Calle Real and its side streets are where all the best restaurants and bars are. See my next two posts for alternatives. Map here.
This is the best place in town for food in my experience…
El Patio de Benitez (Intermediate A), 2 Calle Hermanos Laulhé, www.elpatiodebenitez.com, closed Monday
I was brought here by my local colleagues, Edite and her husband Wakim. This is their favourite place to eat in San Fernanado and I can understand why, the food is very good and the atmosphere is nice.
We shared a bottle of Beronia Crianza (B+), a good Rioja readily available at all Spanish airports, and several tapas (all A/B+/B).
The tapas we had were…
Crujientes Rellenos de Queso de Cabra y Berenjenas, crispy stuffed goat cheese and aubergines.
Saquitos de Bogabantes, ‘little sacks’ of lobster.
Barriga de Atun, tuna belly.
Albondigas Vietnamita, meatballs in a sweet spicy sauce.
Pluma con Reduccion de Mostaza Verde y PX, a tender pork neck cut with reductions of green mustard and Pedro Ximenez wine.
Lagarto Iberico (a cut of pork between the loin and the chops).
Pringaito de Carne al Toro, (a beef stew).
My favourite (A) was the Tosta de Setas, Jamon y Roquefort (Toast with Mushrooms, Ham and Roquefort).
The final bill came to just over €60 for the three of us, which is excellent value.
De Javier Taperia (High Intermediate B+), 58 Calle Real
This is a good place that has been #1 on TripAdvisor for quite a few years. The food is very good but I have a gripe with the fact that it calls itself a taperia but there are no tapas on the menu, only platos, ie big portions, which are a bit expensive for the non-sharing single diner.
One night I had this excellent Tataki de Atun Rojo de Almadraba, Wakame y Gazpacho de Tomates Verdes; traditionally caught, seared Bluefin tuna on a bed of seaweed with a green tomato gazpacho (B+).
It cost €14 which might seem expensive but it really isn’t for such top quality fish.
They have a good selection of local wines so I tried a few. I began with a local Palo Cortado called Monteagudo which was great (A).
The Tempranillo/Syrah/Cab Sauv blend by Fabio Montano scored well too (B+).
As did the (non-local) Rioja from Lopez de Haro (B+).
Latascona Gastrobar (Intermediate B), 54 Calle Real
This is a bright modern place on the main street selling a mixture of traditional and modern fusion cuisine. The service was nice and friendly and I liked the jazzy soundtrack.
The Salmorejo con Costrón de Algas, Huevas de Lumpo y Mojama, or tomato and bread soup with seaweed croutons, lumpfish roe and air-dried tuna was an interesting take on an Andalusian classic (B+).
The Medallon de Ternera, Foie Caramelizado, Gratén de Patata y Salsa y Boletus, or medallion of veal with caramelised foie, potato gratin and a mushroom sauce, was nice too (B).
Café D’ Anvers (Intermediate B+), 22 Calle Gral. García de la Herrán, m.facebook.com
In 2017, after eating well at El Patio de Benetez, Edite and Wakim brought me here for an after dinner G&T.
Wakim especially likes his cocktails so you can bet this is a good place. Certainly the lady server knows how to make a good one. Here she’s pouring the tonic down the bar spoon so it keeps it’s fizz.
Thanks for a lovely evening out guys! 🙂
Pastelería La Mallorquina (Intermediate B), 42 Calle Real
Just over the way from the Hotel Salymar, this is the local cake and coffee institution. I enjoyed the tuna empanada and a slice of pine nut tart here (both B).
I’ve always stayed at the AC Salymar (Intermediate C) www.hotelsalymar.com. It’s relatively modern and well located on Calle Real but doesn’t really have much else going for it.
To my knowledge the only other four star hotel in town is the Hotel Bahia Sur www.hotelbahiasur.com which is in a shopping centre and a fair way from the town centre, so I was happy to put up with the Salymar.
Ignore the next two, they’re closed now and the reviews are just for my memory only…
El Real de Velez (Intermediate B) 40 Calle Real, NOW CLOSED
I came to El Real on my first night in town in 2015, after binning the takeaway Bienmesabe I bought at Freidor El Deán (see next post), simply because it’s near the hotel and I’d arrived in town too late to go further afield. Rather than going on the rating Trip Advisor gives a place I like to check out the most reviewed establishments which is why I ended up in this modern but tatty and otherwise nondescript restaurant.
As they had no local delicacies on their menu I had their tuna salad, some croquetas and Guisos Calamaritos; squid in a saffron stew with rice, all of which were edible but unexciting (B). Their 2014 ‘Yllera’ Verdejo was okay (B)
Asador El Anticuario (Intermediate B), 2 Calle Cayetano del Toro, NOW CLOSED
I came to this place on my last night in 2015. Recommended by a local, it’s next to the town hall in the Plaza del Rey, on a street with a few other restaurants. I was the only customer, possibly because it was carnival week and everyone was in Cadiz having a good time.
I had the Tartar de Atun Rojo (Bluefin tuna, thankfully now recovering in numbers) which tasted tired (B-). I also tried their Carilladas Iberica which were fine (B).
See my previous posts for food in other parts of San F. Huelva is coming next!