Tag Archives: spain

Mesón Asador Toro

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I was first introduced to the Mesón Asador Toro by friends, and have returned on subsequent visits. It’s a fairly traditional bar-restaurant with plenty of space round the bar, a large dining area in a separate room to the side, and an outside terrace, and an overall very pleasant ambience. Service is efficient and friendly too.

The food is very good, with an emphasis on char-grilled meat (top choice the parrillada mixta – mixed grill – more than enough for two), but there’s a fair range of fish and seafood too. I probably wouldn’t have come here by chance, but now it’s become one of my go-to places in Jerez for no-frills homestyle cooking.

Porvenir 11
Jerez de la Frontera
Tel 628 353 282
€ € €

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Food 7 | Wine 6 | Service 6 | Ambiance 6

marinated carrots (complimentary)

papas aliñadas (complimentary)

dressed baby gems with anchovies and tomato

croquetas Ibéricas

artichokes in sherry sauce

gambas al ajillo

pork meatballs in salsa

presa with jamón

solomillo in oloroso sauce

retinto beef entrecôte

pork ribs

mixed grill: presa, solomillo, costillitas, lagarto,
chorizo criollo, morcilla de burgos, chips

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Bocarambo

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I had no idea this place even existed until some friends from Jerez took us here for lunch during the last Vinoble event. I was definitely impressed. The bar was opened some five years ago, with the conversion of a ground floor flat in a building owned by the family, and everything from the rustic modern decor, with a bar on one side, a little terrace outside, and the Andaluz patio dining room where we ate, to the service, encouraged a relaxed atmosphere for enjoying our meal. We also got a chance to chat with owner Manuel García Tubío as he made his way from table to table, making sure everyone was happy.

The menu is typical Andaluz – Jerezano, with lots of seafood, rice specialities, grilled meats, and an excellent tomato salad. Our friends insisted that we HAD to try the mushrooms with jamón, and well, so do you. I’d also say that the marinated pork liver with cilantro is a must-have. There’s also a good range of sherries (as you’d expect). Definitely recommended if you’re coming to Jerez.

Beato Juan Grande 9
Jerez de la Frontera
Tel 646 966 569
€ € €

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Food 8 | Wine 8 | Service 7 | Ambiance 7

dressed baby gem with anchovies

tomato salad with melva

spinach croquetas

marinated Ibérico pork liver with cilantro and onion

mushrooms with jamón

grilled secreto Ibérico

owner Manuel García Tubío

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La Deriva

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La Deriva has been on my radar since it opened in 2014 but as it’s a restaurant with just a few tapas options, it’s not great for solo dining. But on a  recent visit to Málaga I finally arranged to meet friends there for a meal. There are two dining areas inside and the décor is modern with attractive ceiling lighting and exposed brick walls. There is also a sidewalk terrace out on the busy street (never a favourite, sitting out in traffic).

The menu is interesting – a combination of traditional and innovative dishes that we found to be a bit hit and miss. The “tempura” prawns came covered a dense chewy batter, while the tempura veggies were light, crispy and delicious. The tuna mormo was also very good, and we finished off with an excellent cheese plate. Overall a pleasant experience, though I wouldn’t say it’s particularly good value for money. Service was okay.

Alameda Colón 7
Málaga
Tel 638 08 65 29
€ € € €

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Food 7 | Wine 7 | Service 6 | Ambiance 7

battered prawns with habanero alioli

tempura veggies with soy sauce

tuna mormo with sautéed spinach and pine nuts

cheeses

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Soca

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Opened in August 2016, Soca Restaurant, run by Joanna Coghlan, offers both Mediterranean cuisine and sushi. The attractive corner location has an L-shaped interior with seating either in front of the bar or along its other side, with a small sidewalk terrace. I just stopped in for a light snack and both the tapas I tried were excellent. I’d like to go back again with friends and try some of the larger plates for sharing. It’s another bright spot on previously down-at-heel Carretería street, which lately has been picking itself up with the arrival of new hipsterish bars, restaurants and shops.

Carretería 54
Málaga
Tel 951 53 26 34
€ € € €

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Food 7 | Wine 7 | Service 6 | Ambiance 7

salmon nigiri with lime and teriyaki

Ibérico pork rib arepa with avocado cream and romesco sauce

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Hierbabuena

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My “home away from home” in Málaga is in the same barrio as Hierbabuena and so I’ve passed by many times over several visits, but it was only recently that I decided to try it out. It’s a real neighbourhood bar with an attractive interior and spacious terrace in the square, which is a great place to be on a summer evening. And it turns out that the food is quite nice too. Also … all day kitchen!

There’s a small selection of tapas on the menu, but it’s mostly medium-sized plates for sharing. Love the gambas al ajillo and the fritos, as well as their simple fresh tomato salad. Nice cold Victoria beer, decent wines, good service and fun casual vibe.

Calle Puerta Nueva 1
Málaga
Tel 692 830 267
€ € €

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Food 7 | Wine 6 | Service 6 | Ambiance 6

tomato salad

pork skewer “pincho moruno”

lagrimitas de pollo with alioli

lamb skewer

breaded rosado

sizzling gambas al ajillo

rice of the day

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Anyway Wine Bar

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Although it hasn’t been open long, this little wine bar has a very traditional feel, as if it has been here for years. I wasn’t able to stop long this visit, but we enjoyed a chat with owner David Camino, for whom the bar is obviously a labour of love. We also enjoyed a glass of fabulous manzanilla sherry and a wonderful PX based sparkling Rosé, as well as some excellent cheese and jamón Iberico (and bonus! David is a professional jamón cortador). The menu is small, mainly charcuterie and aperitifs, although there are some main courses too and, of course, an excellent wine list. Will definitely be back for a longer visit next time I’m in Málaga.

David hosts regular wine tastings, and is also happy to set up a personal one, either in Spanish or English. I really think this is a place to watch.

Paseo Reding 15
Málaga
Tel 951 076 734
€ € €

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Food 7 | Wine 8 | Service 8 | Ambiance 7

owner David Camino

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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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