...what you won’t find is fault. We certainly didn’t. Every one of the 10 small plates we ordered was perfect. The chicken was soft and tender, the smoked salmon pintxo both strong and delicate. The calamari were crisp and full of the sea, balanced by just the right amount of lemon and enhanced by the fresh slaw.  I have little doubt El Tapas Grá will become a Derry institution.

Derry has Galway vibes, and when we entered the doors of El Tapas Grá for something to eat before heading back to Belfast, I knew exactly what she meant. Sáne Stewart, a restaurant pro with many years’ experience working in the kitchens of top restaurants in Belfast and further afield, opened El Tapas Grá about ten minutes before Covid lockdown hit the country in March 2020.