From sea to mountains, Almeria´s cuisine keeps the essence of every little town in the Apujarras, Sierra de los Filabres, Tabernas or Velez. Antique recipes still remains in these little towns. These popular recipes are cooked with the best ingredients collected from their lands and their rich coasts.
Its cuisine is very rich and comprises from amigas, fried potatoes, garlic soup, all kinds of seafood, operettas and paellas, grilled vegetables or the countless tapas route in the capital.

Gurullos and Nijar fish

Gurullos is a tough handmade dough from Muslim heritage made with durum wheat flour, water and salt.In the seaside towns of Almeria, the Gurullos are usually cooked with octopus and cuttlefish.
Let´s taste the best typical dishes from Almeria, made with high quality ingredients in Restaurante La Ola, located in the Isleta del Moro (Little Muslim Island), inside the Cabo de Gata National Park.

There you will enjoy magnificent views of the Mediterranean Sea while waiter serves you fresh fish, sailor casserols, red prawns and paella. Every single ingredient is really fresh, no doubt about it! Because in Restaurante La Ola they have their own fishing boat and the go fishing every day.

Zarzuela in Roquetas de Mar

Roquetas is a very picturesque place that retains the truly essence of the sailor towns and its tradictional fish auction. The supply of fruits and vegetables and also seafood guarantees the quality of its cuisine. To make a good Zarzuela we need to mix fish and seafood like crayfishes, prawns, mussels, clams, lobsters, squids and rockfishes.
Come to any of the port side restaurants, like Restaurante Nido or El Chiringuito de Paco and taste the best fish and zarzuelas.

Sailor stews and red prawns from Garrucha

Garrucha is a sailor village where you can find a hugh variety of good quality fresh fish and seafood. Here, recipes are quite simple but anything else is needed when primary ingredients can bring you to heaven. Red prawn from Garrucha is bigger and has a dipper red color than usual prawn and it is one of the best Mediterranean seafood.
You can find these simple dishes in El Almejero, located in Explanada del Puerto of Garrucha. Ideal to eat the best red mullet and grilled prawns with amazing sea views.

Garden products and fish from El Ejido

Greenhouses vegetables from el Ejido are exported every year to almost the wide world. There is nothing better than taste the Mediterranean healthy recipes in El Ejido, made with the best garden vegetables and excellent seafood.
The best place to enjoy it is La Costa (Avenida Bulevar de El Ejido, 48), an excellent restaurant with one Michelin star where its chef Jose Álvarez provides it with a sofisticated atmosphere.

Almond cake or oil cake from Velez

In Velez, 35 kilometers away from the capital, some varieties of dry fruits like grapes, olives and almonds are grown. This is the reason why its cuisine uses these products in particular.The most typical dessert from Velez is the oil cake, a recipe known for 50 years!

In Almeria

Patatas a lo pobre (poor style potatoes) at El Quinto Toro

Although at first view it seems a simple dish, it is not so easy to get a good dish of poor style potatoes. The recipe is simple with sliced potatoes, onion, oil, white wine and salt and you can eat a very good one at El Quinto Toro, Juan Leal 6 of Almeria.

Migas and some other tapas at Casa Puga

Find a place in La Puga (Jovellanos 7 )and choose from a wide variety of tapas: fried fish, meats, cheese, smoked fish, scrambled garlic, prawns and snails. Maybe La Puga is a little bit more expensive than other establishments in the same area but it is one of the most recognized good tapas place in the city. And don´t forget to ask for somemigas(crumbs)!

The Ajoblanco at La Encina

The garlic soup is a very common snack in Almeria. A thick cream with almonds, garlic, olive oil and vinegar, served with toast spread or as an accompanient to some dishes. Almeria is a land of excellent almonds, so it is used in many recipes.
If you are walking around the city center, taste it at La Encina (Marin, 6), and taste also theis cold raf tomatoe soup, hake pie or marinated sardines.

Makes you want to go, right? Do it! Check out our prices here!

You want to eat local produce? Head for the Mahane Yehuda market, where you will find all the locally sourced commodities: fresh, sweet, fleshy dates, grains, seeds, spices, nuts, heaps of dried fruit, olives of all kinds, tahini (a paste made from toasted, ground sesame seeds – go to the specialists at the Halva Kingdom stall), local craft beer (in the Beer Bazaar), confectionery… You will come across over 250 quaint stalls in this market, also known as “The Shuk”. And, like any Middle Eastern market, it greets visitors with a blast of aromas, colours and an unusual, amusing chaos which we’re very fond of. Mahane Yehuda Street.

You want to eat hummus? No Israeli table can afford to be without this dish, based on mashed chickpeas, just like tahini. And, when you taste it, you will succumb to its intense flavour and eminently smooth, creamy and compelling texture. One of the most popular hummus dishes can be had at Rahmo, a traditional-cuisine, self-service eatery which, more than vintage, might be described as shabby. But, as is often the case in such traditional spots, their homemade cuisine is marvellous. Their hummus, based on a secret recipe which requires days of careful preparation, is served with a generous layer of virgin olive oil and large helpings of pita bread which you will never stop dipping. At Rahmo you could also try the kubbeh hamusta soup (ox meat and semolina cooked in a vegetable and lemon broth), and a variation with beetroot, both great local specialities. 5 Ha-Eshkol.

You want international cuisine? Menza, one of the prettiest and most modern eateries in Jerusalem, offers great contemporary cuisine with a nod to the world at large. It is located in a pleasant pedestrian precinct, adjoining the Fine Arts faculty, given over to a craft street market and buskers which liven up a sojourn on their terrace, where you can enjoy lunch or brunch. The inside features warm interior design, in line with contemporary taste. Their menu boasts the international dishes currently in vogue, including ceviche, tartare and kebab, prepared using locally sourced ingredients. 10 Bezalel.

You want an ice-cream? We can safely say that Mousseline is possibly one of the best ice-cream parlours in the world. A small establishment, the only thing it can boast about are its exquisite sorbets and ice-creams, which truly taste of the flavours they are advertised as. The options are highly varied and include both classic and unusual flavours – masala chai, saffron, cream cheese and red fruit, dark chocolate, almonds, rose water… We recommend the coffee and the vanilla ice-creams, as well as the lemon and mint sorbet. 6Ha-Eshkol Street.

You want to have pita bread or challah? According to those in the know, the best pita bread and challah – a traditional braided bread eaten on the Sabbath – is baked in Nechama’s Bakery. Opened in 1910, the bakery also churns out pastries, buns and different types of bread almost incessantly in full view of their customers. It is located in the Mea Shearim district and the aroma that wafts out of the oven is mouth-watering. Haside Pinsk-Karlin. 

You want a typical breakfast? Modish Israelis have been seized by brunch fever. So, why not keep up with the times and indulge in this ritual? At Kadosh, with its ultra-cool air, which has remained open since 1967, you will find a broad variety of international dishes and confectionery. Above all, though, you will be able to taste their shakshuka. This traditional dish consists of fried eggs cooked over a slow fire in sautéed tomato and assorted vegetables. It is served with bread, varied salads and – needless to say – the ever-present hummus and tahini. Ideal for a brunch on their very cute terrace. 6 Queen Shlomziyon Street.

You want a falafel? The star of national street food, it is made of chickpeas, garlic, parsley, spices, olive oil, onion, cilantro and yeast. At Moshiko Falafel, a take-away establishment, you can savour one of the best falafels in Jerusalem – or in all Israel, according to die-hard devotees – served in pita bread and laced with yoghurt or tahini, gherkins and crudités. They are rich enough to sit in your stomach throughout a long stroll across the city and its cultural and historical sites. 5 Ben Yehuda.

Don’t miss out on Jerusalem’s delicious culinary offerings – book your Vueling to Tel Aviv here.

Text and photos by Laia Zieger of Gastronomistas.com

It’s a fact that gastronomy is in vogue in Madrid, as we saw for ourselves on our recent trip to the capital. The classical, long-standing bars, restaurants and fondas have been augmented by new venues for enjoying good food and drink – gastrobars, gastroclubs, gastronomic events and gastronomic markets. It was this latter concept we investigated on our trip, with very rewarding and tasty results, too.

Market of San Miguel. Or how to pamper yourself at a unique venue.
(Plaza de San Miguel, s/n)

Located next to the Plaza Mayor, this is definitely the tourists’ choice. Housed in a unique building, it is Madrid’s only surviving ironwork market. Renovated in 2009 and turned into a gastronomic precinct, it still preserves its original charm from the time it was built, in 1916. Inside you will find mainly Spanish haute cuisine. Taste the delicate cheeses and sausage, enjoy the specialities of a Madrid classic like the Lhardy, choose from a large assortment of croquettes, savour the tapas in the Pescado Original, have an aperitif at La Hora del Vermut and a delicious array of etceteras.

Market of San Antón. Chueca’s cultural and gastronomic space.
(C/ Augusto Figueroa, 24)

Located in the heart of the Chueca district, it is divided into three distinct sections. The market itself, which offers first-rate fare, is located on the first floor. The gastronomic section, where you can taste the cuisine of different regions (Canary Islands), countries (Japan, Greece) and specialities (seafood, roast chicken) is on the second floor. The third floor features a magnificent lounge-terrace where you can enjoy the views while sipping a cocktail. Also sited there is the restaurant, La cocina de San Antón, where we recommend you pick a cooking, by which you select the meat or fish you want in the market and they will cook it for you in the restaurant, accompanied by whatever side dish you choose from the menu.

San Ildefonso Market. Taking a breather during your shopping spree.
(Fuencarral, 57)

Smaller than the previous two markets, it can go unnoticed on the Fuencarral shopping street. Once inside, go up to the first floor, where you will come to a small but inviting area, inspired by London or New York street markets, with an array of different gastronomic stalls. You can have a gourmet hamburger at Gancho Directo, nibble at the cured Iberian ham at Arturo Sánchez, taste a brochette at La Brochette, or have the finger-licking egg dishes at La Granja Malasaña. The atmosphere is young and modern, in keeping with the Malasaña district it is located in. There is also an interior patio for those who like to have a beer and a smoke, and a bar counter where you can try their cocktails.

El Huerto de Lucas. For organic lovers.
(C/ San Lucas 13)

A small market specialising in the sale of organic produce, which also features La Cantina, where you can taste the magnificent wares displayed in their stalls. Here, the food is not the only organic element – so, too, is the architectural project, completed by Paula Rosales’ More&Co studio. The space is designed to minimise environmental impact, both in terms of construction and its day-to-day operation. We were impressed with the hanging bosque de cintas (forest of ribbons) and the warm decor.

Platea Market. Fanfare and haute cuisine in Serrano.
(Goya 5-7)

Set aside from the rest, this erstwhile cinema – that was its original mission – was converted into a space dedicated to gastronomic leisure. The former Carlos III cinema was remodelled by the interior designer, Lázaro Rosa-Violán, as an array of restaurants for tasting haute cuisine. No less than six Michelin stars and twelve Repsol suns have been awarded to the chefs that work there, which include such celebrities as Paco Roncero, Pepe Solla, Ramón Freixa and Marcos Morán. Two storeys, three stalls and a section specialising in confectionery to immerse yourself in and enjoy, not only the food and drink, but also the live music and DJ sessions.

Wouldn’t you just love to dive into this flavour-filled world? Check out our Madrid flights here.

Text by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Photos by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación and Mercado Platea

Málaga has become the hot capital of culture, due to the recent opening of local branches of the Centre Pompidou and Saint Petersburg State Russian Museum Collection, added to other art successes with the Carmen Thyssen Museum, La Térmica, the Contemporary Art Centre (CAC) and the Picasso Museum (a fine retrospective of Louise Bourgeois is currently running until 27 September). The city centre’s beautiful pedestrian precinct – distributed around the stately Marqués de Larios street as its hub – it’s pleasant climate all year around, its beaches and its gastronomy make it the ideal getaway destination. Here are 7 essential eateries you should not miss in Málaga.

1. El Pimpi

You can’t leave Málaga without stopping off at this emblematic bar with its eminently Andalusian patios filled with potted carnations. One of its draws is the casks autographed by the most variegated celebrities who have dined there, from Antonio Gala to Miquel Barceló and Pablo Alborán. It has a huge terrace, too. The food is very good and prices average about €30.

2. Los Baños del Carmen

This former spa opposite the beach, once a luxury baths and now decadent, preserves a charm of its own. Refurbished as a restaurant boasting an enormous terrace with a stately air, this is the ideal spot for soaking up the twilight hours. The menu du jour costs €18 and the à la carte is very Malagueñan: tapas de la bahía (from the bay), fish on a skewer, charcoaled meat… and concerts are usually held on weekend afternoons.

3. Mercado Atarazanas (Atarazanas, 10)

This lovely market with wrought-iron ceilings, colourful stained glass and a marble, Mudéjar entrance features several stalls that sell their tapas on the street, with tall tables for eating standing up. Dogfish, octopus, razor clams, prawns, venus shells, Malagueñan mixed fry… fittingly all very fresh and at excellent prices (averaging €3.5 for a half-portion). Ideal for having an aperitif.

4. Andrés Maricuchi

El Pedregalejo beach offers one of Málaga’s most prized specialities – espetos or skewered fish, particularly the sardine variety. They are charcoaled on cute barbecue boats set in the sand. Prominent among the many beach bars with a carefree, happy ambience is the Maricuchi. Instead of a menu, they recite their dishes to you. Their sardines are crisp on the outside and tasty on the inside. Around €20.

5. Montana

If you are seeking a more curated cuisine in romantic surroundings, this town palace has a gastronomic restaurant upstairs and a tapas bar below, set in a gardened terrace. Some of the recommendations: scrambled egg with whitebait and peppers in yuzu sauce, ox carpaccio with olive oil ice-cream and wasabi cheese, and timbal (tartlet) with griddled bacon, field mushrooms, foie gras and balsamic reduction. Classicism and modernity in one. Average price – €45.

6. José Carlos García Restaurante

Haute cuisine for gourmets. The chef, Carlos García, was awarded the province’s first Michelin star for creative cuisine in his Café París restaurant. They recently opened another, more distinguished, upmarket restaurant in the harbour. It comprises an intimate dining area with just six tables, a kitchen enclosed in a cube in full view of diners, a priceless terrace and an events room. Tasting menu – €110.

7. KGB

The more daring foodies should head for Kisco García Bar, a trove of world cuisine. One of their hits is pure Asian and Andalusian fusion – the Vietnamese nam de pringá (€4). They also give a nod to Russia with their vodka omelette, and to other parts of the world, as with their Peking Express bread. They also feature an array of thoroughly southern dishes, like the Ángel León-style shrimp omelette. A curiosity – the premises once housed Dani García’s gastrobar and, as a lot of the latter’s guests still came to order their excellent ox-tail hamburger, the dish has been incorporated into the menu of the bar opposite, belonging to the same owner as KGB – Wendy Gambas. 

Málaga seems to have just everything. A good climate, excellent museums and endless culinary delights to wit. Come and live it out for yourself. Check out our flights here.

Text by Isabel Loscertales (Gastronomistas)

Photos by Isabel Loscertales, Montana, José Carlos García Restaurante