The Mercado de Abastos de Algeciras in Plaza Nostra Senora de la Palma in the centre of town is worth checking out. Built in 1935, the domed roof was once the largest in the world until the Houston Astro Dome stole the title in 1965.
Google map here.
There’s a stall on the inner circle where I go to get paprika, cured meats and dried beans to take home.
A couple of the stalls specialise in bull meat, and probably other parts of El Toro as well. They have large photographic displays showing the provenance of their wares.
You can get tapas and drinks from a couple of places inside but I prefer to go to La Casita below.
Around the permanent market in the market square there are lots of fruit & veg stalls. Other than the huge white salad onions and beef tomatoes, most of it was unremarkable but there are a couple of snail vendors.
Calle Tarifa leads out of the west side of the market square. There’s a great little tapas bar along here that I recommend for lunch…
La Casita (Elementary A+), 16 Calle Tarifa
It’s not often I agree with Trip Advisor but in my, and many other people’s view, ‘The Little House’ is the best eating out experience in Algeciras. Not because of the food, the tapas are just okay (all B/C), but it’s the frenetic atmosphere and the hilarious bartenders that make this a great experience.
The place is always packed but the stocky tattooed chaps on the bar get your order as soon as you come through the door and bellow it in the direction of the kitchen serving hatch with a Gregorian chant-like inflection at the end of the sentence.
They do this while pouring drinks at top speed interspersed with cracking uproarious jokes with the clientele. If you’re female, you’ll be called ‘guapito’ or if you’re English you become ‘my friend’.
God knows how but your food is in front of you within seconds. And how they keep tabs on who has what I have no idea. But it all works, and I love it.
The tapas, or more correctly tapitas, are all around €1.30 each and they have a deal where you get two tapitas and a cerveza for €3.20. I had…
Paella de Pollo.
Tapas de Plancha (Rosada, Lomo Fresco).
Tapas de Frita (Calamares, Pollo).
And the unexciting Salchicha Rojo.
And their homemade Pacharán, a Basque liqueur made from soaking sloes (endrinas) in anisette.
In total I had five tapitas, a pot of allioli, four cervezas and two doubles of Pacharán for just over €10. You can’t argue with that.
This next place is located in the run down area south of the market which I call ‘Little Morocco’. I was warned not to walk around here at night (although I did) but it’s fine in the day time.
Alkazar (Elementary B), 2 Calle Juan de la Cierva, next to the Tourist Information office
My friend Nicky loves North African food so I came here on her recommendation. It’s handy for the port if you’re waiting for a ferry and has veggie options if you fancy a change. The train and bus stations are nearby too.
There are several places around that serve similar food, including Casablanca next door but this one has lots of tables out on the street.
Their marinated olives are excellent (A).
And their veggie tajine is fine (B).
I upgraded with their Parrilada which involved five spits of meat; two of marinated lamb which were lovely (B+), two of chicken which were meh (C) and one of beef koftas which I left (C-).
With a couple of beers the bill came to a miserly €23.
See my ‘Villa Vieja – things to see’ post for some pics of the architecture around here.
From 2012:
Montes (Intermediate B), 27 Juan Morrison, Tel. 956 654 207
One of only two recommendations I considered from Trip Advisor at the time, and also the only restaurant to feature in the Rough Guide. I came for lunch and had the €9 menu-del-dia.
To start, El Cocido del Dia, or the ‘stew of the day’ (B), a typical lentil soup with the usual chunks of chorizo and morcilla. Saffron gave the murkiness a yellowish tinge.
The next dish, two kinds of fried fish, was a mis-order on my part. Unboned and tasteless I could only give them a C.
For dessert Natillas (custard) which inexplicably came with a soggy digestive biscuit in the middle. It was a first for me, but I have learned since that this is a thing in Spain. It tasted amazing; especially with the liberal sprinkling of cinnamon it had received (B+).
This is a bit gloomy place favoured by an older clientele but you could probably eat well here if you make the right choices.
It was once one of the best places in town but I have read a few comments that say it has changed hands and isn’t as good as it was.
Photos uploaded June 2012 and February 2017.