Take a culinary tour of the Costa Dorada: from traditional eats to haute cuisine
What's more, with Jet2holidays flying to the Costa Dorada from 12 UK airports and a range of two to five-star accommodation, it's easy to plan your next culinary adventure. Jet2holidays is always giving you more, to help make planning and booking as smooth as possible. That goes for the PayPal Pay in 3 interest-free payments** option, as well as the 22kg baggage and 10kg hand luggage, and return transfers† that are included. Look out for Free Child Places***, and infants under two go free‡.
From great eateries and foodie experiences to the best local dishes to try, here's what you can look forward to on your gastronomic travels…
Delicious traditional dishes
Begin your travels with a journey around some of the region's most delicious traditional dishes. Like xató; originating from Tarragona, it's made with escarole (similar to an endive), tomato and salt cod or tuna, and served with a sauce made from almonds and ñoras (dried peppers).Another popular fish-based dish is suquet de peix, a tasty stew which features a variety of seafood and vegetables. Meanwhile, many menus also offer the likes of arròs caldós, a soupy rice dish, rossejat, a seafood pasta dish, and mar i muntanya, which combines seafood and meat, reflecting the region's 'sea and mountain' cuisine.
You'll find all these, and more, in local restaurants in some of the region's most charming locations, all around Costa Dorada, or look out for them on the menu at one of the restaurant options at your Jet2holidays hotel.
Fabulous foodie experiences
Time your visit for a calçotada, a festive Catalan gathering held between November and April, where people celebrate the harvest of calçots (a type of large, sweet onion). It's usually served grilled with romesco, sauce, accompanied by meat and wine. For a truly authentic experience, head to Valls, the birthplace of the tradition.
Olive oil is also a revered ingredient in the Costa Dorada; going back to ancient times, olive cultivation is a key part of the region's Mediterranean heritage. Centres, museums and historical mills offer tours combined with tastings, walks among olive groves and gastronomic menus with lashings of olive oil. Head to the Olive Oil Interpretation Centre in Vandellòs, located in an old olive mill, where you'll observe everything about the production process, from harvesting to bottling.
Or follow the Priorat olive oil route, which offers 26 different experiences aimed at discovering and tasting the finest extra virgin oil. There's even an olive oil cycling route, which meanders through the region of Baix Camp, just 20 minutes from Tarragona. It produces one of Catalonia's most famous olive oils under the DOP Siurana. Finally, don't miss a trip to the nearby village of Riudecanyes, dotted with many olive trees that are over 100 years old.
The world of wine (and vermouth)
The Costa Dorada promotes enogastronomy, the art of pairing wine with food, so you'll always have something delicious to drink alongside your meal. The whole area, particularly the DOQ (Denominació d'Origen Qualificada) Priorat region, is known for great wine, especially robust reds. But you'll also find fabulous red, white and rosé wines from the Designations of Origin Montsant, Tarragona, Conca de Barberà, and Penedès.
Embark on a wine trail through Priorat, to discover grape varieties such as Carignan, Grenache and Grenache blanc. Take tours through vineyards, learn about the wine-making process and, most importantly, enjoy tastings. Close to Priorat area, Conca de Barberà, produces light red and fruity rosés; while closer to the coast, Penedés is famous for its sparkling Cava.
Moreover, the Costa Dorada – particularly the elegant city of Reus, birthplace of legendary architect Antoni Gaudí – is also known for vermouth, a sweet, aromatic fortified wine flavoured with botanicals, herbs and spices. Find out more at the city's Vermouth Museum, dedicated to the culture of this unique drink with a collection of over 6,500 items related to it. Then set out on the Reus Vermouth Route. This features dozens of establishments which either serve it or are connected to its history, including its incredible modernist architecture.
Eateries for everyone
The Costa Dorada brims with producers and professionals who pride themselves on showcasing the region's gastronomy. Many also make sure they only offer local products – known as the 'Slow food kilometre zero' initiative. You'll also find plenty of fantastic restaurants which serve locally-sourced dishes which prioritise local and organic farming and use seasonal ingredients. This way, you're connected to tradition and authenticity by what's on your plate.
If you're looking for even more elevated cuisine, head to Cambrils – known as the gastronomic capital of the Costa Dorada, with two Michelin-starred restaurants alone. Or you could venture to Salou or Cornudella de Montsant for some out-of-this-world fine dining.
At your Jet2holidays hotel, make sure you delve into the diverse cuisines and speciality dishes on offer, as well as the ever-changing live chef stations and in-house pop-ups. And if you're planning to take a taste of the Costa Dorada back home, make sure you visit local producers for excellent sweets, jams, rice, vinegar, hazelnuts and more.
There's also a wealth of great places for families to eat out. Head to Salou for fab ice cream parlours, ideal for hot, sunny days, or to Cambrils for buffet-style eateries, where every family member can choose exactly what they want. Reus has a selection of brilliant local markets, such as the Mercat Central and the Mercat del Carrilet, where you can purchase traditional produce, from meats and cheeses to delicious bread, to take to the beach for the perfect picnic.
With Jet2holidays, you can book your trip to the Costa Dorada with lots of package perks thrown into make getting away even easier. From a low £60 per person deposit*, PayPal Pay in 3 interest-free payments** , 22kg baggage and 10kg hand luggage per person to return transfers†, it's all included. Families can make the most of Free Child Places***, while infants under two go free‡. And with flights included and the choice of two to five-star hotels, Jet2holidays is always giving you more. For more Costa Dorada travel inspiration, and to find and book your ultimate holiday, visit Jet2holidays. Plus, right now, myJet2 members can save £100 per person§ in The Big Jet2 Sale (correct at original publish date).
*On bookings made ten weeks or more before departure. Full payment required by balance due date. **Spread the cost over three interest-free payments. Available when booked online, for holidays under £2,000, departing within ten weeks. ***One free child place per two paying passengers. Subject to availability. T&Cs apply, please see www.jet2holidays.com/promotions#FCP2025 for further details. †Unless otherwisestated. ‡Applicable for all infants under the age of two years on the date of return. Infants are not entitled to a flight seat (they must be seated with a parent or guardian) or a 22kg baggage allowance. §£100 per person off holidays for myJet2 members departing until 15 November 2026. myJet2 members will need to be logged into their account at the time of booking for the discount to automatically apply. Book online, via our app, through our call centre or with your travel agent. Please note the discount is not applied to children travelling on a free child place. Terms and conditions apply, please see for details.
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Telegraph
16 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Russian tourists flock back to Europe
Russian tourists are returning to Europe in growing numbers, despite the war in Ukraine, with France, Italy and Spain their favoured holiday destinations. The three travel hotspots are all Nato and EU members and have imposed sanctions on Moscow. Hotel stays by Russians in Italy and France surged by more than 19 per cent in the past year, which Ukrainian diplomats branded 'disturbing' and a security risk. But France, which spearheads the 'coalition of the willing' nations supporting Ukraine with Britain, defends keeping borders open to rich Russian tourists, as does Italy. The trend was revealed by Telegraph analysis of data on hotel room stays and rentals on websites such as and Airbnb, and of visas issued to the EU's Schengen free-movement zone. Vsevolod Chentsov, Ukraine's ambassador to the EU, warned that ignoring the returning Russians would be 'short-sighted' and dangerous. He told the Telegraph: 'In the fourth year of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, it is extremely surprising to see statistics showing an increase in the number of visas issued to Russian citizens and a growth in tourist traffic from Russia to EU countries. 'We know that Russian society overwhelmingly supports the war. Moreover, it prefers to think that Russia is at war with the West and not with Ukraine, where the Russian army commits war crimes on massive scale.' He added: 'With increasing number of Russia's cyberattacks against EU member states, acts of sabotage and all sort of hybrid activities aimed at undermining European democracies, it is disturbing that Russian citizens can easily enjoy the benefits of travelling to Europe. 'Continuing to ignore this reality is short-sighted. It's a matter of European security.' Fires in warehouses known to be part of logistical supply chains have taken place across Europe, including in Britain, while there have also been reports of sabotaged train tracks. In the past, Russian spies posing as diplomats would be linked to these incidents, but since the 2018 poisoning of the Skripals, Moscow is known to also deploy agents on tourist visas. Stop EU visas for Russians Sir William Browder is an American-born English financier turned anti-Putin activist and campaigner. He urged France, Italy and Spain to stop issuing visas to Russians. 'Unless the Russians can demonstrate in a visa interview that they're opposed to the Putin regime, they shouldn't be allowed to come to Europe,' he said. European capitals have hit the Kremlin with waves of sanctions since Putin launched his illegal invasion in 2022. Both Britain and the EU closed their airspace to Russian airlines, triggering a drop in tourist numbers. There are still dozens of routes to Europe through Turkey, Georgia, Serbia and other countries. In order to get to Rome, for example, a Russian tourist would have to stop over in Turkey or the UAE and switch flights. The additional costs put the trip out of the reach of most ordinary Russians, but those that do make it to Europe also face difficulties because of the sanctions, which means their bank cards don't work. However, Istanbul's Ataturk airport is brimming with currency exchanges where Russians can swap roubles for euros to sustain their visits to Europe. 'There are many Russians who support the war, and particularly the Russians who have money,' Sir William said. 'What we absolutely don't want to do is allow these Russians to enjoy the privileges and resources of Europe, while at the same time they're supporting Putin's war efforts.' 'Europe should be open for people in the Russian opposition who are being persecuted, but no visa should be issued to Russian oligarchs or mini-garchs and others who support Putin, and I think we should err on the side of non visa issuance in that respect.' He said refusing visas would put pressure on Putin's regime and lessen the security risk posed by Russia's hybrid war against the West. Sanctions undermined Sir William said EU governments had to be consistent because if one country grants a Schengen visa, the supposed tourist can travel anywhere in the passport-free zone. Western governments have been reluctant to issue outright travel bans, except in the case of sanctioned individuals such as Putin's cronies and apparatchiks. In contrast, the Baltic nations and pro-Ukraine countries bordering Ukraine and Russia stopped issuing tourist visas to Russia or heavily restricted their numbers. Jan Lipavsky, foreign minister of the Czech Republic, accused those welcoming Russian holidaymakers of undermining the EU's sanctions against Moscow in return for wealthy tourists' cash. He told The Telegraph, 'It is deeply troubling to see some EU countries returning to business as usual with Russian tourists while Ukraine continues to suffer under brutal aggression. 'Czechia has taken a principled stance – we do not process any tourist visa applications and we believe this should be the standard across the European Union.' Mr Lipavsky said the numbers of tourists coming to the EU last year was 'totally excessive' and raised serious concerns 'not only from a security standpoint, but also from a moral one'. He said, 'At such volumes, we cannot rule out the possibility that individuals complicit in war crimes are among those vacationing in our resorts. That is unacceptable.' He added, 'I also see that some countries have a self-interested motive – they want the income from Russian tourism. It's not just about visa fees; it's about money spent on hotels, shopping, tickets and so on. Russians are known to spend a lot. 'This undermines the credibility of our sanctions regime and sends a confusing message about our values.' Lifeline for dissidents Andrei Soldatov is a senior fellow with the Center for European Policy Analysis think tank and a Russian investigative journalist specialising in the activities of the Kremlin's secret services. He said the visas were valuable for dissidents and families that wanted to visit them abroad. He said, 'it is a problem which doesn't have a simple solution. These are also the countries which help people with anti-Kremlin views move out. 'To make it safe for these people one needs to hide their applications in a stream of other applications. One cannot really expect a Russian dissident to come to a foreign embassy for a 'dissident visa', given the high level of repression in the country.' Popular locations Across the EU, visitor numbers are just a tenth of what they were in 2019, before the pandemic and the invasion, but this varies substantially across the bloc. In 2024, just six EU countries saw an increase in guest nights booked by Russians via websites such as Airbnb, according to figures from Eurostat. Italy saw the largest increase of 18.9 per cent, with 321,678 guest nights across the year, the highest in Europe. France remains the third most popular location for Russian tourists with 203,072 guest nights per year, which is an increase of 7.8 per cent - the fourth highest spike in Europe. Spain is second at 259,068 guest nights, down 3.6 per cent from the previous year, according to the figures obtained from the EU's statistics agency. There was a rise of 13 per cent in the number of nights booked by Russians in Hungary, which has a government that is notoriously soft on Putin. The UK, whose data differs slightly from the EU's, would rank seventh on the list for Russia visitors after Italy, Spain, France, Portugal, Greece and Cyprus. Unlike France and Italy, Britain saw its visitor numbers fall by around 1.3 per cent year-on-year, according to data from the Office for National Statistics. Other statistics, which look at nights across hotels rather than Airbnb-style websites, suggest that France is hosting 27 per cent of the level it was in 2019, compared to just 9.8 per cent in the United Kingdom. The UK has always required Russian tourists to apply for visas, including when it was part of the EU. It never joined Schengen. Schengen members also require that Russians obtain visas. There was an agreement, which made it faster and cheaper to obtain those tourist visas to enter the EU but it was suspended after Putin invaded Ukraine. Analysis of Schengen area visas also showed that Italy and France were leading the tourism rapprochement with Russia. Italy issued 152,254 Schengen area visas at its two Russian consulates last year, which was almost 19,000 more than in 2023. France issued a total of 123, 890, according to European Commission figures, 25,000 more than the year before. Spain issued 111,527, an increase of 15,000. Figures first reported by the EU Observer website showed a rebound in Schengen visas for Russians with 552,630 issued in total last year, an increase of nine per cent. Greece issued 59,703 visas and Hungary 23,382. Rome and Paris unrepentant 'Italy continues to regularly issue visas to Russian tourists who meet our requirements,' A spokesman for Antonio Tajani, the Italian minister of foreign affairs and deputy prime minister, said. 'Our opposition is to the Russian army's military operations in Ukraine, not to the Russian people.' The Elysée was presented with the statistics but did not respond to requests for comment. France has previously defended issuing visas to Russians. 'People-to-people relations and cultural ties can play a positive role in fostering mutual understanding and dialogue between populations,' the French foreign affairs ministry told EU Observer. 'We work hard at maintaining a differentiation between the regime responsible for the war and the population, its civil society, and the opposition,' it said. 'It is essential to maintain this window, to enable Russian society to get access to a plurality of reliable sources of information.' The British and Spanish government were asked for comment. The European Commission said they could not comment, despite being given 72 hours notice, because it was summer. Eurostat, the EU's statistics body, has collected data on the number of guest nights spent in 'collaborative economy platforms', which includes sites such as Airbnb and Expedia since 2018. The UK's Office for National Statistics has collected similar data since mid-2023, meaning pre-invasion figures are not available and there might be minor methodological differences between the two bodies. Data on broader hotel stays across Europe have not been updated for the entirety of Europe in 2024.
Telegraph
3 hours ago
- Telegraph
The 21 best restaurants in Northern Ireland
If you're into your food, you'll be spoilt rotten in Northern Ireland. There are several standout food producers in this small land, from artisanal butchers and butter makers to those fishing for local crab, lobster and mussels. All of which means the restaurants here have some of the best produce to choose from. In Belfast, you'll find Michelin-starred restaurants with an edge, as well as cosy, neighbourhood bistros slinging out excellent plates. And outside of the city, there are top-notch restaurants specialising in seafood or hearty pub grub. Here are some of the best places to eat when you're visiting Northern Ireland. All our recommendations below have been hand selected and tested by our resident destination expert to help you discover the best things to do in Northern Ireland. Find out more below, or for further inspiration, explore our guides to Northern Ireland's best hotels, things to do, nightlife and beaches. Find restaurants by type: Best all-rounders Mourne Seafood Bar The seafood all around the island of Ireland is cracking, and this is the perfect place to sample it. Start with the oysters, from down the coast in Carlingford, either with a kicky Japanese dressing or served with a spicy Bloody Mary shot, then order whatever's freshest, from crab on toast to Dundrum mussels. Their traditional seafood chowder is particularly good, too. Harry's Shack A must-visit for any seafood fans, Harry's Shack has cult status in Northern Ireland – and with good reason. Set on the sands of Portstewart beach, this casual restaurant serves up the best local fare, from local mussels cooked in Irish cider, to whole black sole on the bone. On summer days, you can have drinks outside on the terrace, and if you time a visit to align with sunset then you're onto a winner. Noble With lights hanging from the ceiling and specials scrawled on a blackboard wall, Noble looks every part the hip, neighbourhood bistro. And the food has people coming from far and wide – think beef tartare with a punchy bloody dressing and beef dripping toast, or suckling pig with kohlrabi and pear. You can get more casual fare in the bar downstairs, like dressed crab or arancini, and the wine list is top notch. Roam It started life as a pop-up, but now Roam has a permanent setup right in the city centre of Belfast. There's a casual feel to the space, with tobacco leather banquettes and an open pass, but the food leans more towards fine dining. The menu is concise and to the point, focusing on classic components like Mourne lamb, jazzed up with quirkier notes like smoked yoghurt. They do a great set lunch menu, too. J.J. Farrall's There's an old world sense of opulence to this dining room, with burgundy leather seats, brushed gold railings and fern plants dripping from the ceiling. The menu has a classic feel, with dishes like fluffy cheese souffles with wilted leeks, or a whole lemon sole with caper butter, but on the plate things are kept contemporary and elegant. Return to index Best for families The Bushmills Inn A restaurant that shares its name with a whiskey may not scream family-friendly, but The Bushmills Inn is great for kids, particularly in the summer when you can eat outside. Otherwise, the dark and cosy interior complements the hearty comfort food, like Sunday roasts with stuffing, crackling and Yorkshire puddings, or a sugar pit pork chop with bone marrow jus. They have a decent kids' menu, as well as ice cream sundaes for those of all ages. Fodder in the Woods What kid wouldn't want to eat lunch in a giant teepee? On this farm near Strangford Lough, their all-weather tent has a roaring fire in the middle to keep things toasty, and an excellent offering of dishes, the best of which feature their own Finnebrogue Woods Dexter Beef, like their thick burgers or toasties with kimchi. The kids have a well-priced menu, as do the neighbourhood dogs. Maegden Formerly a tiny caravan slinging out cheese toasties by the Giant's Causeway, Maegden is now a cheese shop and deli in Bushmills. Those toasties are still on the menu though, and they're well worth the hype, made with local sourdough, oozey farmhouse cheeses like Irish Scamorza, Young Buck or Gubbeen, and lashings of salty melted butter. Kids love their signature hot chocolate, topped with a scorched heap of homemade marshmallows. The Parson's Nose Exactly the kind of place you'd want to find yourself on a miserable day, this cosy gastropub always has a fire lit, whether it's in the dining room or the pizza oven. The menu is huge, with classic pub grub like pork belly and roast lamb alongside quirkier options like venison ragu with gin-soaked raisins or duck with pineapple salsa. There's a kids' menu, and they'll also make smaller pizzas for little ones. Return to index Best for cheap eats Flout! A favourite among Irish chefs, Flout! isn't in the handiest location but always has a line outside, with locals looking for their fix of thick, Detroit-style pizza with vodka sausage or thin, charred New York slices. You can order whole pies or eat your slice outside, balanced on a whiskey barrel. They do excellent slabs of focaccia, which they make up into a daily sandwich offering. Area: East Belfast Website: Price: £ Reservations: Not needed Coppi Right by the MAC, this sleek restaurant is great if you just want a quick nibble, rather than a full meal. Grab a seat at their cicchetti bar and you can pick from bites like feta fritters with truffle honey or anchovy bruschetta, along with Italian wines available by the glass or carafe. The pastas available in the main restaurant are well priced, too. Ursa Minor Bakehouse You'll find their sourdough on the menus of top restaurants all over Northern Ireland, but this is the main hub of their bakery operations. In addition to the counter, selling loaves, pastries and buns, you can get a coffee and a treat to eat on site – try the blood orange Danish or custard bakewells. It's a great place to stock up before a trip up the Causeway Coast. mrDeanes Following the closure of his Michelin-starred Deanes Eipic, Michael Deane opened this more casual restaurant in its place. It has a bistro feel, and the menu is less formal and at a decent price point, with bites like fried whitebait, arancini and crab mayonnaise on toast. There's a good plat du jour, and seats at the bar for solo diners. Return to index Best for fine dining The Muddlers Club This Michelin-starred restaurant still has a bit of a punky edge, thanks to the graffiti walls, open kitchen and the dishes (and cocktails) that arrive at the table in a cloud of smoke. The eight-course tasting menu is heavy on seasonal ingredients, like morels, wild garlic and rhubarb, and there's a full vegetarian menu available as well. The wine pairings are solid, but those aforementioned cocktails are excellent, like their smoked Old Fashioned. OX A light-filled restaurant down by the River Lagan, OX is a slick, elegant space with a Michelin star and a menu of delicate dishes packed with rich flavours, like halibut with lardo and bonito butter, or smoked veal with black garlic. Their three-course lunch menu offers great value. If you can't snag a reservation then OX Cave next door is a great consolation prize, with wines by the glass, charcuterie and cheese plates. Wine and Brine You might not expect to find a restaurant of this calibre in such a small village, but this spot lures people out from Belfast and all over Northern Ireland. The set lunch/early evening menu is incredibly good value, but there's far more variety on the expansive à la carte, with items like beef cheek beignets, brown crab on warm crumpets and fish crudo. James St With exposed brick walls, splashy artwork and simple tables, this bistro has a vaguely New York steakhouse feel. The focus is all on the food, which centres around well-sourced Northern Irish beef; the best being the sharing tomahawks or the pichana cut you'll find on the set menu. There are other dishes available, but really, this is the place to go when only a steak will do. Frae Though the space is fairly unassuming, the food they're knocking out of the kitchen here is exemplary. There's no tasting menu, but you can order a heap of nibbles and sharing plates, like gildas with punchy Young Buck blue cheese and bread with marmite butter, before tucking into larger plates like their star dish, the crispy chicken marbella with capers and olives. There's also an excellent cocktail menu. Return to index Best for walk-ins Walled City Brewery This microbrewery is set in a former barracks and blends historic features like exposed beams and industrial breezeblocks with quirky art and chandeliers made from bottles. Unsurprisingly, there's an extensive menu of their own craft beer (get a flight to taste a few options), but the food is top-quality pub grub, with chargrilled burgers, pork belly and Sunday roasts served in giant Yorkshire puddings. Established With filament light bulbs, communal tables and brushed concrete floors, you could easily dismiss this as a hipster hangout. But while they take their coffee very seriously, it's not just a place for a flat white – their brunch-centric menu features plates like garlicky mushrooms on thick wedges of sourdough or milk buns filled with Irish halloumi. Their 'pie and drip' menu changes every week, with slabs like lemon meringue or coconut cream pie on offer with classic drip coffee. Neighbourhood Café There's a calming, Nordic vibe to Neighbourhood, but the brunch menu is anything but virtuous – think French toast made with banana bread and miso caramel, or a breakfast bap stuffed with bacon, sausage, egg and smoked cheese. Their coffee is excellent, but their range of Masala chai teas (iced on a hot day) are top notch. Save space for a cereal milk-flavoured soft serve afterwards. Return to index How we choose Every restaurant in this curated list has been tried and tested by our destination expert, who has visited to provide you with their insider perspective. We cover a range of budgets, from neighbourhood favourites to Michelin-starred restaurants – to best suit every type of traveller's taste – and consider the food, service, best tables, atmosphere and price in our recommendations. We update this list regularly to keep up with the latest opening and provide up to date recommendations. Return to index About our expert Nicola Brady I'm originally from Sussex, and I went on holiday to Ireland 16 years ago and never came back. While I'm now based in Dublin, I spent a decade living on the Northern Irish border and still visit regularly.
The Sun
5 hours ago
- The Sun
I visited the ‘Wetherspoons of Spain' – jugs of beer cost £1.50, lunch is £1 and there's 350 of them across the country
SITTING outside in the sun with a cold beer in hand, I've nabbed a prime spot for lunch to watch the world go by. Nothing screams summer holiday in Spain like an al-fresco feast of tasty tapas, but this place is especially good because it's an absolute bargain that most Brits don't know about. 5 5 If, like me, you love a bargain bite in the local Wetherspoons at home, then you need to head to this cheap chain in Spain where your Euros will go a lot further than in most places on the continent. It's by far the cheapest place for tapas and a beer that I have ever stumbled across and the best news is, there are 350 of these bars across Spain. Cheap as frites 100 Montaditos has been dubbed the 'Spanish Wetherspoons' for its affordable prices, decent food and community vibe. However, most Brits would walk right past without even knowing they are missing out on a cheap-as-patatas-fritas feed. A 'montadito' is a classic tapas dish in Spain, which is essentially a mini baguette sandwich. They are often served alongside beer or wine in tapas bars around Spain and make for a very tasty lunch or dinner. 100 Montaditos originated as a small cafe in Seville, famous for its small plates of sandwiches, but has now expanded across Spain and the Spanish islands because it is so popular. With a limited holiday budget, I headed to the 100 Montaditos in Majorca, which is on the Spanish Plaza in Palma. The location could not be more central, it's right opposite the Cathedral and has a patio with outdoor seating. The bar looks small from the outside, but stepping inside, there is a huge kitchen and dining room, so it's handy if you need an air-con break from the hot weather too. It's a hot day, so I order a pint, which in Spain comes in a frosted pitcher. These are known as 'turbo-sized' and at 300ml, are slightly smaller than our UK pints, but plenty for me at lunchtime. Drinking local Spanish beer, Cruzcampo, meant the refreshment cost me only €1.50 (£1.30). Considering Palma in Majorca isn't known for being a cheap holiday destination, I couldn't believe my luck. A glass of wine here is the same price, and you can get a Vodka and Coke for £2.70. I couldn't believe my eyes when the bartender gave me a cone of crisps too. You get these free of charge when you order a drink. With prices in Spain on the rise, Brits have been complaining that cheap holidays on the continent are not as budget-friendly as they used to be. But this place is just like a British 'Spoons. Everyone inside was chatty and friendly - as much as they could be with the language barrier. It's very laid back and you can tell a lot of locals have been frequenting the place for years. Of course, being named after the famous sandwiches, 100 Montadidos has a good menu of food too, and it's just as affordable as the beer. 5 5 There are 19 different 'classic' sandwiches, ranging from chorizo and cheese to bacon butties, and they are only €1 each. The slightly more 'fancy' options have Gran Reserva ham and smoked salmon, but even they only cost €1.50 (£1.30). Every day they have a 'EURO MANIA' deal, which is a large version of the sandwich of the day for only €1 (86p) - an absolute bargain! One of these is more than enough for me at lunch, but even if I was feeling peckish, ordering two would hardly break the bank. I can't believe you can eat for so cheap in the middle of Palma. If you don't fancy sandwiches, there are nachos, Spanish omelette and calamari, all for only €2 (£1.73) each. A bowl of chips is €1 (86p). Sarah from Cardiff in Wales, who was in 100 Montadidos with her friends before a night out, said she was stunned by the prices. 'It's cheaper than Wetherspoons in Cardiff!' she said. 'We'll probably come back for chips after our night out if it's still open.' Before they left, I joined them for a celebratory shot of tequila. At only €2 (£1.73) each, I better not stay too long or I'd be totally sloshed for the cost of one pint in London. The atmosphere is not as authentic as in some of the more traditional tavernas and bars in Mallorca, but it can't be beaten on price. Especially for a few shots ahead of a night out like Sarah and her mates. The only disappointment was that they don't have the classic Thursday curry club but the cheeky barman said maybe they might do Paella instead one day!
