Sierra de Gredos, Spanish
Alex Gunz
A Gourmand’s Guide to Gredos

Whisper it rather than shout it, and certainly don’t tell everyone, but something very exciting is happening in the Gredos region of Spain. Drive two hours northwest from Madrid, where diners lack no shortage of plush restaurants, to encounter a truly different experience. Three days in the region left your reviewer and his group of five dining comrades swooning for both more of its food and wine.

A Gourmand’s Guide to Gredos
Mediterranean, Bristol
Alex Gunz
COR: Blimey, that was good

From its name onwards, there is knowing coolness, a certain intentionality to what COR is seeking to achieve. It’s a place to watch in an upcoming district of Bristol. And if COR is seeking to ape what is arguably the best restaurant in England (Clare Smyth’s Core in plush Kensington, London), then why not? The team at Michelin have already awarded COR a Bib Gourmand; stars may beckon.

COR: Blimey, that was good
Spanish, Cardiff
Alex Gunz
Asador 44: Smokin’, Cardiff-style

Just moments from Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, central train station and main shopping street, diners can imagine themselves transported to Spain. Parador 44 is a wonderfully conceived venture, set up by an enterprising couple of brothers. Visitors can sip sherry, eat top Basque-influenced nosh and then sleep upstairs in a handful of boutique hotel rooms. There is every reason to do all three.

Asador 44: Smokin’, Cardiff-style
Mediterranean, Marylebone
Alex Gunz
Bellazul: Not quite the Mediterranean

It was not the most auspicious of starts. When my dining comrade and I descended on Bellazul it was pouring with rain. We arrived soaked. Welcome to England in April. It’s about as far from the Mediterranean as one could imagine. Open only for two months, Bellazul has the laudable intention of transporting diners to the sunnier climes of southern Europe. The venture is well-intentioned but does not totally succeed.

Bellazul: Not quite the Mediterranean
British, Marylebone
Alex Gunz
Boxcar: Every neighbourhood needs one

If New Quebec Street in Marylebone were my local high street, then I would be delighted. Luckily it is close to where your reviewer both lives and works. Zayna has been a long-standing favourite for curry. There’s also a great wine shop, a fishmonger and more. In addition, Boxcar is located on this street. Open since 2017, Gourmand Gunno corrected a long-standing anomaly by visiting it recently. Billed as a ‘neighbourhood restaurant’, it certainly constitutes a wonderful addition to the street, for both food and vibe.

Boxcar: Every neighbourhood needs one

Zayna

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Zayna: Pure Punjabi pleasure

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Zayna: Pure Punjabi pleasure

Walk into Zayna and the first thing that hits you is the smell: roasted spice – cumin, cardamom, coriander, black pepper and more. It’s the sort of welcome you want, time and again. The venue opened in 2009 and your reviewer stepped through its doors very soon after. Over the years, he has been back with a fairly high degree of regularity, although a visit earlier this week marked the first time in a while. The good news is that even with a slight revamp to the décor, the quality of the experience remains undiminished.