If a dining experience with picture-postcard views of the sea appeals to you, head to Sardinero beach where, on the first floor of the building known as Cormorán, you’ll find El Serbal. You’ll fall for all its culinary charms thanks to its honest approach and its roots in Cantabrian cooking, which is showcased here by an updated take on traditional cuisine that meets one of its key tenets: “to ensure that guests are happy and will want to return”. The à la carte, which is well complemented by three menus (Gastronomic, Tasting and a special Dom Perignon Moët Chandon option), champions the Cantabrian Sea’s superb fish that it buys daily at auction, hence the recital of available options at your table (on our latest visit we particularly enjoyed the mackerel with parsnip and salmis) and a desire to give greater visibility to native ingredients, with a special focus on mouthwatering meat from the Tudanca breed of cattle. On the ground floor you’ll find a more informal bistro-style space called Querida Mar.