Santres

The cocido, a Spanish-style stew, is a natural place to start at Santres. There’s an assortment intended for 2–3 people, as well as individual options such as chicken, salted pork, pork spare ribs and vegetables, so you can choose a spread to suit your appetite and party. One diner who tried the cocido as part of a set course described a stew of pork, carrots, cabbage and beans, and said they kept going until they had finished not only the ingredients but the broth, too. They noted that the pork had been cooked at a low temperature before being added to the stew for a brief simmer, and praised its tenderness and juiciness. If you want to make the stew the centrepiece of your meal, starting with the assortment may be easier than picking out each ingredient separately.

For a few small plates, options include anchovy potato salad, tortilla, carrot râpée and marinated fresh fish. One diner particularly enjoyed the tortilla, praising its flavour and potato. You could share a few tapas first, then move on to cocido or a meat dish if something catches your eye. Other choices include shrimp ajillo, beef cooked on a plancha and paella with chicken and white beans. A diner who came for the mackerel sandwich found the combination of bread and fish pleasantly light, and said it went well with wine. It’s another way to make a meal of a single plate rather than building the evening around tapas.

Drinks include wine, sherry and Spanish cocktails. The Sherry Ginger combines dry sherry with ginger ale. For dessert, there’s Basque-style cheesecake, vanilla ice cream served with sweet sherry, and espresso. The selection works for an evening of small plates and wine, or a meal that ends with coffee.