Not many of my restaurant recommendations are on the main stretch of Collioure for the good reason that the restaurants don’t need to work very hard to get bums on seats and you’re often paying for the view.

But, I did want to include a restaurant or two on the beach for those wanting beautiful views and ambience, so if you’re hankering for a spot of tapas and a glass (or three) of something, then Chez Simone is a good option - where the local charm marries the convivial spirit of tapas to offer a colourful feast of tapas with wonderful views.

Founded by Thomas Garcia back in the year 2000, Chez Simone started out as a snack bar, but Thomas grouped up with chef friends, Jimmy, Arnaud and Cyrille to turn it into a tapas restaurant serving locally sourced food depending on the season.

Kick off with 'Tapas et Platillos' where the Patatas Bravas and Tomme de brebis, aged six months, paired with seasonal chutney, along with Anchois de la Maison Desclaux, which come with a tangy green olive cream, whilst the Duo of Saucisson and Chorizo Bellota is good for your charcuterie fix.

For mains, the 'Tatare de boeuf' with Simone’s special sauce or the Paleta de Cebo Iberica, is aged for 22 months are nice options – as are the Noix de Saint-Jacques - lightly seared to perfection.

For those with a taste for a bit of everything, the Pica-Pica menu and Degustation menu offers an assortment of tapas, so you don’t have to choose and wait for the Catalan Franco-Spanish dishes to arrive.

Finally, reliable desserts are the traditional Espuma de crème catalane that’s airy and sweet, and, for chocoholics, a mysterious chocolate dessert to end your meal on a sweet high note.