Inopia
A year ago Albert Adrià, the younger brother of Ferran Adrià, head chef of El
Bulli, opened a bar in Barcelona serving traditional tapas using
top-quality ingredients, and had a hit on his hands. It may look basic with
its bright lights, white tiles and high stools, but this is one of the
hottest places to eat in the city. Have a sardine sandwich, some grilled
tuna, artichoke hearts fried in breadcrumbs, and the patatas bravas.
Everything I have eaten here has been terrifically tasty, and the house
wines served by the glass are pretty good, too.
Carrer Tamarit 104, Barcelona (00 34 934 245231, www.barinopia.com).
£12-£18 for a selection of tapas and wine.
Joan Gatell
Resorts are not usually great for restaurants, but Cambrils on the
Costa Dorada is an exception, and has quietly acquired a reputation as a
foodie hotspot. At Joan Gatell there is no freezer. The restaurant is
opposite the harbour, and the fish is brought over twice a day. While this
is a smart place, the food is not fancy, just fabulous. Have rice with
prawns and langoustines, the lobster stew, or give yourself over to the
taster menu.
Paseo Miramar 26, Cambrils (977 366782, www.joangatell.com).
About £60 for dinner including wine.
Casa Salvador
It is impossible to say where to get the best paella, as it is a very personal
thing, but family-run Casa Salvador, south of Valencia, is certainly
up there with the frontrunners. To get the full experience, you need a table
on the terrace, by the side of the lake. Start with a succession of salad,
seafood and vegetable dishes while your rice is being cooked to order,
drinking wine made in the Valencia region. Paella should only ever be eaten
at lunchtime, and this is the perfect setting.
L’Estany de Cullera, Cullera, Valencia (961 720136, www.casasalvador.com).
About £40 for three courses with wine.
Taberna de la Daniela
The signature dish in Madrid is cocido madrileño, a stew
made with chickpeas, ham, beef, chorizo sausage and quite a few other
things. Although everything is cooked together, the stock, vegetables and
meat are served separately. It is surprisingly difficult to find a good one,
which makes it worth visiting La Taberna de la Daniela. It also has roast
sea bream, another Madrid speciality. This restaurant has a great tapas bar,
with good beer and draught vermouth, as well as wines by the glass.
Calle General Pardiñas 21, Madrid (915 752329). About £30 for three courses
with wine.
Mesón José MarÍa
Asadores — traditional restaurants with wood-burning ovens — are
found across the region of Castilla León, and several of the best are in Segovia.
Come here to eat cochinillo (suckling pig) or lamb, roasted over a
fire of ash and vine branches, and so tender it can be cut with the edge of
an earthenware plate. Owner José MarÍa Ruiz Benito breeds his own pigs to
ensure the quality of the meat, and has his own vineyards in Ribera del
Duero. If your appetite is up to it, start with a bowl of judiones,
the delicious local variety of butter beans.
Cronista Lecea 11, Segovia (921 461111, www.rtejosemaria.com).
£40 for three courses with wine.
La Cepa As well as its cluster of Michelin-starred restaurants, San
Sebastián is renowned for the bars that line the lanes of the old
town, with tantalising platters of pintxos (as tapas are called in
the Basque country) on every surface. La Cepa is a traditional rather than a
gourmet place, chosen for its popularity with the locals and the quality of
its produce, particularly the Jabugo ham. Other highlights are sizzling
plates of Padrón green peppers, meatballs or the breadcrumbed taste bombs
called galvados, made with pork, ham and thick béchamel sauce.
Calle 31 de agosto 7-9, San Sebastián (943 426394, www.barlacepa.com).
£12-£18 for a selection of shared dishes with wine.
