In Illora and its satellite villages alone - Alomartes, Obeilar, Bracana, Escoznar and Tocon - there are apparently 50 bars and restaurants. We will recommend only on the basis of having been to them or them being recommended by close friends and we have not got to 50 yet.

Coffee and Tea: Take it from a seasoned coffee drinker, the coffee in Spain is superb and in no need of foreign support. So, do not come to Illora or Granada nor anywhere we have been in Spain looking for Starbucks. There is no Starbucks, no Café Nero nor any of the main chains.

Coffee is readily available in all bars at all times they are open - normally, either as expresso, café con leche - the stronger version with hot milk - or café manchado - also with hot milk but milkier. Tea is also available in two or three varieties in most bars but the Spanish are not great tea drinkers. Of course, you have tea and coffee making facilities at Café Pilar Alto Illora.

Tapas: Every bar serves tapas with alcohol but not with coffee. Not every bar is the same but there will normally be 4-6 varieties available at any one time. Tapas is served free of charge but if you feel keen to have one particular variety - if for example you have seen your neighbour at the bar with chicken wings, then do not be shy about asking for that particular tapa. Servings in this form are small and one portion per person with each drink service.  The bars also offer a la carte menu which offers good and cheap sandwiches and snacks.  There is one major restaurant in the centre of the town of Illora and it serves typical Spanish meals and delicacies.

Drinks: The two main local beers on tap are Cruzcampo and Alhambra. Cruzcampo is the cheaper of the two but I find it a little rough. Alhambra has been a favourite of mine since I first started coming to the Granada area. There is an "especial" version - stronger and smoother - if you are up for it. Beers aside, wine is a popular choice - especially as "tinto verano" - just over half a tall glass of red wine topped with lemonade. Many of the natives of the area drink a dangerous looking local brew that comes out of a plastic barrel part hidden behind the bar. We have not tried this yet, so cannot comment.

Eating and Drinking:

We aim to give you an idea of the range of options available in and around Illora. Please do not consider the list comprehensive: La Placeta: Paco is the owner and runs the bar and restaurant himself with his wife cooking excellent tapas and meals in the background. One of the joys of Bar Paco is that it is higher up the Sierra Parapanda from Casa Pilar Alto Illora, whilst still in Illora itself, so you can work up an appetite walking up the hill (5-7 minutes walk). It has a small outside terrace, where you can sit and enjoy the views and is situated in a pretty, small square. The menu is mainly Spanish with excellent caracoles, calamares and other typically Spanish dishes. An odd feature is that you can get chips with just about anything. Paco is eager to welcome Casa Pilar Alto Illora guests and we hope to arrange a special deal for you with him. But, this is Spain and such things take a little time.

Meson Refugio: Meson Refugio is the main restaurant in Illora but manages to cover three levels of service very well - bar (with tapas, of course), bar with a short meal menu and full restaurant service. This is not gourmet cuisine but is typically Spanish cuisine, with a number of international dishes included. Before splashing out on a steak (Euros 13.00) keep in mind that the Spanish prefer them with the fat. The menu is also given in English, which helps. The décor in Meson Refugio is a little dated but the atmosphere is friendly and inviting and this is a favourite watering hole for many of the locals.

Bar Molina: This is a spacious bar at the top of the road up from the San Rogelio statue - so central in Illora and a short 3-5 minute walk from Casa Pilar Alto Illora. It is principally a drinking bar but has a short, two page menu, which we have found pretty good for lunch. It contains a number of local dishes - including calamares, which is almost a staple - along with a few international dishes - hamburguesa and hamburguesa completa. Unimaginative but clean décor and this bar is air conditioned and nice to sit in and watch the world go by.

Café Latino: This is a bar cum patisserie cum small restaurant in a more contemporary style than most in Illora and opened no more than a year. Located just down from the San Rogelio statue in the centre of town and just 5 minutes walk from Casa Pilar Alto Illora, Café Latino is favoured by many younger Spanish and English locals. The coffee is good and the owners here focus on bocadillos, the local version of pizza and other savoury and sweet pastries.

Restaurant Monserrat, Pinos Puente: One of two restaurants on either side of the road through Pinos Puente - between Illora and Granada - we found the service here better. Pinos Puente is a few kilometres from Illora but it's worth the trip if you feel like something a bit different. The staff here speak some English and the menu is in English, German and Spanish. It is a reasonably friendly place but much more like a restaurant in a large town than the very friendly atmosphere of Meson Refugio. The food is better though, from our experience, and the choice more varied.

Drinking:

"Bolero": This bar is a particular favourite of ours for a very straightforward reason - it is owned and run by the very friendly owners of "Casa Rustika", the shop in Illora where we bought our Andalucia rustic furniture and is furnished and decorated in a very similar style, for the same reason. Francis is a very affable host and the bar has only one serious drawback - it opens only in evenings and largely at Francis's whim, which principally means Fridays and Saturdays.

Bar 72: This bar is one of the largest in Illora and on the Plaza San Rogelio - a short walk down the street from Casa Pilar Alto Illora. It is a favourite meeting place for locals and also a place for the men of Illora to play dominoes and card games. Bar 72 can be quite smoke filled, so if you have an aversion, give it a miss. Otherwise, it is a very friendly place and you will readily fall into conversation with the locals here, if you are so inclined.

Bar "La Bodega": This bar is a short walk beyond Bar 72. Generally quieter than its near neighbour, it is a little run down but well looked after by Antonio and his wife. Antonio, like many bar keepers, enjoys banter with his Spanish clients, which can be very amusing to watch, even if participation is not possible. This bar also has a small outside area in use during the Summer. Bar "La Bodega" also serves a short day and evening menu, which we have not tried yet, so cannot comment on.

Bar "Parada": This bar has a common name - there seems to be a Bar Parada in every local town. It sits on the road to Alomartes, just down the road from the Church and has a small outside area during Spring and Summer. The bar itself is very small by comparison with others but is favoured by many locals, including the taxi drivers, whose taxi stand is just across the road. If you stray in here, be prepared for a lot of general banter between drinkers and the barman. Not a word of English is spoken but if your Spanish is up to it, the punters are very friendly and will welcome you with open arms - depending on how many they have had.

As mentioned at the beginning, this is definitely a work in progress and a wider selection will be added as we get the chance to try them out ourselves. Please do keep coming back.