Walk around Brighton and you’ll often hear Spanish spoken.

There’s a strong community from the Iberian Peninsula in the city, and the benefits for Brighton diners are clear to see. Now three of the city’s restaurants are in the running to be named the UK’s favourite tapas venue.

Dominic Smith caught up with the owners of the restaurants which are nominated in the national competition, run by Andalusian beer brand Alhambra, with a chance of winning £2,000.

Aguadulce, King’s Road, Brighton, 01273 328672

Owner Carlos Di Napoli came to Brighton four years ago and, when he opened Aguadulce, no one gave him more than three months. Restaurants come and go in the city like the tide so it’s no surprise. But he’s proved his doubters wrong and wants to expand.

“It’s fantastic to be nominated and I’m very proud. I’m now number eight on TripAdvisor out of more than 600 restaurants.

“I came with my wife and gambled my whole life. I invested what money I had here because I feared for Spain and what I thought would happen, has happened.”

Di Napoli says 75% of his customers come for his seven types of authentic paellas, especially the seafood, which are based on his own tastes combined with traditions from Almería in Andalucía.

“It’s home cooking and we cook to order, which is why it is a minimum 30 minutes for a paella.” As for tapas, which he says must be done with spices from Spain but as much local produce as possible, he recommends the homemade meatballs, £5.90, the spicy potatoes, mojopicon, £4.20, and slow-cooked pork Moroccan style, £5.75.

“The basis of all my food is good quality garlic, good quality white wine and good quality olive oil.”

Ole Ole! Tapas Bar Meeting House Lane, Brighton, 01273 739939

Three Spaniards from Murcia, also in the south of Spain, opened Olé Olé! in July 2009, when The Chilli Pickle moved out.

The vibe is traditional, with red and yellow walls, mosaics and flamenco pictures.

Co-owner Jordi Rodriguez says the only way to get a table on Fridays and Saturdays is to ring ahead.

“Customers love the live flamenco combined with original Spanish food, and we have live percussionists and singers on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. We have as many Spanish people as English people come.”

He says everything is homemade.

“We prepare all our food. It’s home-made food, nothing frozen, which really makes the difference. We try to mix traditional with modern – and we do many dishes you’ll only find in Spain because all our chefs are Spanish.”

The place focuses on its tapas, with more than 20 varieties on offer at any one time.

“We have special tapas at weekends. The homemade potato croquettes with cheese, £4.10, home-made meatballs, £4.50, and tortilla, £3.25, are always popular.”

Casa Don Carlos Union Street, Brighton, 01273 327177

Francisco Rivas and his business partner Carlos Gillaberte opened Casa Don Carlos in 1986. “We are probably the pioneers,” he jokes. “When we opened there was not a Spanish soul around.”

Things have changed now but you don’t last for more than 26 years without a little know-how. “Value and fresh food is why we have lots of Brightonians who are regulars,” continues Rivas, who is originally from Santander in northern Spain.

Gillaberte is from Zaragoza, further south and nearer the Pyrenees. There are dishes and tapas from both regions on the menu but also from across the country.

“Our tapas come from Galicia down to Andalucía. Our secret is we are a bit extravagant with our tapas. We give you larger portions.”

The lamb shank, £7, is a popular option, as are the peppers with crab, £5.90. The fish is caught locally but, like most of the staff and the beers and wines, the meats and hams come from Spain.

“We’re always busy – not just in the evenings but with families on Sunday afternoons – and the atmosphere is lively.

“We have been around so long, we must have the right formula.”

The origins of tapas...

The origins of humble tapas are contested. Some say it was King Alfonso, who said there would be no wine served in bars unless it was accompanied by food.

The tapa, which translates as lid, would be filled with ham or cheese and popped atop the glass to stop fruit flies getting at the wine. Others say the king was on a visit to Cadiz when he stopped at Ventorrillo del Chato, which still exists today.

The story goes that when a gust of wind blew sand into the bar, the waiter covered the king’s sherry with a piece of cured ham. Soon morsels of food accompanied the plates in every bar, and then the bars started to compete with each other and offer their own speciality tapas.