Jane Gregg
From Field to Fire: The Art of Grilling in Spain

You may not think of Spain as one of the best places in the world to eat meat, but it is. Spaniards are carnivorous at heart, eating all parts of the local domesticated animals with enthusiasm and in various preparations. There’s one kind of meat cooking that stands above all others in Spain, however: fire cooking.

From Field to Fire: The Art of Grilling in Spain
Restaurants
Jane Gregg
Traditional Restaurants in Madrid

Madrid is a global cosmopolitan city with a diverse food scene to match, but the city retains a love of traditional eateries of the type lost to time in many cities.

Traditional Restaurants in Madrid
Jane Gregg
All About Iberian Ham, Spain’s Iconic Gourmet ...

Spain’s greatest contribution to the world’s food may be jamón ibérico, the salted, cured ham made from the Iberian pig. This is the delicacy par excellence of Spanish cuisine, beloved in Spain and abroad, sliced razor-thin by hand and presented on fractal platters, meltingly tender. Many consider Iberian ham to be the world’s greatest ham. But Iberian ham differs from other ham.

All About Iberian Ham, Spain’s Iconic Gourmet Food
Jane Gregg
Seafood Conservas: Spain and Portugal's Gift to ...

Mussels, razor clams, cockles, barnacles, baby sardines, squid, octopus, tuna belly, anchovies. Packed in olive oil, preserved in escabeche sauce or simply canned in brine. Some people claim that the conservas can surpass fresh seafood in concentrated flavor. And they say that the seafood ages in the can and improves over time, much like fine wines.

Seafood Conservas: Spain and Portugal's Gift to Fish Lovers
Aaron Taboada
Barcelona Cocktail Bars

The bars listed here transcend fashion and serve the good stuff night after night. These aren’t the only cocktail bars in Barcelona, or necessarily the most famous, but for timeless classic concoctions this is where you might start. 

Barcelona Cocktail Bars

Madrid

Paul Richardson’s Guide to Eating in Madrid

Paul Richardson’s Guide to Eating in Madrid

With so much variety to choose from, navigating Madrid’s restaurant scene can seem like a daunting task.   Before you even set sail, it’s worth taking stock of the city’s idiosyncratic dining customs.  Most notoriously, the timetable.    Madrid eats late: lunch is commonly taken between 2pm and 4pm while dinner is not much earlier than 9pm and often (especially in summer) as late as 11pm.