The Bar Restaurante El Kiosko in Plaza Dr Collado, near the market in central Valencia provides a thoroughly authentic and affordable culinary experience - and hours of entertainment. It is one of thousands of restaurants in Spain with strip lighting, a floor littered with discarded cigarette ends and paper napkins, football on the telly and an overworked team of unfailingly cheerful staff in white shirts and dickie bows. The waiting staff cook much of the food, on a single large griddle behind the bar. On this they steam tiny clams, fry Spanish omelettes, grill steaks, griddle vegetables and sear squid. The food is all top notch, made with the freshest ingredients.
Sophie Thomas, London St Eulalia in Palma, Majorca, is just behind the cathedral off Plaza St Eulalia. From the interesting artwork displayed in the window to the wonderful welcome, it is great for a light lunch, but come the evening the restaurant downstairs is buzzing with "in the know" Majorcan clientele. Hurry before this place has a Michelin star or two and needs to be booked far in advance. Sharon Sharpe, Bedford
One of my favourite restaurants is in the Basque city of Vitoria. The restaurant is El Portalon and is a 16th century building with a great atmosphere. The food is superb and their ice cream with hot chocolate inside is just mind blowing. Price is about 50 to 60 euros per person for a meal with the best Riojas and Albarinos. Justin Chilton, London
It's wise to trust the locals – when Spaniards want sun, fun and social life, they go to the Med and Andalucía, but when they get serious about eating, they always head north. Since Spain's semi-religious obsession with fresh fish is unique in Europe (and pretty much the world, except Japan), I would recommend a fish and seafood restaurant. It is called Tira d'o Cordel, in Finisterre, Spain's Land's End, in Galicia, at the very north-western tip of the country. It sits right on the Playa de Langosteira, and the service is good but very basic, but there you will find the best lubina (sea bass) in the world. They take it so seriously they only serve those from angling, rather than net fishing, as they are more tender. We paid only 100 euro for a fresh lobster and sea bass both big enough for two, plus a bottle of white Albariño and some almond tarta de Santiago for dessert. By the way, no expats, very few tourists and no english-speaking staff. Jorge Olaque, Rome
Casa Bigote (tel. 00 34 956 362696), in Sanlucar de Barremeda, near Cadiz gets our vote. We have been going there for 20 years. You sit watching the sun setting over the Guadalquivir river, sipping manzanilla and eating the freshest of langoustines. You then move onto the various different types of fish, washed down with some wonderful fino sherries. And you finish with a dessert consumed with the sweet wine, Pedro Jiminez. And the bill is never horrendous - the owner says they make enough money at currect prices, so why charge more? George Begley, New York
Eat anywhere in Barcelona and you will not go too far wrong. Fresh food, reasonably priced and tapas day and night. However, sometimes the location can be deceptive. We ate at Can Majo (tel. 00 34 93 221 5455) in winter, where in high season, the sights on the beachfront can be more than a little off-putting. Fish comes fresh out of the sea and simple, washed down with a good range of house wines, and leaving significant change from some of the bills you'll receive when eating less than 500 meters away. If you love seafood give this a try. Martin and Karen Allen, Leics
El Caballo Rojo, across the road from the mosque in Cordoba, is one of Spain's most famous restaurants. The owner has spent years researching and recreating ancient Sephardic and Mozarabic recipes, with lots of spicy or sweet honeyed sauces. Traditional Andalucian food is also here - rabo de toro (oxtail), ajo blanco (garlic soup with almonds), even 11th century scrambled eggs (the recipe rather than the produce!). Don't even think of going for lunch before 3pm, when the smartest and most elegant Andalucians will be there. A large cool fino is presented to you along with the menu, and the whole experience is luxury of the finest. Pricey but excellent! Rosemary MacKenzie, Midlothian
By far the best paella I have ever tasted was at La Bodega d'es Port in Port Alcudia, Mallorca. The view over the harbour at night, the rustic charm of the restaurant, the friendly waiters and the fantastic food (they do lots of other dishes in addition to paella!) at an affordable price combine to make an excellent venue for a lovely meal out. Anna Pollard, Herts
Unquestionably the most memorable restaurant for my family is Juan y Andrea on the beach in Sa Savina, on Formentera. You sit at simple tables with your feet in the sand, and waiters turn the umbrellas as the sun moves west. Most guests arrive by boat, anchor off the beach and saunter over to the restaurant wearing ostentaious swimwear and big sunglasses. The waiters are middle aged and pompous and probably go back to Jermyn Street in the winter. The seafood is excellent but very expensive. De riguer is to order the lobster then leave most of it, taking a long time to chat to co-guests and pretend the sand flies are not biting. The place is pure theatre, pure prentention, but enormous fun. Rory McGrath, Oxon
The best restaurant in Frigiliana, a beautiful village above Nerja, is Las Chinas. Sebastian runs this simple restaurant that does great fresh fish and roast lamb shank. The fish soup is to die for (main course not required), with home made puds to follow. Just thinking of this place gets me through the winter and looking forward to my next visit in April where I hope to get a table if not too many more people find it. Elizabeth Hart, Worcs
At Restaurant La Jábega (tel. 956 439442) in Zahara de los Atunes, Costa de la Luz, you can sit at the bar, in the light and airy restaurant or on the covered terrace looking onto the beach. There are wonderful cheeses, hams and cured sausages, and I would recommend the gambas a la plancha (grilled prawns). The presentation, service and wine list would not be out of place in any London restaurant. The wine list has 20 Rioja, 12 Blanco and five Rosados ranging from €8 to €18.00. And there's even a nice surprise when you get the bill - very good value. Gillian Henley, Herts
Our recommendation is the family-run bar and restaurant, El Rincon de Pepe (Arco de las Pesas, next to Plaza Larga, tel 958 287 268), in Albaicin, Granada. We have a home there and are regulars in the restaurant. Pepe and Encarni are wonderful cooks and wine enthusiasts, using locally sourced and fresh produce, and promoting new and young wines from Andalucia as well as more traditional Ribera del Duero and Rioja wines. Specialities are prawn croquettes, pork loin with garlic, lamb with fresh asparagus, fresh cod in tomato sauce, tropical salads with pomegranate and avocado, plentiful tapas and wonderful paella. Lesley Judge, Edinburgh
Mijas Pueblo is firmly on the tourist trail as one of the famous "white villages" on the Costa del Sol, and has beautiful churches, a square bull ring, and donkey taxis. The tourist area tends to be dominated by over-priced "set menus" and burgers, but away from these is Bar Alarcon (tel. tel:952 485245), a small local restaurant. Upstairs is always lively thanks to the small open-air roof terrace. It's a great place to see Spanish groups, such as the shepherd "Pastorales" at Christmas, who perform in the bar downstairs. The food is excellent value - there's a range of local dishes with tasty kebabs and locally caught meat such as rabbit. Caroline Pickering, Essex
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Son Ganxo (tel. 00 34 971 159075) on the south east coast of Menorca has been a favourite with my family over the last two decades - ever since we've been holidaying on the island. It's a little off the beaten track, but makes a nice coastal walk from S'Algar, and with stunning uninterrupted views of the Mediterranean, this restaurant is hard to beat. Exquisite food includes lettuce in garlic sauce - sounds horrible but is delicious, huge grilled prawns and freshly caught fish at unbelievable prices. There's a swimming pool to take a dip between courses, and entertain kids while the older crowd have a boozy lunch that goes on all afternoon, plus there's a cliff-jump into the sea for the more adventurous, and/or slightly tipsy! Charles Light, London
I would like to recommend the restaurant Lur Maitea (C/Fernando el Santo 4, tel. 9130 80350) in Madrid. The food is traditional Basque cuisine of the highest quality - beautiful fresh fish, shellfish of all varieties, dishes cooked with all types of interesting sauces and excellent quality meat. The chef is only 27 and spent two years at the Hilton and five years specialising in Basque cuisine in one of the best restaurants in Spain. Penny Vivian, Spain
Girasol restaurant in Moraira, on the coast road, is favoured by both our family and the Michelin Guide. Not only the best in Spain, but possibly the world? Melvyn Cook, Lancs
Ublo in Plaça Progreso (tel., 00 34 97 190 3013), Palma de Mallorca, is the best Italian restaurant I have eaten in outside Italy. An excellent meal worked out at 200 euros for five people with two bottles of wine and a couple of beers, coffees, and sweets. We had the Aperitivo sampler menu, which included eggs with caviar, squid with tomato and orange sauce, lobster with artichoke hearts and rosemary and hierbas to finish. Bryan Bennion, Derbyshire
I have always liked Sa Capella in San Antonio (tel. 00 34 97 134 0057) on the island of Ibiza. Their jamon jabugo is splendid and the fish in saltcrust is a true special among many other specialties. Arwed Hauf, Hawaii
