Up until not so very long ago, there were three La Tascas in Bristol. As I write this only one remains, in Cabot Circus on a row of culinary delights that also includes Frankie & Benny’s, Nandos and Coal, where I had most definitely the worst meal I have ever had the misfortune of eating in Bristol.

I do hope that those people eating in La Tasca realise that its very attempt to be typically Spanish, with trinkets hanging from the ceiling and bullfighting posters on the walls, actually makes it less so. I do also hope that fans of tapas in Bristol also know that there are two other Spanish restaurants in the city with infinitely more authentic food and atmosphere.

One is El Rincón in Southville, owned by an English former wine importer who wanted to create his ideal sort of Spanish bar in south Bristol. The other is El Puerto, in a more central location on Prince Street, and owned by a Spaniard from the city of Salamanca, a beautiful city in the west of Spain with an historic university and a plaza mayor (photograph below) commonly agreed to be the most magnificent in Spain.

It may now be time for me to make a confession. It was in Salamanca that I lived for a year as a student in the third year of my degree course, immersing myself in the Spanish lifestyle.

Salamanca holds a special place in my heart and on the few occasions I have visited El Puerto, memories of my year living in Spain - the fun I had and the stories I still tell - flood back to me when I see photographs of the city on its walls.

Nothing can recreate the authentic Spanish tapas bar experience, but El Puerto comes close.

My friend Jen had never eaten tapas before and I was happy to therefore choose some of my favourite dishes with her approval, washed down by a glass of sangria full of fruit, rather an obvious touch as El Puerto offers a fine selection of wine, including several different riojas both red and white, but a splendid summer’s drink at the start of spring all the same.

The tapas are served in generous portions, and so they should be for the price, with each dish verging towards the £6 mark, making it an expensive night if you feel like experimenting with lots of different food. Fortunately, the tortilla (omelette) and patatas bravas (diced potatoes in a spicy creamy sauce) are half as expensive but just as good.

The fiery-sounding chorizo infierno (chorizo cooked in red wine sauce) was the pick of what we had, the red wine making the chunky pieces of chorizo even more succulent and delicious. The gambas al ajillo (shell-off prawns with garlic, olive oil and chilli) were served red hot, while the jamón serrano (top quality cured Spanish ham, the type of which you see hanging from a hook in most tapas bars in Spain) was the real deal.

On Sunday nights from 7.30pm, there is live flamenco music at El Puerto, a stereotypical Spanish touch but a fun way to draw more people through the door on a quiet night. For atmosphere, food and drink, El Puerto beats a certain national chain hands down.

El Puerto, 57 Prince Street. 0117 925 6014.

www.el-puerto.co.uk