PART TWO.
After our day trip to the new posers palace on Lanzarote where the food wasn’t actually much better but bloody expensive than the fare we’d already eaten on this island we had all decided to eat in a couple of places in Villaverde a village where our friends live and which has grown considerably over the years and where we had bought a couple of acres of land over 30 years ago, but seeing how the Island had been developing over the years we decided not to build or live here and gave the land to our friends two sons so they could build there own houses. The land cost peanuts back then but now would be way out of reach for the local population so let them have it now why wait till we’re dead they get everything anyway. We didn’t eat in all the restaurants and the others we have visited before so here are three that we hadn’t tried before though I think our buddies had and said make your own minds up.
LA VILLA, VILLAVERDE
Very easy to find as it sits on the main road that goes through Villaverde on the way to La Oliva and it’s a very pretty building white with the volcanic stone built into it so very traditional and it’s the sort of place you think we’ll go there when you see it even if it sits next door to the smallish Híper Dino supermarket.
Table for 8.30pm and the place was pretty busy so I didn’t want to take any photos inside as if like me if it’s busy I get a little pissed off with someone taking photos of the place and you end up the centre of attention in some random shot, but inside it’s nice and cosy so if you want to see inside look it up it, I did knock a couple of photos off Trip Advisor so if there yours I hope you don’t mind and if that winds you up then get a life or sue me. Menu was small and looked ok but we did think not another Italian place though service was friendly and welcoming so Juan and I kicked off with a couple of bottles of Tropical lager served in iced glasses so full marks there. All of us decided on two starters Gambas and Garbanzos (chick peas) in a broth with some basil oil which was fine but we couldn’t smell or taste it, but then again I like chick peas. Squid and potato with lime was ok as well but why drown it in a creamy carrot soup and add a pointless aroma of roses which if it was on the dish could have killed it entirely, but question the thinking of rose and squid together what sort of mental block was going on there ?.
Main courses was a home made pasta with a mix of sea food, not the greatest flavours and pretty bland just boiled pasta with a few bits of boiled fish chucked in, lots of people fawning over this on TA so we must be weirdos as how tasty is that ?, well it’s not. The other pasta a ragú was again fine but nothing special or something worth remembering. Boned goat with truffle potatoes was good as was the fillet steak with caramelised onions but again neither should be a problem. Every thing comes like a piece of artwork and the chef has obviously been looking at some Michelin star places on the internet as everything is placed artistically on the plate, unfortunately his taste bud combos aren’t a work of art but it’s pretty and as they say you can fool some of the people some of the time.
A fairly nice meal with nice service in a nice place. Wine was Pago de los Capallanes which at €40 is about standard price, overall it’s a place trying to hard with too many ingredients.
PRICE: Not outrageous and if you like the food to look prettier than it tastes then you’ll love it.
COMFORT: Nice decor and cosy, atmosphere (ambience) good but unfortunately I don’t eat that.
RATING: Few locals but most seemed to be expats of various countries with a few tourists chucked in, most seemed impressed.
FOOD: Great ingredients ruined by trying to be too clever and beyond the chefs means, but all about expectations and what and where you usually eat.
EL ROQUE de los PESCADORES, EL COTILLO
El Cotillo was originally a small fisherman’s village when we first went there around 30 years ago and had about three eateries that all served the same menu with fish caught by the same guys. Now it has proper roads with apartment blocks and a couple of small hotels with a fairly large choice of places to eat many which we have been to but this was a newish one and was owned by an uncle of our friend Juan who comes from this village so obviously we know most of the local populace as numerous brothers, sisters, cousins and all other family members live here as well, it’s a real duelling banjos job.
The restaurant sits in a new complex all in white overlooking the sea and far reaching views of the coastline. Outside is a large terrace with umbrellas giving plenty of shade and a very warm welcome but it’s family so it’s straight into a conversation about nothing, not unusual for Spain then.
This was our second visit here within two days, the first was just for a couple of light tapas dishes and a beer but this time it’s with a few more members of the family so we settled in for a long noisy and boozy lunch, what else do you do on a Sunday. So whatever was on the menu was of no consequence whatsoever as we were having a couple of whatever came in with the catch of the morning. The fresh fish was displayed on a massive platter and one or two I recognised but left the choice to the experts to argue over which is best and this did take some time, in fact two bottles of Tropical lager and half a bottle of Ribera del Duero was downed by me as I approached the point of I don’t give a shit which fish I eat. One of the choices was Corvina a fish I’d heard of but not sure if it was one I’d had before and had to look it up, believe me it’s amazing like a sea bass but with more flavour. Not only did we have that one but another called Sama a bloody great big Sea Bream, should have taken a photo of these monsters. Being a more local place there was no mention or offer of bloody chips instead it came with Papas Arrugadas small potatoes with thick skins boiled in salt until all the water is gone and red and green mojo salsa to dip them in. Asked for the fish to be lightly grilled and not covered in lumps of garlic and what came out was perfect. Before all this starters were chosen and all ended up with a carpaccio of squid with shaved Parmesan, tomatoes, olives and drizzled with some olive oil and lemon juice, squid being extremely fresh was heavenly and was one of the best dishes of the holiday.
Inside there is a good looking bar and an impressive wine area set behind glass which was cooled and with a humidifier so storage was good here but again you never know what’s happened beforehand, still we had a Ribera called Venta las Vacas a new one on me but one that I am now going to stock up on.
PRICE: Not sure if the price was correct as it’s family but it was by far the cheapest fresh fish anywhere. €289. for 6 can’t be right including 3x bottles of Pago de Cappellanes and beers.
Comfort: Sat outside so chairs a little more basic than inside but great location
RATING: One of the best we had food wise but could be a little biased as being family we probably got the best they had
FOOD: Hallelujah they can cook fish properly a rare thing over here.
SALVAJE RESTERAUNT, MORRO JABLE
We all decide on a day out down south of the Island which is something we’ve only done about five or six times in three decades and since then parts of the road system have improved as new dual carriageways (all two of them)are springing up all over the place but are still under construction so the drive is about 1hr 40 and around 70 miles which to an islander is like driving to the ends of the earth. Our friends had been here a month before on a grand day out and found this place saying it was one of the best they’ve been to, but on this Island that’s a difficult thing to find. The drive was really easy and we took what amounts to the coastal route though to be honest there isn’t a lot to see as most of it is a volcanic rock.
Must admit that once arriving in Morro Jable it’s not exactly exciting or interesting as the whole area seems to be a late 1970’s early 80’s purpose built holiday resort so absolutely nothing is attractive about the place except for the beaches which are much better than in the north. The restaurant was next to a small car park which had a wide concreted area leading down to the beach and once again there was nothing about the building or exterior which would make you walk in, in fact we would have gone straight past it in all honesty.
We started with Zamburinas a la brasa which translate into queen scallops grilled with mojo salsa followed by Langostinos en gabardina salvaje which is prawns in raincoats wild but is really large prawns coated in flour, egg and beer then fried. These buggers were massive and we got two each plus the mojo salsa was made in house and not out of a bottle. Main was Arroz Negro with Chocos (cuttlefish) and chipirones (baby squid but have heard as cuttlefish as well ) and made with a fantastic fish stock. We were amazed at the quality of the food and it was very traditional as well, couldn’t understand why we were the only people eating here but possibly because it was lunch and most probably eat the pinched food from the hotel breakfast buffet. Chose a wine which was the fav of the holiday a Rioja called La Hola, a new one on me and brilliant but can’t remember the price but all in all the place isn’t expensive.
PRICE: Thought very reasonable for the fresh produce on offer.
COMFORT: Like a very basic bistro better than it looks
FOOD : What I call local dishes bur done very well just wish it was closer to home in the north of the island, well worth the journey.
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