Albarino Tapas Bar & Restaurant

29/09/2026

The sun ☀️ is still here! Wednesday night is paella 🥘 night # broadstairs

15/09/2026

The sun may have disappeared for now. Don't worry it's back on a Wednesday 😎 restaurant

27/06/2026

Ortiz anchovies, heritage tomatoes, sage, capers, sherry vinegar 😎

17/06/2026

21/05/2026

Pinchos Morunos: Spain's Most Underrated Skewer 🍢

Not all tapas get the attention they deserve, and Pinchos Morunos might be the most overlooked dish on any Spanish menu. These little skewers trace their roots back to Moorish North Africa, seasoned with a warm spice blend (think cumin, paprika, and coriander) that sets them apart from anything else on the table. The name literally means "Moorish skewers," and the flavour tells that story in every bite.

At Albarino, our Pinchos Morunos come served with carrot, crispy shallot, and fresh coriander for £12, and they're gluten-free too. The spicing is earthy and aromatic without being overpowering, making them a great choice whether you're new to Spanish food or a regular who just keeps coming back to them. Pair them alongside the Chorizo Picante or the Gambas Rojo and you've got a proper spread. Have you tried Pinchos Morunos before, and do you think of them as a starter or something to share? Let us know below! 👇

https://www.albarinorestaurant.co.uk

17/05/2026

Romesco: The Catalan Sauce You'll Want on Everything

Most people have never heard of Romesco, but once you try it, you'll wonder how you ever ate without it. This Catalan classic is a rich, smoky blend of roasted peppers, tomatoes, almonds, and olive oil, and it's one of those sauces that genuinely works on almost anything. At Albarino, we pair it with our grilled local calamari (served with rocket leaf and lemon for £12), and it's one of our most-loved dishes on the menu. The nuttiness from the almonds and the depth from the peppers make it something really special.

The good news is you can bring a little of that Catalan magic home too. We stock Romesco almond and pepper sauce in our deli for just £3.95, so you can try it with grilled veg, roasted chicken, or even as a dip with crusty bread. Pair it with some of our Brindisa Salted Catalan Almonds and a glass of Fino sherry and you've got an effortless Spanish spread. Have you ever cooked with Romesco before, or is this your first time hearing about it? 👇 And if you've had our calamari dish, what did you think?

https://www.albarinorestaurant.co.uk

15/05/2026

Bomba Rice: Why It Makes All the Difference 🍚

Most rice just soaks up liquid and goes soggy. Bomba rice doesn't. It absorbs three times its volume in stock without losing its shape or turning to mush, which is exactly why it's the go-to choice for authentic Spanish seafood dishes. The short, round grains hold their bite while pulling in every bit of flavour from the broth around them, giving you that rich, intensely seasoned result that ordinary long-grain rice simply can't deliver.

At Albarino, our Seafood Caldoso uses Bomba rice alongside clams, shrimp, and mussels to create something closer to a thick, flavour-packed seafood broth than a standard rice dish (and at £14, it's one of the most talked-about plates on our menu). 🦐 If you fancy trying it at home, you'll find Calasparra White Paella Rice in our deli, which shares those same qualities that make Bomba the gold standard for this kind of cooking. Have you ever cooked a Spanish rice dish at home, and what's the one thing you felt was missing? Drop your answer below, we'd love to know!

https://www.albarinorestaurant.co.uk

12/05/2026

Why Chorizo Iberico de Bellota Tastes Like Nothing Else

Most chorizo is fine. Chorizo Iberico de Bellota is something else entirely, and it all comes down to what the pig eats. 🐷 Iberico pigs raised on a diet of acorns (bellota) during the final months of their lives develop an extraordinary depth of flavour, a rich nuttiness, and a fat marbling that simply can't be replicated any other way. The acorns are high in oleic acid, which gives the fat its almost silky quality and that signature melt-on-the-tongue texture. It's the reason our Chorizo Iberico de Bellota on the Curados board stands in a completely different category to anything you'd pick up at a supermarket.

We serve ours as part of our olive wood board (£24), alongside Picos Blue cheese, Galician Chestnut fed Serrano Ham, picos de pan, guindillas, caperberries, and quince jelly. It's the kind of plate that makes you slow down and actually appreciate what's in front of you. Have you ever tried Bellota-grade charcuterie before, and did it change how you think about Spanish cured meats? We'd love to know what you thought. 🍷

https://www.albarinorestaurant.co.uk

09/05/2026

Seafood Caldoso: The Rice Dish You Need to Try 🦐

Most people know paella, but there's another Spanish rice dish that quietly steals the show, and it's sitting right on our menu. Seafood Caldoso is Spain's soupy, intensely flavoured cousin to paella, and once you've tried it, you'll wonder how it stayed off your radar for so long.

Where paella is dry and crispy-bottomed, caldoso is all about the broth. Ours is made with Bomba rice (the same short-grain variety used in traditional Spanish cooking), simmered together with clams, shrimp, and mussels in a rich, deeply seasoned base that soaks into every grain. It's comfort food with real depth, and at £14 it's one of the most satisfying plates we put out. The texture sits somewhere between a risotto and a soupy stew, which sounds unusual but tastes absolutely right. Have you ever tried caldoso before, or is paella usually your go-to when you think of Spanish rice dishes?

We serve it as part of our full tapas menu (Tuesday to Friday from 5pm, and Saturday lunch and evening), so you can pair it alongside a few other dishes and make a proper night of it. A chilled glass of Albariño wouldn't go amiss alongside it either. What's the dish that always brings you back to a restaurant? Drop it in the comments below.

https://www.albarinorestaurant.co.uk

07/05/2026

Aioli vs Mayo: They're Not the Same Thing 🧄

A lot of people use these two words interchangeably, but if you've ever had the real thing alongside a plate of gambas or drizzled over a chickpea dish, you'll know there's a genuine difference. True aioli is an emulsion of garlic and olive oil, nothing more. It has a punchy, bold flavour that comes entirely from the quality of those two ingredients. Mayonnaise, on the other hand, is built around egg yolks, a neutral oil, and an acid like vinegar or lemon juice. Creamier, milder, and far more forgiving to make at home.

At Albarino, you'll spot aioli doing the heavy lifting across several dishes on our menu. It turns up with our Chickpea and fennel chips (a favourite with vegan diners), alongside our Potato and onion tortilla, and with our Gambas Rojo 'al la plancha' where that garlic hit really comes into its own against the sweet, charred prawns. 🍤 We also stock Finca La Barca Smoked Alioli in the deli if you want to take a jar home and see what the fuss is about. So, which team are you on: classic aioli or mayo? And have you ever attempted to make proper aioli from scratch?

https://www.albarinorestaurant.co.uk