"Just off the tourist-packed streets of the old town and Plaza de la Virgen is a snacking hole that’ll turn any day around. The vermut is always cold, the gildas—anchovy skewers in vinegar or salt cure, plus a cecina version crowned with a quail egg—are all stars. And there are cold beers to wash down plates of puntilla—fried baby squid topped with flaky salt and a side of aioli—and patatas bravas in the form of halved baby potatoes with dollops of aioli and a mildly spiced tomato sauce. If there’s still room, the gambones al ajillo, soprasada y huevo is a hot little cauldron of shrimp, spreadable cured pork, and a runny egg that begs for fresh bread. And for dessert, the torrija de horchata—like French toast topped with horchata ice cream—seals the deal." - David Neimanis