La Bandera

La Bandera, an upmarket Spanish restaurant tucked away just off St Ann’s Square, is the definition of a hidden gem.

A firm favourite of the city’s football-playing fraternity, the menu could include lubina a la bilbaina (seabass with garlic, chilli and Mediterranean vegetables), gambas al ajillo (king prawns with garlic and parsley), twice-cooked Galician octopus with a pungent mojo rojo (a garlic and paprika sauce, typical of the Canary Islands), squid croquetas (with ink) and slow cooked Iberian pig cheeks with Pedro Ximenez sauce and garlic cream. La Bandera is among the city’s leading lights when it comes to excellent Spanish food.

There’s a short, Spanish wine list, highlights of which include vintage fino sherries and northern Spanish blends.

The interior is the only Marmite factor: everything is yellow and shiny. It’s a real contrast in tone to the food which references the pintxos bars of San Sebastian and Bilbao in a pricey and authentic manner.

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