Fishers in the City, Edinburgh

Highly recommended by a fellow foodie and it was good stuff. Quite a nautical air to it with many fish dishes. I opted for steamed mussels in white wine and garlic sauce. Very good stuff. Big fat juicy mussels and the sauce was good enough to drink so I did (with some bread to add decorum).

A Ribeye steak served with wilted spinach and forest mushrooms. Side order of Rosemary scented chips and (yes!!!) mayonnaise which I couldn't finish. Add a couple of glasses of house red and it was an excellent businessman's dinner. Fillet steak might have been a better option but at £27 I thought that was a step too far as my subsistence allowance has been reduced to £20 a night because of the crisis.

Very restful environment; quite a few foreigners eating out and many opting for the fish dishes. The waiter(a maltese) spoke fluent spanish to reassure the diners.

Not cheap but good quality.

Recommended.

Ethicomp 2010, Tarragona

This followed the usual pattern. A 3 days conference offered the opportunity to taste spanish food.

Evening of Day One. Meet a few delegates in the hotel and walk the streets nearby looking for food. Usual result - an appalling meal of egg and chips or pizza or ham and chips. "Refuelling stop" said one of us and we all agreed.

Day Two better. Partner had done some research and we ended up at La Cuca Fera near the cathedral, a little off the beaten track and found a 30 euro menu with starter followed by pork medallions or Paella, plenty of wine thrown in (like 4 bottles) and 7 of us ate well.

Day Three was conference dinner €65 euros and started off very well. Pre dinner entertainment of Climbing Catalans (ask to see the pictures). Fizzy white wine, several different tapas served to standing diners in the ante room and eventually into the main room. Salmon and Crab parcels, nice sauce for starter, A fish dish to follow with some mystery white fish and a langoustine in a rather good thick fish stock then suddenly it was dessert time. Most people were looking for the meat dish and maybe cheese but it all ended quite soon. There was plenty of white wine on tap but quite difficult to obtain any red. We managed eventually. Surprisingly expensive for what was delivered.

Day Four was the rump of the conference for those who didn't get the early flight home (joke)and was the best of the lot. Called Grotta and in a high vaulted room that looked very old and could have been a wine cellar. Large tapas or substantial mains. We ate a variety including Caesar salad, Kangaroo steak, Veg and meat croquettes, Vegatable lasagna, Pate de foie gras Montadito with lashings of red wine. Recommended. 20 euros for most, 30 for those who had tapas and mains.