Alhama de ARAGóN, Spain

Consuming Passions

What makes us choose one restaurant rather than another? Nowadays there's so much choice that we have to make difficult decisions every time we go out. For example, should we play it safe and head for our traditional old favourite or be more adventurous and try the new Japanese place that's just opened up? In fact, come to think of it, why do we go out to eat in the first place? The answer is easy. The sensual experience of eating good food and drinking fine wine in convivial company is so relaxing and refreshing that it enables us to forget our worries and escape from the daily grind for a few hours. It's a liberating therapy that helps us keep sane in an increasingly stressful world. And it's for that very reason that one of Zaragoza's traditional old favorites, Mesón del Coso is usually full of the political elite, their counterparts in the media and performers from the Teatro Principal across the road, all indulging in the comfort food that they do best here: high-quality cured ham with fried eggs, washed down with an oak-flavored red wine like Enate.

Simply by choosing a particular restaurant we can embark on a voyage of cultural discovery. So, if you're feeling adventurous then a visit to the Sakura , close to Ciudad Universitaria , will open your eyes to the complexities and subtleties of the Japanese way of life. However, if you prefer to stay closer to home then you'll be better served at El Cachirulo, an Aragonese stately home on the road to Logroño that houses a restaurant where they prepare the best in traditional regional cuisine and organize entertainment in the form of the Jota (traditional singing and dancing that has the power to make elderly people weep and younger people scream and shout with joy).

If you're looking for a prestigious venue in which to luxuriate, a place where King Juan Carlos likes to come when he's here to partake of his favourite pastel de puerros y gambas (prawn and leek pie), then make your way to Los Borrachos in the middle of the Paseo de Sagasta. If you carry on down to the bottom you'll come to Plaza de Aragón and the typically plateresque Ibercaja building which houses the Patio de la Infanta . However, if you decide to head in the opposite direction up the Paseo de Sagasta, you'll eventually cross Parque Pignatelli and arrive at Iglesia de San Antonio, one of the most impressive and historically significant churches in the city.

The famous master chef and culinary commentator Arzak used to say that cooking ought to be a compulsory subject at schools, and he's right. But not only should children be taught how to cook, they should also be educated in how to eat out properly. So, if you're taking your children out for the first time, you'd be well advised to drop in at Pizza Nostra . They have a variety of pizza or pasta for every palate and the portions are so generous that a main course and a dessert are normally sufficient. Not far from here you'll find the Puerta del Carmen , which still bears the scars inflicted by French artillery during the siege of Zaragoza.

Some of the most imaginative and innovative dishes available in modern restaurants are vegetarian, so if you are a vegetarian or if you just fancy a break from meat, it's worth trying La Retama . Remember to ask for a table on the balcony, from where you'll get a view of the Iglesia de San Miguel whose history dates back to the reconquest of the city from the Moors in 1260. You might on the other hand be a fan of Spanish cooking and just want to have a little of what you like best, in which case you should choose Pantxika Orio , a Basque restaurant through and through that prides itself on providing fresh ingredients and friendly service. If you have a sweet tooth and can't resist homemade cakes and tarts then it's worth driving a few miles out to La Puebla de Alfiden and the Galatea . After sampling the sweet things you could visit the interesting Mudejar church.

Some of Spain's oldest eating-places with true historical character can be found in Zaragoza. Head for the Posada de las Almas which was founded in 1705. And for a really historic occasion you can't do better than the Montal, with its 16th century cloisters, centuries-old works of art and excellent cooking.

For an atmosphere that's much more up-to-date, step through the door of the ultramodern hotel Boston and you'll be transported to an approximation of a trendy, modern American city. The food they serve in the various restaurants here is fit for the new century. The menu on offer in the top floor restaurant is as modern and exciting as the interior decor and on the floor below there's another restaurant that offers imaginative international fare that's sure to please its well-heeled clientele. So, after travelling up the gilded glass cages that they call elevators, you can choose from exquisitely dressed salads, a thousand and one varieties of risotto and a bewildering array of pastas. Zaragoza deserves to be visited just for a gastronomic tour alone, never mind the history and culture.

It is also one of the liveliest cities in the country for nightlife, with a youthful population who like to go out and have some fun. This means that there is no shortage of bars and clubs with music and dancing that are open until the early hours of the morning. So, once you have visited all the historical sites and sampled a delicious meal in one of the recommended restaurants, you might want to make for one of the numerous areas where people congregate. The young, student crowd get together in the centrally located Moncasi district, the more individualistic and alternative crowd head for the cheap and cheerful Magdalena district and the more sophisticated folk gather in the up-market surroundings of Francisco Vitoria. The old town and the area around the university campus are also full of bars and clubs. It is customary to start somewhere like Vinilo , The Old Number One or El Sol (on Calle Blancas) just to get “revved up” a little for the night ahead. And, as the night develops, the scene moves on to other places, such as El Fantasma de los Ojos Azules . When it gets really late, the hedonists head for , La Casa del Loco the Aphoteke or Fangory to dance until dawn.

If you're looking for somewhere that's got lots of atmosphere but is quieter than the sort of music bars and clubs above, then you'll be happier in La Republicana , the Bodeguilla de Santa Cruz . Somewhere like Bodegas Almau is an ideal spot to meet with friends in the early evening, and at Whisky Viejo you can sit and chat comfortably until the early hours with good music as a background. For an intimate evening out as a couple, try Cafe Voltaire or the Praga .