The best tapas bars and restaurants in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Spain’s new capital of gastronomy

Six brilliant places to eat serving the Andalucían specialities in Spain’s latest foodie hotspot

Sanluqueños may have occasional cares and worries, but you wouldn’t know it. The mood in the seaside town of Sanlúcar de Barrameda, north of Cádiz, seems to be one of euphoria, of alegría. It probably has something to do with the sun and translucent light, and a lot to do with the local manzanilla sherry. The town, also known for a prized king prawn, the langostino de Sanlúcar, has been named Gastronomy Capital of Spain 2022.

This will come as no surprise to those who have long flocked to Sanlúcar for long, lazy weekend lunches. The town’s loveliness is also uplifting. At its heart is Plaza de Cabildo, with palms and a fountain encircled by restaurants with tables and umbrellas. Up a steep hill the Barrio Alto has churches (14th-century Nuestra Señora de la O is stark and mighty), old bars, small palaces with gardens, bodegas behind the white walls of former convents, and a sturdy castle – Castillo de Santiago. A short walk the other way are sandy beaches with moored dinghies, and the fish restaurants of Bajo de Guia, their tables along the beach of the Guadalquivir estuary offering views of fishing boats trailed by seagulls, and the bulbous ferry lumbering to the dunes and sandy wilds of the Unesco-listed Doñana reserve.