La Bodega

It offers authentic Spanish tapas and is Winchester's newest eaterie.

With its light and airy dcor and prime location opposite the cathedral, it is the perfect place to sit and watch the world go by.

There's an extensive menu enabling you to choose between dining la carte or indulging in the less formal tapas.

Both my friend and I were tapas virgins but very keen to try it so we ordered up a couple of glasses of house red and contemplated the menu.

A quick scan revealed a bewildering and mouthwatering selection of dishes ranging from the classic Spanish omelette and humble pan con tomate--delicious and generous portions of crusty bread soaked in warm virgin olive oil and garnished with fresh tomatoes--to the more exotic mussels in garlic and char-grilled Mediterranean vegetables.

A little daunted by the choice, and unsure how much we should select, we turned to the friendly restaurant staff who quickly came to our aid with helpful suggestions.

In the end we chose five dishes to share and ordered up another two glasses of wine in anticipation of the feast.

When the food arrived, we felt a guilty pleasure as we surveyed the different plates.

We had a portion of the char-grilled vegetables, crisp and fresh and with a sprinkling of herbs, two slices of pan con tomate, and a dish of glistening green and black olives.

But my favourites were the portion of pimentos pequilo--succulent stuffed sweet red peppers--and the tasty and filling portion of patatas bravas, diced potato cooked in oil and coated with a delicious tomato sauce.

In fact we enjoyed the potatoes so much we ordered another helping and some more olives before finally ordering two cappuccino coffees to finish.

It was a relaxed and unhurried experience and we're already planning a return visit to sample the dishes we didn't get round to this time! The bill came to £35.

La Bodega,The Square, Winchester 01962 864004

-Claire Sheret