Taberna El Gallo

Posted on February 10, 2017 by Shawn

Updated May 2017

Taberna El Gallo is the only one remaining of three that were originally opened in the 1930s, with their own small bodega (still existing) supplying finos and olorosos from the DO Montilla Moriles. The atmosphere and style of that time has been preserved in the bar, which seems very much one for the locals. Normally I’d choose to hang out at the bar, but if your feet are tired you can opt to sit at a table in the back section, which are actually two small dining areas. I love the little “call buttons” above each table, which I first assumed were no longer in service. But when I asked one of the waiters he gave me a demonstration – they still work loud and clear! – though the fellow at the next table, clearly a regular, told me that the waiters hate them and prefer you to just shout PEPE!!!!! in the direction of the bar. Heh.

The first time I saw this place I knew that it was My Kind Of Bar, but we only had time to stop in for a quick fino. More recently we made sure to try the tapas – and we loved them. Nothing fancy, just simple good fritos (the stews will have to wait for a winter visit) and an excellent salmorejo. I was especially impressed by the berenjenas fritas here, which came as crispy skinny frites (rather than the more usual chunky sticks or slices) and were NOT served with gacky sweet molasses squirted all over them. Some of you may not agree with my 4-orange rating here, but for me it’s about the over-all experience, and El Gallo is a place I will always make time to visit when I’m in Córdoba.

Maria Cristina 6
Córdoba
Tel 957 471 780
€ €

Food 8 | Wine 8 | Service 8 | Ambiance 9

call buttons

“un medio” of fino, or half of a quarter of a litre “un cuartillo”

battered prawns

japuta en adobo

battered cod

breaded prawns

salmorejo with jamón and quail egg

berenjenas fritas (aubergine frites)

flamenquín cordobés with chips

Updated May 2017

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

Bespoke

Posted on July 30, 2016 by Shawn

Updated July 2017

Situated on the banks of the River Guadalete in the sherry town of El Puerto de Santa María, Bespoke embodies a youthful approach to the sherry culture of the region, in an atmosphere that’s relaxed and fun. It is the creation of Carmen Gutiérrez, whose family owns Bodegas Gutiérrez Colosía next door. The décor and decorations are entirely hand made by Carmen using materials recycled from the bodega (barrels and implements), with lots of colour and whimsical touches. As you would imagine, there’s a good range of sherries, and of wines from other regions of Spain, accompanied by traditional local tapas and plates.

We only stopped in for desserts and a couple of sherry cocktails, but will certainly be back to try the food on our next visit to El Puerto.

Avenida de la Bajamar 36
El Puerto de Santa María
Tel 956 106 412
Bespoke Website
€ € € €

Food (haven’t tried yet) | Wine 10 | Service 9 | Ambiance 9

bespoke (3)

bespoke (7)

bespoke arabic desserts arabic pastries

bespoke cocktails sherry cocktails

bespoke (2)

bespoke (5)

bespoke (4)

Updated July 2017

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)

Tabanco Las Banderillas

Posted on July 17, 2016 by Shawn

Updated August 2018

Opened in 2012 by Fernando Lobato and Lucas Soto, Las Banderillas replaced an existing bar-restaurant of the same name. As well as sherry and vermouth from the barrel there are preserves and delicatessen products to eat on the premises or take away, and a good selection of hot tapas. In fact, it has more of a tapas bar than tabanco feel to it. It’s a fun and lively place to stop and is also excellent value for money. Don’t miss the house speciality rabo de toro (slow braised oxtail) and the sizzling gambas al ajillo (garlic prawns). And if you’re feeling a bit decadent, the fried pork ribs or the housemade chicharrones.

Service is a bit frenetic, but super friendly. There’s a good selection of wines, including some excellent sherries. This is my favourite place for traditional tapas in Jerez.

Caballeros 12
Jerez de la Frontera
Tel 619 006 988
€ € €

Food 9 | Wine 9 | Service 9 | Ambiance 9

las banderillas (13)

las banderillas (7)

las banderillas (6) queso payoyo

sheep cheese aged in manteca

las banderillas aubergines fried aubergine (eggplant) with salmorejo

las banderillas calamar calamares a la romana

las banderillas gambas ajillo sizzling garlic al ajillo

las banderillas croquetas spinach roqueforte, bulltail croquetas: spinach & pinenut and oxtail

croquetas ibéricas

chicharrones

las banderillas fried goat cheese with bacon leek sauce fried goat cheese with bacon & leek sauce

pisto with fried egg

las banderillas prawns aubergines prawns wrapped in aubergine

chocos fritos

las banderillas hake breaded hake

puntillitas al ajillo

las banderillas riñones kidneys in sherry sauce

pork meatballs

fried “broken” pork ribs al limón

carrillada – braised pork cheek

las banderillas presa grilled presa Ibérica (pork shoulder)

las banderillas rabo toro cola de toro – braised oxtail

las banderillas (2)

las banderillas (10)

Updated August 2018

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.

Calle Cañón 3
Málaga
Tel 951 00 82 00
€ € €

Food 8 | Wine 8 | Service 8 | Ambiance 8

parrilla mane (2)

parrilla mane (4)

parrilla mane queso payoyo cheese

parrilla mane chistorras chistorras (small spicy chorizo)

parrilla mane criollo chorizo criollo

parrilla mane tabla grilled sausage plate

parrilla mane foie burger (1) foie beef cheeseburger (before)

parrilla mane foie burger (2) foie beef cheeseburger (after)

parrilla mane chicken brochette chicken veggie brochette

parrilla mane sauces sauces: chimichurri, alioli, mojo picón

parrilla mane angus ribs Angus beef ribs

secreto Ibérico with chips and salad

parrilla mane orujo orujos

parrilla mane (9) team Mané

parrilla mane (3)

parrilla mane (1)

Updated January 2017

Restaurante Arrieros

Posted on January 8, 2016 by Shawn

Updated February 2017

Linares de la Sierra, population 300, is about 90 minutes from Sevilla, deep in the Sierra de Aracena Natural Park, in the province of Huelva. It is an unlikely spot to find a michelin-star quality restaurant like Arrieros, run by partners Luismi López (chef) and Adela Órtiz (front of house). They offer seasonal menus based on local products, which happily includes lots of acorn-fed Ibérico pork from the nearby dehesa.

Restaurante Arrieros couldn’t be any more rustic and charming. The lovingly restored old building used to be the village bar, and it now comprises a series of small dining rooms and a small terrace. The Jabugo Menu is all about the pig and it really is a delight. It varies a bit from season to season, but you will usually find the pork liver marinated in fresh cilantro and olive oil, and the fabulous presa (pork shoulder) burger. There’s a nice selection of regional wines too.

There are really no set hours. Luismi and Adela will open when they get requests, so be sure to call ahead. And give yourself time to explore the village either before or after your meal.