Ellesmere Port, Spanish Restaurant Guide

“You feel like you’re in Madrid or Barcelona in these really authentic tapas bars” from Joe & Ben Wright – “the vegetable dishes are especially strong”. The three branches – in Chester, Altrincham and Salford– have proved so popular that the brothers closed down their original Chester bistro, Joseph Benjamin, three years ago to turn it into a larger Porta.

A sunny days outside terrace and an attractive location by the waterside of the famous Albert Dock adds to the appeal of Lunya’s little sister. It serves a range of tapas and sharing platters – this year it won particular praise for its “brilliant and friendly service with great attention given”.

2021 Review: BBC2’s ‘My Million Pound Menu’ winners Dave Bone (chef) Jamie Duffield (front of house), and Anthony Power opened this new venture in Duke Street Market (a revamped docklands warehouse) in spring 2019. The food offering is based on dishes found along the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage routes in Spain, France and Portugal, and – though we received no survey feedback – it’s receiving a good rep generally (including from Michelin who awarded it a 2020 Bib Gourmand).

Peter & Elaine Kinsella’s “fun” tapas bar has introduced a generation of Scouse foodies to the delights of Catalan cuisine over the past 15 years. “Sadly the Manchester branch was a victim of lockdown, but the original is still going strong”, along with its deli and Lunyalita offshoot in the Albert Dock.

2021 Review: Manchester’s tapas smash hit branched out in August 2019, with this large 250-seat opening, in the Exchange Flags development, overlooking Liverpool’s fine town hall (which formerly traded as Steven Gerrard’s ‘The Vincent’). A big and well-stocked bar is also key to the offering.