 Metropol Parasol food market Nicknamed ‘the mushrooms’ Metropol Parasol dominates the Plaza de la Encarnación with its futuristic-looking wooden structure. Underground is a museum displaying some of the city’s Roman walls and artefacts while above it is one of Seville’s best daily food markets. Make sure you visit the stalls selling jamón de ibérico bellota; it can be vacuum packed to take home (from €60-120 per kg). On the upper levels there is a 30-metre high walkway with panoramic views which you can access through the Antequarium below. Plaza de la Encarnación; espacio-metropol.com Seville Concierge walking tour Ex-Londoner Peter Tatford has called Seville home for the past 15 years. He combines a love of history and local culture with his knowledge of food and wine, offering a variety of informative walking and tapas tours that will get you started the way you mean to go on. sevilleconcierge.com Where to stay in Seville Looking for places to stay in Seville? Here are some boutique hotels in the area. Corner House Doubles at the Corner House, in the buzzy Alameda de Hércules (one of Seville’s most iconic squares), are very affordable. There's also an in-house restaurant/bar, El Disparate, serving a selection of traditional and innovative dishes; if you're lucky grab one of the tables on its spacious terrace, overlooking the square. Doubles from £86, check availability at thecornerhousesevilla.com, booking.com or expedia.co.uk Hotel Palacio Conde Torrejon This four-star boutique hotel is set in a baroque palace just off the Alameda, near the city centre. Lovingly restored by a local interior design firm it looks fresh and modern while retaining original arched columns in the courtyards and timbered ceilings in some of the rooms. The excellent in-house restaurant, Origen, is run by chef Javier Abascal. Doubles from £75, check availability at hoteloneshotpalaciocondetorrejon09.com/en/, booking.com, expedia.co.uk or lastminute.com Hospes Casas del Rey de Baeza The Hospes Casas del Rey de Baeza is a charming hotel housed in a beautiful 18th-century ‘corral de vecino’ (characteristic of the city, these are apartments built round a courtyard) in the barrio Santa Cruz. Doubles from €135 per night, check availability at hospes.com, booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com Corral del Rey Splash out with a night at this super-stylish hotel on a cobblestone street of the picturesque barrio Alfalfa, close to the Cathedral and Alcazar. Doubles from £282, check availability at corraldelrey.com, booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com Alfonso XIII Dating from 1929, this neo-Mudéjar-style building is Seville’s grandest hotel. Its restored art deco American Bar is the perfect backdrop for a sophisticated sip before dinner; try a Mimosa - a blend of champagne and orange blossom. Doubles from £482, check availability at marriott.com, booking.com or expedia.co.uk What else to do while you're in Seville Seville’s historic centre is dotted with architectural treasures but the Unesco World Heritage-listed CATHEDRAL is the real showstopper. It was built on the site of an earlier mosque and its iconic bell tower, the Giralda, is one of its predecessor’s only remnants. Around the corner, the stunning Royal Palace, the ALCAZAR, spans Islamic, Renaissance and Baroque periods through its dazzling azulejo-tiled interior and fabulous gardens fragrant with jasmine and orange blossom. Stroll down towards the riverbank to the majestic ochre and white PLAZA DE TOROS DE LA MAESTRANZA or bullring, the setting for Bizet’s opera, Carmen. Afterwards head to Calle Sierpes, the city’s main shopping thoroughfare, where the shops reopen in the late afternoon. Monasterio de Santa Maria Del Socorro Many of Seville’s convents are known for their handmade pastries and sweets – dulces and yemas - and this is no exception. Bustos Tavera 30; santamariadelsocorro.es HOW TO GET TO SEVILLE Return flights from a range of UK airports to Seville start from £50 (ryanair.com). TRUST OLIVE Shawn Hennessey has lived in Seville since 1993 and is a certified sherry educator. She is also the founder of Azahar Sevilla, and offers unique food and wine experiences in her adopted city (sevillatapastours.com). Photography: lonely planet magazine/yadid levy, alamy, ken scicluna/Awbi-images
Barcelona foodie guide: where locals eat and drink
Local food writers pick the best places to eat and drink in Barcelona for a foodie weekend break
Looking for the best restaurants in Barcelona? We've found the best places to eat in Barcelona, including the top tapas restaurants where the locals eat, coffee shops and food markets. For more travel inspiration, check out our guide to the best Spanish food trips or travel across the border with our best French food trips. Best tapas restaurants in Barcelona El Xampanyet Escape the tourists of El Barrio Gótico to join locals in the bars of neighbouring El Born. This one is particularly popular among locals, who come to drink the bar’s own-brand cava before a night on the town. There are tapas bar clichés aplenty – cigarette boxes framed on pale-yellow walls, a zinc bar showcasing Catalan dishes, blue-tiled alcoves at the back for when it gets busy (all the time) – but it’s the real deal. Come for the cava (served by the glass or in litre bottles), and stay to soak up the loud, chaotic atmosphere. Tapas are simple but on-point – order as the locals do with ‘pimientos con carne’ to receive a plate of blistered padrón peppers and soft, pink pluma ibérico pork. Carrer de Montcada 22, +34 933197003 Bar La Plata Pop in to this pretty, old-school tapas bar, on a corner in El Bairro Gótico, to pick on the same four dishes it’s been serving since opening in 1945 – piles of little fried fish (pescaditos), glistening anchovy montaditos, a simple tomato salad with chopped onion and olives and Catalan butifarra sausage. There’s a handful of tables in the tiny room, made all the more cosy with framed photographs, blue tiles covering the corner bar and barrels of sherry sitting snuggly next to rows of vermouth bottles. Glass doors open onto the pavement on both sides to ensure it doesn’t get too stuffy, and to encourage passers-by to chat with punters. Barlaplata.com Centric Canalla, Raval This atmospheric bar-cum-café has been going since 1940, and is still a cosy hangout to kick back with a café con leche or a glass of red. Lamps protrude elegantly from wood-panelled walls lined with black and white photographs, a large marble-topped mahogany bar curves along two walls and mirrored shelves reflect row after row of pretty spirit bottles. Traditional tapas (homemade croquettas, patatas bravas, Galician octopus) sit alongside modern dishes such as mini burgers with foie gras, confit artichokes, and mussels cooked in coconut milk with chilli and coriander. Vermouth is served over ice with a gobstopper-sized olive, and there are plenty of artsy events, from live music to poetry nights. Centricbar.com Bodega Quimet A cosy old bar that fills up with locals gathering for a glass of vermouth and some tapas, Bodega Quimet oozes charm and authenticity. It’s in a neighbourhood not yet overrun with tourists, and the grilled octopus is so good it’s almost life changing. Carrer de Vic 23; 00 34 932 184 189 Pepa Pla Let your waiter guide you through the impressive collection of natural wines at bookshop-turned-restaurant Pepa Pla. With old bookshelves as a backdrop, enjoy an array of small plates to share – just make sure you leave room for the unforgettable pistachio tiramisu. Carrer d'Aribau, 41, facebook.com/PepaPlaBar La Cova Fumada A vestige of the days when Barceloneta was still a fisherman’s quarter, homely La Cova Fumada is as authentic as it gets. Get there by noon to bag a seat beneath painted beams and strip-lights and feast on baked artichokes, pristine grilled sardines, and wine from the barrel. Carrer del Baluart 56, 00 34 932 214 061 Best bars in Barcelona Bodega Fermín – for craft beer and wine Locals visit Bodega Fermín to fill up their wine bottles from its barrels but, for fans of craft beer, the rotating selections on tap and by the bottle make it well worth a visit, too. Order a board of local cheeses and pair it with a citrussy IPA. facebook.com/bodegafermin Can Cisa Bar Brutal – for natural wines At night, convivial Can Cisa Bar Brutal is the place to work your way through local natural wines paired with superlative tapas. cancisa.cat 33 by Santi Ortiz – for cocktails The smallest bar in Barcelona, 33 by Santi Ortiz, is an overlooked gem as far as craft cocktails are concerned. In this little temple dedicated to elaborate but affordable concoctions, order The Tree in the Clouds – a dreamy concoction of rum, agave, mountain pine liqueur, lime and Cardamaro. facebook.com/33bysantiortiz Bar Zim – for wine and charcuterie Slip into tiny Bar Zim for wines by the glass with farmhouse cheeses and organic charcuterie. (Carrer de la Dagueria, 20). Best cafés in Barcelona Granja M Viader Locals line up at long-standing breakfast spot Granja M Viader before the shutters rise. Go for a thick, velvety hot chocolate with churros, or one of its famous ‘bikinis’ – a cheese-and-ham-filled toasted sandwich. granjaviader.cat Satan's Coffee Corner A gleaming glass box amongst the rabbit-warren streets of the Barri Gòtic, Satan’s Coffee Corner is a strikingly Scandi-inspired pit-stop for a classic café con leche or the geeky, fruity charms of a cold-press. The coffee shop serves a unique Japanese breakfast – try the omelette with rice and vegetables or a rice bowl topped with Japanese kimchi, pickled vegetables and poached eggs. There's a newer branch of Satan's Coffee Corner in Casa Bonay in Eixample. Granja La Pallaresa Carrer Petrixol was once known as the sweet street thanks to its legion of granjas (old-fashioned dairies) hawking churros and hot chocolate so thick you could stand a spoon in it. They’re a dying breed these days, but Granja La Pallaresa is still busy doing what these places have always done (Calle Petritxol 11, 00 34 933 022 036). Cosmo La Central When the shopping wears you out go to Cosmo La Central to rest your feet. Head upstairs at this bookshop and, at the back, you will find a lovely café with a beautiful terrace. Or go earlier and grab an energising breakfast board. cosmolacentral.com Best restaurants in Barcelona Barraca – for lunch with a sea view Blow away the cobwebs on a crisp winter’s day with a brisk, 20-minute walk from the Born to the beach at Barceloneta. Reward yourself, overlooking the sea at Barraca, with perfectly made rice dishes and a bottle of natural, S02 white from Lleida. barraca-barceloneta Can Borrell – for a rural lunch in the countryside A 20-minute train journey to Sant Cugat, plus a 40-minute stroll through the Barcelona countryside is worth it for lunch at rambling farmhouse Can Borrell. Calçots are a wintry treat – grilled, long-stemmed onions that are wrapped in newspaper, steamed and served on roof tiles with romesco sauce and various grilled meats. can-borrell.com Casa José Montalbán – for seafood The best fish in Barcelona isn’t by the seafront but tucked in Poble Sec at Casa José Montalbán. With little more than a grill and a fryer, it produces stellar fish and seafood, from crisp fried anchovies and sweet baby razor clams to grilled wild turbot off the bone. (Carrer de Margarit 31, 00 34 934 423 143). The Green Spot – for vegetarian food Vegetarian restaurant The Green Spot is on a mission to charm even the most hardcore of carnivores. Dishes in this airy, beautifully designed space are a celebration of all that is plant-based. Don’t miss the rhubarb and strawberry crumble. encompaniadelobos.com Can Dende – for brunch A Brazilian couple run Can Dende, a breezy brunch spot that’s handily close to the beach if you’re planning a day in the sun. The fried green tomatoes with Brazilian cheese is divine. Carrer de la Ciutat de Granada 44; 00 34 646 325 551 Best food shops and markets in Barcelona Van Van Market – for street food Barcelona is famous for its street-food markets but one of the best is Van Van Market, which takes place in a variety of shifting locations. Keep an eye out for the Caravan Made food truck with its gourmet sandwiches (fried calamari, marinara meatballs and more). vanvanmarket.com; caravanmade.co Boqueria – for traditional food market vibes After the Sagrada Família, the Boqueria food market is the most popular destination in town. Get there before 11am to beat the crowds and rub shoulders with local chefs over a plate of eggs and a glass of cava at El Quim de la Boqueria. elquimdelaboqueria.com Casa Gispert – for groceries Even if you don’t plan to shop at age-old Casa Gispert the toasty smell of coffee, chocolate and spice is irresistible. It’s a great place to stock up on marcona almonds, dried figs, saffron and smoky pimentón. casagispert.com Ferment 9 – for ferments If you’re a fan of fermentation and a craving strikes, head to Ferment 9. Prebiotics and probiotics rule here, with shelves stocked with all manner of delicious kimchis and kefirs. ferment9.com Olis Oliva – for olive oil At diminutive Olis Olivine at Santa Caterina market, Ana Maria will happily give you a tasting of her latest finds. Look out for bottles from the D.O. Siurana (Priorat), Empordà (Costa Brava) and Mallorca, which make some of the best oils in the country. olisoliva.com Barcelona hotels Casa Bonay Check into hip Casa Bonay, a renovated mansion where traditional hydraulic floor tiles are mixed with Gaudí’s iconic paving stones, adding a hint of edginess to its ground floor lounges, coffee bars and restaurant. Stylish, pared-back bedrooms redefine luxury with hand-woven blankets from Els Teixidors, maxi-bars stocked with premium gin, vodka and single malt, and room service in the shape of a tiffin tin to be eaten in bed. Casa Bonay makes other foodie hotels seem dull by comparison. Start your day with an alkalizing, antioxidant juice and a mango chia seed breakfast bowl from Mother’s in-house juice bar, with a cold-pressed coffee lovingly crafted by Satan’s Coffee Corner. Think light, bright, Asian-influenced dishes for lunch at another in-house dining option, Elephant, Crocodile, Monkey, which transforms into an innovative bistro by night, serving sharing plates of wondrous dishes like fried oysters with fennel salad and black garlic alïoli, year-old, dry-aged beef tartare with mulato chilli and egg yolk, and slow-baked tomatoes with almonds, chickpeas and shiso leaf. Take vermut (vermouth) on the wood-decked roof terrace before dinner, and afterwards hit one of the jewel-coloured velvet sofas in the hotel’s bar, Libertine, where grown-up cocktails are mixed with aplomb by a team of savvy mixologists. casabonay.com Hotel Brummell Base yourself on the greenest side of Poble Sec at food lovers’ favourite Hotel Brummell. This boutique hotel boasts a rooftop pool, bright and modern rooms and vending machines stuffed with wine and snacks. Brummell Kitchen's tropical oasis is where to head for brunch at the weekends. Tuck into dishes from around the world – Caribbean arepas, acai bowls and huevos rancheros to name a few – in the light and airy courtyard. hotelbrummell.com How to get to Barcelona Return flights from a range of UK airports cost around £70 (easyJet.com). Written by Tara Stevens and Maria Åstrand Photographs: Gareth Morgans, Getty
Baqueira Beret ski resort: where to eat and drink
For ski food fit for a king slope off to Baqueira Beret in the Val d”Aran, high in the Catalan Pyrenees, to fuel up on local cheeses, pintxos, Iberico ham and inky Priorat wines after a day on the piste
Looking for Spanish ski resorts in the Pyrenees? Read our foodie guide to Baqueira Beret ski resort and the Val d'Aran for skiing in Spain and the Pyrenees. Then check out the best of Scotland's ski resorts. Some people eat so they have the energy to ski, others ski simply to work up an appetite. If you veer more towards the latter there can be few better destinations to buy a lift pass for than Baqueira Beret, in Spain’s Val d’Aran (whose definitively circular name translates as “valley of the valley”). High in the Catalan Pyrenees, this purpose-built resort (actually a cluster of three linked ski areas - Baqueira, Beret and Bonaigua) also has one of the best food scenes of any ski resort in the world. After all, who wouldn’t like to end a day on the slopes with a glass of cava, and a plate of sliced-to-order Iberico ham? Or, later in the evening, a dinner of slow-cooked local lamb with a bottle of inky Priorat? Opened in 1964, the core of Baqueira is largely purpose-built and sits at 1,500m. Regularly re-invested in, the surrounding ski area now extends to 157km of pistes and 35 lifts spread over 2,166 hectares. Long patronised by the Spanish royal family, Baqueira genuinely caters for all: book into one of its five-star hotels and spend your evenings hopping between upmarket wine bars and elegant restaurants. Or, book a cheap self-catering apartment 10 or 20 minutes’ easy drive away, down in the valley, and treat yourself to the odd night out in Vielha indulging in Spanish beers and tapas (check out the top places to eat tapas in the UK here) at bargain prices (when you want to ski there’s free parking in the centre of Baqueira, then a free little train to shuttle you up the road to the main gondola, and the resort’s tourist information office and ski hire/ lift pass shops). Better still, prices are much more affordable in this corner of Spain than in the more ostentatiously gastronomic Alpine resorts. If you’re seeking fine dining you will find it here but the richest pickings among Baqueira’s bars, cafes and restaurants are its rustic local pintxos spots and cosy, timber-hewn restaurants, places serving bowls of rich, unreconstructed Aranese stew and elegant modern presentations of mei i mato (mató cheese drizzled with honey) to a hungry, post-piste crowd. The resort’s kitchens are also still closely in touch with the valley’s farmers, cheesemakers and gardeners so produce really shines here in a way that it doesn’t in some other resorts; as you’re sitting down to eat at the places highlighted below, keep an eye out on menus for wild mushrooms and berries, trout, caviar, black pudding, beer, cider, yoghurt, cured sausage, cheeses, yoghurt and honey. Rafaelhoteles by La Pleta, La Pleta If you want to base yourself right by the slopes, the five-star Rafaelhotel La Pleta, in the La Pleta area, just outside the resort’s centre, is a comfortable option. The La Pleta area was built in the 1970s and its architecture was designed to mimic local Aranese villages so it’s prettier than the towering hotels and apartment blocks in the heart of the resort. As with so many of the area’s hotels your fellow guests will be overwhelmingly Spanish: if you’re looking to escape British accents on the slopes, this is the place. Most guests hire a car so that they can make their own way around the valley but the hotel does run a free shuttle to the ski lift and back if you don’t have your own wheels (there is also a chair lift 300m from the hotel, from the top of which you can ski down various pistes to connect in with the rest of the resort). The hotel itself is quirkier than some five-star hotels (don’t expect a greeting as you pass the reception desk in the lobby), and has a brown colour scheme that won’t appeal to the Instagram crowd but is in keeping with the local architecture. Some elements could be improved (order a room service breakfast and the yoghurt will be a pot of Danone). However, the hotel is soothingly comfortable after a day on the slopes and has a welcome homeliness about it (every afternoon, a little home-baked treat is delivered to each room, from a gourmet take on chocolate crispies to tiny little almond cakes). It also wins points for being the only hotel we’ve stayed in where the mini bar includes a box of Iberico ham. Food-wise, the breakfasts are a highlight. Choose from a vast buffet laden with homemade banana bread, proper hot chocolate, freshly squeezed orange juice, a range of pastries that even stretches to wholemeal croissants peppered with linseeds and vast platters of Iberico. In the evenings, there’s a choice of four restaurants; Del gel Al Foc is the hotel’s fine-dining champion (it also occasionally plays host to special dinners cooked by visiting Michelin-starred chefs) while La Pleta Sushi serves sashimi, sushi (discover our step-by-step guide to making sushi here) and tempura prepared by a specialist chef, and Petit Borda serves more casual Spanish and Italian classics to an all-ages crowd. We tried the fourth option, La Racletterie, where diners sitting on sheepskin-covered benches are offered a simple set menu based around either pierrade (a meat grill), raclette or a combination of both. After a creamy chicken and vegetable soup, our raclette came with three different types of Iberico plus a squidgy, sobrassada-style sausage (cultural links between parts of Catalonia and the Balearic islands mean this mountain version of sobrassada can be found in the Spanish Pyrenees too), waxy little steamed potatoes and a crunchy mix of gherkins and pickled onions. Our dessert was just right after such a rich main course, too: a simple, plain, cow’s milk yoghurt made traditionally at the Hormatgeria Dera Irissa just down the valley. lapleta.com Check out our top Spanish trips for 2018 here, including: San Sebastian Tarifa Catalonia Borda Lobato, Baqueira The oldest building in the resort, La Borda Lobato takes its name from the ‘bordes’, small stone shelters for animals built throughout the valley years ago. When the ski resort was built, this one was turned into a restaurant. Right from the outset it championed Aranese cooking and, despite its elegantly renovated interior, that’s what it’s still best known for today. If you want to try Òlha Aranesa (the signature dish of the region – a traditional meaty broth made with beans, potatoes, noodles, vegetables, pork, beef, chicken and black sausage) this is one of the best places in the valley to try it. This local staple makes ideal ski food, which has helped to keep it on local menus (another classic to look out for is wild boar stew). Here, beneath the restaurant’s soaring vaulted timber ceiling, within a stone, wood and glass dining space, it is finessed to restaurant standards. Òlha Aranesa comes in a tureen for you to ladle yourself into white and gold bowls, its salty broth bobbing with blood sausage, chickpeas, cabbage and noodles. Pair it with a smooth glass of local Priorat. Ski season happily overlaps with calçot season in Catalonia and Borda Lobato is also a good place to try this regional speciality. Slippery, soft, sweet alliums, like Brobdingnagian spring onions, they’re served, traditionally, on a tile, to be stripped, dunked in romesco sauce and sucked (eating the things is so messy a job that diners are given aprons to wear). Pa amb tomàquet (toasted bread spread with olive oil, garlic and crushed tomato) is on the menu too, as are regional cured meats and sausages, lamb chops, gourmet burgers, steaks cooked over charcoal on a vast open grill and, for dessert, a winning crema Catalana, its tooth-sticking caramelised brittle topping a light, creamy custard. Núcleo 1500 Baqueira; 00 34 973 645 708 Make your own charcuterie with our recipes: Duck ham recipe Bresaola recipe Beef jerky recipe Cinco Jotas, Baqueira Baqueira’s slopeside restaurants serve some of the best on-piste food we’ve come across – and best value – with freshly made bocadillos (baguettes stuffed with tortilla, ham or cheese), thick hot chocolate, salads, smoked salmon platters, fruit, yoghurts and local wines all widely available at reasonable prices. For a late lunch, or some more indulgent après-ski, Moët sponsors the slopeside Winter Lounge, by the Orri lift station, where you can sit out on its sunny terrace – or inside by the fire - and toast your snowplough with a glass of fizz. Why would you want to sip French fizz in Spain, though? Especially when you’re in the heart of Cava country. For our money, there’s only one place to slalom down to: Restaurant Cinco Jotas (5 Js), near the top of the Baqueira gondola station. Operated by one of the best-known Iberico ham producers in Spain, Cinco Jotas, a visit here is a must-do, whether you go to team a glass of Cava with a plate of salt-sweet sliced-to-order acorn-fed Iberico cut by the in-house master carver (and served so that its marbling lines up like a porcine Catherine Wheel), a smattering of ham croquettas and a skewer of grilled vegetables, or you stay on for a full meal (anyone for suckling lamb, grilled pork sirloin or grilled squid with ratatouille?). The wine list is exemplary, too: choose from an oaky Rioja or peachy Raimat Chardonnay and you’ll pay well under €20 for a bottle. cincojotas.co.uk Pintxo Pote, Vielha Vielha is the local administrative town, an easy 30-minute drive down the valley. It also happens to have a photogenic Old Town and a raft of tapas (or, rather, pintxos) bars, an especially happy combination on Tuesday evenings when Pintxo Pote takes place. During this weekly pintxo trail around the town each participating bar serves a special pintxo of the day plus a zurito (a tiny glass of beer) for around €3. You can bar hop that way all evening, or just stake out your favourite counter and fill your plate, paying the standard price for any additional pintxos. The best known participating bar in Vielha is Tauernes Urtau, whose 10 metre-long bar heaves under the weight of 70 or so different bite-sized dishes, and was continually refreshed as the crowds ebbed and flowed throughout the hour or so that we were there (but mainly flowed – prepare to elbow your way to the counter). The pintxo of the evening was a miniature slice of lasagne, its pesto-laced bechamel served on the side, while standard pintxos included a prawn-topped cream and fish mixture mashed together on toast (a bit like a deconstructed prawn cocktail), roast duck in a sweet, nutty sauce, fried squid, salty, singed padron peppers, crisp ham croquettas and, best of all, a local sheep’s cheese arranged like a star around the plate, its leaves interspersed with cubes of quince jelly and candied walnuts. If you’re not there on a Tuesday, Vielha is still a lovely place for an evening stroll, and you can stop off at any number of sidrerias or wine bars as you stroll past ancient stone buildings and the town’s river. De Vins gets our vote for its blazing wood-burner and its huge windows looking out onto the river rushing past below (facebook.com/bardevins). Vielhitos is another favourite, with its cosy, wood-lined surroundings and towering collection of popped corks (Passeg dera Libertat 5, 00 34 626 54 56 97). urtau.com Restaurant Ticolet, Baqueira A lunch or dinner at Ticolet is a must-do in Baqueira. Old-fashioned in the best sense, this is not hip, Instagram-friendly food. It is elegant, accomplished cooking from a kitchen whose skills have been hewn by the Espana family over decades. Service, too, is comfortingly old-fashioned with perfectly pressed tablecloths, linen napkins, tables angled for views onto pine trees and an unobtrusive background of mellow jazz. It isn’t a local restaurant, per se, but there are lots of local ingredients and dishes on the menu, fashioned into refined rather than rustic versions of familiar favourites. On our visit coetas (little sausages), sturgeon and lamb were all from the valley alongside plenty of other classic ingredients from across Spain (grilled pork, seafood in season). Our meal started with two little canapés - first a nest of tiny shitake mushrooms in a salty puddle of escabeche, served with a poppyseed and sunflower crisp, then a tiny eggshell-shaped bowl of gazpacho with a ‘yolk’ of avocado, a sprinkling of toasted pine nuts, a slick of olive oil and a smattering of pepper. A main course of local lamb was outstanding: served like a very dainty roast dinner, the meat came in little squares, flaky strands of fall-apart meat beneath, the top an incredibly fine layer of crunchy crackling. With it came grilled vegetables, a light, meaty gravy and a large dot of ambrosial butterbean puree. For dessert, the restaurant’s gourmet take on mel i mato encompassed a ricotta-like local cheese drizzled with honey and nuts but also ringed by dots of quince puree, scoops of honey ice cream on a biscuity brown bread base and a ball of fine strands of galette-style biscuit batter. In short, just the kind of indulgent end to a meal that you need after a day on the slopes. ticolet.com More places to visit while you're in the Baqueira Beret area Deli Baqueira, Baqueira There is a small supermarket in Baqueira, selling local jams, cheeses, honey and charcuterie among much else, but for upmarket food and wine this little deli is a good place for culinary souvenirs. Items include readymade Olha Aranese, chocolates, cheeses, biscuits, charcuterie, and stacks of Cordoniu Cava and Iberico ham. It also sells fresh bread and pastries. Plaza del Forum, 00 34 699 73 43 00 Wine bar by Vina Pomal, Baquiera If you can’t make it down to Vielha for pintxo pote, this is the closest alternative within Baqueira itself. Next door to the deli, this wine bar serves a lunchtime and evening menu of tapas dishes alongside its range of wines (mainly riojas, as you would expect of a bar sponsored by Vina Pomal). Plaza del Forum, 00 34 690 27 98 99 Casa Irene, Arties For traditional luxury, this characterful stone and wood hotel and restaurant has been going strong since 1974 and is especially renowned for its upmarket restaurant (if you’re looking for traditional options, there’s also a parador in Arties, plus one in Vielha). hotelcasairene.com Taberna Eth Bot, Salardu If you’re looking for Pyrenean atmosphere, this rustic, flagstoned restaurant, set in an early 17th century farmhouse, should suit. Grab one of its tables and order regional dishes from its fixed-price menu (soups, wild boar, steak cooked over charcoal…), or just for a glass of local cassis. Plaza Mayor 1, Salardú, 00 34 973 64 42 12 Termes Baronia de Les, Les If a spa was run by grannies this is what it would be like – it’s a lovely, pampering experience, warm and friendly rather than slick or glitzy. Friendly staff greet you, explain the different elements and show you in which order to do a thermal circuit (sauna, steam room and plunge pool, all to a soothing background of Satie’s Gymnopedie). Afterwards you can sit by a vast open fire, go for a dip in the indoor-outdoor swimming pool (outside, watch the sun set over snowy peaks as you wallow). On Tuesday evenings it’s the perfect spot to go and soothe sore, post-ski muscles before hitting Vielha’s pintxo pote. termasbaroniadeles.com HOW TO GET TO BAQUEIRA BERET AND THE VAL D'ARAN Return flights to Barcelona cost from £45 from a range of UK airports (easyjet.com). Car hire for the 3.5-hour drive to Baqueira Beret costs from around £36 per week (holidayautos.com). For more information visit baqueira.es, visitvaldaran.com, visitpirineus.com or catalunya.com. Words and images by Rhiannon Batten
Menorca foodie guide: where locals eat and drink
Read our food, drink and activity guide to Menorca, in the Spanish Balearic Islands, and discover caldereta de langosta (lobster stew), locally distilled gins fragrant with island botanicals, and sobrasada sausage that you’ll want to pack an extra suitcase for
Fly over the island of Menorca, just off the eastern coast of Spain, and it’s easy to see why tourists began flocking here in the ’60s: clean turquoise waters lap against golden beaches, while lush greenery borders the picture-perfect homes that are dotted along the coastline. But unlike parts of the costas on the mainland, or the neighbouring party isles of Ibiza and Mallorca, this small Balearic island has managed to stay relatively unspoiled – in everything from the landscape to the food and culture. Where to eat in Menorca As on mainland Spain, tapas is big here, but thanks to numerous occupations by the Moors, Brits, Catalans and French, the local cuisine is a literal melting pot. The most famous dish is caldereta, a Menorcan lobster stew that’s cooked and served in an earthenware pot. These local shellfish, in season from April to August, are different to their Atlantic cousins, which you’ve probably tried before, sweeter. The recipe starts out with a classic Spanish sofrito of garlic, onions, peppers and tomatoes, which bubble and melt together slowly, before raw lobster is added. Any spare juices, the stomach, liver and eggs (if it’s a female) are then ground with a pestle, with garlic and parsley, and added to the stew. Can Bernat des Grau, Es Grau Chef Richard Tejada, who owns and runs Can Bernat des Grau in the Menorcan countryside close to the fishing village of Es Grau, where his boats catch the lobsters, adds almonds to the final paste of the caldereta, to help thicken the stew, before pouring it over toasted bread. Richard will show you how to cook the dish, and other Menorcan classics, in his kitchen before eating supper together if there’s a group of you (minimum six people, €55 per person). When we visit we can’t help but work our way through the catch of the day – Richard buys by catch rather than specifically ordering certain fish. Three lobsters from that morning make our caldereta, which we eat with a plate of chips and fried eggs from the hens that we can hear kicking dust and pecking at the floor outside the restaurant. Deep-fried sea anemones are like sweetbreads in texture with an oyster-like brackish smack of flavour. The sweetest prawns are served raw in a carpaccio with super-sour dice of nisperos (also known as Japanese plums), while another handful are thrown on a plancha with a pinch of salt and grilled until the shells begin to turn in colour and the raw shellfish inside are just warmed through. Mussels, heavy with seawater, are teased open to reveal their coral meat over the fire of the hob; they’re cooked alongside garlic, herbs and local white wine and we mop up the resulting liquor with the fresh bread that Richard and his team start baking here each morning at 6am. It’s denser than British bread, its crumb almost cake-like. Another plate of monkfish and spinach butter-balls, crisp on the outside, collapse with just one bite. canbernatdesgrau.com­ Pipet & Co, Maó Springtime is artichoke season. We try some grilled with Iberico pork at cool, late-night café Pipet & Co back in Maó, along with sobrasada (a soft paprika sausage, similar to chorizo), drizzled with honey, and spread on toast. It’s so good we stock up on more for the journey home at Authèntic (00 34 971 36 62 91) by the bus station. 00 34 971 36 63 68 Can Joanet, Maó It’s still surprisingly cheap to eat and drink in Menorca. There are plenty of three-courses-for-€15 restaurants along Maó’s harbor. Can Joanet, for instance, which serves up delicious bowls of traditional baked pig’s trotters with potatoes. And you can grab a bottle of cava for as little as €11 in one of the pretty cobbled squares, dodging the shadows as the sun goes down, breathing in the scent of the jasmine that lines the streets. 00 34 971 36 03 07 Mestre D'Aixa Don’t miss Mestre D’Aixa, which opened with new owners in April and is already impressing. Look out for typical Galician ‘old cow’ sliced wafer thin – half melting fat, half dark carmine marbled meat – topped with more of the local Mahon cheese, plus aged, caramelized onions, herbs and breadcrumbs, which you’re encouraged to roll like a cigar. 00 34 971 96 68 01 S'amarador, Ciutadella On the west side of the island, in Ciutadella, wear comfortable shoes to walk, explore and look up at the golden architecture. We settle in for a late lunch one day at the edge of the port at S’amarador (00 34 971 38 35 24), snaffling red scorpion fish and prawn croquettes and crisp local wine as we watch the sunlight bounce on the water. Casa Sucrer, Es Mercadel Es Mercadel town in the centre of Menorca is home to Casa Sucrer, a bakery that’s been operating since 1875. We fill up on brossat (a sweet bread/cheese pudding) and rubiol (the island’s own version of empanadas). cassucrer.es Ca Na Pilar Ten minutes’ drive south of Es Mercadel, Victor Lidon (previously chef at the now-closed, triple-Michelin-starred Barcelona restaurant El Racó de Can Fabes) has his own restaurant, Ca Na Pilar whose regulars include many of the island’s top chefs. 00 34 971 37 02 12 Gin Xoriguer Distillery Go gin tasting at the last remaining distillery on the island, overlooking the water. Try a dozen or so different local spirits – you’re encouraged to help yourself to the samples – while overlooking the copper stills. The Gin Xoriguer (another spillover of the British presence here) is a taste of the island’s many herbs and is served with lemonade in a Pomada. Another new gin, Innat, with citrus, sweet, herbal notes, is worth seeking out. xoriguer.es Sightseeing in Menorca Check out the various ruins across the island, too, (and the fennel, thyme, asparagus, and even peas that grow wild around them); drive up to El Toro, Menorca’s mountain for the best vantage. Here, sharing the quiet with only the residents of the Sanctuary of the Virgen del Toro, you can see the whole of the island and even as far as Mallorca on a clear day. Chase the sun as it sets back to Maó with a pitstop at Faro de Favaritx, the island’s active lighthouse. Where to stay in Menorca – Hotel Petit Maó The island’s capital, Maó, is only a ten-minute taxi ride from the airport (if you’re staying for longer than a weekend, and particularly out of season, it’s worth hiring a car or bike to explore). Hotel Petit Maó opened here, two years ago, in a former 18th-century manor house. It’s minutes from the town’s heart, on a street that leads down to Maó’s busy harbour. Its six spacious bedrooms, each with cool tiles underfoot, are filtered in bright Menorcan light thanks to tall sash windows. There are no TVs and no 24-hour staff – Menorca is a place to indulge in slowness. Breakfast is made by the hotel’s owner, Nina. There are soft buns coated in powdered sugar with fresh fruit, toast served with wafer-thin slices of Mahón cheese (strong cow’s milk), salty sheets of air-cured ham and sieved tomatoes with Spanish olive oil. We also help ourselves to chamomile tea (the daisy-like, white and yellow flowers can be spotted across the island). Written by Laura Rowe First published May 2016 Travel editor Rhiannon investigates the food and drink scene of the Balearic Islands ahead of the summer holidays olive magazine podcast ep5 - tom herbert, and food and drink in the balearics View oEmbed on the source website
Jose Pizarro's best places to eat in the Basque Country
The Basque Country is home to some of the world's most stellar cooking but it's also big on humbler pleasures
Alameda This family-run restaurant has a Michelin star and uses local, homegrown produce to support the culture and maintain the area’s sustainability. Sit in the impressive dining hall and enjoy dishes cooked by talented head chef, Gorka Txapartegi: fish is caught daily, but try the roasted beef tenderloin with Idiazabal cheese. restaurantealameda.net Bodega Donostiarra The perfect place to enjoy the Basque sunshine is out on its terrace with a cold beer. I always order the chicken wings, but the tomato salad is amazing too. bodegadonostiarra.com A Fuego Negro If you visit this pintxo (small snack) place in San Sebastián, you have to try the pajarito frito (little fried bird). The bird is marinated in vermouth, roast garlic and honey, then left for 24 hours so the flavour really infuses. afuegonegro.com Arzak This three Michelin-starred restaurant continues to push the boundaries of Spanish food, turning it into art. It’s no wonder Arzak is included in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. A visit here will be one of the best food experiences you will ever have. arzak.info Restaurante Ganbara José Ignacio and Amaia have run this Basque-style bar in San Sebastián’s old town for over 25 years, and it serves some of the best pintxos you’ll find. Try the crab and prawns with a glass of txakoli. ganbarajatetxea.com Trust olive Spanish chef José Pizarro runs three restaurants in London: José Tapas Bar, Pizarro and José Pizarro Broadgate (josepizarro.com). His third book, Basque: Spanish Recipes from San Sebastián & Beyond, is published this month (Hardie Grant, £19.99-£25 on amazon.co.uk). A selection of dishes from the book will be available at José’s restaurants throughout April.
Trujillo, Spain: Marina O'Loughlin's guide to food and drink
The medieval town of Trujillo's kitchens have long been rich thanks to Ibérico ham, smoky pimentón de la Vera and creamy sheep's milk cheeses, discovers Marina O'Loughlin
I ’d cross continents and climb mountains for pure acorn-fed Ibérico pata negra ham. Once tasted, it’s hard to go back to lesser animals fed on grains, or prosaic white-hoofed porkers: the fragrant meat and the fat vanishing on the tongue with a back note of clean, porcine sweetness. It’s healthy even– the monounsaturated fat bursting with oleic acid; only olives have more. Just a few Spanish regions boast the holm oak trees (encinas) and open pastures necessary for the feeding and rearing of this most coveted beast. Extremadura is one of these. From our temporary home, the gorgeous Villa Moritos at the very pinnacle of the equally beautiful medieval town of Trujillo, we can see miles of those plains to as far as Portugal. We’re going to eat ourselves some ham. All the ham. This plan is executed easily. Everywhere, from restaurants to tiny cafés, offer plates of the stuff, freshly carved to order. Our first stop, just off the main square, is Corral del Rey. After the inevitable jamón, I have Ibérico pork secreto (the shoulder cut that, with its liberal marbling of fat, has sometimes been called pork wagyu) thickly dusted with another of Extremadura’s hero products – sweet, smoky pimentón de la Vera, and grilled over encino, the very wood that fed it – a wonderfully symmetrical cooking method. Despite being one of the swishest restaurants in town, the three-course set meal costs, with drinks, a gentle €23. We soon discover the norm is €10-15; it’s easy to eat well on very little here. All the steep, narrow roads seem to lead to Plaza Mayor, the main square, with its ravishing conquistadors’ mansions. There’s Cerveceria for beers and the locals’ favourite dish, migas – paprika-laced breadcrumbs fried in pork fat, studded with chorizo and topped with a frilly fried egg; a reminder that, in a poor area, nothing must be wasted, even stale bread. When I ask for pan con tomate, I get toast and strawberry jam. With chips. (Worth it for the laughs.) More ham, served with shavings of foie gras, makes a surprisingly luxurious snack from rough-and-ready Nuria. We also have a sparky tuna, roasted pepper and avocado salad (our first vegetables and fish), and some crisp fried chipirones – meat is the hero round these landlocked parts. I wish we were staying long enough to try the weekly baby kid roasted in the wood oven. But it’s difficult to tear ourselves away from Villa Moritos: not only is the garden a fair approximation of paradise but, in the shade beneath a leafy trellis, the Trujillo Villas’ cook, Belen, dishes up feasts. She lays the table with tiny empanadillas, the crisp pastry filled with juicy spiked pork; stout, ham-flecked croquetas; a wobbly tortilla made with eggs from their own hens; lomo de bellota; and salads of beans, potatoes, ham and roasted peppers. It’s finished with a flourish: sweet local cherries and sheeps’ milk cheese, torta del casar. Blimey. This is so potent, so oozing, that it makes époisses look like Dairylea. To try to contain its pungency, it’s packed, like a replacement organ, in polystyrene – it almost jumps out to meet us. I hardly ever eat ‘at home’ during these trips, but after a visit to Montánchez, the area’s mecca of jamón production, there’s nothing I’d rather do than sit on our villa’s spectacular terrace and stuff my face with acorn-fed ham while fat bees buzz round riotous blooms. We’ve been to famed Casa Bautista to study the process, an alchemical combination of pedigree animals, atmospheric conditions, time and the most tender loving care. (Obviously, we buy a whole leg to send home.) With a trip to nearby vineyard Habla, we wind up with the ingredients for the emperor of all backyard picnics. Trujillo’s restaurants are happily rustic, dependent on a wood grill and fryer for many of their treats. For lovers of swank, nearby Cáceres is where it’s at. The beautiful, ancient walled city is Spain’s capital of gastronomy for 2015, so we’re pretty excited. We have reservations at a local hero, the two Michelin-starred Atrio, a serene beauty with a remarkable wine cellar. It’s a oenophile’s fantasy with 50 vintages of Mouton Rothschild, a dizzying 75 of Yquem stored in its own special room and every single Burgundy Grand Cru. The food is just as exquisite. Chef Toño Perez gives us a VIP option of dish after dish from the contemporary ‘tasting’ menu – fat red prawns interspersed with bonbons of Ibérico pork and a crunchy ‘dust’ of toasted cornbread, the heads served in a separate bowl for sucking; and ‘daring’ fried oysters in strawberry sauce with kimchi paper – and the ‘timeless’ menu – roasted suckling goat on creamy potatoes and a heady 24-hour reduction of meat juices. The ice cream is made from torta del casar, and the wine pairings are suitably ambrosial. Extremadura’s history of poverty is, paradoxically, one of the reasons its treasures are so perfectly preserved. I’m disappointed that its name doesn’t actually mean ‘extremely hard’, testament to the difficulty of living off these dusty plains (it’s something to do with being beyond the Duoro river, apparently). But it’s from poverty that the conquistadors escaped to conquer the New World, fortified, no doubt, by pig products. It was a Trujillan, Maria de Escobar, who first introduced wheat to the US: tiny Trujillo has a huge influence. Our last night is spent on the terrace of homely La Alberca Asador (Calle Cambrones 8; 00 34 927 322 209), overlooked by two ancient clock towers. Meat rules as ever at this wood grill, and the menu boasts a multitude of recherché porcine cuts – secreto, pluma, presa, solomillo – flamed over encina wood. You can have egg and chips as a starter, or torta del casar pooled over toasted bread and dusted with pimentón de la Vera (as, of course, I do). We finish off with a sultry-sweet liqueur made from those essential acorns. The area may have been poor, but it’s rich in many other meaningful ways. Three-night stays at Villa Montos cost from £1,500 for up to eight people (trujillovillasespana.com). Return flights from Stansted or Manchester to Madrid cost from £50 (ryanair.com). Car hire costs from £25 for three days (holidayautos.co.uk). More info: turismoextremadura.com Written October 2015 You might also like Best Spanish food trips Naples, Italy: Marina O'Loughlin's best food and drink guide Manhattan, New York: Marina O'Loughlin's best food and drink guide Toulouse, France: Marina O'Loughlin's best restaurants, food markets and hotels Marrakech, Morocco: Marina O'Loughlin's best restaurants and hotels Limousin, France: Marina O'Loughlin's best food, drink and hotel guide Dublin, Ireland: Marina O'Loughlin's best food and drink guide
Cádiz, Spain: best budget food and drink guide
Where to eat, drink and sleep on a budget in Cádiz, including bargain tapas bars, chicharrones de Cádiz and vibrant food markets. By our travel expert Audrey Gillan.
The thin layers of soft, fatty pork are laid on waxed paper and dressed with sea salt and lemon – chicharrones de Cádiz, a speciality of the region. Beside them are ‘fritos’, fat, crisp chunks of spicy pork belly almost like pork scratchings, as well as slices of longaniza picante (spiced sausage), chorizo, morcilla and queso de arte. All of these are slapped down in front of us without fanfare, no single ‘tapa’ costing more than €2.30. I roll the chicharrones round tiny breadsticks – picos – to make a cumin and pepper-scented, crunchy snack of lardy delight, accompanied by glasses of chilled Cruzcampo then barbadillo, a light, grassy local white wine. This is Taberna Casa Manteca, (Calle Corralón 66) which means, literally, House of Lard, where Matador memorabilia adorns the walls and sausages hang behind the bar. It’s a noisy spit-and-sawdust kind of place, where roaring locals spill out onto the pavement and I immediately feel at home. So at home that I soon find myself joining in a round of happy birthday – and I can barely speak Spanish. Round the corner is Virgen de la Palma, a pedestrianised cobbled street in the heart of this slightly shabby former fishermen’s quarter. It’s lined with tapas bars and restaurants, but we joyfully discover that during daytime hours it becomes a magnet for weatherbeaten men selling oysters (six for €5) and prawns from carts on corners. We’re staying nearby in the Parador Hotel Atlántico, which affords astonishing views out across the ocean at almost every turn. From here we walk everywhere, mostly along cobbled streets, turning corners, losing our bearings and then suddenly surprised to see the sea again. On Saturday at the Mercado Central (Calle Santa Lucia, 10), housed inside a former convent, we watch as the theatre of the working day unfolds: swordfish are butchered, chocos (cuttlefish) cleaned of their black ink. There’s time to stock up on vacuum- packed mojama (smoked tuna), ham, chicharrones and fritos, before hitting the stalls selling sherries, plates of cheese (a selection of local cheeses, including goaty ‘los payoyos’, is €5.50), glasses of albariño at €2.50 and fat churros hot from the fryer. We are sucked into the theatre of the market and lose an afternoon. At DKY Gastronomia Gaditana de Abastos (108-109 plaza de Abastos puestos), my first taste of tortillita de camarones, leaves me in raptures: a thin, crispy fritter, studded with tiny shrimp and spring onions (80 cents). In the middle of the city’s flower market is Freiduría Las Flores (Plaza de Topete 4, 0034 956 226 112), where you can stand at the horseshoe bar and sample every single tapa for less than €2.30 each (if you sit down you must pay the more expensive half plate price). There are anchovies, shrimp and prawns all dipped in flour and fried, octopus swimming in oil and paprika, marinated dogfish and small plates of paella and fideuà perfectly paired with small glasses of very cold beer. On the other side of the room there are lines of people queuing for takeaway paper cups of surtido – mixed fish fry-up. For serious splendour, we head to the rococo Cafe Royalty, a recently-restored grand salon, and eat four refined courses of Andalucian cooking for €33, including a punchy gazpacho garnished with prawn, and a glass of albariño. It opened in 1912, and intellectuals, artists and politicians came here to chew the fat before it closed at the dawn of the civil war. At Horno al Gloria, I learn how they make pan de cadiz, a celebratory cake of marzipan, almonds, dried fruits and spun sugar also known as ‘hair of the angels’. The owner of this historic city bakery, Pepe Rueda, proudly brandishes his knife, explaining that it is the only machinery he uses, along with his hands, to produce his jewel-like confection studded with crystallised gems of red, green and yellow. Another Pepe greets us at Taberna La Manzanilla, a sherry tavern dominated by blackened oak barrels. Pepe Garcia offers us a short sherry lesson, and with each tasting glass come two olives, exactly, and a revelation. This ‘sherry alive’, as Pepe calls it, is straight from the barrel and is like nothing I’ve tasted before - it’s soft, thick, salty, with no harshness. There’s a three-year old manzanilla fina (€1.20 a glass) and I work my way up to a 26-year-old amontillado viejo (€3). I leave with a litre bottle of 70-year-old sherry vinegar (€12.40). Down at the town beach, buzzy bar Quilla (Antonio Burgos, 11002 Cádiz, Spain) lays tables out on the promenade – one of the best spots to nurse a chilled white and ponder the glorious sunset. At El Faro we eschew the posher restaurant for the bar and try ortiguillas fritas (sea anemone beignets – €8.80 per half portion) and patatas alinadas al estilo, another Cadiz speciality of soft potatoes, thick with oil, parsley and spring onion, topped with tuna (€2.35). It’s here that we have the most fantastic tortillitas of the weekend: thin, crispy wafers made up almost entirely of miniscule shell-on shrimp. We finish with raisin ice cream covered in sweet pedro ximenez sherry and it’s such a joy that we high-tail it back to Pepe’s taberna to buy a litre. Cadiz had taken me to its heart and I took its sherry to mine. Rooms at the Parador Atlántico from £133 per night B&B. Book via UK agent Keytel (keytel.co.uk). Ryanair flies to Jerez (40km from Cádiz) from London Stansted from £39.99 (ryanair.com). More information: cadizturismo.com