http://www.foodsfromspain.com/icex/cda/controller/pageSGT/0,12779,35868_6863650_6865450_0,00.html

I am a subscriber to Spain Gourmetour – a free publication from ICEX (Spanish Institude for foreign trade). To get this magazine, write to your local Spoanish Embassy (foreign trade dept).

In this month’s magazine, they announced a new website with info on products, recipe etc. It is really good. Try it!

E

Location: Calle del Coso 80, Zaragoza 50001, Spain

Telephone number: Spain  976 46 82 00

Fax: Spain 976 46 82 11

Website: www.hoteles-silken.com/hotel-reino-de-aragon-zaragoza

Cost per head: From €19

Wine list: Good selection of well-priced Spanish wines.

Date of visit: 1 July 2011

Summary:

We visited this restaurant in this 4 star hotel on a few occasions in the past and on passing on this day we noticed that the evening menu sounded very promising so we decided to give it a whirl! Like on previous occasions, the restaurant was very quiet but this did not put us off!  The menu is shorter compared to that on previous occasions and it now has two starters followed by a choice of either fish or meat followed by a choice from two desserts, bread, water and wine (white, rosado or red) and it costs a very reasonable 19 Euros per person. We decided to share one each of the main dishes and one each of the desserts so as to try different things.

Having ordered, our knowledgeable and friendly waitress (Ana), came with the water and the red wine which was a young red wine from the Somontano area of Aragon; it was the Bodegas Vinas del Vero red made with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes from the 2010 vintage and it turned out to be a very fruity and well-balanced wine with a long finish and soft tannins and it went well with the starters and both the fish and the meat dishes. At the same time, Ana brought us 3 different types of bread rolls and two different cold-pressed, extra virgin olive oils to taste. Both oils were from the Redonda estate in Valle del Jalon in the Aragon province and both were from the Arbequina olives; both were very rich and tasty with the first (La Redonda) made from olives from the estate not being as spicy as the second (Ajus de la Finca) which was from a small parcel of trees on the estate. This was like comparing single vineyard wines with regional ones and the difference was enormous.

The two starters of Endivias y cogollos a la parilla al aceite de miel, bacon y avellanas and Sopa fria de guisantes y virutas d eparmesano were both very Nasty and of excellent quality (and this comes from someone who never has soups if he can help it)! The main dishes of  Lomo de merluza en jugo de marisco al anis (we checked that the sauce did not have bivalve shellfish in it because of my severe allergy to mussels etc) and Musclo de pato a la naranja y cebolletas agridulces were excellent, well cooked and in generous portions. The first dessert, Sandia tostada al caramello de cointrau, was good but not very intense due to the very high water content of the watermelon but the second one, Crema de chocolate blanco y frutos rojos was excellent and the combination of red fruits and chocolate was very tasty.

All in all, a very good experience worth repeating since the menu changes daily.  At lunchtimes it may be necessary to reserve a table since the restaurant is busy with business people but there is normally no need to reserve in the evenings. The restaurant does of course also offer an a la carte menu and a very good and sensibly priced wine list covering all the main wine-producing regions of Spain but it is strong in Rioja and Aragon wines. The fixed price menus are nevertheless excellent value for money and well-worth trying.

SECOND VISIT, 10 July

Having spent the weekend near the coast in Salou, we drove back to Zaragoza in the afternoon of Sunday. Many restaurants in Zaragoza are closed on Sunday and/or Monday nights but this hotel restaurant has changed its policy and is now open all week for lunch and dinner so we headed there to check the day´s menu. As it seemed promising we decided to go for a short walk and to return at 8:30 when it opened for dinner rather than go back to the apartment and come back later.  Ana remembered us from the last visit and we had a good chat then decided to order half a bottle of a rosado wine to have before the meal. We looked at the list and we chose the one from Bodegas Chivite in Navarra; this is made by my friend Fernando Chivite who has been running this family winery for many years. The wine was the Gran Feudo Rosado 2010 and as usual it was very refreshing, powerful, very fruity and with a long finish; a very good refreshment after the long drive back from the coast and at only 6 Euros!

Again we had the 19 Euro menu and we chose the red wine again as last time and again it was very good. This time the starters were a White bread, almond and garlic cold soup with olive oil and raisins and a Salad of smoked salmon and spider crab and both were excellent. The main dishes were a Fish casserole in a seafood sauce (it contained salmon, cod and monkfish chunks) and Roasted young lamb shoulder with potatoes, which was cooked to perfection and, to my surprise, had been taken off the bone. For dessert we both opted for the Raspberry and cacao cake which was very nice but we did not try the Vanilla ice cream with bourbon.

Again, we were not disappointed with another very enjoyable meal! Although we thoroughly enjoyed our aperitif wine, we were disappointed that the wine list did not include more half bottles for people dining alone or who are driving especially now that the drink drive limits seem to have been lowered in most of Europe.

Demetris Savva

Address: 34 Exmouth Market, London EC1R 4QE

Telephone number: 020 7833 8336

Website: www.moro.co.uk

Date of visit: 4 July 2011

Approximate costs per head:  £20 plus for 2 courses. Tapas from £3.50

Cuisine: Spanish or with a Spanish Influence

Comments on wine list/beer: Mahou (£3.50), Alhambra (£4.50), fantastic selection of sherry (100ml from £4), decent Spanish wine list. Sherry is better value than wines and beer.

Likes and dislikes: Basic café interior, up market prices. Food is good.

Summary:

I have heard about Sam and Sam Clarke Moorish/Spanish outfit for over 10 years. Unfortunately, unless you live on the fringe of the City or work there, this is not a convenient place to visit as all the underground stations are a good 15-20 minutes walk away.

Exmouth market is full of restaurants. During lunch time, a significant of them and “others” offer “takeaway” stalls in the middle of the street.

I found the place to be a nuevo y basico cantina – modern minimalist - with tables on the pavement, inside are an array of bare wood tables with a long bar to the left and the open kitchen at the back.

Although I booked, I discovered that tapas are only served at the bar, which you can’t book. The tapas menu is divided into hot and cold dishes. Most of the dishes are cold . The “hot” ones are mainly grilled sausages – butifarra, chorizo etc .

On a Monday lunch time, the place was half full and most of the diners look like media type rather than “wigs” who are usually more smartly dressed  – Grey’s Inn is round the corner.

I was with O who works in the City. Whilst I was waiting for O, I had a Mahou (nicely chilled), a plate of almonds (£3.50) and a dry sherry (Pastrana @ £4.25).

When O arrived, we ordered sandiness which came filleted and bones – to be honest, I think they gave us anchovies as the fillets were too small. It was marinated in a nice oil with chillies and onions. Then we had the grilled chorizo, humus, potatas bravas, The humus was £3.50 a plate – served with hot chewy bread that came just out from the oven. The rest of the tapas were £4.50 a plate.

The a la carte menu on offer offered roast chicken from the wood fired oven, steak (£24) etc.

It’s an interesting place but from a tapas point of view, nice but nothing special and prices are at the top end for an establishment that looks like a cantina

E

PS You can get the autograph version of Sam and Sam’s cook books here

Web site: http://www.casajuancho.com/

Telephone number: + 1  305-642-2452

Date of visit: 09/04/11

Approx. cost per head: $40

Comments on wine list/beer: Extensive wine list – from just under $100 to just under $1000

Cuisine: Spanish

Review:

Brilliant food.

Spanish cuisine and the restaurant had a very Spanish feel to it. Very laid back. Quite a big restaraunt, the tables weren’t too close together, decorated in a Spanish style, smart casual. All of the waiters were also dressed traditionally, and on that note I would say that they were very over staffed. It was quite a busy place but there were waiters everywhere and very often just standing around. One of them filled up our water glasses after every sip. Although I must say I didn’t have the feeling of being watched. Our waiter was extremely friendly, sociable. There was even music being played. An accordianist at first (who perhaps stayed at each table slightly longer than desired) and a small Spanish band with guitars and vocals. All very joyful.

To start we had Spanish ham and cheese and fried calamari to share. This was all brilliant, couldn’t have faulted it.

What was very odd though was that throughout the starter we kept our menus and the order for our mains wasn’t taken until we’d finished the first course and they’d taken it away. We couldn’t work out if this was a mistake or not, but it appeared to just be how they do things.

Tapas was available but we chose to have our own dishes. Everyone loved their meal. Two people ordered Paella, a very generous size, and two of us ordered fish.

I had a dover sole with a lemon butter sauce which I would definately recommend. The waiter even (very skillfully) boned the fish infront of the table. The sauce was amazing and the fish was cooked to perfection. evern the boiled potatos and vegetables it came with were really delicious. All mains came with vegetables without having to order extra.

It had quite a family vibe however there were also quite a few couples there as well. I would definately recommend the Casa Juancho, although not if you’re in a rush!

Alex

Restaurant Tucana

C/ Apuntadores 14, 07012 Palma de Mallorca, Mallorca, Spain

Telephone number: Spain  971 724 428

Website: www.chilimontes.com/tucana

Cost per head: From around €25

Wine list: Good selection of Mallorcan and other Spanish wines; reasonable mark-up..

Date of visit: 26 December 2010

Summary

We arrived in Mallorca in the early afternoon of Boxing Day and after checking into the hotel we went for a walk to stretch our legs after the flight.  We walked along the harbour for a while and then looked for somewhere to have dinner in the old part of Palma just behind La Lonja, a part of town with plenty of bars and restaurants.  The restaurant is fairly small and has a small bar area also. Many people go just for a drink and some tapas but we decided to have a full meal.

The wine list had good examples of the main areas of Spain and we opted for a wine from the Ribera del Duero region of mainland Spain; it was the El Quintanal Barrica 2007 which turned out to be a very fruity and slightly oaked Tempranillo, very typical, if a bit light, of the young wines of the region and very good value at below 15 Euros.

For starters we had 3 tapas (Patatas Bravas, Camembert crujiente and Pulpo estilo Gallego) all of which were very well presented and enjoyable, although one complaint was that the amount of sauce that came with the potato and the cheese dishes was very small.  Both of our main dishes , roast leg of lamb (Pierna de Cordero) and duck in a sherry sauce (Pato “Tio Pepe”), were very good and served in generous portions. We did not bother with desserts as they seemed industrial to us so on the way back to the hotel we stopped at a bakery for coffee and some special Christmas biscuits.

With a bottle of mineral water, the cost for 2 was just under 58 Euros which was reasonable for a good meal.

Demetris Savva

Address: C/ Apuntadores 10, 07012 Palma de Mallorca, Mallorca, Spain

Telephone number: Spain  971 713 168

Website: N/A

Cost per head: From around €20

Wine list: Very good and well-priced selection of Mallorcan and other Spanish wines.

Date of visit: 27 December 2010

Summary

We first went to the “Popeye” restaurant 12 years ago when we spent Christmas and New Year in Palma.  I cannot remember the exact date after so many years but the first time was a couple of days before New Year’s Eve; we so enjoyed our meal and since there were still tables available for the very reasonably-priced special dinner on New Year’s Eve we reserved for it and because we were amongst the first to book we also chose our table by the window overlooking the street! That dinner was also a great success so we decided to look for the restaurant again this time.  Some family-run restaurants seem to disappear after a few years but not Popeye and we were pleased to see that it was still run by the same family although the father had passed away some time ago.  The restaurant is in a narrow street in the old part of Palma just behind La Lonja, a part of town with plenty of bars and restaurants.  The restaurant is fairly large with two floors and has a reasonably-sized bar area which is very popular for a drink and some tapas.

This time we went after we had tapas at the nearby Tasu Tapas Bar (see earlier review) just to have a main dish and possibly desserts.  We had a good chat with the man currently running the restaurant and we took the table that we had all those years ago by a window which allowed us to observe the festivities in the street on the arrival of 1999 all those years ago!  We ordered the roast leg of suckling lamb (cordero asado) and the filet steak in a mustard sauce (solomillo mostarda).  We also ordered a litre of mineral water and a bottle of Contino Reserva 2005.

The water, bread and a large dish of excellent green olives arrived and although the wine took some searching it was worth the wait! Contino is a single vineyard wine produced by Bodega Vinedos del Contino which is part of the CVNE in the Rioja region of Spain; we have fond memories of visiting both the CVNE winery in Haro on several occasions and also the beautiful Contino winery (the first “chateau” in Rioja) near Laguardia in the Rioja Alavesa area.  We are very fond of the wine and we have a number of vintages going back to 1982 in our cellar at home; we always try it when we see it on a wine list at a “reasonable” price! The wine costs upwards of £20 to purchase in a UK shop and at 26 Euros at Popeye’s we could not refuse it!  The wine had a deep garnet colour, was very aromatic with a huge amount of black fruit; it was full bodied and had a very long fruity and spicy finish; I am glad I bought a few bottles of this when M&S had it at a 25% discount! The restaurant owner told us that it costs him about 16 Euros which also tells you what a small mark-up they put on wine compared to UK restaurants. When the food arrived, each plate was enormous and of excellent quality and, taking things slowly, we just managed to finish it!  This also gave time for the wine to “breathe” and start showing its true “colours” and vast potential.  When the dishes were cleared away, we were offered the menus for desserts and coffee but we had to apologise and refuse these!

The cost for the two of us came to just under 63 Euros which was extremely good value for an excellent meal; OK, it could have been cheaper if we opted for one of the many bottles of wine at 10-15 Euros but we enjoyed the Contino which complemented the food perfectly. The service was excellent and we will eat at Popeye’s again when we happen to be in Palma; the tapas looked very good and those having them seemed very happy so we may give these a try next time!

Demetris Savva

Address:  500 Bourke Street, Melbourne, Australia

Website: www.movida.com.au

Telephone number: (03) 9663 3038

Date of visit: 18 January 2011

Price guide: From about A$20 per head

Comments on wine and beer: extensive list of wine and beer.

Cuisine: Spanish with a twist

Exchange rate: A$1 = £0.65

Summary:

There are 3 branches of Movida. 2 situated in Hosier Lane – a back street full of graffiti – and the original – Movida Aqui – on Bourke Street (entry via little Bourke Street).

From Little Bourke Street you have to climb outside steps to get to the first floor where the restaurant is housed. There is a huge outdoor dining area and a strange indoor area.

The indoor area is divided into two parts – one side is with normal tables and chairs, the other side has high tables and stools. The bar which is “traditional” looking is sited between the two areas. Two sides of the restaurant is surrounded by glass windows – end to end.

I first came across Movida some three years ago when I bought their cook book in the UK. I have since found that this place is listed in all food guides.

Lets start with the wine list, there is a mix of Spanish, Australian and various international wines. The best value ones are the sparkling wines – cava and Aussie sparkling. In the Spanish section, they have Pingus and Le Fleur Pingus but no Vega Sicilia or Valbouna. The 2 Pingus wines are both 2007 and priced at $1200 plus for the main wine and just under $300 for the Le Fleur. Not only are these crazy prices but the wines probably needed to be cellared for another 5 years before it matures.

The food here is described as Spanish but  other than the jamon, everything else has an Aussie twist applied to it.

Three Jamones (50g portions) are on offer: Serrano  $15, Paletilla Iberico $28.50 and Iberico $50. Three Arroces are also on offer: Paella de Marisco $50, Arroz Negro $58, and Arroz Caldoso $40. The portions are described as Grande – enough for 2-4 people.

There are also several a la plancha dishes all at just over $21.

I went for the Tapas Clasicas. I had Achoa ($4.5), Bomba ($6.5), Bocadillo De Calamares ($6.5) and Sardina ($4.5). The Achoa was a slice of marinated anchovy on crouton with a smoked tomato sorbet on top. This was quite nice. The salty anchovy and the tomato worked well together. The downside was that the sorbet was ice cold. The Bomba was a slice of chorizo sausage, surrounded by mash potato, bread crumbed and deep fried – they claim that it is a Catalan dish but I have never come across anything like it in Barcelona. In Italy it tends to be mozzarella cheese surrounded by risotto rice. The Bomba was ok but the chorizo was a small piece so you only get a smear of sausage when you open up the Bomba. The Bocadillo was a round crusted bun stuffed with deep fried calamari, mayonnaise   and a thin slice of pepper. The sardine was served as a piece of warm fillet over a slice of tomato and a piece of toast.  All this was washed down with a bottle of  Australian Sparkling wine ($48).

The overall experience was “interesting” but not a great meal. However, it is good value for money. The service was good and bad. The wines were “centralised” off the table – probably because the tables are small. The waitress I had was excellent but she was managing 6 tables and I had to ask for my glass to be refilled. Another point, they are very heavy on the salt here – from the bread to the food.

E

Location: Santiago Ramon y Cajal 50, Zaragoza 50004, Spain

Telephone number: Spain  976 439 282

Website: N/A

Cost per head: From around €13

Wine list: Good selection of Spanish wines. Very low markup.

Date of visit: 10 November 2010

Type of Cuisine: Spanish

Summary:

As I mentioned before, we have been regular visitors to Zaragoza since 1991 and we were taken by local friends to the Restaurante El Verrugon for the first time more than 10 years ago and have been going there on a regular basis at least once on every occasion we visit Zaragoza and this latest visit was no exception. We actually arrived at Zaragoza airport at just after 1 p.m. and we were there at 2 after we checked in at our hotel.

The restaurant was busy but unlike other times there was still the odd free table but the clientele was mostly locals as on previous occasions. We were greated by the friendly staff who knew us from previous visits and we made our selection from the  menú del día which was priced at 13 Euros. From the selection of more than 10 starters we chose the staffed aubergine and the peppers staffed with bacalao both of which were large portions and excellent as usual. We then chose the wild boar stew served with potatoes and salad and the jarette (similar to lamb shanks but from very young animals) again served with potatoes and salad; both of these were very well done and again in large portions. To finish with we opted for something light (ice cream and sorbet). The menu included bread, mineral water and red, white or rose wine from the nearby wine producing area of Cariñena; we had the Vina Arazu from the Coopperative of San Roque which was a perfectly drinkable joven, a young wine fermented in stainless steel tanks without maturation in oak barrels, and is light, fruity and easy-drinking!

Of course there is also an a la carte menu and a second fixed price menu, the menú especiál, at about 35 Euros is also excellent value and for this you get six or seven local starters (this is a meal in itself) which is followed by your choice of main meal and dessert; again bread, mineral water and wine are also included and the wine is usually excellent and is either a crianza or reserva which have been matured in small oak barrels for some time (a few months to a couple of years) from Cariñena or the near-by Somontano region. The wine list is good and well-priced with about 60 wines representing all wine producing regions of Spain with an excellent selection of wines from Rioja; looking at the wine list we wondered why the price of the excellent Contino Reserva from Rioja was less than 26 Euros when it costs more than 22 in shops in the UK!

What you get at El Verrugon is still good, honest food at very reasonable prices as well as an excellent service with a friendly smile.

Demetris Savva

Location: 38 Hart St, Henley-on-Thames, RG9 2AU

Web site: www.labodega-tapas.co.uk

Telephone number: 01491 578611

Date of visit: 18 December 2009

Approx. cost per head: £20-25

Comments on wine list/beer: Ample and reasonably priced offering. The Sindo Rueda was a fair Sauvignon Blanc for £15.

Media link:

Review:

Often cited as one of Henley’s best restaurants, La Bodega is perhaps also one of the best tapas restaurants in the surrounding area, including Reading. Close to ample parking a no more than a 2 minute stroll from Henley Bridge and the River Thames, La Bodega is superbly placed.

The charming and distinctive frontage welcomes you to a tapas bar, with a more formal restaurant to the rear. It’s beautifully presented, combining bare brick and wood, to offer a really rustic welcome. The service, usually very friendly and welcoming, compliments this well.

Popular with locals, visitors and business people – the restaurant is a firm favourite with many regulars, always an excellent sign. La Bodega is the ideal place to spend a good few hours, whether for a social gathering a more intimate meal.

For tapas fans, alongside the regular favourites, more interesting options include tender octopus, pan-fried scallops, tuna medallions and grilled quail. The tapas menu is wide and varied, catering for all tastes and very well for vegetarians.

All meats, including live lobster, are well presented among the choice of main courses from the menu, averaging £13. The range of starters is also excellent, averaging £6.

Dave Lamont