Spain Restaurant Tips by deecat Top 5 Page for this destination

Hotel Aigua Blava Restaurant: Costra Brava's Finest Food

Speaking of Romantic Dinners! The restaurant at theHotel Aigua Blava is the place for romantic dining, wonderful food, and spectacular views.

The dining room is quite pleasant with linen table coverings and napkins, fresh flowers on the tables, and windows for the great views.

Allan and I spent two and one half hours having a leisurely meal. Never were we rushed; service was super.

We partook of salads, Steak Diane, Monk Fish and Lobster in a Special Sauce, green beans, artichoke, fresh strawberries and whipped cream.

Needless to say, we were in Heaven!

Favorite Dish: To begin the meal, we were presented with cheeses and baby Squid.

The Steak Diane was prepared Tableside.

Allan was given a bib and special water dish to wash his hands because hislobster was quite messy, but delicious.

The service, ambience, and setting were perfect.

Address: Hotel Aigua Blava, Platja de Fornells, Begur

Phone: (9) 72 622058/6243087

Rating: 5

Theme: Local

Hostal Del Cardenal Restaurant: Toledo's Amazing Restaurant

Photos:
1. Allan enjoying dessert after dinner
2. Sandy at entrace to hotel and restaurant
3. Sandy saying goodbye to friends after dinner

While staying at Hostal Del Cardenal in Toledo, we had a most delicious dinner
at the hotel's dining room.

Location is excellent, in the heart of the imperial city. It's in a former Palace. The Cuisine served in several small dining rooms is always supposed a feast.

We found out that it is, indeed, a feast!

Favorite Dish: One travel book said that this restaurant's food was "Vintage Stuff!"

It was that and more.

The three of us ordered:

Baby Lamb
Quail
Partridge
Garlic Soup
Chocolate Cake
Strawberries and ice cream

All of it was outstanding. The Partridge was perhaps the best of all of it.

Address: Paseo de Recaredo, 24 45004 Toledo

Comparison: about average

Directions: Inside walls next to the Hostal Del Cardenal

Phone: (9) 25-22 49 00

Price: US$21-30

Rating: 5

Theme: Local

Monasterio De Piedra Restaurant: Local Cusine At Its Finest

While staying at the Monastery, we ate in the restaurant run by the Monks of the Cistercian.

It was quite an unique experience.

There is a small bar on the second floor of the hotel for before dinner drinks. The restaurant itself has swords, guns, shields on the wall. There exists lots of massive wood and wrought iron pieces of furniture and trimming. The service is outstanding.

But, it's the food that makes this restaurant one of the best.

Known for their game meats and Lamb dishes, we decided to try them, and we were most pleased.

It was a two-hour meal filled with good food, excellent wine, and delightful atmosphere.

Favorite Dish: Wetried the local specialties.

Allan, Sandy and I had the following:

Rabbit
Lamb Chops
Leg of Lamb
Smoked Trout
Local Wine, which was super
Wonderful hot bread

It was a night to remember, and I remember it often. Allan and I talk about the delicious cuisine and long to eat such food again.

Address: 50210 Nuevalos (Zaragoza), Spain

Comparison: about average

Directions: Inside the Monument Monasterio de Piedra Complex. Lower area of the hotel

Phone: (976) 84 90 11

Price: US$21-30

Rating: 5

Theme: Local

Mont Sant Hosteria Restaurant: Traditional Valencian Cuisine

While staying at the Hosteria Mont Sant, we had the opportunity to eat in the restaurant. What an experience!

It is known for its Traditional Valencian Cuisine of carefully prepared rice, meat, fish and vegetable dishes The desserts are the best.

The restaurant is located on the ground floor and decorated with intimacy in mind. there are private rooms, candlelight, and fresh flowers.

It is elegant but by no means "stuffy". The service is just perfect, not too much "hovering" but attention to every detail.

Favorite Dish: The romantic, quiet atmosphere is what we loved. A great place to sit and talk, enjoy a coffee, and an after dinner drink.

The bread and salad were outstanding. Allan had excellent fish. We both loved our desserts.

Address: Subida al Castillo, s/n Xativa-Valencia-Spain

Comparison: about average

Phone: +34.962 27 50 81

Price: US$21-30

Rating: 5

Theme: Local

Regional Cuisines: Food In Spain

What I really enjoyed about Spanish Food was how varied it is.
But in all of Spain, the food is highly seasoned and is served warm, not hot.
Vegetables and salads are usually served as a first course. A staple of the Spanish diet is pulses--dried beans, lentils, or chick peas usually cooked together with pieces of sausage or other meat. For dessert, oranges, melons, date, grapes, or peaches are often served along with a piece of cheese.

In the north, seafood is famous, including cod and hake from the Atlantic Ocean.

Basque cooking is world famous. Its baby eels are thought to be a delicacy. In Asturias, the fabada [fah-BAH-dah] is cherished. It is a stew made from beans, sausage and other meats.

In Aragon, there are many dishes with spicy sauces that use red peppers that are known as chilindrones [chil-in-DRON-nes]. They also use fine ham that is made in Teruel.

Catalonia is where you can eat delicious casseroles as well as sausages, cheeses, and special sauces. The most famous sauce is made with garlic and olive oil called ali-oli [AH-lee OH-lee].

Favorite Dish: Valencia and its surrounding region specialize in rice dishes. The one that I love is paella [pie-AY yah] which is named after the shallow iron pan in which the saffron rice, seafood, vegetables, meat and other items are cooked. The most delicious one I had was a vegetarian paella.

While in Andalusia, we saw lots of fried food. We tried the fried fish. Much of Andalusia's food has an Arab influence.
Gazpacho [gas-PAH-cho] is a cold soup of vegetables [chopped tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, olive oil, vinegar, and spices] liquefied in a blender. I thought I would hate it, but it was pretty good.

Central Spain is known for all kinds of roasts. Lamb, veal, pork, and wild meats are slowly roasted in wood ovens.. Allan was most fond of this area's food.

Lots of fish, fruit, and vegetables are eaten in Spain as well as Tapas [TAH-pahs], which are really snacks such as artichokes, cheese, olives, and spicy sausage. Since I adore olives, I was in heaven.

Can't forget the breakfast churros [CHEW-ros] which are strips of dough deep fried and sugared which are excellent with coffee or hot chocolate.

The most popular wine in Spain is sangria [sang-GREE-ya] which is a mixture of red wine, soda water, fruit, and ice...it's truly delicious.

Rating: 5

Theme: Other

Rioja region and City of Jerez: Wines and Sherry in Spain

I was surprised to learn that Spain has over 1.5 million acres of vineyards!. These vineyards are used in different ways. The dried grapes are made into raisins and currants. They are used mostly to make wine. Again, I was also surprised to learn that Spain is the third-largest producer of wine after France and Italy.

The great thing about Spain is the variety of wines produced here due to the range of climates and landscapes in this wonderful country. Besides, the same kind of grapes grown in two different areas create very different tasting wines.

In the north of Spain, there's a region called Rioja that produces a famous red wine named after the region, Rioja. This wines is stored for up to three years in special oak barrels and thus it has a strong flavor.
It's one of the most popular wines in Spain.

The white Ribeiro, traditionally served in little porcelain cups, is quite acidic. But, the albarino [ahl-bey-REE=noh] wine is a white wine made from grapes introduced by monks traveling on their pilgrimages from the Rhine and Moselle valleys. This is the Spanish wine that I enjoyed.

Perhaps Spain is most famous for the sherry that it makes. The Moors were the ones who started exporting this sherry to England over 800 years agao. Allan told me that sherry is a blend of wine and brandy. In Spain it is made in the region surrounding the city of Jarez in the south of Spain.

The most interesting "tidbit" I discovered about the sherry is that it's name [sherry] comes from the way English-speaking people mistakenly used to pronounce the Spanish name [Jerez]. It's really pronounced "herreth."

Favorite Dish: Wine is consumed in Spain at almost every meal, either straight or diluted with mineral water or soft drinks.

The wines of Green Spain are slightly acidic and the perfect accompaniment to the seafood dishes of the area.

Allan liked the Rioja wine, and he tried the sherry and thought is was fair.

Directions: Rioja region in northern Spain and
city of Jerez in the south of Spain

Rating: 4

Theme: Wine Bar/Wine Tasting

The Wonderful "Taste of Spain": Eating Patterns in Spain

While in Spain, we loved the interesting assortment of ingredients. Some of the ingredients such as olives, dates, grapes, and fish are originally from Spain. Other ingredients were brought here by conquering nations such as the Moors. The Moors brought rice, lemons, oranges, and sugar from their African homeland. The Moors also introduced the technique of marinating fish in a strong vinegary sauce and the combination of sweet and spicy foods. The Spanish explorers brought back with them such ingredients as peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, potatoes, and chocolate.

Since it's a hot country, the siesta is necessary, especially in the countryside. The people thus stay up longer at night; this long day has created the custom of eating five times instead of three times a day.

Favorite Dish: The first of the five times to eat is, of course, the Desayuno [breakfast], which is a simple meal of a fresh crusty loaf of bread, rolls called bollos or cookies called galletas, a glass of milk, hot chocolate, or coffee. Of course churros is a popular breakfast treat, too. {strips of dough shaped like horseshoes or spirals that are lightly fried and sprinkled with sugar.]

A snack around eleven o'clock is called almuerzo, and it consists of anything from a small dish of olives to a large plate of ham and eggs.

Between one and three in the afternoon, the hearty lunch is eaten. It is called La comida [lunch] and consists of three courses: green salad, chicken or meat dish, fresh fruit for dessert. We noted that a popular lunch meal is called tortilla espanola [Spanish omelet] that is made with eggs, potatoes, and onions.

After work or school, Spaniards eat a light snack called la merienda. The kids usually eat a special sandwich called bocadillo that means "mouthful". It's made of crusty bread filled with cheese and a cold meat (that contains sliced olives) called mortadela. The adults usually eat tapas at tapas bars or cafes.

In the evening, Spaniards do not eat much dinner [La cena] as compared to the lunch. However, in large cities where siesta is not done much anymore, dinner is the family's main meal.

Rating: 5

Theme: Local