El Mercado

Capitan Torres is closed. Yes, that legendary Spanish deli on Liverpool Street is gone. No more strung hams, manchego or tinned pickled octopus in the city. But don't despair Espanophiles - there's always El Mercado.

If you don't have a car, getting to Breakfast Point/Mortlake is something of a mission, depending on which area you're coming from. And the suburb is kind of strange once you're out there – it looks like a gated community on the Gold Coast. But persevere. Just down the end of Magnolia Drive is a big warehouse where you'll find El Mercado – a part café, part deli owned and run by Kristian Juanas and Eduardo Giraldo.

At El Mercado, they'll do you a chorizo and egg roll on soft white bread. And when we say soft white bread, we mean Tip Top – the middle might be a beautifully spiced, cured pork sausage but that bread is definitely not of a similar class – which is kind of cool in its own way. They also offer a jamon roll. Or order the meat platter for a selection of cured hams and cheeses that you pick yourself from their huge deli counter. Don't even think of leaving without having a hot chocolate: it's just like the kind you see in Spain where the mixture is so thick you can stand your spoon up in it.

Make sure to buy some goods to take home. Their range of meats is superb (especially their chorizo and jamon) and they have a huge amount of dry goods, paella pans of all different sizes and olives, herbs, spices and anchovies galore.Myffy Rigby