Ajonegro

ajonegro

I’ve been to Ajonegro twice now. First time was just over a year ago when I was attending a special sherry event and invited there for lunch (in a small group) by one of the bodegas. And it was fabulous! But of course I did wonder if it would be as good if I just went on my own without any “VIP treatment”. So on a recent visit to Jerez I stopped in with a friend to try some of their tapas, secretly pleased that the owner wasn’t there. But I needn’t have worried because we had very good service from one of the young waiters and the food was excellent. I’ve included photos of dishes from both visits below.

Ajoblanco is a bit of a walk out from the centre, but it is worth the effort. It’s a relatively new bar in a modern building across the avenue from the Sherry Park hotel. The setting is spacious and bright, with lots of natural light from the massive floor to ceiling windows. There is also a terrace, though it’s on a rather trafficky street.

The menu has both tapas and raciones and is a nice mix of traditional and fusion (mostly Asian influences). Must tries include the beautiful artichoke “flowers”, which taste as gorgeous as they look, and I was particularly surprised by the chicharrones de Chiclana, with payoyo cheese and tomato pesto. A simply amazing combination. We also liked the marinated chicken in panko with guacamole, but the mini beefburger with bacon was pretty much just a mini-burger. The grilled presa Ibérica (not a tapa) is also excellent.