Mesón El Sacristán

Posted on September 17, 2017 by Shawn

We went to Meson El Sacristán for lunch on the recommendation of our apartment host Gracia (we were staying at the charming La Colegiata de Ronda around the corner). In fact her brother Antonio is the chef and owner of El Sactristán, and their entire family ended up sitting at the next table, so it felt like we were definitely at the right place.

The location in the main square beside the Santa María church in the old town is perfect, especially when the weather is right to sit outside on the terrace. For us, though, it was inside in a pleasant dining area to enjoy the house specialities – lots of meat grilled in a wood-fired oven, including some fabulous presa Ibérica (pork), beef tenderloin, and more unusually, delicious grilled lamb kidneys. Good service, lovely atmosphere and great food and wine. There are also set menus available. Definitely one to go back to.

Plaza Duquesa de Parcent 14
Ronda
Tel +34 952 875 684
€ € € €

Food 9 | Wine 10 | Service 9 | Ambiance 9

grilled lamb kidneys

pluma Ibérica

beef tenderloin

olorosos

cheesecake

La Curiosidad de Mauro

Posted on July 14, 2017 by Shawn

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
€ € € €

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

Salicornia

Posted on July 14, 2017 by Shawn

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
€ € € €

Food 8 | Wine 8 | Service 8 | Ambiance 8

tuna tartare with guacamole

creamy rice with Cádiz mountain mushrooms

presa Ibérica carpaccio

chef Juan Höhr

La Cuchara de San Lorenzo

Posted on February 2, 2017 by Shawn

If you are looking for a great place to eat who better to ask than a great local chef? So on a recent visit to Córdoba I asked chef Adrian at La Regadera for his top recommendation, and this was it. Turned out to be something of a twofer, since the San Lorenzo neighbourhood is outside the main tourist area, and getting there involved a walk through a new (for me), and very pleasant, part of town to a picturesque square by the San Lorenzo church.

The restaurant itself is quite small, with about ten tables inside, but also a terrace outside in the square, which looked a nice spot for when the weather gets a little warmer (I was there in January). The décor is in mostly neutral and wood tones that are easy on the eye. Co-owner Narciso (brother Paco is the chef) helped us with recommendations, and the service was excellent throughout.

Most importantly, the food was really good. The beef croquettes were among the best I’ve ever tasted, and were followed by an excellent fried dorada and grilled presa with a pastel of bacon and potato. We finished with a fresh créme brulée.

This is certainly worth making the extra effort to go to, and I’m sure I’ll be back next time I’m in Cordoba.

Arroyo de San Lorenzo, 2
Tel 957 477 850
€ € € €

Food 9 | Wine 9 | Service 9 | Ambiance 8

amuse and fresh house-made bread

beef croquetas, microgreens salad, alioli

whole fried dorada (gilt-head bream)

grilled presa Ibérica with bacon & potato pastel, grilled veg

creme brûlée with hazelnut dust and peta zeta

brothers and co-owners Narciso & chef Paco

Mesón Mariano

Posted on February 2, 2017 by Shawn

Updated February 2019

Mesón Mariano is an unpretentious, friendly, family-run place, nicely kept up by Mariano and his family and staff, with efficient and helpful service. And the food is excellent, too. “La Reina de la Casa” (queen of the house) is the artichoke, which is expertly prepared several ways. I’m on a personal mission to eventually try all the artichoke dishes on the menu. Four down, two to go…

The other house specialty here is chivo (baby goat). The chivo “al ajillo” is a big plateful of tender stewed garlicky meat served with chips, that left us wanting more (but not wanting more, if you know what I mean). The roasted chivo leg and fried chops are also superb. Other fabulous meat dishes include the braised oxtail and the super tender suckling pig leg. Bring your appetite, and perhaps a couple of friends, to share a few plates with. There is also a bar section for tapas. Apparently we have to try the fried green tomatoes next time.

Granados 2
Málaga
Tel 952 211 899
€ € €

Food 9 | Wine 8 | Service 9 | Ambiance 8

Mariano at the bar

fresh salpicón complimentary starter

garlicky clams

fried breaded artichokes

braised artichokes with jamón

fried battered artichokes

artichokes montillana

meatballs in almond sauce

stewed chivo (baby goat) al ajillo

fried goat chops with garlic

roasted chivo leg

braised oxtail

suckling pig legs

suckling pig leg served

suckling pig leg…

1/2 roasted chivo (baby goat)

owner Mariano

orujo blanco

Eboka

Posted on February 1, 2017 by Shawn

Updated August 2018

After years of working in the family business and attending the prestigious La Cónsula catering school, in 2012 Antonio Fernández opened the excellent wine bar and gourmet food shop Dom Vinos just up the road from his family’s popular Bar Nerva. Then in December 2016 Antonio moved to the centre of Málaga, just a stone’s throw from the Cathedral, and, with the help of new partners, he expanded his enterprise in both size and scope. Eboka is an attractive and comfortable wine bar and restaurant, the staff are well-trained (I’d expect no less) and, as Antonio joked, the kitchen is the same size as the whole of his beloved Dom Vinos. There is also a nice sidewalk terrace.

The wine list is crazy (in a good way), and if you are lucky enough to find Antonio at the helm, he will take you through a fabulous wine-pairing journey that is hard to beat. Favourite dishes included the mixed croquetas (all of them were delicious) and the tartare of Málaga sausage – outstanding. The presa Ibérica salad is also something I will go back for.

Delightful desserts are by local pastry chef María García ( Candy’s) and crazy good cocktails are creatively prepared by Jesús García Recaj.

Pedro de Toledo, 4
Málaga
Tel 952 12 46 71
€ € € €

Food 9 | Wine 10 | Service 9 | Ambiance 8

cava on the terrace

bar snack

mixed croquetas: garbanzos, ropa vieja and lomo Ibérico

salchichón de Málaga tartare

presa Ibérica salad with mango and fried cashews

rocket, avocado,octopus salad with emulsion of mustard & sea urchin

baby goat shoulder confit, cream of pumpkin, couscous

grilled abanico Ibérico with churrasco sauce

Antonio (second from right) with my friends

Venta Esteban

Posted on July 20, 2016 by Shawn

esteban (1)

Founded in 1983 by the five Ballesteros brothers, Venta Estevan moved to its present location just outside Jerez in 2002. It is located in a large chalet-style building with ample parking (if you don’t have a car it’s about a 9€ taxi ride from Jerez). I’d been hearing about this place for years from various foodie friends and so finally did the taxi thing on a recent visit to Jerez, to try it out.

As you walk into the bar area there are displays of jamón, fish and seafood and local wines. There’s also a large terrace and several light, spacious dining rooms. The menu offers classic dishes, with just a few tapas in the bar, so best to go with a group of friends so you can share big plates (raciones). We sat in the bar, which felt a bit less stuffy than the dining area. Of course we had to try the house speciality El Antojo (The Craving) which was a huge plate of chips and fried onions, fried eggs and jamón. Then we tried the breaded artichokes and finished with grilled presa Ibérica (pork shoulder). Everything was very good quality, but perhaps another visit with more people would make it feel more special. And perhaps with someone who knows the staff, because although the service was okay, we felt a bit like we were being given the “tourist treatment”.

Colonia Caulina (Seville-Cádiz motorway)
Jerez de la Frontera
Tel 956 316 067
€ € € €

Food 8 | Wine 7 | Service 6 | Ambiance 7

esteban (5)

esteban (4)

esteban el antojo El Antojo: fried eggs, fried onions, chips & jamón

esteban artichokes grilled artichokes

esteban presa grilled presa Ibérica

esteban (2)

esteban (3)

esteban (9)

El Bichero

Posted on June 19, 2016 by Shawn

el bichero

El Bichero (The Boathook) is a relatively new restaurant just off Jerez’s main Arenal Plaza, opened in 2011 by Fermín Anguita. There’s a pleasant outside terrace, a restaurant upstairs and – my favourite spot – a small bar downstairs for tapas (though you can also order from the restaurant menu at the bar). Specialities are local fish and seafood, but there are some good meat options too. Good wine list, nice staff… a must-visit whenever I’m in Jerez.

Pescadería Vieja 2
Jerez de la Frontera
Tel 956 342 986
€ € € €

Food 8 | Wine 8 | Service 8 | Ambiance 8

el bichero (13)

el bichero gambas salad salpicón de gambas

el bichero smoked sardine Cantabrian achovies

smoked salmon

blue tuna tataky with soy sauce

el bichero sanlucar prawns grilled prawns

el bichero calamar arrox stewed squid with rice

el bichero chipi chipirón and chips

el bichero mollejas grilled sweetbreads and chips

el bichero chocos calamare fried calamari & chocos

el bichero cazon adobo cazón (dogfish) in adobo

el bichero arroz marinero arroz marinero

el bichero Maitre Henry, owner Fermín and VIP cliente Narciso maitre Henry, owner Fermín and VIP cliente Narciso

el bichero fish display fish display

el bichero (14)

El Tres Malagueta

Posted on January 20, 2016 by Shawn

el tres

A couple of years ago I visited the original El Tres location in Calle Strachan with a group of friends. We created our own tasting menu by ordering plates to share between the five of us, and it was most enjoyable. Then I heard that Grupo Gorki had taken over the landmark Antonio Martín location on Malagueta beach, with BA Japonés, El Merendero and El Tres taking up new residence. Couldn’t have been happier, because it’s a spectacular location and I hope Grupo Gorki will make it work. Not sure about the Japonese effort, but El Merendero is pretty good “gastrobar” fare, and El Tres is as wonderful as ever. Though I think to really appreciate the venue it’s best to go during the afternoon when you can enjoy the spectacular sea views.

I showed up at El Tres with a couple of die-hard foodie friends I’ve known for a few years: Angela and Mikel @polloyensalada. And we immediately decided the best course of action would be to share the tasting menus on offer. Because we all wanted to taste as much as we could, even if it was just one bite of something special. And the El Tres staff made this simple for us by dividing the two different tasting menus between the three of us (we ordered two “classics” and one “special”), so we could all have a bit of everything.

I have to say first off that both of the El Tres tasting menus are ridiculously good value, and the quality of the dishes is far and above my sad experience at Málaga’s only Michelin star restaurant. El Tres surpasses in other ways too. It all started off quite friendly and chatty, with our servers wanting to know what we were interested in… after that, it was like a ballet performance. I was so busy chatting with Angela and Mikel that it took awhile to notice that dishes kept appearing, without even noticing that the previous plates had been expertly whisked away. Wine glasses were topped up with impeccable timing, only when there was just a sip left, which was even more impressive given that the chilled bottle was not left at our table but… somewhere else. About half-way through our meal I started to click into all this… that everything was happening at a leisurely and comfortable pace, yet you felt like you were still being extremely well taken care of. The once or twice I had to turn my head to inquire about something a friendly server was at our table in an instant. Seamless service. Amazing food and wine. Great location. You know you want to do this.

Plaza de la Malagueta 4, Antonio Martín
Málaga
Tel 952 22 33 64
€ € € € €

Food 10 | Wine 10 | Service 10 | Ambiance 9

el tres (3)

el tres (2)

el tres (6) hot crusty bread with olive oil

el tres (7) fruit broth with amaretto

el tres (8) tuna empanada

el tres (9) smoked eel terrine with Poire Williams

el tres (10) seasonal mushroom carpaccio with truffled wild boar and pine nuts

el tres (11) millefeuille with smoked salmon and sherry sauce

el tres (12) stewed mushrooms with truffled slow-poached egg,
fried breadcrumbs, pine nuts

el tres (13) langoustine ravioli with “salsa Americana” and sea urchin alioli

el tres (14) fried artichokes with “broken eggs” and foie

el tres (17) monkfish, guanciale, cream of crab and artichokes

el tres (16) grilled sea bass with green beans and tomato concassé

el tres (19) boned pidgeon with carrot purée and pigeon liver on toast

el tres (18) presa Ibérica with sweet potato purée and cherry sauce

el tres (20) yoghurt cream with violets and caramalised nuts

el tres (21) caramalised pear on puff pastry with vanilla ice cream

el tres (22)

el tres (4)

el tres (1)

La Parrilla de Mané

Posted on January 20, 2016 by Shawn

Updated January 2017

parrilla manu
Who doesn’t love BBQ grilled meat? This fabulous Argentinian grill restaurant has become one of my favourite stops in Málaga. But some advice – as they don’t do tapas try to go with a small group so you can share lots of delicious plates and get lots of variety.

I like everything about La Parrilla de Mané. It’s in a great location, just a stone’s throw from the Cathedral. The restaurant is small, but it also has a bar with some hight tables and stools in front of it, and also a few tables outside on the terrace. I find it comfortably cosy. And the service is wonderful, friendly but still professional. The staff know their stuff and are helpful recommending wines and new dishes to try. The only thing we didn’t enjoy were the Black Angus ribs, which arrived chewy and flavourless. But all the other meats were spectacular, and very simply done. My favourites were the grilled sausages (chistorra, criollo, morcilla) and the secreto Ibérico. All meat dishes come with a choice of fried or baked potatoes, or salad, but you can also get extra side dishes and sauces (recommended! because they are all very good). Amazing value too.