“ Pros: Delicious authentic Spanish food. The waiters are very friendly. The atmosphere is great. Highly recommend the Paella and the fried sardines, and they have the best green olives in town. Cons: Lots of stairs to get down to the restaurant, wasn't convenient with baby strollers. ”

“ On a Tuesday, just after one of the Algebra seminars, we ended up here because the speaker fancied Spanish for dinner. It's not the place you can randomly find on your way, since the main entrance is in a dark and narrow pathway just behind Deansgate. The venue is huge and airy, and the white walls adorned with Spanish paintings definitely remind of far Mediterranean restaurants. I always find the idea of sharing food with the others very appealing, since it allows you to try many different courses and underlines the social role of meals, also giving you the chance of making comments about food. Hence we opted for one of the two menus (the 14.50£ one); both of them includes about a dozen different dishes. I literally loved every single dish they served. Meatballs, lamb, chicken, mushrooms...Probably those that I liked more are patatas bravas (slightly hot roast potatoes served with tomato sauce) and chicken steamed in zucchini sauce. Unfortunately I'm not fond of seafood, but my friends were very positively impressed by the fish courses. The red wine we got was very enjoyable as well. Never underestimate the places where Algebra leads you. ”

“ If there were a Narnia centered around spanish food and atmostphere then the door to it would be down a little alley which backs onto deansgate. The food here is awesome, the langoustines wrapped in bacon, the various lamb based stews, chorizo, calamari, its all fantastic. The wine menu is good with cheap cava on offer at ~£20 a bottle from memory. Food aside the atmosphere is why I like this place so much, the staff seem to all be spanish speaking and the feel of the place is just very Spanish, who needs a cheap easy jet flight when this place is on our doorsteps! There are not many restaurants where I can't find fault, this is one of them ”

“ This is one of those places where you need to book ahead for a Saturday night, which I guess is a good sign, we were given an early two hour time slot, and in fact even though there were 16 of us we still managed to have a good 40 minutes left over to pay. So the food was efficient and good, I would particularly recommend the pork, honey and tomato stew on the set menu (the slightly higher set menu at £16.50 a head). The staff were good although it was hard to notice as things just felt a little too rushed, we were a fairly quite stag group and considerate to the other diners so it was purely a financial decision to try and get us in and out as soon as possible so they can have more table turn over. There was one incident of a waitress not being aware enough of the table space and covering one member of our group with the contents of his glass (luckily it was water), and to be fair this could have been avoided really, but again I think it was not due to the rush to put plates down in front of us all. All in all the meal was lovely, and there was a good selection of things although I think it might have been good to get a few more vegetables as the whole menu was very meat heavy, and tapas at its best can provide a healthy balance between meat and vegetables. I have eaten here a few times, and suspect you get a better menu when you are picking from what is on offer instead of having a set menu and also if you are a smaller group, I think next time (yes I will be back) I will attend with 4 or 5 people. ”

“ I've gotta say that I do enjoy tapas - there's just something nice about sharing food with friends and not knowing what food is gonna come next. In fact because we had a large table, that was exactly what happened as we ordered off of their group party menu (£14.50 each) where we had a couple of portions of each dish brought over to our table through the night. The setting is fantastic - like a proper little Spanish enclave underground and the staff and general feeling were as authentic as you can get. I especially liked the range of Spanish beers they had on tap (sometimes places can just be lazy and pop just San Miguel on tap but they had at least 4 on tap and others in bottles) The highlights of the food had to be the meatballs, the patatas bravas and the bowl of paella you get for the table was also pretty decent (so much food for such a reasonable price) We didn't have dessert as we nipped down to MFDF for churros but I'm sure I'll be back again soon for a starter, main and dessert - plus of course a few nice beers! ”

“ Muy bien! Out of the numerous dishes brought to our table, I particularly enjoyed the paella, patatas bravas and meatballs (albondigas), although nothing else really stood out that's fairly good going. I also really like the space -the high ceilings and large room are a surprising coming as they do from a basement on a nondescript side street. The tortilla wasn't sensational like my Spanish bff's (or her mum's) so they can't get five stars even though that is a basically an impossible test. ”

“ The 2014 winner of the 'That's not how I expected it to be inside' award definitely goes to El Rincon. Had it not been for the trusty map app we'd probably have struggled to find it, (it's on the corner of Longworth Street, which is off St Johns Street, which is off Deansgate...). Head through the doors and you descend stairs that resemble a London Tube station's with a central hand rail. At the bottom, a small replica of Picasso's 'Guernica' painting is high above you, with a traditional-looking tiled restaurant sign on the back wall. Turn a corner and you're met with a cavernous space, double height ceilings and a huge bar (where you can sit and eat at as well). I'm certainly glad I booked as it was very busy and throughout our meal there was a constant stream of customers (some 'winged it' and were seated where they could find space, one small group ended up sitting in the entrance area!). We could tell it was a popular place so were looking forward to getting stuck in. As a group of seven we didn't need to trawl through the menu as we had a choice of two set ones (opting for the slightly more expensive, but we got two extra tapas dishes plus a paella; and it was only £2 per person extra). Jug of sangria poured, the first of fifteen dishes started to arrive (I'm not going to list them all so don't worry), but lots of tapas faves were included, as well as some I hadn't heard of before. I thought pretty much everything was delicious (though still not convinced by artichokes...). As I've said a few times now I love shared dinners, so tapas is perfect. We all really enjoyed our time here and I'll certainly be back again for more. ”

“ El Rincon de Rafa has to be seen to be believed. However, seeing it is something of a problem considering that it's one of Manchester's most tucked-away little gems. But at the same time, I'll say that it's also one of our city's worst-kept secrets. It might be hard to find, but heck, it's always packed to the rafters. My five stars is based pretty much on the delicious Spanish authenticity of the food (as well as the decor, which I'll come to) - I have no beef whatsoever with those who prefer La Tasca's less traditional fare. But if you want a true Español experience, El Rincon's the way forward. Hiding down a dubious-looking back alley off Deansgate, myself and my colleagues exchanged worried glances when our boss brought us to El Rincon to culminate a successful induction week back in the Spinningfields office days. I'll tell you the easiest way to find it - opposite the Hilton, go past Liverpool Street and skirt round the back of Imli where all the 70s-looking presumably massively expensive houses are, and you'll find it if you carry on as if towards Spinningfields. Simples! Walking down the tiled stairs and viewing the strange amalgamation of Spanish bric-a-brac and football memorabilia, one might feel somewhat unsure. However everything falls into place once you're ushered to a rustic wooden table and given time enough to relax and peruse the extensive menu. This is Mediterranean dining after all. It's nothing if not languid and easy-going. A generous portion of olives with a variety of breads was a plentiful pre-dinner snack. Wines are tasty and reasonably priced, and the food is a delight to behold. Being a daughter of Canarian expats I ensured to order my favourite Spanish traditions - tortilla patatas and patatas bravas, as well as a variety of seafood. The former was as paradoxically dense and fluffy as it should be (it is possible, believe me), and the latter was spicier than I'd anticipated, or experienced. It looked like this was slightly more authentic than the Spanish cuisine I'd previously indulged in. Anyone who writes off insipid patatas bravas with the excuse of 'It's only potatoes and tomato sauce after all' should come to El Rincon and bear witness to this fiery concoction. And then be ashamed of themselves. Owned by a Stockport County player turned chef and restauranteur, the football camaraderie is evident - rumour has it that Manchester United have held post-match celebrations at this venue, with Rafa closing it to the public to cater for them. And what's good enough for those talented treasures/overpaid excuses for athletes (delete as applicable) is good enough for us Mancs. If you're adventurous of tongue and are keen to experience Spanish authenticity, give it a try, but remember to book well in advance and not as a couple (parties of two cannot pre-book) but as a group. As I said, it may be well-hidden, but it isn't half popular! ”

“ Went here last night and it was great food. We went for a set menu which was tapas and also paella. Not sure about all the names of the tapas dishes but they included meatballs, seafood salad, potatoes with tomatoes/salsa, diced pork, sautéed mushrooms, breaded crabclaws and paprika chorizo. About 12 tapas dishes into total plus the paella. Set menu was £16.50. If you don't want paella, its about £2 cheaper. The only problem with tapas is that there are so many dishes, you always run out of space quickly. You have to quickly eat dishes so you can make room for others. The food came very quickly. Good job as we were all hungry. The paella came about 40 minutes after we ordered - a good sign that it was cooked from scratch. Overall a very good evening. It was very busy and a group were actually sitting on the tables situated in the sort of "lobby" area at the bottom of the stairs near entrance (and near the entrance to toilets). I assume they were given the option if they wanted to sit there. I have heard El Rincon is very popular and you always have to book a table. There is quite a bit of football memorabilia on the walls and, as Emma-Louise H has also mentioned, I have heard that Manchester United have visited in the past. El Rincon is actually not situated on Deansgate as it has been mentioned on some places. Its actually on a small dark street parallel to Deansgate - which you could argue looks a bit dodgy especially when it was all dark and wet last night - typical Manchester rainy weather!! El Rincon is not the easiest place to find and I would imagine doesnt get much passing custom. ”

“ What a little gem this place is! Not the easiest to find, but undoubtedly well worth it when you do get there. La Tasca and its contemporaries have got nothing on this authentic Spanish tapas bar. It is tucked away in a basement just off St John's Street, Deansgate. The atmosphere welcomes you as soon as you walk in, it just feels so traditional, yet quirky at the same time, with signed and framed football shirt decorating the walls. The tapas dishes are excellent, extremely varied and full of taste. The wines are fabulous, and it all just makes a wonderful combination, especially as it doesn't leave too much of a dent in your wallet either! This place would have scored 5* however there are two things that have peeved me recently. Firstly, when I ate there the other night, One Born Every Minute was on in the background on a giant plasma screen TV. Thankfully there was no sound but I did not enjoy watching a woman giving birth whilst I was eating. Secondly, whilst some of the staff are lovely, most of them I find to be very rude. No matter how polite or friendly you try to be, it just seems impossible to get them to smile. However, the quality of the food more than makes up for this. I'll definitely be going back for more. ”