Tag Archives: tapas bar

La Cruz Blanca

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Updated June 2016

la cruz blanca
One of Jerez’s best-loved tapas bars, La Cruz Blanca is located on the corner of Calle Consistorio and Plaza de la Yerba in the heart of the old city. It consists of a bar area with a couple of tables in the front, two dining rooms in the back, and a large and busy terrace in the Plaza. Although the bar has existed since the early 20th century, it ceased trading for several years before the current owners purchased and refurbished it in 2005. Decoration is fairly minimalist, but pleasant, and the food a mix of traditional and more modern fare, available either as tapas or full or media raciónes. There’s a good selection of wines by the glass, including sherries of course. Only complaint is that service can sometimes be slow, especially out on the terrace, so don’t go if you’re in a hurry. And be sure to ask for the “off the menu” specials of the day.

Consistorio, 16
Tel 956 32 45 35
€ € € €

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Food 8 | Wine 7 | Service 7 | Ambiance 7

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cruz blanca croquetas (2)prawn, leek and wakame croquettes

cruz blanca tuna chicharronesred tuna chicharrones

cruz blanca saladmixed salad

cruz blanca (2)breaded chocos (cuttlefish)

cruz blanca buñuelosbacalao fritters over roasted peppers

cruz blanca huevos rotosfried egg with artichokes and jamón

cruz blanca arroz negroarroz negro with strips of chocos

cruz blanca berenjenaassea bass in tempura with piquillo sauce

cruz blanca carrilladacarrillada Ibérica

cruz blanca presagrilled presa Ibérica with chips

cruz blanca presa jamon salmorejogrilled presa with jamón and salmorejo

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Updated June 2016

Bar Juanito

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bar juanito terrace

Bar Juanito seems to figure on every list of bars to go to in Jerez, largely I think because it’s been around for over 70 years, is very typical, and it’s in a good location in the centre. There’s a small bar section when you walk in and a big dining area in a pleasant covered patio just beyond. Outside are several tables on the terrace, so lots of seating options.

I’ve been here twice, only stopping each time for a couple of tapas, but wasn’t overly impressed on either occasion. The signature artichoke dish was a bit tough and stringy, and the venison “bric”, while nice enough, could have been filled with almost anything. Nice fried cuttlefish, okay meatballs. Overall, it simply failed to make any deep impression. Nothing wrong with the place, just nothing that stood out as special. Service is very good.

Calle de Pescadería Vieja, 8
Tel 956 34 12 18
€ € € €

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Food 6 | Wine 5 | Service 7 | Ambiance 5

bar juanito ensaladillacomplimentary ensaladilla starter

bar juanito artichokesstewed artichokes with jamón

bar juanito venado bricbric pastry filled with venison

bar juanito chocoscrispy fried chocos

bar juanito meatballsmeatballs

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El Almacén Vinos & Tapas

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Updated August 2015

el almacen

El Almacén Vinos & Tapas is located in the center of town in a refurbished 18th century building that once housed a tradition grocery warehouse (almacén). A rather trendy, faux traditional bar, but despite that I liked the appearance of the place with its wooden beams, demi-john lights, antiqueish furniture and bric-a-brac. And it’s big, with 150 square metres divided into smaller dining spaces. My favourite place is sitting in front of the 15-metre original wood bar, but you can also opt for the terrace if you prefer sitting outside.

As the name suggests, wines feature prominently here and they specialise in local Cádiz wines, including a wide selection of sherries. There are a few tapas on the menu, but it’s mostly raciones (larger plates). Service could be improved – ie, make your clients feel welcome. But overall it’s an okay place to stop in for a drink and a snack.

Calle Latorre 6
Jerez de la Frontera
Tel
€ € € €

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Food 6 | Wine 8 | Service 5 | Ambiance 7

el almacen (6)

el almacen (1)
el almacen (3)

el almacen prawnsprawn skewers with avocado dip

el almacen lomo jerezlomo al Jerez on toast with PX reduction

el almacen cod fritterssalt cod fritters with wasabi mayo

el almacen secretogrilled secreto Ibérico with fresh tomato and jamón

el almacen (4)

el almacen (5)

el almacen (7)

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Updated August 2015

 

Reino de León

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reino leon

A trendy, gastrobar-type establishment with lots of exposed brickwork, but actually not at all bad. There’s a little terrace out in the pedestrianised street as well. Really we just stopped in for a snack and enjoyed an excellent white wine (Palomo Cojo – rueda), some ensaladilla negra and very good barbecued secreto Ibérico with fried potatoes and salmorejo. Service was a bit patchy given that it wasn’t overly busy, but overall we had a good time.

We went back for a quick wine stop the next day while waiting for our train and appreciated that the bar is open all day (though the kitchen closes between 4-8 pm). I’d be interested in trying it out again.

Latorre, 8
Jerez de la Frontera
Tel 956 32 29 15
€ € €

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Food 7 | Wine 7 | Service 6 | Ambiance 7

reino leon (3)

reino leon ensaladillaensaladilla with squid ink and chocos

reino leon presagrilled secreto Ibérico with salmorejo

reino leon (2)

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Ajonegro

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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.

 

Avda Alcalde Álvaro Domecq, 10
Jerez de la Frontera
Tel 956 33 23 71
€ € € €

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Food 9 | Wine 8 | Service 8 | Ambiance 9

ajonegro bar
ajonegro lobster

ajonegro peppers

ajonegro chicherroneschicharrones de Chiclana with payoyo Villaluenga and tomato pesto

ajonegro artichokesartichoke flowers with lots of evoo

ajonegro burgermini beef burger with bacon

ajonegro chickenpanko breaded chicken with guacamole

ajonegro patatasfried potatoes with alioli

ajonegro stewchorizo a la Riojana

ajonegro prawnsking prawns in tempura

ajonegro presagrilled presa Ibérica and chips

ajonegro dessertleche frita

ajonegro chalkboard
ajonegro talbes
ajonegro logo

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Cumbres Mayores

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Updated March 2019

cumbres_mayores

Trust me to go to a Spanish coastal city famous for its fabulous seafood and end up loving this place for its amazing MEAT dishes. One of the best known and most popular bars in Cádiz, Cumbres Mayores, just off the Plaza Mina, is traditional in both style and cuisine, but with more meat and less fish than is typical in Cádiz. It’s all about the pig here, and often unusual cuts (see “pig parts” photo below). We stop in as often as possible during our visits to Cádiz and we are never disappointed. In fact, I wish somewhere like Cumbres Mayores existed in Sevilla.

Aside from the cosy tapas bar area that greets you when you walk in, there are also a couple of dining rooms for sit-down meals, but my favourite place is at the bar, preferably in front of the jamón leg beer taps. It’s often super-crowded but just grab a drink and hang around awhile and you’ll usually be rewarded with a couple of bar seats. The tapas are very good and very reasonably priced, and the service is terrific. Favourites included the pork abanico Ibérico in PX sauce, which is honestly worth going to Cádiz for, grilled secreto (you can also get it breaded and deep-fried!) and the presa al ajillo. They also offer a special parrillada para dos (grilled meat for two) but I think it’s more fun to just order the tapas and share them with a friend.

Zorrilla, 4
Cádiz
Tel 956 21 32 70
€ € €

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Food 8 | Wine 8 | Service 8| Ambiance 8

cumbres mayores bar

cumbres mayores jamoes

cumbres mayores (10)stewed pluma Ibérica

cumbres mayores carrillada

carrillada Ibérica (pork cheeks)

cumbres mayores churrascochurrasco a la parrilla

cumbres mayores criollogrilled chorizo criollo

cumbres mayores secretosecreto Ibérico

breaded secreto Ibérico

cumres mayores presagarlicky grilled presa Ibérica

albóndigas en salsa

cumbres mayores pork tonguestewed pork tongue

cumbres mayores flamenquinflamenquín

grilled paleta Ibérica

tender stewed abanico Ibérico in PX sauce

grilled presa Ibérica

cumbres mayores beerAlfonso pouring beers

cumbres mayores bar areabar area

cumbres mayores diningdining area

cumbres mayores pig partspig parts

cumbres mayoresBest. Beertaps. Ever.

cumbres mayores tiles

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Updated March 2019

Taberna La Manzanilla

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Updated March 2019

la manzanilla

Taberna La Manzanilla is a sherry bar, pure and simple, dedicated to the promotion of these local Cádiz wines, with a range of manzanillas, amontillados and olorosos (from Bodegas Delgado Zuleta in Sanlúcar de Barrameda) poured straight from the barrel. Founded in the early twentieth century as both a wholesale and retail operation, the taberna is now run by Pepe, the third generation of the García family, and still retains many of its original furnishings, maintained in perfect condition. Wonderful ambiance and a great place to start your tapeo.

Feduchy 19
Cádiz
Tel 956 28 54 01
€ € €
La Manzanilla Website

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Wine 9 | Service 8| Ambiance 8

la manzanilla bar

la manzanilla amontillado manzanillaamontillado and manzanilla fina

la manzanilla olorososolorosos

la manzanilla back room (1)

la manzanilla back room (2)

la manzanilla barrels

la manzanilla bottles

amontillado fino

la manzanilla 1744

owner Pepe

la manzanilla venenciadorvenenciador

la manzanilla delgado zuleta

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Updated March 2019

La Bodeguilla del Bar Jamón

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Updated July 2017

la bodeguilla
I fondly remember my first visit to La Bodeguilla back in the winter of 2013 – they had me at “crujiente de Ibéricos”. And while I was waiting for this amazing tapa I was given a complementary starter of lovely stewed lentils with chorizo. I happily slipped into a food coma after getting back to my hotel for a much needed siesta. Much later that evening I went back as I had been informed (via Twitter) that I’d missed that bar’s star dish – the tostada with jamón. A tostada? Special? Well, okay. Since it came so highly recommended I was ready to give it a go, and frankly a tostada was just about all I was up for after such a hearty lunch. And I was not disappointed. I had the half-portion of a slice of toasted country bread drizzled with garlic-infused olive oil, rubbed with fresh tomato and topped with top quality jamón that was slightly warm after being placed on top of hot toast, along with a glass of local Garum red wine. Heaven!

On another visit we were invited to a sherry pairing event, held in one of the dining rooms, which was spectacular and left me wanting to go back even more. This time we got to sit out on the terrace, which was lovely (sorry, no photo – will have to go back again!). This is a real family-run place, with chef-owner Borja in the kitchen and his family also helping out – his mother looked after us on our most recent visit. A must-go place in El Puerto for delicious homestyle cooking, excellent wines, and wonderful friendly service.

Misericordia, 5
El Puerto de Santa María (Cádiz)
Tel 946 85 03 22
€ € € €

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Food 8 | Wine 8 | Service 8| Ambiance 8

la bodeguilla bar

la bodeguilla jamones

la bodeguilla lentilscomplimentary starter of lentils and chorizo

la bodeguilla crujiente ibericosalmond encrusted Iberian pork with potato purée and almond sauce

la bodeguilla crujientethe crujiente Ibérico sliced open

huevos a la flamenca

la bodeguilla jamon tostatoasted country bread with garlic olive oil, fresh tomato and jamón
(tapa above, ración below)

scrambled eggs (revuelto) with bacalao and red peppers

gambas “de la casa” with onions, green peppers, jamón

presa Ibérica with jamón and frites

la bodeguilla busy bar

chef Borja (right) with his family

la bodeguilla (9)

la bodeguilla postcards

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Updated July 2017

Las Flores Freiduría

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las flores

Las Flores, in the square next to the central market, is very much a typical Spanish fried fish bar, and obviously popular, with lots of people packed round the bar and a constant queue at the busy takeaway section. There’s also a section inside with small tables adn a sidewalk terrace. A menu of all the traditional goodies (we had chocos, adobo and puntillitas), cooked in bulk and served up hot. Not much of a wine selection but at least there was a nice dry fino and the beer is very cold. Service was brisk and efficient, but could have been a bit more friendly. So basically, cheap(ish) but not so cheerful.

Plaza Topete, 4
Cádiz
Tel. 956 22 61 12
Open 9.00 – midnight 7 days a week
€ € €

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Food 8 | Wine 5 | Service 5| Ambiance 5

las flores barthe bar

 

las flores chocos adobocazón in adobo (marinated dogfish) and chocos (cuttlefish)

las flores fritoslos fritos

las flores puntillitaspuntillitas (tiny squid)

las flores servietasthere’s a second location on the causeway,
near the main beaches

las flores takeawaytake-away section

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Bar Gonzalo

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bar gonzalo
This very typical neighbourhood bar was recommended to me by my hotel just around the corner. Nothing fancy, I was told, just some very good fried fish and home-style cooking. I got there around 2.30 pm, which turned out to be just before the “lunch rush”. I sat at a comfortable table and ordered a glass of sherry and a couple of frito tapas. A few minutes later the small bar was packed solid with locals ordering their favourite dishes. I wished I’d had time to try some of the delicious-sounding stews, but I had one other tapas bar to try that day and had to head out.

Micaela Aramburu 26
El Puerto de Santa María
Tel 687227596
Closed Tuesdays
€ €

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Food 7 | Wine 7 | Service 8| Ambiance 8

bar gonzalo cartathe menu

bar gonzalo chocoschocos fritos

bar gonzalo finofino Valeroso Grant

bar gonzalo merobreaded mero (grouper) with chips

bar gonzalo bar

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