Barcelona Tapas Bar Lime Street

So often tapas bars promise culinary excitement they can’t deliver, but the Barcelona chain is an exception. Everything at this zingy mango-hued basement branch is reassuringly authentic, from the Spanish banter of the staff to the Latin-tinged soundtrack & above all the food: meltingly tender tripe madrilena with chickpeas & chorizo, sweet bunuelos de bacalao – deep-fried Catalan cod balls – & occasionally fiery pimientos de padron – fried green peppers served piping hot, sprinkled with sea salt & as good as you’d get in Spain. The Spanish lessons on CD add a final, humorous touch.

Wine List: This fabulous all-Spanish list – one of the UK’s largest – concentrates on the established greats of Spain. Every wine has useful notes & is available in two separate glass sizes & over 100 are on offer, ranging from £2.95 to £48.25, which can make for some fabulous food & wine matching. And if you still haven’t been converted to the delights of cava, there are 16 here to sample. Best Buy White 2005 Terra do Gargalo, Monterrei, Spain, £26.95. Best Buy Red 2000 Rioja Reserva, Contino, Spain, £47.95.