LUNYALITA, LIVERPOOL

Combining a restaurant, bar and deli, Lunyalita aims to bring authentic Catalan charm to Liverpool’s Royal Albert Dock. A busy open kitchen means there’s plenty of atmosphere and, if the sun’s shining, there’s a ground-floor terrace and champagne balcony upstairs.

If you’re a fan of Lunya (in Liverpool or Manchester) already, chances are you’ll feel the same about Lunyalita. The menu is different, though. There’s a choice of classic hot tapas; fish, cured meats, vegetables and salads; as well as big sharing platters, a range of paellas and the like (including arroz negro and fideuà), and bits to pick at, such as roasted Catalan almonds, salty Spanish crisps and giant Gordal olives.

Slow-proved bread from local bakery Baltic Bakehouse with tangy tomato got things underway on our visit, followed by fried courgette flower stuffed with Monte Enebro goat’s cheese, calamari in bubbly batter, chicken croquetas (the flavours change daily) and fried chorizo with honey and fennel seeds. A rich and dense almond cake (a Galician favourite) and a smooth crema catalana, fragrant with orange and cinnamon, took care of dessert.

Wine and beer is sourced from Spain, as well as the coffee, which comes direct from the award-winning Café Saula in Barcelona. You can also order sangria (three ways), a huge range of sherries and Spanish spirits, and cocktails. It also claims to have one of the biggest collections of Spanish gins outside of Spain, too (with a rogue Ginsmiths Marshmallow from Liverpool, for good measure). lunya.co.uk/lunyalita