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

Almocábar Bar & Restaurante

Posted on August 6, 2012 by Shawn

I’m afraid that the other photos I took of Restaurante Almocábar have gone missing – this is one I salvaged from my iPhone. But it’s probably enough to make you want to go there, right? We were on a lunchtime “tapeo” as I wanted to try as many places as possible during our 24-hour visit, and the Almocábar was stop number one that afternoon. It’s a very traditional place with both a dining area and tapas bar inside. Outside in the square there is a lovely terrace set up under the trees with a view of the Almocábar gates, which is where we ate this wonderful grilled swordfish with perfectly grilled vegetables.

Friends had told me this was one of the best places to eat in Ronda and one look at the menu made me wish we were stopping there for a full meal. The service was pleasant but (ahem) a bit relaxed. Nice wine list. And nothing came served on slate or lathered up into a liquid nitrogen froth. Just well-executed, good quality food. I’ll be back.

Ruedo Alameda 5
Ronda
Tel 952 875 977
Closed Tuesdays
€ € € €

Tragatá

Posted on July 30, 2012 by Shawn

Updated April 2017

Chic sister-bar to Bardal (previously Tragabuches), Tragatá has also undergone a name change (from Traga Tapas), but the hip-fusion eclectic menu remains. The space is pleasantly minimalist, with a terrace out on the pedestrian street. Wasn’t able to get a shot of the new entrance as we had arrived early and the terrace still wasn’t set up.

Food leans to the gastrobar “new cuisine” style of mainly traditional ingredients (pig ears for example) given new forms of combination and presentation. We loved the marinated salmon and crispy filo-wrapped langoustines. Was tempted to try the tempura veg & prawns again but at 18.50€ a plate they seemed somewhat overpriced. The tapas are good value though. The service is friendly, albeit somewhat “relaxed”, and there’s quite a decent list of wines by the glass.

Nueva 4
Tel 952 877 209
Ronda, Málaga
€ € € €

Food 8 | Wine 9 | Service 8 | Ambiance 8

marinated salmon with lime, vanilla, yoghurt, salmon roe sauce

huevos rotos with chistorras

fried squid sandwich with salsa brava

crispy filo-wrapped langoustines with mint and basil

vegetable tempura with langoustines, ginger soy sauce and wasabi

crispy fried pig ear with spicy sauce

pancetta bao with hoisin mayo

Updated April 2017

La Niña Adela

Posted on July 29, 2012 by Shawn

Updated February 2017

So you know that feeling going back to a place you only visited once, almost five years ago, and you’re hoping it will be as wonderful as you remembered it? Well I am very happy to report that La Niña Adela is still just as wonderful and is a not to be missed spot in Ronda. Serving up fabulous home-style cooking in a comfortable and welcoming atmosphere, this family-run tapas bar specializes in seafood and traditional Spanish dishes with a few innovative touches. It’s a bit out of the centre, near the train and bus stations, but as Ronda isn’t that big it actually isn’t hard to get to.

When the weather is nice the buzzy terraza is the place to be where Alonso (son of Encarna – the daughter of Adela) greets you with a friendly “hola familia!” and takes very good care of you. The bar has had a make-over since 2012 and is all pretty white-trimmed pale blues and greens with soft lighting. La Niña herself is now retired, but as luck would have it she turned up while we were there so I got to update their photos.

I recommend the “gambas pil-pil”, sizzling plump prawns in hot garlicky olive oil, and the delicious pork meatballs in salsa. And be sure to check out the daily specials. This is the place to go when you feel like feeling at home.