By far the best Tapas bar in Nerja. Cool stainless steel counter serving Cruzcampo, various wines and much more.
Order a small cerveza at the bar and you are asked 'Tapas', then feast your eyes on the array of fresh seafood and meats for you to choose from free of charge with your drink. Choose from the sweetest clams and prawns, sardines, red mullet, pork fillets, chorizo sausage - the list goes on. All the food is cooked on the plancha by a Torres lookalike.
We sat there for 3 hours watching the Spanish football one night and we made our way through their entire tapas collection twice and all free with each drink ordered. The bill came to 25 Euros! Try and do that in the UK...

Calle del Almirante Ferrándiz, 26 29780 Nerja, Málaga, Málaga, Spain
+34 952 52 13 84

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I discovered this place after the gas bottle in our flat ran out one day – right in time for lunch. ‘Go to El Rincón del Búho, you can get a menú del día there for €3.50!’ read a text from my flatmate. And off I toddled. It took me about three goes to find it, as it looks like flats from the outside and you have to go up a corridor to reach it.
Advertised as an ‘artistic and socio-cultural project’, the venue has a small bar and performance space. It offers music events (including flamenco), art exhibitions, children’s theatre and storytelling workshops. Cheap snacks (€1 for a homemade empanada or slice of pizza) and bottled beers are on sale when events are on. The €3.50 deal is available from 2pm till 4pm on Thursdays and Fridays, with vegetarians catered for well.

rincondelbuhosevilla.blogspot.com.es/
Calle Parras, 31, 41002, Seville, Spain
bit.ly/13xEm7l

*Eloise is our Been there local for Seville. You can read her bio here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/seville-local-eloise-horsfield and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/EloiseHorsfield You can also catch her on Twitter at @EloiseHorsefield

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For the ones who do not know what pastelleria is, it is a place where they make excellent meat and other pies.
In Murcia this place is old, traditional and has the best meat pies (pastel de carne Murciano), washed down with the excellent local beer/cerveza Estrella Levante!
The meat pies are delicious, made with thin filo pastry sheets and chorizo and boiled egg in the meat filling to top it up!

Riquelme, 5 and Gimenez Baeza 10, Murcia in the old town
Google map: bit.ly/ZIpDSk

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I lived in Madrid for three years and frequently took family and friends to visit Toledo, Segovia and El Escorial. All three are rightly popular but if you want to escape the tourist crowds head to Avila on a week day. A beautiful walled city, with nesting storks and an imposing cathedral. It takes about an hour and half to reach but the views from the train make it a picturesque journey. Once there Avila is replete with cute bars and restaurants serving the delicious local speciality cordero asado (roast lamb, Spanish style). Sip a vino tinto in the Plaza Victoria after seeing the sights - the convent of Santa Teresa and the Romanesque cathedral. You can also walk round part of the city's walls which offer views far beyond the city.

Get the train from Chamartin in Madrid to Avila then jump on a local bus, ten minutes into the centre.
Google map: bit.ly/135ObbZ

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Great "new wave" tapas at Torre de Sande, in the old part of Caceres. What a wonderful surprise of flavours and superb value. This is definitely going to be a repeat visit next time we visit this special city in Spain.

www.torredesande.com/
Calle de los Condes, 3, 10003, Cáceres, Spain
+34 927 21 11 4
Google map: bit.ly/X01UOf

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I would really like to recommend a new restaurant in Barcelona called Llamber. It's situated in the new hip area of Born. It's one of the few places in Barcelona, where you get a free pitxo (mini tapas) with your glass of wine. For the wine lover they have 150 different wines, 30 by glass and they start from only 2,5€. Also they have a really good a la carte menu with different kinds of tapas, tables of cheeses and Spanish ham, dessert etc., all served in a creative and beautiful way.
I love to go there because the food is delicious and it's a really friendly and informal place with beautiful decoration.

www.llamberbarcelona.com
Carrer de la Fusina 5, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
(+34) 933 196 250
Google map: bit.ly/UcViNJ

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Los Diamantes is a tiny - blink and you'll miss it - local watering hole and tapas bar hidden on a bustling street full of touristy restaurants. The scrumptious smell of fried seafood, ubiquitous in Granada, is almost intoxicating on Calle Navas. If your attitude to good food is anything like mine, don't be surprised if it has a pavlovian effect on you. It certainly made me jiggle on the spot with anticipation and go "mmmm! mmmm!" This place was recommended by Lonely Planet as "reason enough to go to Granada" (I wholeheartedly agree, with the caveat that the Alhambra is, of course, the top reason to go to Granada, followed by a soak and massage in the excellent arab baths - Aljibe de San Miguel.)
The crowded, noisy, bar looked quite daunting at first but we boldly strode in, still clutching our Lonely Planet. We stood our ground and found a small space by the corner of the bar reasonably easily, considering the circumstances. Luckily we had brushed up on our Spanish food words and were ready to order such tasty tapas as "almejas" (clams), "gambas planchas" (grilled prawns) and "chipirones fritas" (deep fried baby cuttlefish). The lady standing beside me was much amused. She pointed at our Lonely Planet which we hastily stowed, "Is this place in the book?" I had no choice but to confirm this. "The food is very bad. I live in Granada and I never come here," she said with a mock frown. "Don't tell your friends about this place, ok?" said her gentleman friend. We laughed at the joke but I knew there was real worry under the smiles.
As is the practice in Granada, we got a complimentary plate of tapas with our cervezas to start. It was a generous portion of pulpo (octopus) which my boyfriend, who does not like octopus, wolfed down faster than you could say "I thought you didn't like octopus". The food did not disappoint. The clams were small and sweet (the way they should be), the prawns fresh and garlicky, the cuttlefish juicy, their tentacles crunchy. We resolved to go there again the next night. The entire meal, with three beers and bread, came up to slightly over 30 euros.
I left wishing I could bring all my friends to Los Diamantes, partly for selfish reasons - so that we would be able to order a greater variety of tapas to try as two dinners at this excellent tapas bar really wasn't enough.

www.barlosdiamantes.com/
Calle Navas, 26, Granada, Spain (Realejo - San Matias)
+34 958 227 070
Google map: bit.ly/Surlq1

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22 Ships is a brand new, modern tapas restaurant brought to us by Michelin starred chef, Jason Atherton (protégé of Gordon Ramsey and El Bulli's Ferran Adrià).
A cosy 35-seater restaurant tucked away on the strip de jour in Wanchai (from which it takes its name), Ship Street, 22 Ships is the perfect pit-stop to refuel and refresh before heading out for the night. Whitewashed exposed brick walls are hung with framed black and white photographs and big blackboards with the day's specials chalked across them. The atmosphere is laid-back but buzzy; a neighbourhood restaurant with a bit of sparkle.
Settle on high stools at the bar, for a front row view of the blur of action in the open kitchen or bag a table by the open front - ideal for spilling out onto the pavement with a group of friends while tapas grazing and working your way through a couple of bottles of wine.
Once you're settled, go ahead and order up a storm, with this menu you really can't go wrong. Stand outs include the DIY tuna tartare, the scallop ceviche and the mindblowingly awesome char grilled Iberico pork and foie gras burgers (heaven in a bun).
Sweet tooth? Finish off with the peanut butter ice-cream with blue fruit sorbet and salted peanut caramel. Positively ambrosial!

www.22ships.hk
22 Ship Street, Wanchai, Hong Kong.
(+852) 2555 0722
Google map: bit.ly/RRmBbZ

* Natalie is our local for Hong Kong. You can read all about her here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/hong-kong-local-natalie-robinson.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/natalierobinson
She also has her own blog at: www.3badmice.com/

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Los Hermanos was commended by at least two people for its excellent pescaito frito (fried fish). Affordable (€1.50 a tapa, €6 for a 1/2 ration) and clearly popular (it was full to the rafters each time we passed by), meaning that it is advisable to arrive slightly before 'normal' Spanish eating hours (i.e. 1.30pm at lunchtime and 9pm for dinner).

Virgen, 1, Conil de la Frontera
+34 95 644 0403
Google map: bit.ly/QgSH3m

* BecomingSevillana is our Been there local for Seville. You can read her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/seville-local-kim.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/BecomingSevillana.jsp
She also has her own blog: becomingsevillana.blogspot.com/

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A quieter and more peaceful version of the nearby Puerta del Sol. The cafes and restaurants around the square can get busy during the evening with locals popping in and having meals after seeing a play at the Teatro Español which is on the square. However the cafes and restaurants here are much cheaper than in the pricier Plaza Mayor. Just keep your wits about you at night and an eye on your wallet/purse as thieves do operate in this square and the surrounding streets as police do not patrol this area.

Nearest metro station: Sol
Plaza de Santa Ana is a 15 min walk from the Puerta del Sol and is best approached from calle Principe off Carrera de San Jerónimo
Google map: bit.ly/VBwr4A

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This is the real tapas experience and tremendous fun. Great atmosphere and very friendly guys behind the bar and cooking the tapas. Each time you order a beer (a cana of approx 33cl draught Alhambra poured expertly) a shout goes up and a few minutes later a hot tapa plate will appear from the kitchen (the more beers ordered the larger the plate, a shared experience). A new one comes every 10-15 minutes and as long as you order every now and then you seem to get more plates than glasses, though by that stage you don't care. The food is really good - great seafood cooked beautifully and in huge variety, with occasional extras.
We loved the place: it's friendly, efficient and high quality. There's more room at lunchtime and seats outside.

Calle Navas, 28, 18009 Granada, Spain
+34 958 22 70 70
Google map: bit.ly/NXQ4T6

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Bubion is an unspoilt village nestling into the hillside of the southern Sierra Nevada.
The white wash walls of the traditional Moorish properties are providing stark contrast to the deep blue sky above.
The area is laced with a myriad of walking trails that, with the exception of the odd mountain biker, horse rider or donkey, are your own private wilderness for miles on end.
Should this be too remote there are shorter walks to the neighbouring villages of Pampaneira and Capileira, on either side, both having their own charms.
There is no better way to celebrate an enjoyable days walk than by returning to one of the villages few, but beautifully positioned bars where you can enjoy a cold cerveza, and free tapas as you enjoy the view across to the Atlas Mountains of Morroco.
In terms of things to consider - the public transport infrastructure is rural at best - and you would be wise to hire a car, or bike to assist in getting about; Granada may appear close but requires you to circumnavigate the Sierra Nevada range - it is still worth visiting, however; and lastly, it is worth noting that few locals speak English, and the local dialect can be hard to grasp even if you are a Spanish speaker.

Google map: bit.ly/OiubQ0

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For a bar in the heart of Florence, it feels like a bar in a small town in Italy. Bar serves small tapa like portions (from 75c) as well as larger paninis.
What really struck me about this place was that people served them selves (both wine and food) and paid for it at the end. From the crowds of locals milling about the place on the road outside (as there is very little room inside) it seems like a popular spot.

Via dei Neri, 65-red, 50122 Firenze, Italy
+39 055 238 2723
Google map: bit.ly/LCocAS

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The eastern Alpujarras is much less visited by tourists than the Granada end of these Sierra Nevada foothills and as such can give the feel of stumbling across ‘undiscovered’ hamlets.
After making our way from Almeria, our hire car laboured into the village of Fondon early one Sunday afternoon, the engine fan a high-pitched wheeze as it battled the Andalucian heat.
A bar in the main square was packed with what seemed like the entire population of the settlement with a huge 1970’s TV set placed high on a corner shelf blaring out a weekend football match.
Hungry after the journey, it was then time to put our rudimentary Spanish to the test, ordering tapas from the counter.

www.alpujarras.eu
Google map: bit.ly/MrW8xn

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This is one of the coolest tapas bars in Tarifa with a great wines list and they also serve amazing breakfasts.

www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1560126075
Plaza de Oviedo, 11380 Tarifa, Spain
Google map: bit.ly/JwXzLP

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A lovely wine bar. Not being much of a connoisseur of wines, I can only say that there is an extensive list. For me the food is by far the most important! There is a vast choice of dishes and the menu interestingly (for this neck of the woods) indicates vegetarian options (the online one doesn't really do it justice). My favourite dish was marinated tuna on a bed of seaweed, with wasabi dressing. Tapas are a little more expensive than in bog-standard bars, but are quite generous portions. Some patience needed with waiters when bar is busy. I am eager to return to try more of their delicious food.

www.vineriasantelmo.com/
Paseo de Catalina de Ribera, 4 41004 Seville, Spain
+34 954 41 06 00
Google map: bit.ly/JrgVoY

* BecomingSevillana is our Been there local for Seville. You can read her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/seville-local-kim.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/BecomingSevillana.jsp
She also has her own blog: becomingsevillana.blogspot.com/

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I first discovered La Mariposa fresh off a flight at 10pm last summer - greeted by a beautiful local husband and wife duo who run the restaurant. You always know a good tapas bar when all of the customers are locals.
Nerja is one of the few places in Andalucia that still offer free tapas with a drink and in Mariposa they offer their best - truly showing off the local culinary skills and knowledge.
The owner has a top selection of Spanish riojas which beautifully compliment the food.
Personal food recommendations are the Aubergine Tempura drizzled with Frigiliana Molases followed by the locally caught Langoustine's in a potato lattice accompanied by the curry dip.
This is fine dining in an authentic little hub- excellent value for money!!
I would fly to Spain for some right now if I could!

Calle Cristo 120, Nerja, Spain
+34(0)627504840
Google map: bit.ly/IDYSvo

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In Granada, when you order a drink in bars it comes accompanied with a free little (or not so little) dish of typical food. Normally, the food could be meat in sauce, squid, little fish, sandwiches, potato omelette, etc.
The Granada people go out for "Tapeo" and only asking for two drinks they can have dinner.
We recommend it because is a typical custom in Granada and it is very important to live this custom to understand the kind of life of there. And it is a very cheap way to have dinner.

In all bars you can take a "Tapa" with your drink, but the typical place is in the center, near the bull ring ("Plaza de toros").
www.turgranada.es/?id_idioma=2
Google map: bit.ly/IJxcCF

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This wine and tapas bar is absolutely fantasic! The owner is generous and interested in pleasing anyone who shares her love of food and wine. She plays flamenco from her record collection, serves up yummy tapas, some of which she makes herself, and has a small but excellent range of Spanish wines that she thoughtfully combines with whatever tapas you want. I left myself entirely in her hands and had two blissful wine/food experiences. The atmosphere is also memorable with tasteful decorations and thoughtful touches like linen table cloths that she puts out on the bar before you begin. If I could make this my regular wine bar I'd be in heaven!

Tendillas De Santa Paula No 4, Granada, Andalucía
Google map: bit.ly/HKg39Y

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You’ll need to arrive earlier than the Spanish to ensure a table and tapas in this thriving,
buzzy Asturian community centre, open Friday to Sunday evenings and staffed by volunteers for the last 20 years. Inside older community members prop up the bar, and tables of Spanish speakers alternate with other nationalities, all happily gorging on generous plates of gambas, ham, cheese, sardines and calamares – washed down with beer for 1 euro or Asturian cider, poured from a great height to get the air into it. Past the bar with its photos of landscapes and Asturians proudly wielding their prize-winning cabrales cheese, the centro gives way to a village hall atmosphere, complete with functional tables and plastic chairs. Last time I was convinced our table of seven had over-done it: we’d ordered nearly everything on the menu, twice! But we still managed to finish everything – and three bottles of rioja - for the princely sum of 20 euros per head.
Open Friday and Saturday evenings and for lunch on Sunday.

www.centrocabraliego.net
171 rue Haute/Hoogstraat, 1000 Brussels
+32 (0)2 511 05 59
Google map: bit.ly/ysbmVR

Bec is our Been there local for Brussels. You can view her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/brussels-local-rebecca.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/Becinbrussels

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