CASA JULIAN In 2026, we revisited Casa Julián Tolosa, this remarkable, easily overlooked little restaurant, now famous on TV, located in the Basque countryside town of Tolosa, which is 28 km inland from San Sebastián. Tolosa is a town and municipality in the Basque province of Gipuzkoa, northern Spain. It sits in the Oria River valley, which runs through the town. When you arrive at the restaurant and step inside, you might initially feel like you’re in the wrong place. You’l

A FEW DAYS SPENT IN AND AROUND HARO IN LA RIOJA We arrived from Bilbao Airport and checked into our hotel in Haro, the splendid HOTEL LOS AGUSTINOS Calle San Agustín 2, 26200 Haro, La Rioja +34 941 31 13 08 Founded as a convent in 1373, the building has been through various guises, including: 1809 – Guarnición militar (Military garrison). 1811 – Hospital militar (Military hospital). 1839 – Cárcel (Prison). 1989 – Hotel. This beautiful building is steeped in history. It inclu

RESTAURANTE SACHA This isn’t the most straightforward restaurant in Madrid to find, even with GPS. It’s tucked away in a corner on the right-hand side of the building, set back from the street. Everything looks great: small but cosy, busy, and traditional as you enter. The restaurant opened in 1972 and was founded by Carlos Hormaechea and Pitila Mosquera. Their son, Sacha Hormaechea, now runs it, after whom the restaurant is named. It is located in a neighbourhood just north

LA RIOJA - LOGROÑO PINCHO BAR CRAWL On our recent trip to La Rioja, we decided to go on a pincho bar crawl down the famous Calle Laurel. These were our favourite bars and bites on this hectic but pleasant November evening. Our Logroño pinchos crawl took us through some of the city’s best-known traditional pinchos bars. BAR CID Travesía de Laurel, 1, 26001 Logroño, La Rioja It’s truly a hole-in-the-wall spot and easy to overlook. Traditional Bar Cid features vines and grapes h

GANDARIAS JATETXEA We returned to Casa Gandarias San Sebastián, one of the best-known pintxos bars in the Parte Vieja, for our regular fill of pintxo de solomillo and red wine! We had a bottle of El Lagar de Isilla Paraje Peñalobos Tinta del Pais 2018 DOC Ribera del Duero. This was a good match with the solomillo. Solomillo pintxos. The famous Basque Gildas. Guindilla pepper, green olive and fresh anchovy - named after Rita Hayworth (hot, tall and spicy). During this visit,

We wanted to explore the charming traditional tapas bars in Estepona’s old town and discover the great prices for a beer and a tapa! These bars play a vital role in preserving the authentic character of the old town, and it’s important that we cherish and support them for future generations Our first stop was at BAR LA ESQUINITA Calle de Pozo Pila, 30, 29680 Estepona, Málaga A tiny bar with a warm welcome from Paco, the owner; this is one of the few remaining authentic tapas

RESTAURANTE ES VENTALL Michelin Plate IIO Es Ventall Ibiza is one of our favourite restaurants in Sant Antoni de Portmany (San Antonio): The restaurant has been open for over 35 years. Since 2005, when the younger José Miguel Bonet took over, the traditional dishes have been given a much more inventive twist. However, they still include many of the island’s favourites. These include rice dishes, such as paella, fideuá, arroz a banda, bullit de peix, and fish and seafood. Th

RESTAURANT SALVADÓ This traditional Ibicencan fish restaurant sits above the small cove of Pou des Lleó, near Sant Carles de Peralta in northern Ibiza, with wonderful views across the sea and Canal d’en Martí. Enjoy exquisite fresh fish and rice dishes complemented by a fine wine list, all while taking in stunning sea views of the picturesque cove. Any lunch or evening meal at restaurant Salvadó is quintessentially Ibicencan and worth the trip. You start with the usual Ibicen

LA JOSEFITA IBIZA La Josefita is a charming little restaurant located in the backstreets of Sant Antoni de Portmany (San Antonio), close to the famous West End, which is currently undergoing a significant transformation from its previous, wilder incarnation. This tapas restaurant, opened in August 2023, pays tribute to Grandma Pepita - Josefa Pepita. The Josefita offers a concise menu of reimagined, familiar tapas. We started with; Berenjena frita (deep-fried aubergine). Tost

SEGOVIA During our visit to Madrid, we stayed one night in Segovia (it is also an easy day trip from Madrid; it’s a short 25-minute ride by high-speed train, but it feels like a world away the minute you arrive). The mountain range seen from the train station is known as La Mujer Muerta (The Dead Woman). From the plains around Segovia, the peaks form the outline of a woman lying down. Her head, torso and feet are clearly visible. The effect is strongest at sunrise or sunset,