Category Archives: Cádiz

Bodeguita El Adobo

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This was a delightful “new discovery” during my last visit to Cádiz, thanks to a recommendation by Twitter pal Antonio Colsa @elquillodecadiz. We stopped in on our last evening and already I can’t wait to go back. This is exactly the type of no-nonsense tapas bar I love. Run by Paco Abeijón “Paquito el Adobo”, who took over the spot in 2014 (originally founded in 1987 when it was converted from an abacería to a bar), the menu features market fresh fish and seafood done to perfection, either simply grilled or expertly deep-fried.

The bar is tiny, but there is a sidewalk terrace on the pedestrianised street. We squeezed in at the end of the bar and started with one of the house specialities – boquerones abiertos al limón. They were indeed some of the best I’ve ever tried. The only small “draw-back” is that most dishes are raciones (or media raciones) and so we were already pretty stuffed on fritos when Paquito came out and said we HAD to try the moreno, a local fish, prepared en adobo. We were also told that leaving without trying the tomatoes with melva was almost unheard of, but unfortunately we were given this vital information too late, when we could not eat one more bite. But this will be my first stop next time I am in Cádiz, and those tomatoes will be the first thing I order. Lovely personal and friendly service and some nice local wines too.

Rosario 4
Cádiz
Tel 636 814 675
€ € €

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Food 8 | Wine 8 | Service 8 | Ambiance 7

tortillita de camarones

squid ink croquetas

moreno en adobo

boquerones al limón

acedias (small sole)

owner Paquito with daughter Carmen and Alejandro

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La Curiosidad de Mauro

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Mauro Barreiro has a considerable reputation as a chef, having worked at various big name restaurants before opening his own in Puerta Real, and then recently relocating to Cádiz. This was just a brief “end-of-tapeo” stop for us, and the experience didn’t leave much of an impression. Modern style “tapas with a twist”, you can see Mauro is trying to be inventive. And it’s certainly popular enough, with plenty of people packed into the long, narrow bar space (there’s also a restaurant at the far end, but I couldn’t get through the crush to get a photo). Will have to give it another shot on our next visit to Cádiz.

Veedor 10
Cádiz
Tel 956 992 288
€ € € €

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Food 7 | Wine 7 | Service 6 | Ambiance 6

cola de toro (oxtail) bomba

presa Ibérica and aubergine with creamy cheese

pullet cannellone with truffle bechamel

chef Mauro

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Salicornia

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Salicornia is owned by chef Juan Höhr, who returned to his native Cádiz to branch out on his own, and opened Salicornia in November 2016 in Calle Plocia, currently becoming fashionable as a good area of town to eat. We were taken there by our friends, Cádiz locals and serious foodies Pilar and Juan Antonio, and immediately fell in love with the place. It’s small (seating for just 22, and a small bar) and cosy, and the service very friendly. The whole experience was very enjoyable.

The menu is full and half plates, with Spanish origins and some novel twists, innovative and delicious. Among other things we shared a carpaccio of presa, some butterfish, and an off the menu salmon tataki, and all were excellent. Definitely recommended.

Plocia 2
Cádiz
Tel +34 856 661 403
€ € € €

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Food 8 | Wine 8 | Service 8 | Ambiance 8

tuna tartare with guacamole

creamy rice with Cádiz mountain mushrooms

presa Ibérica carpaccio

chef Juan Höhr

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Ultramar&Nos

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Opened in the summer of 2015 by the brothers Ruibal and Pancho Jiménez, Ultramar&Nos takes its name via a play on words from the traditional Spanish ultramarinos (corner shop) that previously occupied the site. That corner position and the large windows give the premises plenty of light, and with fairly minimalist decoration that combines an element of rustic with a kind of “industrial chic”, the restaurant seems quite spacious. Service was efficient and friendly enough for a good background to the food.

The menu is of modest size, and combines traditional Spanish and international food in an interesting way. Although enticed by several of the menu descriptions, in the end we only tried two dishes, a starter of housemade beef sausages wrapped in chard instead of the usual intestine casing (very tasty), and the cachopo – a kind of big flat flamenquín with beef, cheese, aubergine and cecina (air-cured beef). The cachopo was so big, in fact, that we were left unable to try anything else. Next time!

Plaza de Mina 1
Cádiz
Tel 856 076 946
€ € € €

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Food 8 | Wine 8 | Service 8 | Ambiance 8

marinated carrots

beef sausages wrapped in chard

inside the sausage

beef and cheese cachopo

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Mini Bar

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Mini Bar is one of those little hole in the wall tapas bars with a limited menu (basically fried fish) that nevertheless succeeds in exuding atmosphere and being very popular. It has a convenient location between the market and the Plaza Candelaría, so it’s great for a snack and beer stop between other activities. Owner Paco has been running the show for over thirty years and makes you feel at home as soon as you walk in the door.

Doctor Dacarrete 3
Cádiz
Tel  856 174 303
€ €

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Food 8 | Wine 6 | Service 8 | Ambiance 7

affable owner Paco

fritura variada

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Balandro

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balandro
The last few of times I’ve been to Cádiz I’ve passed up on the opportunity to pay a first visit to Balandro, despite the fact that it came recommended and well-reviewed, and seems to be well-frequented, but this time I felt I could no longer evade my responsibilities. In the end, it turned out pretty much as I expected. The U-shaped bar and main dining area are in a slick modern style, and pleasant enough, but seem lacking in real warmth and personality. The staff likewise.

The menu was typical gastrobar – more style than substance –  and a menu this long (you order by number) makes me think that there’s bought in, pre-prepared food involved. The tapas we had were good enough, but I didn’t find that “something special” that would bring me back. In the last analysis, if you like this trendy style of “concept” bar, you’ll like Balandro. If, like me, you usually prefer something with more character, this isn’t for you.

Alameda de Apodaca, 22
Cádiz
Tel 956 220 992
€ € € €

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Food7 | Wine 7 | Service 6 | Ambiance 6

balandro (3)
balandro filo cheese baconfilo with cheese and bacon

balandro lubinasea bass in “tempura” with rice noodles and stir-fried veg
in a mess of store bought “Asian” sauces.

balandro menuorder-by-number menu

balandro (2)

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Cumbres Mayores

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Updated March 2019

cumbres_mayores

Trust me to go to a Spanish coastal city famous for its fabulous seafood and end up loving this place for its amazing MEAT dishes. One of the best known and most popular bars in Cádiz, Cumbres Mayores, just off the Plaza Mina, is traditional in both style and cuisine, but with more meat and less fish than is typical in Cádiz. It’s all about the pig here, and often unusual cuts (see “pig parts” photo below). We stop in as often as possible during our visits to Cádiz and we are never disappointed. In fact, I wish somewhere like Cumbres Mayores existed in Sevilla.

Aside from the cosy tapas bar area that greets you when you walk in, there are also a couple of dining rooms for sit-down meals, but my favourite place is at the bar, preferably in front of the jamón leg beer taps. It’s often super-crowded but just grab a drink and hang around awhile and you’ll usually be rewarded with a couple of bar seats. The tapas are very good and very reasonably priced, and the service is terrific. Favourites included the pork abanico Ibérico in PX sauce, which is honestly worth going to Cádiz for, grilled secreto (you can also get it breaded and deep-fried!) and the presa al ajillo. They also offer a special parrillada para dos (grilled meat for two) but I think it’s more fun to just order the tapas and share them with a friend.

Zorrilla, 4
Cádiz
Tel 956 21 32 70
€ € €

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Food 8 | Wine 8 | Service 8| Ambiance 8

cumbres mayores bar

cumbres mayores jamoes

cumbres mayores (10)stewed pluma Ibérica

cumbres mayores carrillada

carrillada Ibérica (pork cheeks)

cumbres mayores churrascochurrasco a la parrilla

cumbres mayores criollogrilled chorizo criollo

cumbres mayores secretosecreto Ibérico

breaded secreto Ibérico

cumres mayores presagarlicky grilled presa Ibérica

albóndigas en salsa

cumbres mayores pork tonguestewed pork tongue

cumbres mayores flamenquinflamenquín

grilled paleta Ibérica

tender stewed abanico Ibérico in PX sauce

grilled presa Ibérica

cumbres mayores beerAlfonso pouring beers

cumbres mayores bar areabar area

cumbres mayores diningdining area

cumbres mayores pig partspig parts

cumbres mayoresBest. Beertaps. Ever.

cumbres mayores tiles

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Updated March 2019

Taberna La Manzanilla

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Updated March 2019

la manzanilla

Taberna La Manzanilla is a sherry bar, pure and simple, dedicated to the promotion of these local Cádiz wines, with a range of manzanillas, amontillados and olorosos (from Bodegas Delgado Zuleta in Sanlúcar de Barrameda) poured straight from the barrel. Founded in the early twentieth century as both a wholesale and retail operation, the taberna is now run by Pepe, the third generation of the García family, and still retains many of its original furnishings, maintained in perfect condition. Wonderful ambiance and a great place to start your tapeo.

Feduchy 19
Cádiz
Tel 956 28 54 01
€ € €
La Manzanilla Website

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Wine 9 | Service 8| Ambiance 8

la manzanilla bar

la manzanilla amontillado manzanillaamontillado and manzanilla fina

la manzanilla olorososolorosos

la manzanilla back room (1)

la manzanilla back room (2)

la manzanilla barrels

la manzanilla bottles

amontillado fino

la manzanilla 1744

owner Pepe

la manzanilla venenciadorvenenciador

la manzanilla delgado zuleta

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Updated March 2019

La Sorpresa

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Updated March 2019

La Sorpresa, a few minutes away from the central market, is a small abacería (a shop selling mainly traditional specialties) and tapas bar, with the emphasis on jamón Ibérico, tuna almadraba (the eco-friendly sustainable seasonal catch off the coast of Cádiz) and sherry, here supplied by Bodegas Delgado Zuleta, with the casks making a “wall” between the bar and the back room. A nice unpretentious local to stop in for a few starters at the beginning of your tapeo.

Arbolí 4
Cádiz
Tel 956 221 232
€ € €

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Food 7 | Wine 8 | Service 7| Ambiance 7


la sorpresa oloroso

Delgado Zuleta oloroso

la sorpresa jamon anchoaCantabrian anchovy and jamón Iberico

la sorpresa menuchalkboard menu

la sorpresa window

Andreea, Soraya & Ana

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Updated March 2019

Las Flores Freiduría

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las flores

Las Flores, in the square next to the central market, is very much a typical Spanish fried fish bar, and obviously popular, with lots of people packed round the bar and a constant queue at the busy takeaway section. There’s also a section inside with small tables adn a sidewalk terrace. A menu of all the traditional goodies (we had chocos, adobo and puntillitas), cooked in bulk and served up hot. Not much of a wine selection but at least there was a nice dry fino and the beer is very cold. Service was brisk and efficient, but could have been a bit more friendly. So basically, cheap(ish) but not so cheerful.

Plaza Topete, 4
Cádiz
Tel. 956 22 61 12
Open 9.00 – midnight 7 days a week
€ € €

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Food 8 | Wine 5 | Service 5| Ambiance 5

las flores barthe bar

 

las flores chocos adobocazón in adobo (marinated dogfish) and chocos (cuttlefish)

las flores fritoslos fritos

las flores puntillitaspuntillitas (tiny squid)

las flores servietasthere’s a second location on the causeway,
near the main beaches

las flores takeawaytake-away section

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