Spain Archives - Page 2 of 3

INTERVIEWS WITH A WINE EXPERT: the new Spanish wine 'scape'

Lenka Sedlackova MW, has been in the wine business for over a decade. Based in London, she works with one of the best UK importers Fields, Morris & Verdin. She is the first Czech Master of Wine (MW). We talked about her penchant for Spanish wine.

What is the most attractive about Spanish wine for you?

There is more softness and plushness found often in the Spanish reds, and they are never overtly tannic or acidic, which makes them easy to drink. But they are often also beautifully perfumed. The whites are fresh and interesting but often uniquely and unashamedly Spanish (white Rioja being a good example).

Who makes the most interesting wines from the indigenous varietals?

I am a big fan of Godello (white) and Mencia (red). Both varieties are grown in Galicia and Leon (Bierzo) and have been plucked from obscurity relatively recently by brothers Rafael and Alvaro Palacios.

Godello is all about texture. It’s not a variety that is aromatically complex at the best of times but in the best hands it displays flavours of yellow fruit, chestnut flowers and fennel. It has a slight bitter herb character on the palate but has this wonderful minerality. There are both oaked and unoaked versions at various price points. The best Godellos are made by Rafael Palacios in Valdeorras (the region’s steepslopes and older vines produce the best results) – look out for his ‘Louro’, which is a great example of the variety but it is one of Rafael’s top wines. His oaked Godello – ‘As Sortes’, which is amongst the best white wines currently made in Spain. Other producers worth trying are Telmo Rodriguez and Valdesil.
Mencia has its home in Bierzo, further inland from Valdeorras in the province of Leon. Here, it produces wines that are aromatically complex, often showing heady perfume of roses, wild herbs and lavender, and minerality that many attribute to the region’s basalt and slate soils. Bierzo in fact has some of Europe’s oldest soils and the top vineyard of the region, La Faraona, lies on a tectonic fault. Mencia can be reductive and capricious so often benefits from decanting and serving in large Burgundy glasses. In Bierzo, it can reach relatively high alcohol level (up to 15% in hot vintages like 2011), but it generally carries it well. The benchmark producer of the region is Descendientes de J. Palacios – their entry level wine, ‘Pétalos’, is a great introduction to Mencia. If your pocket allows it, look out for single vineyards Las Lamas or Moncerbal, both situated on steep slopes of very old vines. This is Spanish wine at its best.
Other Bierzo producers to explore are Dominio de Tares and Raul Perez.
I am also a huge fan of Mencia from Ribeira Sacra in Galicia – stylistically they tend to be fresher, lighter in alcohol and crunchier. Dominio do Bibei is the best producer there. One of the best wines made from Mencia that I have so far tasted is Telmo Rodriguez’s ‘As Caborcas’, from Valdeorras. If you can find it, buy it.

Which winemaker working in the country has influenced the most how the wines are made today in Spain?

I am biased because I work with his wines, but Alvaro Palacios has been a pioneer both in Priorat and Bierzo and is doing interesting things in Rioja, too. But influencing and being the greatest winemaker are two different things. There are so many different styles of wines made in Spain, it’s really hard to be so specific.

I think the most exciting winemakers are for me the real local heroes, who are protecting Spain’s heritage, rescuing old vineyards and bringing back old traditions. My lovely friends Elisa Ucar and Enrique Basarte from Domaines Lupier, who are putting Navarra back on the map (check out their gorgeous old vine ‘Garnachas El Terroir’ and ‘La Dama’), Suertes del Marques are doing amazing things with old vines grown on the volcanic soils of Tenerife, Terroir al Limit are redefining wine styles in Priorat and ‘flying’ winemaker Telmo Rodriguez is rescuing old traditions in regions such as Malaga and Cebreros.

How can Cava appeal to sparkling wine fans if compared to Champagne, Prosecco and other fizzy wines made? Which one is a must try cava?

Cava has masses of potential. I really don’t think there is any comparison to Prosecco. For me Prosecco is a simple fizzy wine without any complexity that is best served on ice with some Aperol! Whilst it is true that cheap Cava gives the category a bad name, there has been a bit of a revival in Penedes over the past few years, and there are some excellent long-aged Cavas now available internationally that were, perhaps, previously only seen in Spain.

Cava is made by the traditional method so has a similar autolytic quality to Champagne. The difference is that it is softer in acidity and instead of showing the citrus and nectarine fruit often displayed by sparkling wines made with Champagne varieties (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier), it has more orchard fruit and a slight bitter character on the palate, especially when containing larger proportions of Xarel.lo. This makes Cava an ideal partner to food. I think sometimes this sparkling Spanish wine can be more food-friendly than Champagne.

The two best producers for me are Recaredo and Cava Gramona, both produce only Gran Reservas (aged for more than 30 months on the lees). I also love the cavas made by Alta Alella (great packaging, too), Augusti Torello, Llopart and Vilarnau.

Do you see more biodynamic and/or organic wines being made in Spain now?

It’s very easy for a lot of Spanish wines to be organic – some regions can be very hot and dry and this means little disease pressure. A lot of producers I work with work organically, but they often don’t make a big song and dance about it, it’s a natural thing for them to do. Although I think sometimes people put too much emphasis on the word ‘organic’ – organic viticulture prescribes the use of copper, which is toxic to the soil. So it’s best to take these things with a dose of reality. There are a good number of producers who work biodynamically and the number is increasing. Producers I already mentioned – Domaines Lupier in Navarra, Palacios in Bierzo, Recaredo in Penedes, and you can really see the results in their wines.

Which region (and its wines) is the most under-appreciated by non-Spanish wine connoisseurs?

Probably Penedes and Cava. Cava has such a bad reputation as a cheap, simple and not so great sparkling wine. More people need to give it a chance, but you have to know what you’re buying, too.

How different is sherry from other wines in Spain and in the world?

Sherry is unique Spanish wine, but often imitated abroad (Australia makes some sherry-style wines, for instance), and rarely bettered. Until recently, sherry was quite unfashionable, seen as an old ladies’ drink but this has changed. You will find sherry on wine lists in fine dining restaurants as well as traditional sherry bars or Spanish tapas bars. It has to be said that it is the dry, biologically-aged (under flor, which is a type of yeast that blankets the surface of the wine protecting it from oxygen and at the same time adding flavour) styles of sherry (Manzanilla, Fino and En Rama) that are more popular than the darker-coloured, oxidatively-aged styles like Oloroso or the intensely sweet Pedro Ximenez.

In terms of style and taste, sherry is different in that it is a fortified wine, meaning it has had neutral spirit added to it to rise the alcohol level. Sherry tends to be in the region of 15-20%. The wines are an acquired taste and wine novices often don’t like them. You have to grow into it – try the wines in Spain alongside Spanish food to truly understand their place in the world.

Geographically, Spain has on average higher altitude than other European wine growing regions, with consideration of the changing climate (effect on drier areas & the allowance for irrigation since 2003), which is the most promising wine growing region on the Iberian peninsula and its adjoining islands?

Although I believe that climatic changes have recently had a much bigger impact on wine growing in countries like the UK and Germany, people often forget that Spain is a hot country already. It is therefore much more able to tolerate heat spikes than other countries. Good example was the very hot 2003 vintage, which has produced so many jammy, alcoholic wines in France. It wasn’t as much of an issue in Ribera del Duero or Rioja in Spain, and actually the wines are pretty good there. Whilst higher altitudes undoubtedly help temper the effect of heat, the best Spanish vineyards are already planted at relatively high altitudes (like you say) and there isn’t really anywhere higher for them to go. I think it’s not just altitude that is important but rather a combination of altitude, old vines that are more able to cope with stress (both heat and water stress) and having the right grape varieties planted – both Garnacha and Carignan perform well in hot, dry climates whilst some international varieties like Cabernet or Merlot do not and this is why, in a lot of places, these varieties are slowly being phased out in favour of the local ones.

However, I believe that Galicia is currently showing the most potential for the quality and variety of the Spanish wine produced.

Salt Yard: Spanish restaurant in London

You are based in London, can you recommend the best places with an interesting and wide selection of Spanish wine?

London has a great concentration of Spanish restaurants and bars, and the quality of food and wine is often as good as it is in Spain. In the past 7-8 years these restaurants have started to crop up. My favorite Spanish restaurants/bars are Jose, Pizarro (both in Bermondsey Street) and Jose Pizarro (Liverpool St). They have the best jamon and tortillas. Other great ones include Camino ( head also to their Cava bar, Copa de Cava, in Blackfriars to try some of the Cavas I mentioned earlier), Barrafina (one of their restaurants has a Michelin star), Moro and Morito (also check out their cookbooks, my favorite!), Brindisa, Copita and Barrica, Salt Yard, Dehesa …

Fasting for better health and clear mind in beautiful Andalusia

Voluntary fasting is not just a religious practice common to most faiths and serious yogis, but it is a natural tool for improving your health.
Not eating or consuming very low amount of calories was much more common prior to industrialisation, when we, like the animals that do not know how to use a fridge or salting food for preservation still do, fasted during periods of scarcity during the winter. Amazingly, penguins fast in -40C°despite exerting lots of energy to keep their body warm. Conservation of food did not reach yet the enormous possibilities after refrigeration and freezing were accessible to a wider population, so we were naturally dieting without needing prescriptions of magazines and best selling diet books.

Giving your body what it needs, but not more

However, nutrients depletion can have a very negative impact on our health. Taking advantage of scientific progress and it is generally wiser today in our more broadly affluent world, that an individual approach (read lower down for more) supported by medical data like blood tests, regularly measuring essential functions like pulse and blood pressure, will assist so the full health benefits kick in. Unsupervised renouncing of food can have serious consequences – from fainting, stimulation of a gout to kidney, liver and heart problems.

Buchinger-Wilhelmi scientific approach

If you fast for the first time as well as when you suffer from serious health problems, the process should ideally be medically supervised. Three generations of German descendants of the self-healed invalid rheumatism sufferer Dr. Otto Buchinger, whose disability was cured by fasting, have long enough expertise in guiding through fasting. The original clinic was founded by the Lake Constance in Germany, later in 1973 his daughter set up a second location in Marbella, Spain, and today they both attract young and old, healthy and seriously ill, famous and rich or those who can afford their luxurious lodgings. Their holistic approach includes Eastern and Western medicine, diagnostics, physical and psychological therapy, spiritual support, coaching, group activities and exercises, lectures, soul nourishment through cultural and artistic pursuits, beauty treatments and wide range of pampering at their spa.
It is a five star experience rather than just a period of paucity. You can even choose your pillow (from six types!) and the nurses are like butlers, available 24 hours a day upon a ring on the red bell, yet delivering what is good for you, not anything you want. The facility is impeccably equipped with the newest technology, medical equipment, and much more than you might need during your stay.

Getting healthier in sunny Andalusia

At Buchinger Wilhelmi clinic in Marbella, the Mediterranean coast and painting-worthy dramatic rocky background meet, creating a calm and relaxed atmosphere supporting the effects of fasting. Since one can become more irritated and sensitive to smell, noise and other outer elements, it is easier to fast in their environment than at home.
Avoiding oxidative as well as hormonal stress is key to healing of our cells. Nature calms, and Andalusia with its abundant beauty eases you into a slower pace of letting go. You will be feeding your soul and not your stomach. The approach is not based in a total absence of calories as in the case of a pure water fast, although they are kept to a dire minimum, while important minerals and vitamins will be supplied to your system. Liquids like soups in the evenings, supportive herbal infusions, substantially diluted juices and two to three liters of water (three types of water are surrounding you wherever you walk around the clinic so you will not escape hydrating yourself) are all that comes into your mouth during this fast.

The reasons to fast:

Fasting heals – as the body cells adjust to the fasting mode many chronic and inflammatory diseases improve
Preventing illnesses related to the lifestyle of our consumer society (diet high sugar and fat, pollution)
Balancing high blood pressure and glucose in II type diabetics (insulin-dependent may not need administering of insulin for some time, but also are not allowed to fast in some cases and instead put on a special diet improving their condition)
Loss of 200-300g of fat per day
Overcoming the hunger instinct brings spiritual clarity & better self-control
Improving abstract thinking and mindfulness
Detox from unsustainable highly processed food consumed regularly that is high in fat and sugars
Desire to quit smoking (stimulants like caffeine, alcohol and cigarettes are forbidden or not provided and their taste is less appealing during a fast so it is easier to renounce them)

Fasting has to be voluntary, hungry people in poor countries, in war zones or places with a bad hygiene are too stressed which causes lots of harm in their bodies by taxing the cells and slowing down or blocking their renewal.

Minimum side-effects in drug-free treatment

The accumulative negative effects of chemical drugs are avoided when resorting to this curative method, but it is possible to experience some discomfort such as:

dizziness and inability to concentrate for long time – during the first week of the fast, driving a car is discouraged and indeed particularly in the afternoon when the fasting body needs rest it should be avoided
headaches – the changes in your body may trigger them
heartburn in acid-sensitive individuals
sleep disruption – lighter sleep as your body will not need as much rest, bad dreams, yet waking up feeling fresher
lower body temperature can cause shivering – warm liquids, blankets and keeping your room warm helps
skin sensitivity – breakouts, dryness, higher susceptibility to sunburn so avoid the rays
staying at the clinic requires you switching into its pace an rules – challenge for certain personalities

At any time of the day, an assistance of a nurse can be called by pressing an emergency button in your room, if anything abnormal happens. As a further assurance, your blood pressure, pulse and weight will be measured daily by the nurse. An evening yoga class, meditation or relaxing through the vibration and deep sound of Tibetan bowls can assist with evoking of sleep.

Individual approach

Each of us has a different medical history and the doctors at the clinic are trained to check and inquire about your personal physical as well as psychological background. Pregnant and breastfeeding women, unwell, psychologically volatile and with ‘spent’ suffering individuals, and people on certain medications should avoid fasting. The in-house doctors at the clinic will determine, based on your medical records that you provide and what they find during the initial check up, whether fasting is beneficial for you or whether you should just go on a calorie-restricted mostly vegetarian diet (includes fish) prepared by the experienced chef’s team daily. The later will improve your sense of well-being and can be a sufficient detox for your organism. Supplements in forms of deficient vitamins and probiotics can accompany you during your fast if the doctor sees any reason for that from your essentials measuring blood tests.
I have not undergone the fasting, but my husband did, therefore I was able to evaluate the promises of the clinic through his experience as I interviewed him during and after his fast was over. I’ve been eating the calories-restricted healthy diet during the week of my supportive stay at the clinic, and can only praise the delicious food. Eating five times a day, mostly vegetarian plates with an occasional local portion of fish, not drinking alcohol and renouncing caffeine felt balancing and refreshing, both for my body and mind. My low blood pressure, low pulse, and minor heart issues, would most likely discriminate me from undergoing the long fast, but I saw many quite healthy people, young or elderly present at the clinic seeking the preventative or spiritual benefits of the fast.
As our daily stimulation from food, alcohol, caffeine, cigarettes, strenuous work and technology is renounced we embark on “a journey towards your inner self”. Perhaps once it will become an option for me as well. I am particularly interested in the psychological impact of fasting, how my ability to think changes and how I could possibly improve my own mindfulness and concentration through this experience.

How medical fasting works

Upon an arrival you are set for a low-calorie diet based on fruits and/or rice. This “digestive rest day” prepares you for the fast during which solids are removed. The first morning of your fast a laxative in the form of Glauber’s salt will clean up quite vigorously your system (be prepared to spend a morning near your bathroom). This so called “drum roll” empties your intestines and decreases your sensation of hunger. Following this, every second day an enema (in many holistic approaches a common cleaning of your lower intestine) is administered by a nurse to support the cleaning process. An optional (extra charge) colonic irrigation, done by a specialist doctor in his office is the most effective inner cleaning since it reaches further into the cobra-shaped obliques of your intestines. Water streams gently into your bowels and the toxins are washed out. It is slightly uncomfortable, yet not painful.
The transitional period between the second and fourth day is the most challenging for your mind and body as they adjust to a different mode of functioning, eventually leading to cell renewal and overall regeneration of our organs and tissues. This is a profound change in your system and the repairing reaction has been scientifically proven to work. Not any more distracted by metabolizing the remaining food in your body, the therapeutic effect starts to arrive after a series of fasting days around the day nine. You live on your body’s fat reserves for a couple of days (endogenous nutrition). Muscle tissue is not reduced substantially, but proteins in the body do. Getting energy from your body’s fat and protein reserves exercise supports the muscles.
Your liver and other detox organs need support during a fast. A warm and damp compress every afternoon is administered by the nurse on your chest and belly in the area of the liver for about 45minutes to one hour to simulate its metabolic function. It’s an ideal time for a siesta in your bed. Since skin is the largest detox “organ”, so improving blood circulation through dry body brushing a massage, hot and cold showers as well sauna promote the cleaning process. At the clinic the the separate saunas for men and women are set on a lower than usual temperatures, and still have to be approved by your doctor as in some individual cases their use is not as beneficial as their strain on the body.
Naturally, the body’s healthy cells enter a protective mode as if they were shielded from harm like chrysalis before coming out as a vigorously flipping butterfly. The sick cells starve since they do not have enough sugar to feed on.
As your sense of smell increases using perfumes, deodorants and aromatic cosmetic products is not suggested. Other fasters may find the perfume unpleasant and adding chemical substances from creams into your system through skin diminishes the benefits of cleaning. Deodorants block the pores, and you want them to be releasing toxins out.
Psychological changes occur in this period of change and your mindfulness increases. Ability to focus and think clearly about abstract and broad topics improves as the fast proceeds. However, my husband felt that mathematical and detailed intense thinking was much more strenuous during the fast, therefore he reserved more time for these activities in order to manage them properly. People with depression are generally not advised to fast.
There are many rules that you sign up to follow at the clinic like not smoking, not using your mobile phone outside your room, and keeping calm environment during the times reserved for resting like early afternoon and late in the evening. These are set up to make the experience for you and everyone else around more pleasant and healthful.

Techniques to overcome cravings

The most important is your mindset. This can be easier for some highly organised and strong-willed individuals, but more difficult for emotionally-driven people. For my husband it was easy, because of his exceptional inner strength he acquired throughout his life. He simply decided that food is not interesting for him for a couple of days, and despite being a huge food lover himself (often the naughty stuff like steaks, fries, cheese and multi-course gastronomic meals), did not wish to eat my deliciously looking meals, that he volunteered to join me for. I am not sure, if I would be able to resist if I were in his place, so I would probably fall into the group that gathered in a separate room for their liquid “meals”. There, privileged with a terrace offering spectacular views towards the sea, it made them feel less deprived.
Your appetite changes during a fast. A higher sensitivity to taste and smell may make fried food less attractive, so even when you pass a beach stand with deep-fried sugary churros or catch a whiff of fried fish, you may found it unappealing like my husband did.
Drinking lots of fluids like water, herbal infusions and green tea fill you up. Green tea is the only caffeinated beverage allowed, since its effect is more balancing rather than acidifying and quickly stimulating the body. All, available either in your room as well as in a cupboard in the lounge area, are within an easy reach. Temptations are minimised.

Since renouncing food allows for more free time that can be allocated to other activities, you can read the pile of books you have been cluttering next to your bed for years, join a creative painting or pottery making session, socially interact with others as loneliness can lead to sadness (a psychologist is available for consultation), take long walks along the nearby beach, learn about and observe the flow of your body’s energy through qi-gong, guided meditation or yoga breathing (prananyama). There is a quiet meditation room in the building, where just the light of a candle, lush plants peaking behind the windows and a mandala painting hanging on the wall accompany you on a journey to the inner space of your self. The ‘Activity and Relaxation Programme’ is daily screened on the ground level to inspire you. Trips to nearby Andalusian white villages, ancient Ronda, Picasso’s Malaga, as well as shopping are organised to keep you entertained rather than just busy. All great distractions, but do not forget to benefit from the mind-clearing effects of the cleanse.
Gentle exercise is recommended to anyone. Just listen to your body, use the increased ability to be mindful and do only as much as you feel so it gives you more energy, not exhaustion. Gentle yoga class aids the detoxification process as well as walking that can feel almost meditative during a fast. The gym is excellent, a coach is available for personal training and pilates room for one-to-one core workouts that will improve your posture and lessen a backpain.
The spa has plenty of treatments to distract you: massages, scrubs, wraps, facials, there is even a hair salon, a mani-pedi room, physiotherapist, osteopath, TCM doctor, acupuncturist, and more esoteric ‘healers’ such as kinesiotherapist (pulling your arms supposedly ‘talks’ to the therapist about your emotional blockages and possible allergies).
Eat in your mind, but try not to be fixated on loosing weight since this increases the negative side effects of fasting and is psychologically taxing. Although you will be measured (waist) and weighed daily, do not focus on the numbers on the scale since your body water fluctuations will be like a swing up and down during the first couple of days as well as the first days after ending the fast.

Ending the fast

It is as important to end your fast properly. In a gradual pace introduce more solid food, otherwise you may harm yourself almost as much as eating solid foods during the fast (causing gastrointestinal problems like vomiting, pain, diarrhoea) and drinking alcohol that disrupts function of the liver. It requires discipline, but at the clinic you will be given more food every day for a couple of days prior to your departure. During this period of re-adaptation you can acquire beneficial habits for your lifestyle back home. Meat and alcohol are the latest additions to your diet after more than 10 days since ending the fast. At the clinic you will be provided with detailed guides and iPad videos that will almost daily accompany and answer any remaining questions. The nurses and doctors are also within a reach.
Fasting may look like the opposite of what we are frequently told by conventional medicine doctors, nutritionists and most Western health advisories, yet it is not an anti-pole. Healing through administering nutritious food is more sustainable in the long term, yet it does not offer immediate and as profound improvements in vital health functions. Well done fasting regime is in sync with providing the necessary nutrients for the individual, while letting the body to do more work where it is needed the most – healing from the inside through its own energy.

Martin Beratasegui: Basque bounty blessed with stars

More Michelin stars than for any Spanish chef still shine on the Basque native Martin Beratasegui. Unlike with the rest of his Iberian empire, he ultimately leads his eponymous restaurant near San Sebastian, blessing it with his genial presence. Beratasegui keeps his influence over the Spanish speaking gourmet world. From San Sebastian, through Barcelona, the Canary Islands, Mexico to Dominican Republic, his cuisine is glamorous and beautiful as these destinations are in themselves.

Despite being one of the modern flying chefs that manage to seed their ideas and techniques to bloom in the hands of other chefs, he remains faithful to the trunk of culinary creativity at his dearest restaurant near San Sebastian. With the other top local chefs Martin Beratasegui elevates the Atlantic seafood game – from oysters, red mullet and eel – to the land’s gifts such as swiss chard and foie gras. Bestowed with cooler climate than most of Spain, the Basque natural bounty and his love for the lush region are magnetic. As if wanting to blend with the local environment, the spacious modern dining room is refreshed with a verdant countryside vista through the large windows, making sure you do not miss its charm.
What is the fuel for his creativity? “My daughter”, he answered when I inquired, “she loves to eat”. It seems that honesty and being family oriented are the main motivators for his residency at his three-stared Martin Beratasegui restaurant.

Bordering France has had also a profound influence on the Spain’s Basque cultural and culinary make up. Next to the town’s architecture and serving plenty of foie gras, the rather aloof than warm attitude distinguishes the locals from most of the Iberian natives. The cooler Atlantic coast is a breezy heaven for delicious sea creatures as well as cows, sheep, and vegetables blissed by the moist and salty air. Anchovies, oysters, shrimps, red mullet, cod, hake, bonito tuna, wild mushrooms, and of course the fatty and rich francophone delicacy – foie gras.
Being it my friend’s birthday and our first time in San Sebastian, we went for the Grand Tasting menu. The fourteen courses were in print individually marked by the year in which the recipe appeared on the restaurant’s menu for the first time.

Starting in a simple fashion with a slice of slowly fermented organic bread, dipped in an extra virgin Spanish olive oil we moved to a more visually captivating mini ocean kingdom of small dishes. Like soldiers in front of their captain were lined up Sea crunch tempura with Txakoli wine mayonnaise and citrus gel and Kumquat, potato firewater, olive and anchovy, both from the 2014 ‘vintage’ of the chef’s cellar of recipes. Many chefs use the locally indigenous crisp Txakoli wine in cooking, yet Martin Beratasegui’s more evolved approach balancing the contrasting flavours puzzled and caught us on the rod like the seafood earlier that morning.
Digging deeper into his album, the chef plated a 1995 Mille-feuille of smoked eel, foie-gras, spring onions and green apple. Here our lips met the unctuous, rich goose liver pate. It was served as two perfectly balancing pintxos (tapas), that we were supposed to eat in one bite. But, as proper ladies, elegantly dressed and conservative, we did not gulp on these works of art, and rather carefully crushed with our knives the perfect, delicate and zingy caramelized apple crisp morsels, sliding through the creamy foie-gras into a meatier layer of eel, destroying the perfect cake-shaped form. After our ruinous intervention it did not look as polished as intended, but it was still delicious!
One of my favourite courses was the Red Shrimp Royale and dill with ‘Venta del Barón oil’ from the last year’s chef’s menu inventions. The foamy top was not lacking on taste, freshly scented with the luxurious DOP Priego de Córdoba olive oil, that was professionally recognised as one of the best in the world. Diving my spoon deep into the ceramic, urchin shaped shell, the sleek and moist shrimp were brought to my lips shivering with anticipation. Dill and shrimps, oh yes, working marvellously together!

I am not usually a huge oyster fan, but do not call my palate unsophisticated, since we were all formed by experience leading to certain food preferences, and there is an oyster farm in Monaco that I approve of. Texture can be more disturbing than flavour at times, like it often happens with oysters for those who do not like them. I do not find pleasant gulping its contents, yet if you add a nice sauce or cook them, I can slurp this transformation with pleasure. The next gourmet shell of Lightly marinated warm oyster with iced cucumber slush and K5, and spicy apple was not just palatable, but very enjoyable. The savoury sorbet of cucumber, a thick, curry-hued sauce and a dollop of spicy apple cream entertained my mouth with so many different textures that I was distracted form the usually unpleasant oyster. This should stay on the menu to challenge us, the anti-oyster campaigners.

A beautifully organically shaped white bowl nested Monkfish liver marinated in sea chlorophyll with anchovies and seaweed salad. A hide and seek on the plate, under the fluffy capes of foam, in the crisp green chlorophyll juice were swimming morsels of the mildly tasting fish liver and unsalted anchovies, all under herbs, that like water lilies covered the surface. On a similar aesthetic note and in the hight of their seasonal availability were the Crispy golden Swiss chard stems with scallops in their own aniseed-flavoured sea juice. The chef also dusted off, on my request, a 1995 plate of Seasonal vegetables, which depending on the time of the year can be exciting or more subdued, dancing to the seasonal whims of nature’s bounty.

Almost in the middle of the degustation the flavors moved into a richer sphere: “The Truffle” with fermented wild mushrooms and collard greens with ‘Alma de Jerez’ oil. There was not a truffle in the dish, but the fermented local wild mushrooms added weight as did the rich butter sauce. The chef develops each plate to be quite light and consumed within two to five mouthfuls. Next came the colourful Vegetable hearts salad with seafood, cream of lettuce and iodised juice, also from the archives, 2001. Larger than anything before, the leafs and flowers were airy light.
Followed a contemplation over the seasonal sea produce: Red mullet with its scale crystals in red wine, celeriac veloute and ale beer and yet another fish plate of Roasted hake fillet with truffled spinach, mellow spider-crab and sparkling K5 , both floating with a sublime, harmonious complexity showing the fish in its best form.

Desserts are of the three star league. The Saffron veil with melt-in-your-mouth macaroons and tea flower ice cream teases your appetite with its fragrant sweet allure. The ‘give me another scoop, please!’ gelato was recalled by my taste memory so vividly still the week after. One more teaser at the end in the from of delicately melting Smoked sponge with cocoa crunch, frozen whisky cream, crushed ice, green beens and mint reminded me of the New York based female chef Amanda Cohen, famous for her vegetable dessert creations. Chocolate and beans… Why not?!

Drinking Affordable Spanish wines and a surprise …

We ordered Spanish wine with all these indulgent local creations. As an aperitif, with the oysters and any fresh seafood, the salty mineral and crisp Txacoli wine made from the namesake local indigenous varietal was a perfect light match. Txacoli is rarely exported since it is produced in small quantities consumed almost entirely locally. While visiting the Basque country, this is a must try. Moving to a white Godello, also indigenous varietal to Spain, which is fruitier, more fuller-bodied, in particular when aged in oak barrels like the Mauro Godello grown in the nearby Castilla y Leon province. My last vinous sips were from a glass of red La Lama Ribeira Sacra DO refreshing and juicy Mencia, another Spanish indigenous grape similar in body to a fruitier Pinot Noir. The affordable wine list does not disappoint. Unlike in France the wines on average are cheaper than the meal at the gastronomic restaurant.
Welcoming is the extensive tea and tisanes offer. For a true tea connoisseur like me, this was a moment of genuine respect for the restaurant. Fruity blends like ‘Funny Bunny’ may appeal to kids, Rooibos based ‘Aloha’ is good for non-caffeinated digestion, while the Japanese gyokuro, Chinese white Pai Mu Tan or a premium Indian Darjeeling satisfy serious tea connoisseurs. I will be back.
🕗 Wed-Sat: Lunch 1pm-2:45pm; Dinner: 8:30pm-10:15pm
Sunday: Lunch 1pm-2:45pm; Closed on Mon & Tue

✉ Loidi Kalea, 4 – 20160 Lasarte-Oria (Gipuzkoa), Spain

☏ +34 0 943 366 471

Mesón Cinco Jotas: modern tapas in the centre of Madrid

Mesón Cinco Jotas is a success story of a chain of restaurants doing a great job! With branches in Madrid, Barcelona, Seville and even in the Portuguese capital Lisbon it can easily lose track of quality, but this is not the case of the Mesón Cinco Jotas in Madrid as the restaurant/tapas bar is serving excellent and innovative tapas in a modern environment in the middle of the historic part of town.
Atmosphere: Modern, fresh and casual. Sitting between a heard of colourful bulls on one side and real life-size hanging hams on the other you know that you are not dining at a vegetarian restaurant. Meat is omnipresent in most of Spanish tapas places and Mesón Cinco Jotas is not an exemption. Central location attracts many tourists, but locals blend in quite high proportion so I cannot classify it as a tourist hangout. Its casual interior suggests that dress code is not a topic to be worried about, therefore wear anything you find yourself in while browsing the labyrinth of the old town.

Food: An innovative take on typical Spanish tapas. The plates are rarely simple, with the exemption of fried green peppers with crumbly smoked salt, which are a staple vegetable tapa in Spain. They make them superb here – not too oily, large in size, with more depth thanks to use of the smoked salt instead of the usual white salt. Tortilla (a thick egg omelette) with fresh bread is served before your order comes and it is hard not to eat it all as both are very good.

Of course you can also have a slice of Jamon Ibérico, the hard and intense Manchego cheese and other Spanish meats and cheeses, but it is the careful experimentation with traditional dishes that they do so well here, so you must try at least one of their ‘old made new’ plates as well.
Salmonejo is an Andalusian style of cold soup made from tomatoes, bread, vinegar, garlic and oil. It is different from gazpacho since it is more thick and creamy, because of the bread. Dried Spanish Serrano ham and diced hard-boiled eggs are added as a garnish. They must have used high quality tomatoes in this soup as it tasted so smooth and elegant that if too ripe or unripe tomatoes were blended in you would recognise it on the palate. It is very filling as well, therefore ordering a lighter second and third course is a smart choice.

I went through a different way though – the stones-in-your-belly feeling after your lunch requiring a long siesta dining style. I could not resist trying Morcilla, the Spanish take on a slightly spicy blood sausage. A great risk paid off. The Morcilla served on a red pepper puree, full moon-shaped potatoes and topped with a green olive cream dollop was superb! One of the best I have ever had. The ingredients freshened it up and calmed the racy flavours of the blood sausage so each bite fashioned almost a yin-yang taste of harmony.
My friend got Grilled squids and she was also impressed by her choice. Gently grilled, not burned or undercooked, sharing a plate with a vegetable ratatouille and the squids’ own black ink sauce, the dish looked not only gastronomically seductive, but it also tasted very good as my friend confirmed.

Cuisine: Contemporary Spanish tapas.
Visit: November 2012
Price: Medium (for the quality and quite generous portions this a very good deal in central Madrid).
Drinks: Wines by the glass or “una copa de sangria” (a glass of sangria) are an option for light drinkers. I had a glass of red wine that I did not like much so I ordered a glass of sangria that was lighter in alcohol than I am used to and therefore ideal for lunch. They have Spanish wine list that is not super extensive but covers many regions of Spain with at least one example.
Address:
Plaza de Santa Ana, 1; Madrid 28012, Spain
Contact: Tel: +(39) 915 22 63 64

El Rocio: serving the biggest mussels in Madrid

Casual, buzzing, local. El Rocio is a local secret, although it might attract some tourists that got a great tip from their Spanish friends to eat there. Overall though it is very local and unpretentious. Its location in the central barrio Salamanca in Madrid is convenient as you can pop in between browsing the Madrid’s sights or just before or after going to a cinema. The staff os super friendly, effective and speaks some English so no worries about getting something else then you ordered.

Food: Casual, honest and excellent quality of the ingredients. Many lucky seafood eaters who know, come to El Rocio regularly and order just the mussels (in Spanish: mejillones). Once you see them, you will understand why. Yet, it is not only their size that impresses many of the constantly returning seafood lovers, these mussels also taste wonderfully! Juicy, sumptuous, delicate with a mineral salty touch from the sea … a glass of a refreshingly aromatic white Albariño (wine from Norther Spain) … a group of nice friends – equals a heavenly time out perhaps not just for me. Usually they are served in a spicy broth, but you can ask for a non-spicy version as well if you are not a fan of too hot food.

After eating a pot or two of such marvellous mussels, you might feel like switching to something simple and different. A plate of fried Spanish green peppers with flakes of crunchy salt goes well not only with a pint of beer, so popular in Spain, but almost any white wine such as the Albariño. The later does a great job balancing the oily texture of the fried veggies.

Other tapas such as fried onions, squids and other seafood are optional, but make sure you do not miss out trying possibly the biggest mussels ever in this casual setting right in the centre of Madrid. It is an ideal spot to get a quick bite before going to the cinema, night club or at any time you feel like having a plate of honest seafood.

Cuisine: Spanish seafood
Visit: November 2012
Price: Medium to low (great value for money for the quality you get).
Drinks: From sangria, beer to great value for price/quality wine you can drink anything that will not ruin your wallet while enjoying the taste. The drinks mostly suite well to the tapas style seafood served at El Rocio.
Address: Pasaje Matheu 2, 28012 Madrid, Spain
Contact: Tel: +(33) 91 523 31 93

Botín in Madrid: traditional fare at the oldest restaurant in the world*

Restaurante Sobrino de Botín (for a long time it was a tavern since restaurants were rather fancy Parisian style establishments in the period Botín was opened in the 1725) has a long history spanning almost over three centuries. Today it is known under the name Sobrino de Botín meaning “Botín’s nephew” and it was coined by its second proprietor – a nephew of the Botíns Candido Remis, who took over the restaurant after they died without any direct descendants. This happened after the once ‘to-become-famous’ painter Goya was employed at Botín as a dishwasher to make money for his studies at the Madrid’s Academy of Arts. Goya was not the only famous personality connected to Botín as plenty of Spanish and non-Spanish writers including Ernest Hemingway frequented the restaurant. Its fame might have saved it from closure over the centuries as it happened to many other great yet not historically interesting restaurants.

Atmosphere: Traditional, welcoming and although the restaurant is very touristy it feels more like a huge grandmother’s house with all the old decorations and tableware surrounding you. The food comes surprisingly quickly after your order and all the staff we encountered was helpful and pleasant. If you don’t master Spanish language though turn to one of the English-speaking waiters. Dress casually as this is a very local place (although full of curious tourists).

Food: Authentic (unpretentious), generous and diverse. You can eat light getting the Salad Botín (Enslada Botin), although it was not very interesting just a mix of meats, average veggies and olives or a much better Segovia style big mushrooms (Setas a la segoviana) sautéed with olive oil and Spanish ham. Many visitors though come here for a feast as the whole Roasted Suckling Pig (COCHINILLO ASADO) is the restaurant’s speciality. For this dish you need at least another diner to help you with it as it is too big for just one person (unless you have not eaten for days). Roasted Baby Lamb (CORDERO ASADO) is another meaty signature dish at Botín. Both are slowly roasted in the old wood-fired oven.

From the starters I tried also the Roast Red Peppers with Codfish (Pimientos asados con bacalao); which were a bit too oily on their own to my taste, but otherwise quite nice. Soaking a sliver of freshly baked bread in the olive oil with peppers was a perfect solution making this dish more palatable. The menu also offers one of my favorite Spanish starters often served in a tapas size – Black Sausage from Burgos (Morcilla de Burgos), but you must like black pudding (cooked pig’s blood) to really enjoy this dish as some people roll their eyes just hearing what is inside.

Botín offers also non-meat mains. I can recommend both the Grilled Prawns (Langostinos a la plancha) and Baby Squids in their own Ink (Chipirones en su tinta) served with rice. The seafood is well cooked and of a good quality. The Baby squids have a plenty of ink so your plate will be black like coal, white rice balances the intense taste of this dish, that is often served as a risotto in many Mediterranean countries.
You are in the Spanish capital so the menu cannot go without egg dishes, so popular not just in a tortilla with potatoes or scrambled eggs for a breakfast, but also in a Tortilla de gambas (Omelette with Shrimps) and local take on scrambled eggs for lunch or dinner as at Botín. Vegetarians in particular will appreciate one of these egg dishes.

The Spanish love desserts and the choice at Botín is wide. I went for the traditional Homemade Crème Caramel – Flan de huevo con nata, which was very intense eggy custard with a warm caramel topping. It was so sweet that I was thrilled by the scoop of delicate whipped cream served on the side bringing down the sugary nature of the flan. A glass of juicy red wine or a cup of strong coffee is another great helper balancing the extremes of the sweetness from the dessert with refreshing acidity from the wine or coffee.
My friend took the Hot Apple Tartlet – Tatleta Templada de Manzana. She was impressed by its crisp dough with juicy apples on the top. It is one of her favorite types of desserts thus she is the most credible critic judging it from her frequent encounter with the apple tart.

Cuisine: Traditional Spanish Castilian cuisine.
Visit: November 2012
Price: High for Madrid (although portions are generous), medium in the Western countries measures.
Drinks: It could not be a traditional Spanish eatery if they have not been serving Sangría. At Botín they serve it in a hand-painted pitcher (you can get also a 1/2 Pitcher) and it is not too strong, rather fruity. I went for a glass of House White (Verdejo) and later Red (Tempranillo) wine that was very good. Rosé by the glass is also available.
The wine list specializes in Spanish wines from diverse regions such as Ribera del Duero (from more affordable wines such as from Arzuaga and Bodegas Protos to the highly priced Vega Sicilia Unico Gran Reserva), popular and enjoyable wines from Rioja, fashionable D.O.C. Priorat (Alvaro Palacios Vendimia), but also local and very reasonably priced wines from Castilla La Mancha.
Opening hours: Mon-Sun: Lunch: 1pm–4pm; Dinner:8pm–12am
Address: Calle de los Cuchilleros, 17 (near to Plaza Mayor); 28005 Madrid, Spain
Contact: Tel: +(34)913 66 42 17; +(34) 913663026 or book online.
* Sobrino de Botín was recognized by the Guinness Book of Records (the 1987 edition) as the oldest continually operating restaurant in the world. It was established in 1725.

El Umbráculo at Bodegas Real: dining in La Mancha style at a winery restaurant

The head chef, Laura Pintado with her kitchen buddy Lucas Méndez together create innovative dishes from local produce, yet they do not compromise the taste preparing delicious meals that will not leave you overwhelmed as in many of the laboratory kitchens so trendy in Spain and elsewhere. The food at El Umbráculo is true to its origins, while at the same time a fusion with other foreign cuisines (Thai, Italian as well as Argentinian) further enhances the genuine flavor of the main ingredient be it meet, mushroom or vegetable.

Atmosphere: Casual, artistic and local. The restaurant has an intriguing interior design. Under a granary style high roof embroidered by wooden beams the space feels open and welcoming. For those of you craving more privacy, dining in the cellar-like vaulted area (in the picture on the left) or above in the second level is less exposed to the sights of others and both have a certain intimate qualities. The restaurant is located at the Bodegas Real winery, therefore you can be as casual as you want, after all wineries are types of farms. On the other hand, the winery hosts weddings in the modern premises next to the restaurant, so you might feel a bit underdressed especially during the weekends that most of the weddings are being held, so check with the winery while making your reservation at the restaurant just for your own comfort.

Food: Seasonal, discovering new flavors and textures of local produce. The winery makes its own olive oil from the olives grown on (at) the property, it is delicate and supple – an ideal companion to the freshly baked bread served at the restaurant.
Starting with Marinated herring with mixed salad, mango and sweet potatoes in a yoghurt sauce (Arenques marinados sobre rucola y hoja de roble, mango y boniato con salsa de yogurt). I knew that I will not be eating something I have already head. This new marriage of savory herring with sweet mango and potatoes as contrasting it may sound, makes a perfect sense. Usually herrings are served with apples and potatoes, but adding a bit sweater character with mango and sweet potato instead brings spotlight to the herring. The sweet and sour flavors pair well with a white dry wine such as Macabeo or Chardonnay from Bodegas Real.

We were also treated to the off-the menu appetizer of Seared seasonal mushrooms with an almond-crusted egg yolk and mixed grill vegetables (Setas de temporadas con yema de huevo en costra de almendras) as the chef has probably got them fresh into the kitchen. The mushrooms were absolutely mind-blowing! Not only they were fresh and boosting with forest flavors, but the magnificent play with grilled vegetables mixed with the mushrooms and egg yolk fried in a crust of almonds was nothing far from perfection. A sip or two of a Bodegas Real Chardonnay sealed the perfect marriage of the estate wine with the food served at the restaurant.

You can choose either a meat dish or fish as a main course. We went for the Roasted turbot with a ragout of vegetables and mild curry sauce (Bacalao con curry suave). The flakes of turbot scented with the curry sauce, again highlighting the quality of the fish (the main ingredient), softly melted in my mouth. Crunching on the crispy veggies in between, my palate was reminded of the diverse textures in this meal. Slices of potatoes balanced the overall intensity of the fish with the sauce rounding up the degustatory experience.
The meat aficionados can choose from the local meat specialities such as Slow roasted suckling pig with garlic shoots and romesco sauce or Venison loin with a wild seasonal mushroom sauce and new potatoes with thyme. Both will surely pair very well with the juicy and slightly tannic Bodegas Real Tempranillo or intriguing Finca Marisanches red blend of Tempranillo, Syrah and Merlot.

Leave some space for desserts as a new addition to the menu – the Cream of Tiramisu on sponge biscuit with arábiga coulis (Crema de Tiramisú sobre bizcocho soletilla y coulis de arábiga) is irresistible. Tiramisu is not my favorite sweet treat, but the cream of Tiramisu the chef whipped to a smooth, tongue enveloping texture, was excellent. It inspired me to get a cup of coffee with it. On the other hand, the sponge biscuit under the cream together with a fruity purèe on the bottom, called for a glass of red wine. Something smooth such as the Finca Marisanches red blend that I had paired wonderfully with this sumptuous dessert.

Cuisine: Modern take on traditional Castillan-Manchego Spanish cuisine, “new gastronomy from La Mancha”.
Visit: November 2012
Price: Medium (appetizers around €10 and generous main courses €20).
Drinks: The food is made for the wines made at Bodegas Real. The chef Laura Pintado sums it up: “When we elaborate our new menus, it is an element we constantly take in count in order to create a proper marriage. A good choice of wine will enhance the virtues of the food we serve and vice versa. Luckily, we have many things to choose from,”. They achieve a great harmony between the dishes and the wines, so get advised by the restaurant staff on which one of the Bodegas’ wines goes best with each of your courses and you will not be disappointed as I was not.
Address: Finca Marisanchez, restaurant El Umbráculo, Ctra. Valdepeñas a Cozar km 12.800, 13300 Valdepeñas, Spain.
Contact: +(34) 629 939 703; email: comunicacion@bodegas-real.com

Bodegas Real: making wine with a modern twist in Quixote's land

Both, the traditional and the modern building of Bodegas Real stem majestically from the vast plains of Spain’s Castilla – La Mancha region. La Mancha may be familiar to most of you from the classic Miguel de Cervantes’ novel about the chivalry of The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha. The spiring knight’s unrealistic fight against the wind mills surely pops out of your scholarly memory. The winery owners do not try to fight the absurd in the region, although if one considers the baking-hot temperatures during the summer, growing vines here is not an easy conquest of the natural beast.

Confronting the climatic challenges in central Spain

During the short drive from the town of Valdepeñas (Ciudad Royal), while observing the extensive flat land I pondered the arid climate of this thirsty stretch South of Madrid. Since La Mancha is one of the hottest regions in Europe, irrigation has been allowed there starting with the 2003 vintage even for the wines fashioning the DO mark, which is generally forbidden. Thus growing vines in such a dry area is possible. The flip side of the strong summer rays is that ripening the grapes fully is not an issue. The harvest often happens as early as in mid-August (Spain’s famous Rioja and Ribera del Duero harvest in October). In contrast to the desert-like summer climate (continental extreme), the winters are very cold, allowing the vines a long rest before the upcoming harvest season. Another saviour comes with the high altitude helping to cool down the vineyards during the summer nights.

La Mancha: from bulk to quality wines

The winery falls into the Valdepeñas apellation (D.O. = Denominación de Origen) in La Mancha. The region historically juiced out an exorbitant amount of bulk wine. The most popular was the pale, but very strong red wine made from Airén (white grape) and some red grapes. Today, there are still many cheap wines produced in such unsustainable fashion, but modernisation of some of the wineries and desire of wise local winemaking families to produce high quality wines has led in the past two decades to an upward revolution in La Mancha. Bodegas Real (translated as the “Royal Wineries”) is leading the insurgency with its modern winery that was built on the fields of the historic Finca Marisanchez, one of the farmhouses standing along the Royal Road that once connected the Spain’s East Coast with Andalusia. The winery’s best wines bear the name Finca Marisanchez and are produced as reservas with limited release.
The main goal of the winemaker at Bodegas Real is to achieve consistency. He strives for great wines each vintage, rather than relying on annual weather fluctuations, he blends the wines to create distinctive products of Bodegas Real. With the necessity of the irrigation he cannot let the nature do its magic here.

Wines of Bodegas Real:

Boal Macabeo 2011: Mineral stony nose with exotic nuances of pineapple and a warming touch of hay tease the nose, while awakening ones curiosity about how this wine could possibly taste. The wine does not disappoint on the palate fashioning a plethora of aromatic tones. From warm spices it morphs into a pinch of salt that intensifies in a long finish with salty and almost palate-drying flare. It is a lovely aperitif, but also this Macabeo can work marvels with seafood due to its salty mineral essence.
Finca Marisanchez Chardonnay 2011: The Chardonnay was my personal favourite, but I also learned that ladies in particular fancy this exotic and mellow Eastern beauty the most. This wine takes you on a journey through the Eastern parts of Asia from Japan (nashi pear), Thailand (with sweet pineapple) to Taiwan (stealing some bananas from the wild monkeys). The fruit journey is completed with a rewarding acidity that freshens-up the palate.
Vega Ibor Tempranillo 2009: This is a Crianza style of wine meaning that the wine spends about six months in oak and is released a minimum two years after the harvest. In this region the Tempranillo is called Cencibel. The nose boasts with wild strawberry and cherry aromas, while on the palate one learns that the youthful tannins overwhelming your mouth (which was vividly demonstrated by the facial expressions of most drinkers turning sour) give this wine the “surprise-me” potential in the years to come. The sweet character of these tannins will make this wine more approachable quite soon. Hidden behind the veil of tannins are red fruits in a blend of strawberry, raspberry and dark, sumptuous touch of ripe cherry. Long, yet slightly bitter aftertaste reminded me of how important it is to be patient with some red wines.
Finca Marisanchez 2006 Reserva (matured at least for three years of which at least one year in barriques, one in bottle) is a blend of 80% Tempranillo, 10% Merlot and 10% Syrah. For Bodegas Royal this is a limited production wine (about 18.200 bottles is for a Spanish winery is quite a small amount). It is a much more complex wine than the Crianza. In this Reserva spices (pepper, eucalyptus) mingle with dark fruits (plum, black currant, blackberry) in the full-bodied wine, that keeps lots of its freshness and fruit so it is not too heavy.
These were the wines I have tried, the rest as well as the smooth extra virgin olive oil made from the olives grown at the estate you can taste at the bodega during your visit.

The winery has excellent contemporary premises for events such as weddings, anniversaries, conferences, all set in the midst of sprawling vineyards. There is also a great restaurant serving dishes complementing perfectly the wines from Bodegas Real.
Finca Marisanchez, Ctra. Valdepeñas a Cozar km 12.800, 13300 Valdepeñas, Spain
+34 629 939 703; email: comunicacion@bodegas-real.com

Touring Modern Tapas Bars in Seville

An innovative gastronomic indulgence in Spain is renown around the world. The Best Restaurant in the World award was snapped by a few Spaniards – El Celler de Can Roca and the late El Bulli, who push/ed Spanish cooking beyond its traditional boundaries. The local fearless master chefs use innovative techniques of food preparation. In the South, blending African and Southern European ingredients as well as cooking approaches sets the region apart as a food heaven of its own merit. In Seville, some tapas bars are laboratories of flavors serving original small plates with the flame of sun.

La Bulla

the feminine version of El Bulli, at least by its name, makes excellent food. Everything we ate there was unique, delicious and fun. Its name reflects its location just next to the Seville’s legendary bullfighting ring. It is convenient to get a tapa there before or after seeing a bullfight or an intense flamenco performance at a nearby theater.

Its decor is contemporary, in what steel meets glass of style. It is very comfortable and fun watching the entire kitchen in action. The friendly staff answered all of our annoying questions without a hesitation, you will practically get a full recipe.

The wine by the glass choosing can turn out into a wine tasting session. The tapas bar has even a small corner dedicated to the wines by the glass. After trying them all I went for a glass of white Albariño (by Palacio Bornos, Rueda) and later red juicy Tempranillo from Ribera del Duero (by Mayorazgo).

The quality of ingredients is the key to success of any restaurant and et La Bulla the choice exemplary. A plate of manchego cheese would not surprise most of frequent consumers of Spanish food. Yet, a plate of excellent Manchego would be memorable. At La Bulla they serve this aged sheep cheese with a homemade spicy membrillo fruit chutney and a crumble of nuts, ham and onions. Palate-blowing! A glass of sherry the waiter suggested washed it down nutty well.

A melting Goat Cheese Salad with a glazed honey cover was treated to an eclectic dressage. Sun-dried tomatoes, corn, red and green peppers, a blend of lettuces and La Bulla’s bread crumble bathed generously in olive oil. Again a nutty sherry or any aromatic white wine such as the Albarino from the Rueda region that I had snug well.

Next, our tapa of long-tailed Fried Shrimps on crisp potato fries, shaved so thinly more like string chips, dipped into the red pepper mayonnaise was the ultimate oomph!
To finish we got a Risotto with mushrooms and truffle oil. Our highly spoiled palates were satisfied to that level that, I waxed even the last grain of rice off the plate. A platano (less sweet type of banana) chip twisting graciously like a crown on the rice hill.
Address: 26 Calle 2 de Mayo, Sevilla
Contact: +34 953 219 262

Al Aljibe

offers a creative cuisine in a youthful setting. On the Alameda de Hercules Square most young Sevillans hang out every evening. Al Aljibe is a restaurant upstairs inside as well as on a lovely terrace outside with one of the most romantic atmospheres in Seville. Tucked up and away from the noisy Cathedral and Alfalfa districts, it is an ideal place for a relaxing dinner. Visiting it on Sunday night was ideal for us.

The food tastes great, but it is not really local or typical Spanish. The service can be rather relaxed. The Foie Gras was delicate, melting in your mouth like a slice of butter, with a pear puree and fruit jelly. The fruit cake it was served with was homemade, but quite disappointing, The bread served before the meal was very good, so one can have it with the foie gras.

A delightful contemporary take on a Turbot bedded on aubergine with walnuts and Moroccan argan oil, blood oranges and pistachio oil was really enjoyable. With a glass of round Tempranillo from Ribera del Duero (by Carabato) the quite opposite flavors harmonised each other perfectly.

Since the service was so slow and we were ripe to go to bed we skipped the desserts. Judging from the tables around us, they looked seductively. Come eat here when you have all evening at your disposal as the relaxed music and slow service might move you soon into the realm of dreams.
Address: 76, Alameda de Hercules, Sevilla 41002
Contact: +34 954 900 591

Touring Tapas Bars in Seville: Young and Cool

Not only on weekends one may seek a cool, energizing restaurants and bars, as in Seville you will be hooked on the vibrations of the city and its people daily. Here are my selections of young and cool tapas bars in Seville that will surely refresh you.

Robles Laredo

Located on the Plaza de San Francisco with a terrace overlooking the square and peaking towards the spires of the Seville Cathedral, Robles Laredo is a perfect hangout on a sunny day. Its eclectic interior, where traditional color-painted tiles blend with crystal chandeliers and contemporary restaurant technology, also invites inside on a cool evening. Open well past midnight to let your fantasy roam wild on food and drink.

And so it did once my travel companion arrived late from London, I had to take her there, never mind it was almost midnight. The late food crawl was worth it. We ordered most of the tapas already on display and asked a friendly waitress for recommendations. Starting with a refreshing Tomato tartar with tuna and Shrimp salad, both marvelous, continuing with a warm Breaded pepper covered by a veil of spicy sauce, we still had not enough. Too good to stop now.
The best was about to come. The Fried goat cheese á la spring roll served with pistachios and sweet sauce was extraordinary.

The wine by the glass selection is above average for Seville. An enomatic dispenser next to the bar (keeps open bottles unspoiled longer), I could choose from a sextet of Spanish bottles. I had two different Ribera del Duero and a Rioja. If I hadn’t had wine at the tapas bar before we got to Robles, the sherries would own me!
We could not resist to order some sweets. The sweet tooth of my friend had woken up at 1 am, so she ordered two lovely looking mousses with fruits. Their seductive façades had substance too, delicious.

Address: 90 Sierpes Street, Seville

Contact: +34 954 29 32 32

Álvaro Peregil

Known for serving orange wine, not the “natural skin contact” kind, but made from Seville’s famous oranges. Interesting to try, yet too sugary for me so I got a fix of sparkling cava. Fresh shrimps recommended by the waiter were delicious. Served as a ración (a middle-size portion is quite big in Spain) and not a tapa, we were a little bit ‘over-shrimped’.

The atmosphere and the jolly local people make this place unforgettable. We were taken from our serious business of menu decision-making by the locals singing, clapping and dancing at the bar and outside. What an energy on a Sunday afternoon! Coming, I assume, straight from the church, half of the bar’s customers danced passionately in the tiny bar. I was envious of them that they can so spontaneously enjoy the lovely Sunday afternoon.

Alvaros Peregil inside

Moving to something warm we got a tapa of grilled squid with tomatoes and lots of oil. We also savored the bar’s own Patatas Bravas covered with concentrated tomato sauce and mayonnaise, these were one of the best ever!

Address: 20 Calle Mateos Gago, Seville

Casa Tomate

Sangria and tapas scream into your eyes as you enter Casa Tomate. Jugs of refreshing sangria from red wine and fruits line up at the bar and cold tapas to choose from right away without even looking into the menu.

Since the name suggests tomatoes, I had to try their tomato gazpacho. It was delicious and creamier (more bread inside) than I would expect for a refreshing glass of this chilled soup so famous in Andalucia.

We continued with a plate of manchego cheese, so I had to get a glass of Manzanilla, the driest sherry from Sanlúcar de Barrameda. What a perfect pairing! The nutty dry sherry was like a condiment to the intense sheep cheese .

Address: Calle Mateos Gago 24, Seville
Contact: +34 954 220 421

Other tapas bars like this:

Bar Alfalfa
A small and crowded bar where everything happens outside. You can order through the window if it gets too crowded inside and enjoy the tapas and drinks alfresco.
Address: Cnr Calles Alfalfa & Candilejo, Sevilla
Contact: +34 954 22 23 44

Baco Cuna 2

This four-story mansion designed once by Ánibal Gonzalez (creator of the town’s emblematic Plaza de Espana and other buildings in Seville) became today the blend of old and new. Beautiful traditional architecture fitted with design furniture. The tapas bar is located in various rooms downstairs and you can even just buy a piece of cheese, meat and some olives at the small grocer’s corner right by the entrance. In warm late afternoons and evenings enjoy the rooftop terrace for drinks.

Address: 2 Calle Cuna, Sevilla
Contact: +34 954 211 107 /+ 34 666 469 561

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