Back! Tapas Bar & Restaurant

This was a covid time visit to Back! where David Olivas and Fabián Villar, chef and sommelier, respectively, are the creators of Back! A colourful and modern restaurant, with a focus on traditional and updated Andalucían cuisine.

Although it does state, that this is a tapas bar and restaurant, it is probably more of a restaurant.

The menu caters for tapas, sharing plates, set menus and new inventive culinary creations.

On this occasion, we had the Menu, Grand Back 2020 (9 steps for €55)

Artisan brown bread, fermented for 24 hours and white bread fermented for 12 hours.

Finger food

Eggs fro...

RESTAURANTE ES VENTALL  

A return to Sant Antoni during the Covid hit summer of 2020 saw us return to one of our favourite restaurants in town.

On this balmy July evening, everyone was sitting in the garden area as we tucked into the following,

Croquetas de gambas (prawn croquettes)

Atún tartar (tuna tartar)

 Hummus

 Berenjena tempura (aubergine tempura)

 Costilla cerdo (de-boned pork ribs)

 Paletilla de cordero (10 hours, slow cooked, shoulder of lamb)

 Parrillada de pescados (grilled fish)

 Espuma de greixonera (a foam version of the local bread pudding)

 Bizcocho semiliquida 

The wine, was a pleasant, Jose Par...

CAFETERIA CAN JORDI - LAS PUERTAS DEL CIELO

A Covid time return, to this great spot in July 2020.

We have been coming to this great little restaurant in the pine forest of Santa Agnés for many years now and always receive a great welcome and good Ibicencan food and wine at decent prices.

On this occasion, we had,

Ensalada payesa (local Salad)

Nido calamar (squid nest)

Rotja (scorpion fish)

Followed by fideuà,

similar to seafood paella but made with pasta noodles instead of rice.

On this occasion, washed down, by an excellent bottle of Mocen Verdejo 2019 D.O. Rueda, which I had not tried before.

We had the usu...

RESTAURANTE CA n’ESMERALDA 

This restaurant has been here for a couple of years now, and is hidden away from the main town area of Sant Antoni de Portmany (San Antonio Abad), near the end of Cala de Bou, overlooking San Antonio Bay.

After our two of visits in 2018, we returned in July 2020, just after the slight easing of Covid Lockdown. You were allowed to remove your masks to eat, which would have been quite difficult, otherwise! 

 Masks at the ready.

We popped in for a light lunch, (do we really have light lunches!) and tried the following.

Pan alioli

Pata de pulpo (octopus and potatoes)

Ta...

RESTAURANTE CA'S MILÁ

This is a stunning restaurant, high up and overlooking the great beach of Cala Tarida, it has a fabulous terrace area, facing the sea in the sunshine.

The restaurant opened in 1987 and today, it is run by the second generation of the Milà family. 

We had,

Tartar de atún rojo con aguacate (red tuna tartar with avocado)

Carpaccio de carabinero (thinly sliced carabinero prawn)

Ensalada curada de pato y mango (cured duck and mango salad)

Ensalada sardina y sobrasada (sardine and sobrasada salad)

Un dentón común muy grande con papas en rodajas al horno

A very large common dentex with sliced potatoes, baked i...

RESTAURANTE CAN PUJOL

This restaurant is next to the sea, in Cala de Bou, on a stretch of rocky coastline, at the far end of the bay of Sant Antoni de Portmany (San Antonio Abad) but is in the jurisdiction of Sant Josep de sa Talaia (San José).

It started, as a small snack bar over thirty years ago. 

It is nan,a no-frills restaurant, serving superb seafood.

With an open kitchen you can see all the chefs at work.

There is a live tank, where you can choose your lobster if you wish.

You must try El Bullit de Peix con Arroz a Banda de Can Pujol, which is the house classic.

The dish comes in two courses:  A soup-like, firs...

Hostal Marino

On our return to Hostal Marino in July 2020, after a couple of years of absence, we came across a few changes.

The outside of the hostal had completely changed. 

This, I believe, was for local legislation regarding balconies being made more secure and slightly higher.

But inside was the biggest change, the swimming pool was not there anymore!

This is because, the hosta, are building a new 27 room 4-star hotel in the space next door, which is taking part of the area where the swimming pool was. The new hotel will have a swimming pool on the roof and guests at Hostal Marino will be able to use it. There...

Capote y Toros Ham & Sherry Bar 

This little offspring of Cambio de Tercio, just along the road, is a lively little tapas bar specialising in sherry and Jamón but also serving other delicious tapas.

From the small menu you can try:

The wonderful 5J Cinco Jotas Jabugo Jamón Iberico de Bellota or the chorizos and other charcuterie.

The patatas bravas here are served in all of their 4 restaurants and tapas bars. Small new potatoes are hollowed out and filled with smooth tomato bravas sauce, topped with a luscious dollop of spiky alioli.

Croquetas de Jamón (ham and béchamel croquettes)

Tartar atún (tuna tartar, avocado &...

 O CURRO DA PARRA

This restaurant is located in a the old part of town in the historic city of Santiago de Compostela, very close to the old market, the Mercado de Abastos de Santiago (from which they stock on a daily basis).

This trendy and contemporary restaurant has two areas. A casual, wine and tapas bar on the ground floor

And a more formal, small but cosy dining room on the first floor of this old house

From here you can enjoy a new take on Galician dishes from the open kitchen. Also, there is a small outside patio to sit for a pleasant lunch or evening meal when the weather lets you.

Some of the tapas availab...

The coastline in and around Ribadesella is a mixture of large sandy beaches and small coves.

Playa de Vega is a very unspoiled spot just outside this sidra obsessed picturesque town.

A café bar and snack kiosk, provide drinks and ice cream.

For a special lunch there, try this superb fish restaurant.

All the staples are there,

Almejas (clams)

Gambas (prawns)

Sardinas (sardines)

Cetollu (spider crab)

Pulpo a feria (octopus in the style of the fair)

Calamares a la plancha (grilled squid)

Lenguado (sole)

Bonito (tuna)

Rodaballo (turbot)

Murluza (hake)

Dorada (gilthead bream)

Cola de Pixín (various baked or grilled fish)

The restaurant i...