Carlos Martínez, Meay Espinosa

Halfway along Calle Laurel, Logroño’s legendary haunt of tapas bars, you will spot a deep, narrow bar, usually bursting with tapa-hoppers who are addicted to the house speciality of fried aubergine. During early afternoons and throughout the evenings, this narrow pedestrian street throngs with people of all ages, styles and social origins; in all of Spain, it is hard to find a crowd more dedicated to the movable feast. As their hunting-ground encompasses an easy stroll of about 200 metres, competition is hot and the chefs are kept on their toes.