Posts Tagged fish

Casa Santiago, Garrucha

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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Rating 3.00 out of 5

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Asahi Japanese restaurant, Almeria

Sushi! Is there any better two tone rallying cry?

Sadly, sushi is difficult to obtain even in Garrucha. Plus the Spanish government, in a nasty move, made it illegal to sell raw fish – it has to be deep frozen for at least 24 hours before serving. Which does change the taste a tad.

But I love it. So, sometimes, when in Almería, we pop into Asahi Japanese Restaurant, which is just a bit further down from Alcampo. Just in front of Husa Hotel.

It’s a Japanese restaurant which does some very nice noodles. Lovely decoration and attentive staff. Is it a restaurant that is a world reference for raw fish? No. But it’s all we have and it’s tasty. Just don’t expect anything too exotic on the menu.

Prices seem to have gone up slightly since the last time I was there. A lunchtime “menú recomendación” is €30 for two (min two people). There is also a set menu A (noodle & meat) and set menu B (sushi) at lunchtimes, at €12 and €13 respectively.

(For our international readers, a menú recomendación is a menú recomanació in Barcelona, or Recomendación Menú in [L]A Coruña. What the devil. A sampling menu in English. Happy?).

The usual suspects are on the menu. If you like sushi you will know them – if you don’t you won’t be reading this. The sampling menu has a delicious noodle dish and some beef as well, so it leaves you sated.

Plenty of things without raw fish are also on the menu. Lots of Japanese meats, noodles and general food, so you can have what you will.

A temaki sushi (tuna) is, I notice from looking at the bill, €5.50. An Asahi (Japanese branded beer, brewed in the Czech Rep.) is €3.55 which seems steep. Water, Solán de Cabras in the blue bottle, is €1.70.

Never left unhappy yet. Still, off to Granada this weekend so I shall pop into my secret sushi place there and compare.

Asahi Japanese Restaurant
C/ Italia 5 (in front of the Husa Hotel, first roundabout down from Alcampo towards city centre, right hand side). Google Maps.
950142814

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Rating 3.00 out of 5

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Chiringuito Espigon (Garrucha)

Chiringuito Espigon (Garrucha restaurant)

For a quick business lunch, we popped by Chiringuito Espigon in Garrucha for fish. It’s the first one on the beach in front of the castle as you enter from Mojacar.

Espigon Restaurant has been around for a while now. Funny story – the owner once commented to the old Meus Pater that it was cheaper for him to leave the whole edifice standing over the winter and pay the fine to the Junta then to dismantle it and put it back up at the beginning of the season.

chiringution espingon restaurant garrucha mojacar turre restaurant
chiringution espingon restaurant garrucha mojacar turre restaurant
The fish sourced there is fresh. They don’t particularly cater to the Brits, they just do fresh fish, on the plancha, and the menu varies depending on what they sourced that day. The only salad is tomato slices, and they don’t do garnish or chips with the fish. They don’t do raciones, nor starters and desserts are ice creams from the menu.
menu for chiringuito espingon restaurant garrucha beach food fish restaurant garrucha

menu for chiringuito espingon restaurant garrucha beach food fish restaurant garrucha

It’s not particularly cheap. But the view is delicious, and so is the food. It’s chalked up on the board, and when they run out they wipe it off. And when it’s blank they close for the day.
 
The rose wine was a tad rough. Went down well. And for a Monday lunchtime, they had a good 30 people dining. We were the only Brits. They don’t serve you unless you wear shoes and a shirt.
 
No coffee. They don’t do coffee. They do do quite a nice range of liqueres, including a pretty decent Orujo. As the waiter said happily “If we did coffee, we’d sell a lot of them!”. But since they don’t have electric, they don’t do coffee. I like coffee after a meal.
77€ for three main courses, a tomato salad and a bottle of Rose. They open during the summer and easter. Don’t get offended when you ask for something fancy like a potato and you get a shrug. They make a fortune doing what they do best. Serving fresh fish on the beach.
fresh fish on the beach garrucha fish restaurant

fresh fish on the beach garrucha fish restaurant

 
 

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Rating 3.00 out of 5

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El Jardin de la Paella, Vera Playa


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