Nick Hopewell-Smith

Delicate and martini-like. Quite remarkable with a dish of salted cashews on the side!

A delicious surprise. Quite boozy. The banana element is very clever.

The world’s finest paella is served in two (rather competitive) restaurants in Pinoso, which is well inland from Alicante. The principal meat ingredients are farmed rabbit and snails. The dish is served in a shallow skillet and the caramelisation of the rice is critical. Alongside it I would choose a chilled and light Spanish red, like an Albahra, but when I was there, we had two bottles of an excellent local Monastrell. I guess chicken is not so different from farmed rabbit….

I was served this unforgettable drink across three nights in this hotel in 1986. Today I make a version using three different rums (Havana 7, Havana 3 and Wrays Overproof) I use Nardini Mezzo-e-Mezzo rather than red vermouth and 12.5ml of grenadine rather than 7.5ml of syrup and 7.5ml of grenadine. And don’t hold back on the Angostura Bitters!