It all started in Madrid with the Mercado San Miguel, it was an old fashioned typical neighbourhood market in the centre of Madrid then it closed down and re-opened in 2009 as a “Gastronomic” market with a huge variety of places from which you can buy food and drink to eat in a central area and it has become one of the top visitor attractions in the city. I loved the idea initially but think that the quality of the produce has gone down while the prices have risen. Also the locals no longer have a produce market nearby. It is frequently so packed that finding anywhere to put your food and drink can be almost impossible. It is certainly worth a visit when in the city but having seen how this idea has flourished in other cities, mainly in Spain, I feel there are other and possibly better ways that local markets can be refurbished to cater for both local and visitor needs.

 

Traditional markets are found in most local areas of Spanish cities and are an integral part of life, everyone goes to buy their meat, fish, fruit and vegetables, also perhaps get their shoes mended and maybe stop for coffee, wine and tapas or even lunch at the always present bar or bars in the building. San Miguel now has no such facility for locals who live nearby. The Mercado San Anton in Chueca was the next in Madrid to have a make-over. However some stalls have been kept on the ground floor for buying produce, on the upmarket side it has to be said, and eating and drinking options have been introduced to the first floor and the lovely roof terrace. I enjoy it far more than San Miguel as the food is more reasonably priced and it is very popular but not too overcrowded.

Other local markets in Madrid also seem to have changed slightly over the last five or so years for example Mercado de Anton Martin also in the centre of the city. It is still a traditional market but there are a number of newish small places where you can eat for example cold meats & cheeses with a good range of wines by the glass or sushi at a very popular Japanese place. It however still retains the old style bars for breakfast or lunch.

It is worth mentioning that one of the finest markets in the world La Boqueria in Barcelona is the subject of local controversy. This is still a working market with an amazing range of produce and also many places to eat, some of which have been in any self respecting guide book for years but it is also one of the top visitor attractions. Locals frequently mention how it is impossible to shop there these days because of the number of visitors in the market. Now that is a difficult one to resolve, turn it into a San Miguel and loose most of the locals or try and restrict large tour parties.

Various cities in Spain including Valencia and Cordoba have adopted a similar model to San Miguel and having visited both of those in the last year I feel they have not quite worked. Not having the produce areas perhaps means that the locals are less likely to visit and both are in locations where visitors are not as likely to visit as at San Miguel.

Seville adopted the same model and a well known ex-bullfighter has transformed what was once the old fish market into the Mercado Lonja de Barranco. I visited with a local friend in December and we were both disappointed, it was expensive, service not great and such a shame that one stall selling pulpo, octopus, as it’s speciality did not have any white wine only red. We left and visited the Triana market just over the bridge, what a change, a real market with produce and stalls doing food and wine, one with one of the best ranges of G&T’s I have seen, a Spanish obsession !

In Seville also well worth a visit is the Mercado Feria, the oldest market in the city, it has great produce stalls, including a good wine shop and also some good eating places especially La Cantina, with a lovely outdoor terrace, specialising in fish and seafood. Now this is the sort of market I would want in my area.

I am saving my two favourite market transformations to last, both of these have retained the old produce markets but have added eating and drinking places and in both cases improved the market.

Cadiz’s Central Market was a typical, traditional market with open air spaces around the central part. It was refurbished and re-designed a few years ago and retains all the traditional stalls in the centre while round the outside are food stalls with meat & cheese platters, seafood, empanadas from Argentina and dozens more options. There are a number of bars with wines, beer and soft drinks. In the open air part there are tall tables and chairs and benches where you can enjoy the food and drink. In the winter the eating part mainly seemed to be open during the day but I think in the warmer weather more places will be open in the evening. This is such a sympathetic refurbishment bringing the best of both traditional and new to the city.

Leaving Spain and moving to Lisbon in Portugal the transformation of the Mercado de Ribeira has been outstanding. Long one of my favourite cities, the old market in a prime location was a bit of a sad place, a lovely building but with only a few produce stalls. The restaurant that was once there apparently had gone and something had to be done. Along came Time Out and in 2014 the Time Out Mercado de Ribeira opened to great reports. I am delighted to say it does not disappoint, the produce section which was rather empty seems to have had a new lease of life. The food part has a mix of some of the top Lisbon chefs offering reasonably priced freshly cooked full dishes to smaller stalls offering a variety of “tapas” style dishes. The prices are in the main very reasonable and it seems popular with both visitors and locals.

Hopefully new places trying to “revamp” old markets will learn from some of the more recent openings and not focus on trying to re-create San Miguel.

PS – Update from Italy

Italy seems to have joined the trend in re-vamping traditional markets based on our recent visit to Florence. The old traditional produce market, Mercado Centrale, has had an update . The first floor has been opened up as a food hall with a main restaurant, pizzeria, beer bar and café. In addition there are a dozen or so places selling their own types of food from traditional Lampredotto, a tripe sandwich, to a Truffle Specialist. There is also a large wine bar selling dozens of Chianti’s by the glass and bottle, there is a list and it is worth asking for this and spending a bit more on a really good glass. The market is open 365 days a year and till midnight each day giving the area a much needed place for an after dinner drink. The prices seemed reasonable, but worth a good wander round first before settling on somewhere. Eataly the Italian food emporium have a supermarket there and also a cookery school

PPS Update from Holland

Holland is following the trend of food markets with new examples opening up in Amsterdam and Rotterdam. We visited the new Foodhallen in Amsterdam recently and were very impressed. It is clear that the owners have looked at other examples and have taken the best aspects of these into the new venture. Located in the Oud West area of Amsterdam, a rapidly changing area, the market is in a converted tram depot and has been very well designed. There is plenty of seating areas, sadly lacking in many other markets, there is a wide variety of food and drink available and most seems to be reasonably priced. The building also has a restaurant and brasserie which both looked impressive. This is definitely a welcome addition to the dining options of Amsterdam.

Arriving at Shanghai main railway station on an overnight sleeper train from Xian it was good to see easy access to the main concourse and directions to the well organised taxi stands that were simple to follow, after spending time in a few Chinese railway stations over the past weeks we knew this was not always the case.

After Beijing and Xian, Shanghai, even given its size and vast population, seemed less frenetic. Crossing the road while still dangerous was less of an ordeal, queuing was more organised, the crowds in the metro were not as daunting and the interchanges between lines short, unlike Beijing.

You immediately feel that while this is obviously still China there is more of a Hong Kong feel, less police and more relaxed security. There is so much to see but not the huge sites that there are in Beijing just the enjoyment of selecting an area getting a feel of that part of the city, the architecture, the eating, the shopping and perhaps chilling out in a café or bar.

I had wanted to visit Shanghai for a long time and had read much about the Bund, the famous riverside area with grand buildings from the colonial time of the city when the British, Americans and French had their settlements. It did not disappoint, particularly at night when looking at these fantastic old buildings and the brand new skyscraper buildings on the other side of the river in Pudong. The brand new Shanghai Tower is still to be completed but will soon look down on the Shanghai Financial Centre with its futuristic bottle opener top and the beautiful pagoda style Jinmao Tower. Given the queues for the observation deck at the Jinmao I would suggest the Hyatt Cloud 9 bar one floor below, opens at 5pm and gives you staggering views of the city on a clear day.

Close to these towering buildings and with easy access to the metro is the IFC Mall, possibly one of the smartest malls I have ever seen, the range of designer shops is incredible but much more fun is choosing where to eat from the huge selection or choosing a bottle of wine from Enoterra a wine shop where there is no corkage if you choose a bottle from the huge range and drink it in their bar area.

Shopping and food seem to be the main pastimes in the city and as you would expect these both range from very expensive to incredibly cheap (and good). We booked lunch in advance at Table No 1 which is part of Jason Atherton the UK Michelin starred chef’s expanding Asian empire. This is in the Cool Docks area of the river and is part of the industrial chic Waterhouse hotel. The set lunch is a bargain at the equivalent of £18 for 3 courses, the food was outstanding and the service excellent, a really great experience.

At the other end of the scale we had one of the great food streets of Shanghai on our doorstep. Close to the Shanghai Concert Hall and Peoples Square is Yunnan Street, it contains everything, roast duck and pork stalls, dim sun, kebabs, hotpots and seafood places. The best seafood place is on the corner of S. Yunnan Rd. and E. Ninghai Rd., we found it when searching for a cool beer late at night and discovered a place packed with locals eating plate upon plate of delicious looking food. The beer at £1.20 for a large bottle of chilled lager was a winner and we came back regularly afterwards to eat from the huge menu and nothing ever disappointed. Four excellent dishes and four beers cost on average the equivalent of £16. The translations on the menu were wonderful including dishes described as sexual harassment dried bamboo shoot and German groping, neither of which we tried. There were lots of other choices apart from seafood.

Still on the subject of food, we also sampled Hot Pot in Shanghai, although perhaps more associated with Beijing and further North there were a huge number of options in the city and we opted for Hai Di Lao, a national chain renowned for the best service possibly in China – it is used as an MBA study model. In the busy times you get snacks, drinks, shoe shines and manicures while you wait. We went at a less busy time and it was excellent, menus are on IPads and we chose a split hot pot, part tomato broth and part mushroom broth, with half portions of meats and vegetables to cook in the broths. Great quality and good fun and there are many pastes and spices you can add or dip into to suit your taste.

The last must on our food list was the “to die for” dumplings at Din Tai Fung, a Taiwanese chain with places in all the main cities, and yes they are more expensive than other places but boy are they worth it and you don’t get black truffle in your dumplings in most places. The choice and the service were truly top notch.

We managed to fit in some culture as well and the highlight was without a doubt the Shanghai museum, it is said that the citizens of the city do not look back and tend to disregard tradition, an exception being this marvellous museum, designed in the shape of an ancient bronze cooking vessel. The bronzes on the ground floor of the building were truly stunning, some dating back to 21BC, the intricate work and design was jaw dropping. The other galleries particularly the ceramics were fabulous but the bronzes I can still picture.

There will be lots of details on places to eat and visit on the Shanghai page on the web site but sadly it was time to leave the city on another overnight sleeper, this time heading to Hong Kong.

This was our first visit back to Palma in seven years and this time we were renting an apartment in the old part of Palma in a neighbourhood called Sa Gerreria. This was the area of merchants and craftsmen and it retains much of the original character with narrow winding streets and small squares.

It is minutes from the main shopping streets and the Plaza Mayor but has it’s own unique feel. It had gone through a period of considerable decline but in recent years has seen many improvements and investment in the area. In estates agents speak it is up and coming, there is an excellent range of bars and eating places and a real feel of community. I cannot wait to return and to catch up with all the great people we met – in the meantime I thought I would share some of it’s highlights with you.

One is a restaurant called La Juanita, La Sala dels Flassaders 4, I was almost reluctant to share it as a really is such a gem that we ate there twice in two days and only wish we had found it earlier. It had been recommended by someone we met and although he did not know the name we were certain we had found the place one lunchtime, a blackboard with four dishes on it was outside the door and the owner came out and translated them from Mallorquin, the local version of Catalan. This did it for us and we sat outside shared some home made foccacia style bread then had loin of cod with grapes, and fideua (short noodle paella) of rabbit and squid, a Thai flavoured milk pudding, a decent bottle of white wine from Catalunya for 30 Euros, great cooking, wonderful fresh flavours, a bargain.

Next day we went back and ate at the counter with Albert, owner, chef, waiter, cooking in front of us. We shared a chicken confit with cherries and fruit to start, then had bonito, a type of tuna, with avocado, including an ice cream and melon, on a very hot day this was just fantastic. The other main merluza (hake) fried with garlic and chilli and served on potatoes was simple but just so perfectly cooked. Poached pears and raspberry sorbet to follow, the same white wine and all for 38 Euros left us speechless with the quality of Albert’s cooking. We had seen him shopping that morning in the market so can vouch for the freshness.

The reason I am sharing it is that three days after we got home The Guardian newspaper published a page on where to eat in Palma and included this place, so the secret is out, he also apparently does cookery lessons.

There are many other places nearby Quina Creu, Carrer de Corderia 24, was just below our apartment and is a more sophisticated looking place, there is a restaurant which offers a good lunchtime menu as well as a full a la carte menu and the bar has excellent hot tapas to order and pinchos on the bar, this is the cool and trendy side of the area and deservedly very popular.

Just opposite is a bar called Ca La Seu, the premises were a basket making shop which was in business for almost 500 years. The bar has kept the original feel, the owner Carolina is lovely and the pinchos both hot and cold are innovative. A real favourite with us and the locals we met.

An especially good night to visit the area is on a Tuesday when they have the Ruta Martian, where a number of bars offer a small beer or wine and a pincho (tapa on a cocktail stick) for 2 Euros. The bars get packed and there is a great atmosphere, it is not a late night as the bars shut at 11.30 to allow the residents a good night’s sleep some other ones to try are below.

El Carmen, Carrer Hostals, owned by Maribel a good local bar with a wide range of tapas and pinchos

Molta Barra, Carrer del Pes de la Farina, a buzzy bar with a youngish crowd, busy every night

Bar Flexas, Carrer Llotjeta, not on the Ruta but the original bar in the area before it became popular and definitely worth a visit

Ambigu, Carrer Carnisseria, sits in a small square just beside the rear of Santa Eulalia church and is a lovely bar with excellent taps, the tortilla is yummy, and on the Ruta,

Ca’n Joan de S’aigo is an ice cream and chocolate parlour founded in 1700, it is full of locals drinking hot chocolate or eating ice cream and has fabulous cakes and pastries including the traditional ensaimada pastry, try the apricot ones.

The Mercado Olivar, is about ten minutes walk away in Plaza Olivar and is just the sort of market you want on your doorstep, it has traditional stalls for shopping, a good wine shop, and stalls to eat at but has not become a place that only visitors can afford. There is a great seafood stall where you can sample the various types of oyster with a glass of chilled white and also a more modern bar with prawn and salmon nibbles to accompany a glass of pink cava. What we did not sample but was mentioned by the Guardian is Cervecaria Anfos on the first floor where you can sample various simply grilled fish dishes or buy your own and ask them to grill it for you for a small charge.

There are a couple of other special places to mention that are technically not in Sa Gerraria but are close by and both are on the firm favourites list.

Bar Espana, Calle Can Escursac, is a minute from the Plaza Mayor near the steps that lead up from Carrer Union and is a firm favourite from our first ever visit to Palma. Very popular with locals it does good tapas to order as well as pinchos on the bar and when a hot special such as morcilla with a quail’s egg appears the plate empties in seconds. The guys that run it are great and it is a comfortable place to hang out.

The last but certainly not the least is La Vinya de Santa Clara, this became a nightly stop during our stay, it is a comfortable 10 minute walk from the heart of Sa Gerreria towards the cathedral. This small wine bar is owned by Esteban who although originally from Argentina has been in Palma for a number of years. He has a great selection of wines and will happily assist you with a choice to suit, he also serves meat and cheese platters. He is great company and it is a lovely place for some wine or a beer and chat.

Cannot wait to return again to Palma and in particular Sa Gerreria and check out the Palma page for other recommendations.

May has arrived and time for our third trip to Galicia in Northern Spain, this time with four friends, two of whom have been before but two have not. The aims of the trip are to taste some great local wines and eat great seafood and for the two newcomers to get a taste of Galicia and we sure did all three. I’ll start with some places and end on the amazing wines.

Our first stop was Lugo one of Galicia’s provincial capitals and famous for being the only city in the world surrounded by completely intact Roman walls, there is a great walk round the top of the walls, well used by locals for their morning walk or run. Lugo however has another claim to fame, probably the best free tapas in Spain. I am lucky enough to have a friend who lives there and on our first visit was staggered to be offered a choice of one hot and one cold tapas with each drink. Who said there was no such thing as a free lunch ! The Rua Nova is teaming with bars, one of the best is A Nosa Cerra and the nearby streets are full of places. Close by is a gem called Pazo Das Pombas, Rua do Mino 9, as well as being an excellent restaurant and bar the owner, an ex history teacher, has created almost an in house museum with original Roman artefacts. The steps leading from the cathedral to the square are named after Luis Pimental, a famous Galician poet from Lugo who was my friend’s uncle by marriage. In the square one of his poems is cast into a tree statue.

We moved onto A Coruna, a large city set on a spectacular headland with a busy port and a great beach. The city is dominated by the Tower of Hercules and below it a statue of Breoghan the Celtic king who in Celtic myth founded the city. The streets leading up to the main square Plaza Maria Pita are packed with bars and restaurants where you can try the incredibly fresh seafood. El Rey de Jamon, Rua Franja 45, as you may guess however specialises in jamon (ham), it is a grocers and delicatessen with a number of tables and a great selection of meats, cheese and wine along with friendly service. For fish and seafood try La Sarten de Coruna, Plaza de Espana 11, to eat in the restaurant at the weekend you need to book and while it is not cheap it is good value for the quality of food on offer. Jamoneria la Leonesa, Plaza Santa Domingo, is in the old town and is a local haunt well worth a visit. Bar la Bombilla, Calle de Torreiro, is a city institution and has the cheapest tapas in the place, very popular.

Santiago de Compostela has to be on everyone’s list for Galicia and while it is incredibly busy with both pilgrims and visitors from across the world it should not be missed. It also gives you a chance to experience a truly memorable eating experience at Abastos 2.0, they have two places and we ate at Ghalpon just by the market and had the market menu. It consists of a selection of five tapas, followed by a vegetable dish, a fish dish, a meat dish and finally two deserts for currently 35 Euros, for another 10 Euros you can have 4 matching wines. It was truly outstanding, one of the most memorable meals in my travels, every single dish was brilliant. There are a couple of wine bars to recommend, Bierzo Enxebre in Rua de Troya specialising in wines from Bierzo. This is a region not well known outside Spain but it produces some really excellent wines, more on wines later. Also Cervantes, Calle Abazacheria which has a great selection of wines from various regions and also good food. For the more basic option pop into Bar Dubres also in Abazacheria, attached to the supermarket, the free tapas are consistently good and you feel like a real local.

The best known white wine from Spain is probably Albarino and the heart of the production is Cambados a lovely small town famous as well for its seafood, some of which is collected by local women at low tide. I suspect that in the summer the town is probably very busy and although quiet when we visited there were still one or two places worth recommending to try. Lume de Lena, in the Plaza de Rodas, has excellent tapas and wines and lovely service. Most popular with the locals and you can see why is A Casa de Miguel, Calle Real, the free tapas were just staggering not just the quantity but the quality.

If you are travelling by car then a couple of places well worth visiting are Betanzos and Muros both beautiful examples of small Galician towns and Pontevedra a larger city but with a beautiful old part full of colonnaded streets. You should also try to get to Finisterre, the end of the earth, what a spectacular place.

I am cheating by mentioning Villafranca del Bierzo as it across the border in Castilla Leon although I now know it is Galician speaking so can definitely be included. It is in the heart of the Bierzo wine country and is a small attractive but sleepy town, worth a stop for one night if only to try Mi Tienda, Calle Jesus Adran, a grocers shop and wine bar with some great local produce and if you are lucky, customers who are some of the local wine producers.

So onto wine from the region, DO, Denominacion de Origen, is a regulatory classification system used in Spain and Galicia has 5 such areas. DO Rias Baixas is the coastal area centred around Cambados and is famous for albarino white wine, now incredibly popular abroad. There are many wineries you can visit although not that many will have English speaking tours, one of the biggest and best known is Martin Codax on the outskirts of Cambados and a tasting tour can be organised with them for around 15 Euros. Some of the fun is trying the wines in local bars and restaurants and they mostly have a staggering selection, a few names to look out for are Terras Gauda, Don Ricardo and Martin Codax Lias.

DO Valdeorras is on the eastern edge of the province and produces amongst other wines the lovely godello white wine, this is becoming more popular and is similar in many ways to chardonnay and do not let that put you off. One that we tried was called 1957 although I have been unable to source the winery, other well known names include Louro, Godeval and Guitian.

DO Monterrei is a relatively small area on the Portuguese border and from there we tried Quinta da Muradella white from treixadura grapes and what an outstanding find it was, although many in this area also use the godello grape.

The remaining areas are DO O Ribeiro, mainly white wines and DO Ribeira Sacra, mainly red wines, this area contains some spectacular scenery around the very high terraced vineyards which seem to hang on the edge of the gorges.

There has to be a mention for DO Bierzo which produces some amazing red wines mainly from the mencia grape. We visited the winery Dominio de Tares and were amazed by the quality and the entrance fee for a four wine tasting of I think five euros was deducted from any purchases. Look out for the reds from Bierzo.

After ten days in Galicia it was time to head to Madrid, the city I have visited more often than anywhere else in Spain, where my heart is and to me the most Spanish city in the country. What a joy to unpack in our apartment in La Latina go out into the busy streets on a warm Sunday evening and to discover that the area is holding a Pincho Week. A total of 37 bars are participating and all are offering a pincho, small tapas usually on bread, and a small bottle of Estrella beer for 2.50 Euros. This was a great way to find new places in an area that we know very well as lots of the names of the bars were new to us and it was only 2012 when we last spent time here.

Calle Cava Baja is probably the best know street in the area, when we first started to visit regularly about fifteen years ago the street was full of traditional Madrid restaurants such as Casa Lucio, still a favourite of the royal family and visiting dignitaries. There were two excellent wine and tapas bars and both are still there. The best and my favourite is Casa Lucas where Jose, Pablo and Javi preside over an excellent wine list, various pinchos, great for sharing between two and larger dishes. There are only a handful of tables so booking is advised particularly at the weekend. The other place still going strong is Tempranillo with a wider selection of wines by the glass and specialising in cold meats and cheese, while good to visit for the wines the welcome is never as warm as in Casa Lucas.

The street has changed over the years with many tapas bars opening up, some staying, some closing but more recently many bars specialising in copas, or drinks such as G&T, which has become a Spanish obsession. This has lead to the street changing in character, attracting a younger drinking crowd instead of the more mature food and wine fans from a few years ago but the two stalwarts should definitely be visited.

In some ways this is good for us, we have spread our net further in the area and have discovered great places, many are traditional Madrid bars, others newer arrivals but loads worth a visit.

Calle de Calatrava has a couple of gems of bars, Casa Gerardo at 21 is an institution, fantastic wine selection, great tostas, toasted bread with a selection of great toppings, and a large local following. Vinos 11 Casa Dani, is at number 11 and a great find this trip, another traditional bar. Café Aroma at 27 took part in the pincho week and this unassuming looking place produced a treat of asparagus, quail’s egg, ham and tomato bread.

Nearby in Calle Angel at No. 7, is Casa Mateos an old taberna but recently taken over by Alex, who is friendly, knowledgeable about her wines and produces some excellent food. Viuda Vacas, Calle Aguilla 23 is just along the street and is a restaurant that has a good local reputation, in the Pincho Week it produced aubergine tempura with a salmorejo sauce, proof of the quality.

La Cabra en el Tejado, Calle de Santa Ana 31, is just the other side of Calle Toledo from Calatrava and also took part in the Pincho Week, it specialises in crepes and offered a rolled crepe stuffed with minced chicken, the bar had a nice feel to it. Calle Don Pedro had a couple of bars taking part Maria La Lia at No.6 and D.Baco at No.4, both were very busy with a younger crowd but still produced great pinchos. La Rosa, Calle Oriente 4 had a great pincho of langoustine, mushroom and rose petals. Two more on the list for the next visit are La Nieta Carmela and La Parrala, both in Calle Humilladero, both featured in Pincho Week and although we did not get time to try them the dishes they were doing make them musts for our return.

Moving away from pinchos, the Spanish menu del dia, a three course lunch usually with a glass of wine still goes strong, however in many places while the food is fine for the money you may not be excited by what was on offer. An exception this time is, incredibly, just five minutes away from the Puerta del Sol, the centre of Madrid. Venta el Buscon, Calle Victoria 5 offers a three course lunch for currently 11.50 Euros and for two people that includes a bottle of white or red. There was a good choice of dishes and everything we had was excellent, the service great and on top of this bargain price we were given a glass of liqueur on the house to finish.

A more modern place altogether is “el b_US” , I know, what a funny way to do the name, in Calle Duque de Rivas 5, they are open for breakfast, do a limited but excellent menu del dia and have a lovely list of wines by the glass.

For a traditional Madrid meal try Malacatin in Calle Ruda, it is a grand Madrid taberna and the place to try a cocido, the Madrid dish of stewed meats, chickpeas and vegetables, go with an appetite.

More from Madrid later in the year.

Christmas in Seville, a new experience for us as although we have spent Xmas in Spain before and know Seville reasonably well we have not been there during the festive period and had no idea what to expect.

 

Settling into our apartment in the Arenal area the first thing to do was shopping for provisions and we knew that bars and restaurants would be shut Christmas Eve and were not sure how much would be open on Christmas day, as it happened lots of places were open. Having shopped locally for essentials such as bread, jamon and cheese the next thing was wine and we found the ideal place nearby.

Flores, C/San Pablo 24 is a very upmarket food and wine shop and also a bar and restaurant. It is not cheap but the quality is top notch whether you are looking for a bottle of wine or some jamon or just want to sit outside with a glass of their excellent wines. The staff are very knowledgeable, be warned if they say as they pour you a glass of wine that it should be left for ten minutes before you can really enjoy it, then leave it for ten minutes !

We had booked a late lunch for Xmas Eve and after a lot of research chose Restaurant Becerrita, C/Recaredo 9, Puerto Carmona, www.becerrita.com this is top class dining in Seville, an upmarket place as you expect in Seville with a number of small dining areas, the food was extremely good and the service is excellent. This is one for a treat. The meats dishes both pork and lamb were perfectly cooked, the portions are large so do not be tempted by a tapas on route. There is an excellent wine list as one would hope.

Seville as with most places in Andalucia and in the rest of Spain seems to be going through a Gin & Tonic frenzy and they are so well done in Seville in huge balloon glasses with plenty of ice, and also plenty of gin this was evident on Xmas eve.

Heading home we discovered an old haunt Casa Matias, C/Arfe 11, this was visited by Rick Stein during his Spain series for the BBC, but we knew it from old as we stayed opposite during the flamenco bienalle one year. The place is minute, tiny, miniscule but then it was packed till the early hours with regular flamenco performers and other musicians and singers who were in town, The atmosphere was electric and the staff and owner welcomed us in. A few years later and it is still packed for the music although it seems to be more early evening, the crowd (locals) have gone a bit more upmarket and visitors are still welcomed by the owner and it was packed until shutting at 8.30 pm.

Another reason to come to Seville was to seek out knew places for tapas and we certainly managed that, three new finds are detailed below plus one old favourite.

If you are lucky enough to visit Seville then seek these places out.

La Brunilda, C/Galera 5, Arenal, www.facebook.com/LaBrunilda has reputedly been opened by someone who was involved with Bar Zelai, which had a great reputation. I had heard that there were queues as soon as it opened therefore we got there just on 8.30 and managed to get seats at the bar. By 9 pm there was a very long waiting list.

The food lived up to everything I had heard, we ordered dorada, a type of bream, with pisto , spanish ratatouille, then duck confit with sweet carrots and pistachio. These were so good we ordered two more dishes solomillo (fillet of beef) with baby roast potatoes, and chicken with a selection of mushrooms and a polenta cake. With two glasses of rioja the bill came to 30 Euros, for food of this quality and with excellent service this was a bargain.

Ovejas Negra. C/Hernando Colon 8, www.ovejasnegrastapas.com what a find, minutes from the Giralda a modern tapas bar with loads of local clients. Super friendly staff but be warned get there early as it is soon full, we tried the pig carpaccio which was possibly the best tasting pork ever and a large portion and then a lovely casserole of baked aubergine with a parmesan crust. Could have worked through the menu but there was somewhere else to try.

Arenero Taller de Tapas, Pasaje de Vila 6, is just off the C/Mateos Gago one of the busiest streets in the Barrio Santa Cruz but this modern tapas restaurant is far removed from most of the surrounding places. Without a reservation we were lucky to get a table for two and while the service is serious it is attentive and knowledgeable and the food fantastic. We only tried two dishes but the pulpo andaluz style was memorable, tender octopus slices on top of wonderful garlic potatoes with salmorejo, thick gazpacho from Cordoba, to accompany it, the mini burger was excellent but the pulpo still lingers in the memory. Just wish we had found it earlier.

Eslava, C/Eslava 3, San Lorenzo www.espacioeslava.com/en great to go back time and time again and find that the tapas are still so good and the prices for the quality so reasonable. This time we tried the scallops in a Japanese sauce and salmonettes, small red mullet simply grilled, two great small dishes and two very good white wines for 10 Euros, what is not to like.

If you want more advice on where to stay, eat and drink and what to see then go to www.cityhaunts.co.uk and check out the Seville page.

Another new addition to Seville is the Metropol Parasol, Plaza Encarnacion a wooden structure of six parasols forming what looks like a giant mushroom and known as such by the locals. The entrance to gain access to the roof is in the basement and after you pay your fee of 3 Euros which includes a drink you go up in the lift to the terrace area. I have to admit that the jury is still out for me on the structure, true it has improved an area that had little going for it but does it fit in…..

What to drink in Seville, well you should try fino sherry whatever time of year, if you are going ugh sherry remembering the horrible sweet ones brought out for Christmas then time to put that behind you and try this. Either from Jerez or El Puerto de Santa de Santa Maria or from Sanlucar de Barrameda when it is called manzanilla this is served chilled and goes amazingly well with seafood especially prawns.

Another local tipple is tinto de verano is a great refreshing drink and not as sickly as sangria, it is simply red wine with usually sprite and ideally the lemon version and some ice.

Venice, is my partner’s favourite city in the world and we were here for his birthday in February, probably our twelfth visit here and time I thought to correct some of the commonly held myths about the city. The canals do not always smell, the cost of food and drink is not always expensive and of poor quality, and lastly that it is always packed with tourists.

 

The first one about the canals smelling I suspect may be more likely in the summer however if you visit during the winter then this is not the case, yes there may be a small back street canal that is due to be dredged and may be slightly smelly but that is it.

 

The answer to the first myth also applies to the last myth, I personally would never visit the city except in the winter, it is quieter, more atmospheric, there are not queues for everything and hotel accommodation is much more reasonable.

 

The last myth is in part true in that if you sit in St Mark’s square you will pay a fortune even for a coffee and also that in general the closer you eat to St Mark’s the worse the quality, there are of course exceptions but in general that is the case.

 

How to find where to eat and drink is relatively easy these days by getting a good guide book and also looking on the internet for example for the information on my web site www.cityhaunts.co.uk but I will give you some tips and recommendations from our last visit.

 

Venice has a great tradition of cicchetti, small snacks similar to tapas or pintxos in Spain, these are available in small bars known as bacaros and it is wonderful to see that there are new ones opening which follow the tradition and are used by mainly locals but also by visitors in the know. In the main these open in the morning and close early afternoon and then re-open early evening but close around 9 or 10pm.

 

There are many round the Rialto Market which will be in all the guide books and on my site because they are either the originals ones in that area or have opened over the last ten or so years which has made this area not just a daytime or early evening destination. The originals include De Mori and Do Spade which look like they have been there forever, All Arco, Al Merca and Banco Giro are relative new comers.

What is wonderful is to find a recently opened old style bacaro that is already packed with locals, All Ciurma, Calle Galeazza. Their cicchetti are super, some are different from most places such as the prawn & lardo in batter – excellent and some are traditional such as the meat polpette – very good.

 

All the above have a selection of mainly local red and white wines which gives you a great chance to try some excellent wines for between 2 and 4 Euros. In many places you can ask for an ombra, rosso or bianco, which will be the house wine normally served in a small tumbler and costing from 60 cents to 1 Euro – always perfectly drinkable.

 

Cannaregio is another great area to try bacaros so check out www.cityhaunts.co.uk for details of ones to try however there are ones to try in most of the areas, sestiere, of the city.

 

Some of the bacaros also do full meals however a special dinner does not have to cost a fortune in Venice, we recently had three excellent dinners at places not previously tried and in all cases the food was excellent and the prices reasonable.

 

Ai Mercanti, Calle dei Fuseri, San Marco 4346, an easy walk from Rialto, Academia or St Mark’s, it is in a lane off Fuseri so keep an eye out for the sign. This is highly rated and deservedly so, we booked in advance for a Saturday evening and you have to telephone and reconfirm on the day or will loose your booking. We shared an antipasti of rabbit terrine with blue cheese and spinach, followed by a shared primi of ravioli filled with hen and a celery cream. For mains we had turbot in a caper and butter sauce and braised beef cheeks and baby onions and special polenta. All the dishes were top notch, with two glasses of white wine and a bottle of excellent negroamaro, not local I know. The cost 96 Euros and you would find it difficult to eat as well for that price at home. The setting is modern and makes a change from the traditional look and feel of a lot of Venice restaurants.

 

Our next choice was Osteria Alla Staffa, Calle Ospedale, Castello 6397a, is a tradition looking restaurant with only 6 tables, however the cooking is a twist on the standard menu. There are more fish than meat choices and unfortunately on the night we went a couple of dishes were finished however what we had was excellent. There is only an Italian menu but the staff are happy to translate if required. Again we had a shared antipasti, a top notch beef carpaccio with rocket and grana pedano cheese, followed by sharing a tagliolini pasta dish with scallops and artichoke cream. The mains were a tagliata of red tuna with capers and tomatoes and mackerel fillets with courgette and pistaccio. With two glasses of red wine and a bottle of very good soave the bill was 90 Euros, another outstanding meal for the quality, service and price. This is another place where you need to reserve.

 

Lastly somewhere we had frequented in the past but only for an evening drink, however having always liked the owner and staff and finding that it had expanded both the eating area and the menu we decided to give it a try. Impronta Café, Calle Crosera, Dorsoduro 3815, has a highly inventive menu, we shared a primi of small gnocci with duck then two mains, suckling pig with a puree of winter vegetables and lamp cutlets on a pumpkin puree with a lemongrass ice cream in a savoury crisp basket. All the dishes were good although the lamb which was a special was possibly overpriced compared with the other main choices. The bill with a good bottle of barbera d’asti was 75 Euros including the 12% service charge which is added, an annoyance, but would definitely eat there again.

 

Enjoy good eating and drinking in Venice without breaking the bank.

I am a southern European at heart but if I had to live in one northern Europe city then it would be Amsterdam. It has everything that I could possibly want, a wonderful walking city, lovely warm bars, loads of good places to eat, full of great small individual shops, design and style by the bucket load and of course one or two rather good galleries.

I can see why some people do not like it because I suspect they come out of central station walk straight ahead and probably do not see anything but the very tacky shops and dozens of tour boats and at the moment the construction of a metro. This part the Old Centre does contain some gems but you have to seek them out, so persevere.

The secret is to exit central station and go right then head towards the western canal belt of the Herengracht, Kaizersgracht and Prinsengracht and into the Jordaan, or left and along Zeedijk towards the Niuewmarkt. True the latter does lead almost towards the Red Light District but on the way it passes some great traditional bars, and lots of good eating places particularly Chinese. Once you have exhausted these areas you can explore the delights of the southern canal belt near Utrectstraat, and then move to the Pijp for its market, great restaurants and bars. Things are also changing around the harbour area with large amounts of new construction and in the North where previously there was very little to interest visitors there is now the EYE film institute and in the area called NDSM lots of galleries and creative happenings.

Amsterdam is not cheap for accommodation and a lot is disappointing and room sizes small, think New York. However a new building on reclaimed land in the harbour has seen the opening of theRoom Mate Aitana,  IjDock 6, www.aitana.room-matehotels.com owned by the Spanish chain Room Mate, it is only ten minutes walk from Central Station and handy for the buzzy Haarlemmerstraat with lots of small independent shops, restaurants and bars. Rooms are large, the staff young, friendly and enthusiastic.

Eating out in Amsterdam offers a huge variety of places, with loads of Indonesian, Chinese, Spanish and other cuisines along with more traditional restaurants and up to ones with Michelin stars. They will suit all pockets and at lunchtime in the winter have a bowl of Dutch pea soup usually accompanied by ham on rye bread, delicious.

Some new and old favourites are listed below.

De Reiger Nieuwe Leliestraat 34 Jordaan area excellent brown bar and restaurant no reservations and no credit cards, this used to be a locals secret but it now gets a mix of regulars and visitors. At the weekend you may have to wait at the bar for a table, but during the week you should be able to get a table. The blackboard of meat, fish and vegetarian daily specials always has a great choice and on our last visit the two fish specials were both excellent. The prices are average by Amsterdam standards and the quality never fails to impress.

Restaurant Vlaming, Prinsengracht 193, www.eetcafevlaming.nl this came highly recommended by locals and did not disappoint for a Saturday night dinner with local friends. Excellent service, very good food and enjoyed the modern style of the design. If there are any small gripes it was the short menu and the fact that mains did not come with vegetables but all in all a great choice. They also have another less upmarket location at Lindengracht 95.

Seasons, Herenstraat 16, www.seasonsrestaurant.nl we came upon by chance and had an excellent meal, we only had main courses but the quality and service shone through. They have a set menu and for early evening diners they do an offer of 2 for 1 on the set menu – a bargain ! Check out the exact times on their web site, booking is recommended.

Sluizer Utrechtsestraat 41 – 45 www.sluizer.nl two restaurants one specialising in meat, the other fish (but both do have both meat & fish choices) they have a modern and stylish appeal and there is also a beautiful conservatory upstairs above the meat one. Excellent menu, great quality food and good service

Tempo Doeloe Utrechtsestraat 75 Tel 625 6718 very smart Indonesian restaurant supposed to be the best in Amsterdam booking essential, very helpful service and an upmarket wine list but quite happy if people stick to beer. They now have a cheaper version next door which is less formal.

New King Zeedijk 115 this Chinese restaurant has a great reputation and does not disappoint. A more modern setting than the nearby Nam Kee the roast meats are top notch and it is reasonable priced, very popular !

BurgerMeester, Albert Cuypstraat 48 has excellent burgers,  it is a very small place, with soft drinks only but the quality and variety is fantastic however there is now competition nearby.

The Butcher, Albert Cuypstraat 129, in the heart of the market only has seats for a about a dozen people but worth waiting to try their top notch burgers, again they only serve soft drinks. There is a very exclusive cocktail bar in the premises only for those who have booked – personally I will stick to the burgers and go to one of the lovely bars nearby.

So neatly moving on to bars there are all sorts but the traditional brown bars, so called because of the brown walls from the days when there was smoking are the heart of Amsterdam. There are lots of other bars including some very smart cocktail bars but for the real experience have a small beer and some bitterballen (breadcrumb covered meatballs). Some of the favourite brown bars are listed below.

Café Chris Bloemstraat 42, reputedly Amsterdam’s oldest bar in the heart of the Jordaan area is a very local bar, but welcoming to the visitors who drop in.

Café T’Smalle, Eglantiersgracht 12 on the edge of the Jordaan is one of the most lovely bars, it has a good selection of food and in the warm weather seating on a deck area by the canal.

Lokaal ‘t Loosje Nieumarkt 32-34 another great local brown café with good beers and a good range of wines by the glass at a very reasonable price, this bar always makes you feel at home. There is a good lunch menu available..

Het Molenpad Prinsengracht 653 one of the nicest brown cafes along the canals, it has been given a facelift but has lost none of it’s atmosphere and the menu has been increased with a number of specials. The soup and sandwich choices at lunchtime are and good, top quality and decent sized portions.

In de Wildeman Kolksteeg 3 Central towards Central Station has one of the best ranges of draught beers in Amsterdam, and is located in what used to be a distillery. Very popular particularly around early evening if it is not too busy seek out Simon who has worked there for 18 years and is a fount of knowledge on all things connected with beer.

Wynand Focking – Pijlsteeg 31 is an old bar and tasting house specialising in Genever gin, it is just off Dam Square behind the Krasnapolsky Hotel, seek it out and if you like the liqeuers then you can buy them by the bottle at the shop next door. It is only open from 3pm to 9pm.

De Pisener Club – Begijnensteeg 4 – make your way behind the leather curtain for one of the original unspolit bars- near the Beginhof. This is a classic Amsterdam bar and the staff are knowledgeable about the various beers that they sell.

In ‘t Aepjen (The Monkey) , Zeedijk 1, a lovely brown bar, rated as one of the best traditional bars in the city, can be very crowded but if you are lucky and get a seat at the bar you will find it difficult to drag yourself away, The staff are always friendly and welcoming.

Check out www.cityhaunts.co.uk for the Amsterdam page for more tips and enjoy the city as much as I always do.