ñora paella

Thinking I had perhaps held La Barraca to such a high standard of expectations for a good paella when I wrote that post a few days ago, I decided to make a paella at the beach the next day. We almost always have the sofrito for our tomato/saffron based paellas in our freezers, making them in large batches and freezing the rest. It takes 3-4 hours to make a good batch of this flavor base, so it is worth it to make a lot at the same time. The sofrito is extremely important. A good stock is important. Short grained rice is essential, preferably Spanish, though I often substitute arborio since it is more readily available. And I find, using a charcoal or wood fire is also important.

With 8 hungry teenagers as our guests for dinner, I decided to make a simple paella with just chorizo, chicken and prawns just purchased at the local market. We had been battling electrical issues all day, and it was at the point that I was texting and calling the local power company and I was in a foul mood. Never cook in a foul mood they say. So in near darkness and in the rain, we managed to get the Weber grill lit and coals gleaming and I made the paella. It took 27 minutes total and it turned out pretty darned good. It had the desirable “film” on the surface of the paella, almost like a semi-solid oil slick that was packed with flavor. The rice was just done and soaked with flavor. And there was a nice socarrat or tutong in parts of the bottom of the pan. If there was one thing wrong, it lacked a little salt, a reaction to the overly salted paella we had in Madrid, but the undersalting was far easier to fix than an oversalting. So it isn’t hard at all to make a decent paella. Not hard at all. This paella, in an 18-inch diameter pan, cost a total of PHP1,300 or Euro20 to make, including charcoal and all ingredients and even some depreciation of equipment and a bit of labor, or roughly Euro2 per person. Considering that we paid some Euro30 per person just for the paella we ate at La Barraca (excluding jamon, drinks, etc.), I think I can conclude that we were well and truly fleeced.

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LARK ON THE RISE
Choosing a champion among 1960's 3-year-old Thoroughbreds has been an unrewarding job. Of the prime pretenders, Venetian Way was a flop after he won the Kentucky Derby, and Bally Ache has been as erratic as the path of a hurricane. Others are already retired to the sick bay. In Atlantic City last Saturday, however, T.V. Lark made his first start on grass and whipped probably the best handicap field assembled this year. This was the $100,000 United Nations, and when a colt beats the best of the older horses in this kind of weight-for-age race, over a mile and three-sixteenths, he deserves considerable respect. The race also confirmed what many horsemen have assumed: if someone battles it out with the front-running Bally Ache right from the start, the latter will not be able to last a decent distance. Intentionally ran with Bally Ache instead of letting him set a false pace, and Bally Ache had to hang on at the end to save third place. If T.V. Lark runs—and wins—in this weekend's Woodward at Aqueduct, again against older horses, the "classical" generation may have acquired an authentic champion

THE BULL BUMS

Mondeño, a tall, slim matador, strode toward the plumpish lady sitting in a barrera seat in Salamanca, the heart of Spain's bull-breeding country. "I dedicate the death of this bull to you, señora," he said, and tossed her his hat.

The lady was Mrs. Tighe (Tiger) Nickalls, wife of a British horseman and journalist, and a member of a burgeoning Anglo-American social set on the Continent. The set is called, even by its own members, "the bull bums."

Bull bums follow the fairs during the bullfight season, and they are bums in name only. Most are well dressed and well off. They stay at the best hotels, eat at the right restaurants, think nothing of driving 600 miles in a day to follow their favorite bullfighter. The most conspicuous of this season's crop of bull bums is a 51-year-old bearded bachelor named Kenneth H. Vanderford. He has tooled his Karmann Ghia 10,000 miles so far this season, has seen 94 fights, expects to log 100. Vanderford, a Ph.D. in Spanish at the University of Chicago, worked for an oil company in South America for 17 years. He invested his money and graduated into bull bummery. "As long as the stock market doesn't go to hell, I can stay here," he explains.

In a baseball cap and sports shirt, the white-bearded Vanderford looks more like Ernest Hemingway than Hemingway, and he plays his part to the hilt. He is not averse to signing Papa's name for autograph seekers, a practice which caused the tolerant Hemingway to comment in Madrid: "I don't care if he signs my name as long as he doesn't sign checks." He doesn't.

Also on the circuit is Alice Hall, a 57-year-old retired Georgia school-marm. "Lady Hall," as she once was named by Spain's bullfight weekly, El Ruedo, speaks grammatically perfect Spanish with a cornpone-and-paella accent. She has been following the bulls since the debuts of Cesar Giron and Litri, and her filing-case memory can bring back a veritable Death in the Afternoon of facts and figures. She teaches Spanish in the winter, bums the bulls each summer.

There are others: Virginia Smith, a 28-year-old Long Islander, who has logged more corrida miles this summer than anyone except the ersatz Hemingway and a few matadors; the Honorable Christopher Beckett, a colonel in Her Majesty's army, who feels that bullfighting has deteriorated "because the matadors want to live until tomorrow"; and Diane Staebell, a 32-year-old U.S. Embassy secretary in Madrid who has pressed in her dreambook of memories three ears cut by Antonio Ordoñez, her hero. Hemingway himself is present this year, and so are a whole set of Lady Brett Ashleys who are more interested in the tight-suited torreros than they are in the bullfight itself.

THE EVER-NORMAL JACKPOT

What is home without a slot machine? An empty place indeed. Mrs. Dorothy Nogard, a 35-year-old divorcee of Fair Lawn, N.J. felt that her children and their little friends in the neighborhood would profit from a thorough knowledge of cherries, lemons and Bell Fruit gum. Explaining the presence of a full-size slot machine in her living room to a party of crusading police raiders, she said: "I let my own children—one 8 and one 12—and their friends play the machine with nickels that I supplied, and, of course, I took the nickels back when they finally got them out of the machine."

By confiscating the winnings, Mrs. Nogard impressed upon her children a most valuable lesson for the road ahead: you can't beat the slots. However, by supplying them with nickels she may have persuaded them that the slots can't beat you, either. But that is another problem, one that will have to wait until after Mrs. Nogard's hearing on gaming law violations.

THE HARD WAY

When she won the French singles championship last June, Darlene Hard wrote Sarah Palfrey: "You have just won another singles championship and I must say I was merely a tool." This was a flamboyant overstatement, but it had some basis in fact. Miss Palfrey, twice a national champion, had coached Miss Hard for four weeks before her departure for the European tournaments, correcting faults in her game—notably, her forehand—and encouraging her to believe in herself.

But after the French victory and three splendid wins in the Wightman Cup, Miss Hard's self-confidence faltered. She was defeated at Wimbledon, where her game began to fall apart, and then returned to the U.S. to lose four straight tournaments she should have won. Apparently embarrassed by her difficulties, she did not get in touch with her mentor. Not a woman to stand on pride or protocol Miss Palfrey wrote Darlene a letter.

"I told her she was playing with a chip on her shoulder," Miss Palfrey recalls. "I said, 'Until you change your frame of mind, you won't win a big one. The whole world is not against you.' And I told her I hoped my letter would make her mad, and she'd prove me wrong."

In the early rounds at Forest Hills last week, Sarah ran into Darlene on the courts and volunteered some more advice. She had spotted two things: Darlene wasn't throwing the ball high enough on service, and therefore was consistently netting her first ball; and since Maria Bueno, the favorite, was vulnerable on the forehand, Darlene should vary her backhand, hitting down the line as well as cross-court.

The advice took. In the delayed final last Saturday at Forest Hills, Darlene Hard put her first service in play much more consistently, bothered Bueno with crisp, down-the-line backhands, and in general played the way Sarah Palfrey believed she could. The result: a Hard victory, 6-3, 10-12, 6-4. Afterward, the winner tearfully embraced Sarah and said: "We did it!"

"Nonsense," said Coach Palfrey "you did it just by being yourself."

PASS THE PASTA
There is no intellectual or sociological problem too complex for that widely known scholar and master of the non sequitur, Charles Dillon (Casey) Stengel. The other day, for example, Casey stepped in where Andre Malraux, Bertrand Russell and our own Roy Terrell have feared to tread and explained perfectly why there are so many good baseball players of Italian descent. "It's because they eat a lot of spaghetti," said Casey, ripping through to the heart of the matter. He pantomimed a man rolling a forkful of spaghetti on a spoon. "See?" he went on, "that strengthens the wrists, and you've got to have strong wrists to be a good hitter."

SE HABLA INGLES

SMU End Rene Medellin, a son of the southern border, was telling Assistant Coach John Cudmore that he was having troubles with his foreign language course.

"What's your foreign language, Rene?" asked Cudmore.

"Ingles," said Medellin.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Olympic Gold Medalist Bill Neider has put the shot more than 67 feet in practice, believes either Dallas Long or Dave Davis will hit 70 feet one day soon....

White Sox Pitcher Al Worthington left the team and went home to Birmingham allegedly because of salary dispute. A religious man, Worthington gave his own reason: "I didn't like the way the White Sox were stealing signs."...

Archie Moore insists he will defend his light-heavyweight title only "when the price is right." The right price: $200,000. "It was worth $150,000 when I won it and the cost of living has gone up since then."...

With 10 days of regular-season play remaining, the major leagues have a sporting chance to break their combined attendance record of 20,920,842, set in 1948. An average of 20,000 for remaining games will do it....

When Indiana's troubles with the NCAA were first revealed, the rumor was that schools outside the Big Ten had complained about overzealous Hoosier recruiting in their territories. NCAA officials refused to confirm this, but the current Indiana starting lineup shows eight out-of-staters, including some from Virginia, Florida, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Tennessee....

At the Yankees-Orioles game last Saturday, Ty Cobb was asked how he thought he'd hit against today's pitchers. "I'd hit .300," said Cobb. Since this seemed conservative for a man hardly famous for modesty, the next question was, "Is that all?" Said Cobb, "You've got to remember-I'm 73."

REAL PAPA

ERSATZ PAPA

Paella! This famous saffron infused rice dish is a traditional Spanish recipe that comes fully loaded with seafood or anything your heart desires! You don’t need a paella pan to cook paella, any skillet or even a large pot will do, and it’s surprisingly straightforward to make.

Terrific festive party food!

If you’ve always wanted to but been too afraid to try Paella, I can assure you – there is no reason to be scared! If you approach it the right way – and I like to keep my recipes as risk free as possible – you will end up with rice that’s cooked exactly to your taste in a saffron infused, flavour loaded sauce with all your seafood cooked to perfection.

No overcooked seafood, and no mushy rice around here!

The beauty of paella is that it is in fact extremely flexible. Don’t get too hung up about getting the exact seafood I use. Don’t listen to the authors who tell you that you MUST use homemade fish broth or buy extremely expensive seafood stock.

I learnt Paella the Migeul Maestro* and Rick Stein way – as he wrote in his Mediterranean Escapes cookbook, Paella, whether it be for a quick midweek meal or a large festive gathering, is meant to be relaxed and fun, not stressful with strict rules.

So just chill out!! 😉

* Miguel Maestro is Australia’s most well known Spanish Chef.

I say this is a straightforward recipe but I AM going to spend a bit more time on explaining steps and process visuals than I usually do (short recipe video extremely helpful for first timers) because I’m guessing paella is a bit of a special occasion dish for many and I want to ensure you nail it! (And you will, I promise – if you follow my steps!)

The best rice to use for paella is Spanish rice labelled as:

Paella rice packets tend to be very helpful providing clues such as pictures of Paella or “perfect for paella!” splashed across it. 🙂

Where to find paella rice – here in Australia, paella rice is sold at most Woolworths and Harris Farms, some Coles, delis, Spanish or Mediterranean delis (some Italian ones too), or gourmet stores. See below for best subs using more common rice.

Paella rice is a short grain variety of rice (ie it is short in length, distinctly different from basmati which is very long). The unique quality of paella rice is that it absorbs more liquid than other types of rice without getting bloated and mushy, making it ideal for a dish like paella where you want the rice to absorb loads of flavour.

Best substitute for paella rice is risotto rice (arborio rice) which has similar characteristics ie. ability to absorb lots of liquid, except risotto goes creamy if you stir it. The next best is medium grain rice – the same rice I use for rice pudding.

I do not recommend using: brown rice, long grain white rice, black rice, wild rice or any other fancy type of rice. And in anticipation of someone asking – NO to quinoa!!! (A million Spaniards almost fainted at the thought).

I divide the stuff that goes into Paella into 2 groups:

And here are the proteins I put in the paella – chicken, chorizo*, calamari, prawns/shrimp, mussels. A very classic, popular combination.

* 45 million Spaniards just threw up their hands in protest at the inclusion of Chorizo, declaring it’s not traditional! But outside of Spain, it’s considered a key ingredient – and it adds a ton of flavour to the dish. 25 million Aussies would throw up their hands in protest if I left it out! So it’s in. 🙂

Forgot to include calamari in the above photo! if you don’t find rings, buy a squid tube then slice it – as pictured below.

Here’s how to make paella in 4 simple steps:

This part is pretty straightforward. The only key tip here is to only cook the squid/calamari for 90 seconds – squid cooks super fast and goes rubbery quite quickly!

You don’t need a paella pan. Any large skillet will work fine – or even a wide pot. In fact, paella pans require more advanced cooking skills because the everyday paella pans tend to be quite thin which makes the rice very prone to burning unless you have a stove burner made especially for paella (they have wide rings that turn down pretty low).

Note how we return some of the cooked chorizo back in to cook with the rice. It adds great flavour into the dish as well as salt.

The rice is cooked uncovered – this is a distinct cooking technique for paella compared to other iconic rice dishes of the world like Jambalaya and Biryani. Initially, we cook the rice for just 10 minutes – at this stage, it will be partially cooked though it will seem to absorb most of the liquid.

But wait! There’s more liquid to come!

We add the prawns and mussels partway through cooking the rice because they cook faster. So the idea here is that the prawns, mussels and rice all finish cooking at the same time. If the seafood was added with the rice, they would overcook. Nobody wants rubbery prawns in their paella!

The prawns and mussels (especially the mussels) leech an astonishing amount of liquid as they cook – around 3/4 of a cup. Not only does this provide the extra liquid required to finish cooking the rice, it’s essentially our very own homemade seafood stock that adds a load of incredible flavour into our paella!

The home stretch! After 8 minutes, the prawns will be perfectly cooked and the mussels will be open so you know they’re cooked.

You will need to taste the rice to ensure it’s perfectly cooked (I know, I know, what an inconvenience! 😉). And it will still be a bit liquidy which is exactly what you want – because now we’re going to cover and rest it off the heat, during which time the excess liquid will be absorbed, leaving you with a bit pot of juicy paella rice, ready for serving!

Pop the cooked squid and reserved garnishing chorizo back on top before you cover it so the heat warms them through.

And just prior to serving, add some wedges of lemon and a sprinkle of parsley for colour!

It’s entirely up to you whether you take it to the table as it is with the seafood completely covering the rice, or whether you give it a bit of a mix so the seafood gets jumbled through the rice a bit.

I tend to give it a bit of a mix to loosen the rice a bit, mix the flavour through a bit better and also disperse the seafood through. So I bring it to the table looking like this:

Answering your burning questions about making Paella. 😉

Back in 2016, in my pre recipe video days, I shared this Paella recipe as part of a 3 course Spanish Fiesta! So here are some suggestions to make a full Spanish Feast:

So. Much. Food.

So, SO happy! – Nagi x

Note: recipe calls for chopped fresh tomatoes if you have find ripe juicy ones which I could not. Canned crushed tomato is the best substitute which is what I’ve used.

Originally published August 2016, updated July 2020 with a new video, and lots more process steps!

Discovered a new way to exercise Dozer – using a drone! It makes me tired just watching him 😂 Also so glad that food doesn’t move…. he’s very difficult to keep up with!

And from the original publication date: At Sydney’s beautiful Bilgola Beach, drooling over this Paella on my computer screen and waiting patiently for me to finish, hoping I’ll let him hit the surf. No such luck Dozer, no dogs allowed on this beach! No swim for you this morning. And no paella either! #HardLifeForDozer

No matter who you are or what you like to do, there will be something for you to enjoy in Spain. There are the beaches of Barcelona and the Balearic Islands for the sand-friendly, while there are the many mountain ranges for the hiker. For the art enthusiast, there is the famous Prado Museum in Madrid embellished by works of El Greco, VelA zquez and Goya. You can also experience Madrid by foot, and that itself shows Spain’s regard to its detailed history. Flamenco dancing is sure to appeal to all. Spain’s Mediterranean cuisine is unique and delectable, and who can resist the fine wine and tasty tapas? The Mediterranean beaches are white-sand and surrounded by turquoise water. The Spanish love their football, bullfighting, paella (a rice-based dish), the famous La Tomatina festival and, of course, partying in Ibiza. 

Getting There

There are no direct flights connecting India and Spain, but there are plenty of stopover flights. The cheapest are the Saudia flights to Madrid from New Delhi and Mumbai (as low as approx. a‚¹34,000 round trip). Flights to other cities such as Barcelona (lowest a‚¹45,000 round trip from Delhi), MA laga, Las Palmas, Bilbao and Seville are more expensive. Overall, these stopover flights take a minimum of 11 hours. Saudia, Jet Airways, KLM, SWISS, Brussels Airlines, Air France, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Lufthansa, Aeroflot and Etihad are only some of the carriers that connect India and Spain. 

Visa: india.blsspainvisa.com has all the information on how to get a tourist visa for Spain (also known as a short-term Schengen visa). There is one application form for the visa (a maximum of 90 days granted to applicants), which you can download online and print and fill offline, a checklist (also downloadable online; make sure to print on back-to-back format) and a travel declaration form–all of which you must print out and submit. For other documents, see the website. Submit applications at Visa application centres locates in New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, Kolkata, Chennai, Kochi, Chandigarh, Jalandhar, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Puducherry. Then, book an appointment at the centre where documents and passport will be checked, the fees will be collected and a receipt will be given. It will take a minimum of 15 days for then to process your visa. An adult Spanish Schengen Visa’s fee is a‚¹4,300, service charge extra. You can track your application online.

What to See & Do

> In Madrid, the capital, visit the National Archaeological Museum (man.es/man/en/home), filled with artifacts dating back from the Visigoth Kingdom all the way up till the middle ages. The LA zaro Galdiano Museum, housing the art collection of LA zaro, the Prado Museum (museodelprado.es/en), known for artworks by famous romantic painter Francisco de Goya and Spanish Golden Age painter Diego VelA¡zquez, and Reina SofA­a Museum (museoreinasofia.es/en), which houses Pablo Picasso’s Guernica, are treats for art lovers. The Royal Palace of Madrid, the official residence of the Spanish royal family, the breathtaking arcaded square, Plaza Mayor and Spain’s famous Kilometre Zero marker in Madrid’s Puerta Del Sol are other attractions that must be visited. For the shopper, an evening at the El Rastro flea market and for the football enthusiast, a visit to Santiago BernabA©u and Vicente CalderA³n football stadiums are musts. For those looking for tapas, visit the neighbourhood Barrio de Chueca. Bullfighting can be enjoyed at Plaza de Toros bullring in Madrid. Visit madridtourist.info

> Just as exciting is the city of Barcelona, Spain’s second largest, located at the coast of the country’s Catalonia region. Visit Casa BatllA³ (casabatllo.es/en), which is a well-known building designed by the famous 19th century Catalan architect Antoni GaudA­, Casa Amatller, designed in the Modernisme Art-Nouveau style of architecture and Casa MilA  or La Pedrera (lapedrera.com/en/home), a beautiful stone quarry with a rough-hewn look.

For museum lovers, there is more of Picasso at the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (museunacional.cat/en). Incredibly scenic is the Gothic Quarter, which is the old city of Barcelona. Another work by GaudA­, but this one unfinished, is the church of the Sagrada FamA­lia (sagradafamilia.org/en/index.html), which looks beautiful even in its incompletion.

The Palau de la MAosica Catalana, however, is a completed concert hall built in the Modernisme style. The Crypt of ColA²nia GA¼ell (gaudicoloniaguell.org) is located in Park GA¼ell, which is a public park system designed in the early 20th century by none other than GaudA­. Shop at Boqueria Market, which is one of Barcelona’s best known. You should also take a guided tour of Passeig De Gracia and Quadrat D’or–both culture- and heritage-rich areas. See barcelonaturisme.com

In Spain’s Basque Country, which is home to its Basque people and their culture, there are three main cities–San Sebastian, Bilbao and Vitoria. While at San Sebastian, do make it a point of explore Old Town, visit San Telmo Museum (santelmomuseoa.eus/index.php?lang=en), which houses ‘Wind Comb’, a sculpture by Eduardo Chillida, enjoy wave spotting in Paseo Nuevo (paseonuevoshopping.com) and end the day at La Concha beach. Bilbao is known for its Guggenheim Museum (guggenheim.org), filled with sculptures by contemporary artists and well-known architects.

A visit to Puente Colgante or Transporter Bridge, which is a world heritage site, is also a great idea. For shoppers, a visit to the Ribera Market is a great way to purchase food. See basquecountry-tourism.com

And then, what’s a Spain trip without going to Ibiza? At island, located 79km east of the Iberian Peninsula, visit Botafoc, the magnificent lighthouse. Visit the Archeological Museum, which gives takes you into the city’s past. The necropolis of Es Puig Des Molins, which is an elaborate cemetery area, the Phoenician settlement of Sa Caleta, where over 3,500 Punic and Phoenician graves have been found along with statues such as those of goddess Tanit and god Bes, are must visits. Finally, the tourist centre of Portinatx, located along the seaside and the church located at Puig De Missa should be a part of your itinerary. Visit ibiza.travel/en 

>At MA¡laga, along the Mediterranean, there are plenty of options. Festivals such as Starlite or Luna Mora (festival of the Moorish Moon) in Guaro and La Noche en Blanco (Literally, All-nighter; see lanocheenblancomalaga.com) can be enjoyed here. Picasso Museum (museopicassomalaga.org/en/home), since this is Picasso’s native town, is worth a visit. MA¡laga is great for those inclined towards history as well, given MA¡laga Historical District’s preservation of over 3,000 years of archeological evidence. The MA¡laga Cathedral, the Gibralfaro Castle, the roman theatre and the Alcazaba, a fortification resembling a palace are some of the other exciting attractions here. At SerranA­a de Ronda, modern bullfighting was invented (a‚¬6.50 individual entry; visit rondatoday.com for month-specific timings). You may also enjoy shopping at luxury boutiques in Puerto BanAos.

> At Valencia, iconic buildings include the UNESCO World Heritage Site Lonja de La Seda, which is the silk exchange, those of the La Almoina, which is the roman ruins of the cities, the Serranos, which is an administrative region, Quart Towers, which are gothic-style defensive towers and the cathedral. The Albufera Natural Park is one of Europe’s most fascinating botanical gardens and must be visited. Churches such as Santa Catalina Church, San NicolA¡s Church, Santos Juanes Church, El Patriarca Church are just some of the many with brilliant frescoes here. Festivals worth celebrating include the Maritime Holy Week and Las Fallas. See visitvalencia.com 

At Canary Islands there are beaches, theme parks as well as volcanic landscapes. Siam Park (siampark.net) on Tenerife is very well known, while Aquapark Costa Teguise (aquaparklanzarote.es/en) in Lanzarote, Acua Water Park (acuawaterpark.com/en) in Fuerteventura and Holiday World are popular too. Canary islands showcases more parrots than anywhere else in the world. For the astronomy enthusiast, the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory (iac.es/eno.php?op1=2&lang=en) is a world of discovery. See hellocanaryislands.com

Other things to do in Spain: > The Alhambra and Generalife Gardens (alhambradegranada.org) in Granada is a Moorish palace that is sure to take your breath away with its faA§ade alone.

> The La Tomatina festival is held in BuA±ol, a small eastern Spanish town of about 9000 people. Here a large number of people from all around the world gather to participate in a food fight–armed with tomatoes. It is quite an explosion of fruit and colour and is held on the last Wednesday of August. See latomatina.org

> The great mosque of Cordoba too is Moorish and known as an important mosque of western Islam. The architecture is incredibly symmetrical. > La Rambla is a beautiful tree-lined boulevard in Barcelona that must be visited.

Where to Eat & Drink

> In Madrid, clubs such as TupperWare and Madrid Me Mata are very popular, while Serrano 41 nightclub is perhaps the best known. As for food, there are plenty of options in the fine-dining space (Dstage and Maitia, both Mediterranean cuisine restaurants) as well as the cheap-food and-tapas-space (Cerveceria Gandario and Tinto y Tapas, both Mediterranean cuisine eateries).

> In Barcelona, AbaC is two-star Michelin modern Catalan restaurant that provides an amazing dining experience. Cinc Sentits, known for its seafood, serves traditional cuisine. Barcelona also has some great bars–with Dry Martini & Speakeasy known world-over and Bar Mutis invitiation-only. In the street-food realm, Caravan Made, which serves sandwiches and buns, and Chivuo’s, who serve a classic ‘burger and beer’ combo, are two options worth reckoning.

> Basque country has nearly 40 Michelin starred restaurants, and that’s an amazing statistic–do try the Michelin three-star options Arzak, Akelarre and MartA­n Berasategui in San Sebastian and Azurmendi in Bilbao. As for bars, give Kafe Antzokia, where the Basque culture and alcohol both can be enjoyed, a chance.

> Canary Islands too have its fair share of food and beverages options–there is Lucas Maes, a Canarian restaurant in Tenerife, where traditional dishes are reinterpreted. In Gran Canaria you have Allende, where traditional cuisine is mixed with influences from around the world. At six-year-old the Eiffel Bar here, enjoy the Spanish wine. And at La Azotea de Benito Cocktail Bar, be exposed to some cocktails made with classic techniques.

> In Seville, nightlife is an absolute treat. There are many traditional bars in Santa Cruz, where impromptu flamenco dances occur. Calle Mateos Gago, Calle Betis and Plaza Alfalfa are some of the best streets and locations to enjoy the nightlife. Bar Alfafa is great for tapas, while Las Golondrinas is Andalucian cuisine. El Badulaque has pizzas and salads. 

> In Ibiza, Atzaro is known for its buffet spreads and light lunches. Well-known cafA©s include CafA© BenirrA s (+34-971-310161), Macao CafA© (macaocafe.com) for Italian food and Las Dalias (lasdalias.squarespace.com). For Spanish food, visit El Brasa the Ibizan Bon Lloc (Nuestra SeA±ora de Jesus). For seafood, there is Es Torrent (estorrent.net) and for pan-Asian, Bambuddha Grove (bambuddha.com). Sunset beach cafA©s include CafA© Del Mar (cafedelmarmusic.com), Bora Bora (boraboraibiza.com) and UShuaia (ushuaiaibiza.com)

> In Velencia, begin with a cold beer at CafA© Negrito and then carry on to CafA© de las Horas, where the setting in a townhouse would certainly get you excited. As for food, Bodega Casa Montana is famous for its wine and tapas, while Palace Fesol is a must do for those who wish to experience authentic Valencian cuisine.

> If in MA laga, there’s plenty you can do–head over to Bodegas Bar El Pimpi, which is one of the city’s most famous bars, or to Vista Andalucia, where authentic Spanish music will accompany your drinks. As for food, there’s Manducare, where the Andalusian dishes are ravishing. There’s also Maricuchi with its excellent seafood. 

Where to Stay

> In Barcelona, an en-suite hostal (hostel) comes for about E50 a night on single occupancy basis during off-season. Hostal Girona and Hostal Goya are two well-rated ones. In the luxury segment, there is Hotel Monte Carlo on La Rambla. More information on hotels: Barcelona-tourist-guide.com

> Seville: A five-star option includes Hotel Alfonso XIII (from a‚¬300 with breakfast; hotel-alfonsoxiii.com). A boutique hotel option is Corral del Rey (from a‚¬300; corraldelrey.com). Mid-range options are The Hotel Vincci La RA¡bida (from a‚¬105; vinccihoteles.com), Hotel DoA±a MarA­a  (from a‚¬107; hdmaria.com) and Hotel Las Casas  de la Juderia (from a‚¬130;casasypalacios.com). Hostal Sierpes (from a‚¬65; hsierpes.com) or the Hostal Picasso (from a‚¬65; +34 954-220-521) are the cheaper options. > In Ibiza, options include Can Curreu (between a‚¬220 and a‚¬275; cancurreu.com), Atzaro (between a‚¬160 and a‚¬350; atzaro.com) and Es Cucons (between a‚¬195 low season and a‚¬270; escucons.com). Budget options include Hostel Europa PAonico (from a‚¬45; hostaleuropapunico.com) and Hotel Tropical (from a‚¬40; hoteltropicalibiza.com)

All rates below are from booking.com

> In Madrid, properties such as the five-star Silken Puerta AmA©rica (from approx. a‚¹9,450 for double sharing; see hoteles-silken.com), the four-star Ayre Gran Hotel ColA²n (from approx. a‚¹4,700 for double sharing; see ayrehoteles.com/en/hotels/ayre-gran-hotel-colon) and the boutique hotel Only YOU Boutique Hotel Madrid (from approx. a‚¹16,000 for double sharing; see onlyyouhotels.com/en) are some great options.

> A good option in Basque Country is the four-star Hotel Mercure Jardines de Albia (from approx. a‚¹9,450 for double sharing; see hoteljardinesdealbia.com). However, if you can afford it, certainly go for the Maria Cristina, A luxury Collection Hotel, Sab Sebastian (from approx. a‚¹46,600 for double sharing; see hotel-mariacristina.com/en), which is opulence at its best.

> In MA laga, Santa Cruz Apartments are nice and cozy (see from approx. a‚¹9,400 for double sharing; see santacruz-apartments.com), while Room Mate Valeria (from approx. a‚¹11,700 for double sharing; room-matehotels.com/en/valeria) is a well-rated four-star option.

> In Valencia, Sorolla Centro (from approx. a‚¹6,400 for double sharing; see hotelsorollacentro.com/en) is a reasonable and convenient option, while those on a budget can go for The River Hostel (from approx. a‚¹3,850 for double sharing; see riverhostelvalencia.com/en).

> In Canary Islands, the moderately priced H10 Playa Meloneras Palace (h10hotels.com/en/gran-canaria-hotels/h10-playa-meloneras-palace) is a five-star option that will certainly suit your needs (from a‚¹14,150 for double sharing), while the three-star Aparthotel El GaleA³n (from approx. a‚¹3,600 for double sharing; see hotelelgaleon.com/en/index.html) works if you’re on a budget.