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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

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

El Jardin de la Paella is a small beach bar (chiringuito to those of you who know the word) perched on the border between Vera beach and Garrucha. It´s easy to get to – park in the car park and step onto the paseo.

We like to pop along sometimes on a lazy afternoon, and if we´re lucky they squeeze people together and fit us in. It´s popular – very popular on a Sunday afternoon.

They call it the ´Jardin de la Paella´, but unless you preorder (difficult, as they don´t seem to have a telephone) you can have difficulties getting one. If they´re quiet, they will knock one up for you, but otherwise… However, if you do succeed in getting one they are damned good.

The entire menu is fresh, which means that on busy days if you arrive late your first choice might not be available. However, it´s worth asking if they have anything special in, as often they have a few decent fish under the counter. Tip: Arrange the price before ordering, in order to save yourself a surprise once you´ve eaten it.

If there are a number of you, they might offer you a parrillada de pescado, or assorted fish dish. (The following tip applies to most fish restaurants in Garrucha!) Opinions vary on this, if you know your Spanish fish you´re normally better off (both in selection and price) choosing a number of dishes and mixing them up between people. If you don´t, or there aren´t enough people to warrant this, then make sure you know what´s coming and it´s price. It can be a good way to get a nice selection of fish and shellfish, it can be an easy way to give you some old fish and rip you off on the price.

The trouble with fish and shellfish in the area is that most of the decent stuff is flown straight up to Madrid, leaving us with the pickings – same with the veg, actually. Which means that if you´re in a decent family run local restaurant, you can have some of the best seafood on the Med at an amazing price – or, you can have some pretty second rate stuff at astronomical prices. Believe me, I´ve had amazing Gambas Rojas de Garrucha in Madrid at a third of the price of what they sell for here!

Back to the Jardin de la Paella – yes, it´s family run, and yes, it´s local. Yes, it can be chaotic in there, but there is an order to the madness, so if everybody is running around, be patient and they´ll get to you.

Last time there, I had the ´Calamar en la cueva´ (The cuttlefish in the cave – see photo) and it was delicious. If you like cuttlefish / squid, try it.

Oh, and if you´re there in the afternoon, try a nice Rosado wine instead of white or tinto – I think you´ll finally realise why the Spanish like the stuff in the afternoon! Nice and light, it´s perfect with fish under the sun.

P.S: The carnivores among us need not worry, they do a pretty decent meat range too.