Spain Brought Warmth & Vibrant Flavour to a Soggy Merrion Square for Taste of Dublin 2025. The Spanish Tourism Office and Saborea España (Tasting Spain) returned to Taste of Dublin 2025 with ‘Tasting Spain’.
Tasting Spain was a standout culinary showcase at the festival and invited attendees, including ITTN’s Shane Cullen, to sample an exquisite selection of Spanish wines, olive oils, cheeses, and premium tapas. This ran from 12th June until Sunday, 15th June.
This Tasting Spain is by La Ribera, one of Spain’s top catering companies, led by Dublin-based chef, Jorge Hernández, along with talented guest chefs for each of the sessions.
Media guests were invited to sample wine and olive oils in front of an audience and were tested on their knowledge and opinions (no pressure). From the Croquetas de Jamón (Iberian ham & cheese croquettes), rose-infused olive oils to chilled red wine from Gran Canaria, the essence of the flavours reminds us why we travel, explore and enjoy cuisine abroad. Spanish flavours transport me to so many happy memories of holidays from the Cambrils coastline with endless sandy beaches, winding streets and old town of Reus; to the volcanic landscape of Lanzarote, stunning sand dunes of Maspalomas and vibrant city of Las Palmas. If you could taste a perfect memory, this is how to do it.
Cambrils in the Heart of Costa Daurada
Cambrils is located in the heart of the Costa Daurada and just along the coast from the ever-popular Salou. Cambrils is a quieter, up-market coastal town in southern Catalonia. It features an excellent tourist infrastructure, with over 8,000 hotel beds, 12,000 campsites, and more than 38,000 tourist apartments. It is situated in an ideal setting for food lovers, surrounded by high-quality wine regions such as Priorat, Montsant, and Terra Alta. It also has some of the best olive oil in Spain. The seaside town is home to two Michelin stars of the six in the province, and is only 22 km from Romanic Tarragona, 100 km from Barcelona, and just 8 km from Port Aventura.
Fly to Barcelona or Reus to get here, and PortaVentura Hotel & Theme Park is also on the doorstep.
The gastronomy of Cambrils is renowned for its perfect combination of sea and land. Known as the Gastronomic Capital of the Costa Dorada, the town is famous for the exceptional quality of its local products, particularly the fresh fish and seafood that arrive daily at the port. Moreover, the area’s restaurants focus on traditional Mediterranean cuisine with innovative touches, creating delicious dishes that delight every palate. The region’s wines, with eight Denominations of Origin, are ideal for accompanying an after-meal relaxation at one of its charming restaurants overlooking the Mediterranean
Zaragoza
Discover the city of two cathedrals, where Goya learned to see and the world capital of Garnacha. This Spanish city is a perfect destination for a city break. It is home to the Cathedral del Salvador (La Seo), a UNESCO World Heritage site of Mudéjar art and Cathedral-Basilic of Our Lady of the Pilar, a spectacular marvel of baroque architecture and a Marian pilgrimage centre. This is also home to Aljafería Palace, an Arabic palace located in the heart of Zaragoza, which dates back to the eleventh century and is currently the seat of the Parliament of Aragon.
Zaragoza boasts 2,000 years of history with an Iberian, Roman, Muslim, Jewish and Christian legacy. Beyond the centuries of culture, this destination offers festivals, winery tours, gastronomic routes and excursions.
Enjoy local delicacies such as suckling lamb, borage, cod, mushrooms and truffles. Zaragoza is the world capital of Garnacha and is renowned for producing the finest Garnacha wines in the world. It is also home to craft beer. The icing on the cake, so to speak, is the chocolate with Zaragoza, the birthplace of chocolate in Europe.
Zaragoza offers more than 130km of cycle paths, over 800 hectares of parks to enjoy the fresh air, Spanish sunshine and life outdoors. Adventure along the 30 hiking routes, meander the rivers by kayak, enjoy a family day at the Aquarium of Zaragoza with 5 rivers holding 300 species of marine life within 2.3 million litres of water. For more art & culture, enjoy the Natural Sciences Museum, Pablo Gargallo’s Museum & many more.
There is accommodation for every budget and personality and, equally, shopping for every taste from high-end retail to flea markets, local artisan stores and large shopping malls.
Set your sights for a self-guided adventure, city break, short-stay or multi-destination vacation with something for everyone.
Lanzarote
Lanzarote is the island of jable, volcanic ash, and the humidity of the trade winds. Its cuisine is the result of a deep ecological knowledge and an extremely unique nature. Men and women, through observation of its land and sea, with ingenuity and strength, harvested the unique products that can only exist in these conditions.
The unique landscapes, gastronomy as a creator of landscape, culinary tradition, innovation by chefs, the variety and quality of local products and their history, local produce, cultural heritage, the privileged climate, the location in the Central Atlantic, the personality of its wines and its producers… All of this shapes the gastronomic narrative of this island.
A place, a deep ecological awareness, a perfect balance between art and nature, a clear commitment to local products, a right blend of tradition and modernity, large doses of enthusiasm, and a strong commitment to the society and future of Lanzarote.
San José Castle: Located at the port of Arrecife and home to the International Museum of Contemporary Art, San José Castle opens the doors to its restaurant, an elegant space with Manriquean design and the best views of the bay. Enjoy enticing dishes such as pescado de Manrique (Manrique’s fish) or octopus glazed with mojo and sweet potato puree, among others. A wide selection of wines from the Lanzarote Wine Denomination of Origin, along with island-made craft beers and spirits, will accompany you in this unique gastronomic experience.
Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria is a top tourist destination, not only for its stunning beaches, landscapes, and year-round warm climate, but also for its extraordinary range of accommodation, designed to meet the needs of all visitors. Hotels and beach resorts, flats and aparthotels, villas, and rural accommodation, including even cave houses in the municipalities that form part of the Gran Canaria Biosphere Reserve.
Gran Canaria’s accommodation offer includes luxury hotels in iconic tourist areas on the coast such as Maspalomas, Playa del Inglés, Mogán, or in its cosmopolitan capital, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, where the number of luxury boutique hotels has increased steadily in recent years. These are establishments that pay the utmost attention to detail to guarantee a unique experience, many of them focused on concepts such as wellness, health, and beauty. The range of establishments included in the wellness category is innumerable and contributes to maintaining Gran Canaria’s prestige in terms of health and relaxation with numerous spa and thalassotherapy centres in which to pamper body and mind.
Gran Canaria also offers the combination of a magnificent hotel and a restaurant with a MICHELIN Star restaurant, adding an unforgettable gastronomic experience to a luxury stay.
Gran Canaria offers 128 sunny beaches in both winter and summer, with crystal clear waters and fine golden sand or dark volcanic sand. Quiet coves where visitors can lose themselves and natural pools that look out over the Atlantic, flanked by spectacular ravines. The island also boasts 14 Blue Flag awards for beaches, 2 awards for Sports Marinas, and 2 Blue Centres.
Gran Canaria has been the recipient of important awards that reflect the high degree of conservation of its natural and cultural heritage. These include the highest status of its kind recognised in the world, that of UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, a declaration that joins the addition of Risco Caído and the Montaña Sagrada to the list of World Heritage Sites. The UNESCO has also certified the island as a Starlight Tourist Destination, due to its commitment to ensuring the quality of the night sky and access to starlight.
The island’s heritage is reflected in the open, cosmopolitan and multicultural character of the island. Cities and towns with more than 500 years of history reflect the colonial architecture and centuries-old traditions that mark a resoundingly Atlantic identity. Gran Canaria’s tourist offer is as varied as the island itself. Its charming attractions include its natural environment, its “living history”, its cultural and festive activities, all of them manifestations of its own unique identity.
Discover the history of Gran Canaria in its extensive network of museums in which the cultural symbiosis of the island is all mixed together, including pre-Hispanic mummies, ancient ships, contemporary art, aboriginal ceramics and sculpture and more.
