Archive for category Tapas
Casa Santiago, Garrucha
Posted by admin in Restaurants, Tapas on December 9th, 2009
Having been introduced to this place by Ric Polansky, who has an exhibition of bullfighting photos on the wall, I though it could be fun to pop there one evening with the parents and the gf. Quite the happy family.
Casa Santiago has a large outside terrace, taking up most of the public pavement, where in fine Spanish style you can occupy the public road, lounging around with a g&t watching with interest as mothers with prams and the elderly have to step out into the road, braving the traffic, to get around your table. It being evening, we did not avail ourselves of this offer and sat inside in the tasteful wooden dining room.
The place is divided into two, a pleasant and cosy bar and the main room. Lots of pine, a nice light decoration that makes you feel at home. Tapas are available in the main bar for those who wish to wash their beer down with something.
No menus are used. Instead, you are told what the kitchen has on today, in a time honoured fashion. The menu is small but traditional and well cooked.
We had a selection of starters. We steered away from the “fashionable” salads, and stuck with a simple ensalada mixta. Home cured anchovies and oven cooked octopus were two other starters. All were delicious, the anchovies prepared delicately in olive oil to offset the salt.
Mains were a solomillo de buey, entrecot de ternera, rape (a la plancha) and rape (in almond sauce).
The meats were delicious. Oven cooked, they were tasty, tender and melt in the mouth delicious.
The fish tasted frozen and was a disappointment, especially compared to the meats and starters.
A couple of bottles of Rioja, a Abadia Rotuerta washed it all down. Some cheese and coffee to finish.
The bill? A hefty €166,60 for the four of us. The anchovies were almost €2 – each. Steaks were a decent price (€13,50 and €14,50) but €23 for the wine was a bit steep. Since you don’t get a menu, the price comes as a shock.
Good fun, but a bit expensive. Stay away from the fish.
Restaurante Bar Casa Santiago
Garrucha, C/ Mayor 36.
Coming into Garrucha from Las Bouganvillas, on right just past Banco Andalucia (car park in front).
See it on Google maps
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Meson del Pobre
You’ll remember I mentioned how a strange piece appeared in the euroweekly -I doubt you read it, most people haven’t- about how Meson del Pobre “apologises for past problems” and has “new staff new menu new attitude” with no further explanation. An open invitation for speculation and rumour, I feel.
It’s been a while since I’ve been in there so I wasn’t aware of the changes.
The story, I’m told, is as follows:
Staff problems (some have complained of receiving incorrect change, others simply of bad service) exacerbated by Diego turning a blind eye in exchange for an occasional grope. More and more unpleasant people turning up and drinking, scaring away the better class of customer. Ends up with a big fight in the car park outside a couple of months ago. Usual story.
Diego is no longer associated with the place -some say he is looking for a new opportunity, others say his ass was fired, the story is up to him to tell- and new staff are in place.
And the page is turned and a new chapter in place. Wonder if their rotten tapas will be improved?
Bar Juventud, Los Gallardos
Posted by admin in Restaurants, Tapas on October 29th, 2009
In my youth, Bar Juventud was the “other bar”. As people who lived on the “Crespo” side of the street, going into Juventud was akin to a Madrid supporter sneaking into a Barça pub. Only to be attempted wearing a large hat when noone was around. Which was a pity as it always had better tapas.
Then we grew up and rarely visited Los Gallardos, as we lived out in the sticks and once we were given a moped LG was “too rural” for our newly discovered expensive tastes. But Juventud still had the best tapas in the Levante. And it’s not just me – the director of the RTV-A (admittedly from Los Gallardos) thought much the same. (He also said the same about the old La Rueda – the perils of being related to the families of two different bars, no doubt).
Fastforward twenty years to 2009, when an Uruguayan named Eduardo and his wife took the place over. Eduardo started to run summer BBQ’s, once a week. Not for long, but it became famous and full. After all, the man is a master of the Parriallada. Despite his apparant OCD which leads him to wash his hands often (a good sign in both chefs and surgeons).
Eduardo has stopped the outdoor Parrialladas for the winter – despite the small door and narrow space for clients, Jueventud boasts a large exterior patio – but upon a smile, a wink and a 24 hour reservation will do one. As we discovered tonight.
The menu was simple. An ensalada de huerta, lots of tomatos. Couple of bottles of wine that had -how to put it?- been too close to the BBQ to be considered vintage but were still quaffable. Pan, with lots of ajo. Some homemade chimicurri. The best jacket potato I’ve had all year – crisp yet soft and tasty. And either secreto iberico or ternera – entrecote. You can have it well done, or very well done.Coffee, Orujo and a couple of Mr J’s “homemade” cigars for pudding. Ironically the cigars also seem to be from Uruguay.
The BBQ consists of a bonfire of ancient olive wood, coals from which are heaped over, under, and alongside, the meat. So rare doesn’t appear to be an option.
Flippin delicious. If you don’t like food like this, ‘eff off back to McDonalds. The daily tapas are good, too.
Plaza Mayor Cafeteria (Turre)
Posted by admin in Restaurants, Tapas on September 9th, 2009
The Plaza Mayor Cafeteria is the old “café.com” bar in the main square in Turre (which moved across the plaza into the space left after that disgusting O’connells place was run out of town).
Suave, elegant, with tasty tapas and an Italian feel, it’s a damn nice place to have a red wine and a tapa in the afternoon.
An attractive waitress called Carol works there in the afternoon, and then the slim Italian owner (don’t know what his name is) pops up in the evening.
Looking at the till bill I see that a bottle of beer costs €1,80, wine €1,20, coke €1,50, tapa with drink €1,50 and tapa without drink €2. But they throw the occasional free round your way if you’re a good customer (like me).
It’s rapidly becoming the usual haunt of “The Reader” post launch party (fortnightly on Mondays, in case you want to pop by and complain about something).
Plaza Mayor Cafeteria.
Main square in Turre, next to the Cajamar.
La Pará, Turre
Posted by admin in Restaurants, Tapas on August 28th, 2009
La Pará is a new bar and restaurant that has opened up at the top of the main street in Turre, as you leave going out towards the cementery.
It´s very, very nicely done out inside, with no expense spared on the décor. This was done by someone who plans to stay a while, and these people are Ana, her husband Marcos and Ana’s sister whose name escapes me (but I´ll find out next time I go down there). Ana will be remembered as the lady who has graced a number of bars in Cabrera and has now branched out on her own.
The large patio outside has a number of tables and chairs, and is a pleasent, sheltered spot from whence to sit and ponder upon Life. The main bar is tastefully done out, and the restaurant, while small, is also a comfortable place.
The food is Turre in style. Gurullos, Pelotas, Migas, Morcillas and more all adorn the menu. All homemade, all delicious, and almost all of them sampled by me.
The philosophy behind the menu is a wonderful one – they will cook what they want, what is in season, and if they run out they tell you so, instead of having a lot of frozen stuff lying around. So it´s fresh, it´s off the plancha, and it can be eaten as a full meal, as dishes to pick at between the group, or simply as a tapa with a beer.
If Marcos is on duty in the afternoon the toros might be on the TV – if Ana, possibly it might be off or tuned to something tasteful. Marcos looks glum, but is a happy man at heart.
Recommendation? Delicious. Try it, you´ll be back, unless your palate doesn´t pass ketchup on chips.
PS – La Pará, in case you´re wondering, is slang meaning “the Stop”. La Parada – or ¡aki la pará! as they shout to conductors around here.
Cafe Bar Aguila, Albox
Posted by admin in Restaurants, Tapas on June 11th, 2009
Aguila is a workers bar in Albox. But by gum, it’s a good one.
Inside, in a main room, darkened by the windows which are tightly shuttered against the danger of the summer sun, wizened men and worker foremen sit hunched over the bar, drinking their carajillos. A low background murmur from conversation is constantly audible – the minute you look to see where it’s coming from the conversation stalls and you find that the talkers are looking back at you, as if you had intercepted a drug deal (they’re probably talking about last nights game).
Tapas are enormous, and decent. A tercio and what was basically a half racion of magra, together with several large hunks of bread, was mine for only €1,40.
The coffee is strong. Very strong. Good though. €0,90.
Tapas are limited, but when the plancha is on (middays) the wife will serve you up some damned good meatstuff off the plancha. No menu – it depends on what she’s brought that morning.
It’s not the sort of place women venture into – not because it’s seedy, or because it’s dirty, but because it’s a mans’ bar when men get together for a morning coffee and their wives are wise enough to allow them to pretend they are still their own man. Evidence of this was that the damas was being used to store a couple of bicycles. The lightswitch for the mens was by the door, next to an exposed wire where the (broken) handdryer was situated, great fun in the dark.
In short, my sort of place. Don’t bother going if you don’t speak Spanish, or are adverse to Ducados second hand smoke.
Cafe Bar Aguila, Albox
In Calle del Rulador, on the “incoming” road down from the cementery.
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