Sometimes friends ask me if I´m ever at home. Not because they call and cannot get an answer but because every time they mention a place whether it be Cadiz, Jerez , Lebrija or the middle of nowhere I have eaten in a bar or restaurant there.

I hasten to add that I don´t tip the scale at 25 stone but I like my food and low and behold anyone who gets between me and a plate of pata negra. Due to my work as an Estate Agent I always seem to find myself in some out of the way place at eating time so over the years I´ve managed to nose out a few eateries and by a process of elimination I now know the good from the bad. When I got a call a few months ago from a client in Lebrija asking if I could stick a for sale sign on their house and market the property they were almost apologetic at how far the town was from my office. If only they knew the delighted the thought of exploring a new area for good food had brought me they would probably have charged me for the favour! It was during this property´s selling process that I found the Venta Bar Manolo, On the road between Trebujena and Sanlucar de Barrameda (A471). It is very informal and has a large bar with seating and a separate dining room.

I prefer the bar as you can have a good nose into the kichen through the window in the back of the bar while you make your selection. The staff are efficient and friendly and all live locally in Trebujena so if you need any directions you can combine the tapas and the road maps. Try the Solomillo Castellana. Lovely little morcels of the finest pork fillet cooked with white wine, onion, red pepper and mushrooms. The meat is always succulent and very tasty. The Ensaladilla is one of the best with lovely fluffy potatoes, ample tuna and a good mix of other vegetables sharing their sea of smooth creamy mayonnaise. Also worth a try is the prawn, pepper and onion salad in a nice olive oil and wine vinegar dressing. For 2 people 3 tapas plus 2 drinks around 8.60. I´m frequently in Cadiz City and generally I work in the old part of the town through the big stone wall at the end of the long wide avenue. There are two places I love to have tapas in Cadiz. The first very handily is on the corner of the street where my husband and I have an apartment which we rent out for short City breaks. Hence, I find myself there quite often waiting for people to arrive from the train station or in their hire car from Jerez Airport. It was one such day I discovered Bar Ole. It sits on one of the corners in Plaza San Juan de Dios with its sturdy permanent outdoor seating area right on the plaza.

Personally I like the bar as I now know them well and get a good natter as well as an excellent lunch. If you can pop in there then try the Turbante de Lenguado (it´s a roll of beautiful Sole) stuffed with seafood mousse and drifting in a sea of sweet tomato ragu or if you need to dial the mobile and eat – try the Serranitos. They are little crisp rolls about the size of the palm of your hand filled with a tender piece of pork fillet cooked in sherry, topped with a slice of jamon which is always cut fresh by mine host and to crown the two a roasted green pepper. The whole combination is sublime. Their seafood is to die for,but don´t say that when there is a Marty Feldman fan in the company – and most things come in a tapita portion so you can manage a few different plates to try without breaking the scales or the bank. 3 tapas plus 2 drinks around 13.50 If you happen to be visiting Jerez as I often do in my weekly travels then drop in to Venta Esteban, on the road from Jerez to Arcos just before the junction for the A4 E5 motorway. It has a very elegant bar with three dining rooms off.

The bar is always viabrant with Jerez businessmen coming and going plus the odd mother daughter ensemble and a few locals in for a quick bite to eat. I like it because service is swift and as soon as you sit down you will be offered drinks and given the menu. It is not an enormous menu and its simplicity belies the delights you are about to receive. The Avocado and Anchovy salad is well worth the mention as is the market garden Tomato and Fresh Basil salad. The Revuelto (scrambled eggs) with asparagus or bacalao (cod) are likewise excellent and the Urta en Salsa Roteña is to die for when in season. The chunky firm fish with a devastating tomato, onion and green pepper sauce originating from the town of Rota just up the coast brought silence to the table the day my partner and I had it.

They sell various seafood in season by the 100gms and their Gambas Ajillo (Prawns in Garlic) is one of the best in the Costa de la Luz so don’t miss it. I have to say that the wine by the glass is excellent too and all you will need afterwards is a comfortable bed to lie down on. For 2 people (but the plates are large enough for 3 to share) 3 tapas and 2 drinks around 22 So if you are in the area drop in to one of these, you never know you might see me there.