Saborosa

I'm up for it - workload permitting. I'm a better eater than cook though, so I'll probably benefit more than I contribute! Kirsten

Wow, thanks a lot everyone. As I thought the real problem is going to be in making a choice! Well, between us we should have enough birthdays left to try them all (touch wood)! I'm very tempted by Galicia. Re: Botafumeiro. I've only been once but was quite disappointed. We sat at a table and I have a feeling sampling a selection of seafood at the bar would have been a better option. Can't remember my dish - I think it may have been a suquet or other fish in sauce dish. It was a little bland, I thought. Though we did have some excellent percebes to share as a starter. Mainly it was the feel of the place I didn't like. Bit stuffy, impersonal, noisy, crowded, felt like part of a production line. But some people might not see it like that, it's just not my thing really. On a more general, and perhaps hypocritical!, point, I've been reading up on the world's dwindling fish stocks. As a seafood lover I don't want to be one of those people who loves too much and kills the thing they love! There's quite a lot of UK-related info available online from organisations such as the Marine Conservation Society and Marine Stewardship Council, but Spain seems a little behind on this subject. Though there has been a campaign against eating juvenile fishes which, judging from what I see in bars and markets in Barcelona isn't having much effect. Also there's going to be a conference on eco-labelling of fish organized by PescaMarket and involving many of the top producers and retailers such as Pescanova and Carrefour. So people are starting to pay attention, which is great. I was wondering if any members had any other info on how to make sure the fish and seafood i'm eating here is from sustainable or non-threatened sources. Looking at the lists of fish to avoid, it seems pretty much anything from the Med is out of bounds. Or you need to make sure the fish are line caught or molluscs are sustainably harvested. Will the scary ladies at the fish stall know? And would they tell me if they did? I think such info is supposed to be displayed on the price label, but compliance with this varies wildly in my experience. Hmmm, should this be a new thread?

Hi If you had to choose one (or, if this is too hard, a top 3) place to take a fish and seafood lover in the whole of Spain, what would it/they be? (I mean restaurant/bar, rather than an aquarium! ) And what would be your choice in Catalunya? And what would be the best thing to order? And best time of year to go? This is for a 40th birthday treat. A special situation or atmosphere would be nice but it doesn't necessarily have to be fancy (I'm considering Rafa's for instance). Just excellent food and preferably friendly and pleasant (or at least not unfriendly and unpleasant) surroundings/atmosphere. Thanks in advance for your help Kirsten

Her restaurant, please! Sorry. Sure it was just a slip, but there are so few celebrated female chefs in Spain (and the world!?) at that level, it would be a shame to lose one! To get from Calella to Sant Pol you could walk (about 3km roughly) but some of the route is along the side of the coast road and isn't all pleasant. You can't walk along or next to the beach the whole way, as far as I can remember. Alternatively take a train or taxi (about 5 mins).

Which is which?

We have that here in Spain - cecina de caballo. Well, I've only seen it here in Barcelona but I think it's generally made in Castilla y Leon where the most famous cecinas - cured (salted, smoked and air-dried) meats - are made. They also used to make it from donkey meat. Maybe they still do but I've never seen it. The horse cecina is becoming quite hard to find. I've had it in a great little charcuteria off the Rambla called Arantxa (C/Tallers 5) but they don't often have it in stock. I've given it to a couple of people without telling them what it is and though they haven't become immediate fans, they haven't spit it out or thrown up either. I rather like it - it tastes of hay to me! (And before you ask, no I haven't 'eaten' hay, but I've smelled it and chewed on straw!) Anyway, it's quite a light dry flavour. There's a horse butcher at the edge of the Boqueria market in Barcelona. It's a shop rather than a stall, right at the back on the right if you're facing away from the Rambla. They have lots of posters of happy horses frolicking in fields with speech bubbles coming out of their mouths saying 'Protect horses, eat me' or something like that (I may exaggerate!). There's a lot of this anthropomorphic display of animals expressing joy and/or complicity in their consumption - lots of pigs dressed as butchers chopping up a cousin, etc. Actually, you used to see it a lot in the UK when there were still proper butchers shops, before everything became shrink-wrapped and unrecognisable as ever being a living thing. Part of the increasing and increasingly worrying alienation between the majority of the western world and their food supply. But that's another thread...

Just checked on Sant Pau's own site. Menú 99 euros plus 7% tax

Coming back (or moving on) to cheese generally, anyone have any info on Muntanyola cheese? From the little I can find on it it seems to be a goat or ewe's milk cheese made in or around Muntanyola, a poble just outside Vic in Catalunya. Can anyone add anything? Tried it? Thanks

Re Sant Pau: On the RelaisChateaux site the price of the set menu is given as 89 euros plus tax (7%) and a la carte as 85-90 euros plus tax

While I don't think one should completely dismiss a restaurant (or hotel, or film or anything else) based on reports on the net, I don't think one should completely dismiss the usefulness of such reports, either, particularly as many egulleteers use these forums for that very purpose. Of course, one needs to consider the context of any review. You can find plenty of backpacker reviews extolling the virtues of microwave paella joints and Irish pub lunches, but you can equally find fair and erudite reviews from discerning and well travelled diners and, perhaps more importantly, experienced locals - such as those on this site. All personal opinions are, of course, personal and no amount of research will guarantee you a good (or bad) experience when dining out. Having said that, many people have limited resources in terms of time and money and will want to maximise their chances of a good experience. I just see the Internet as offering more chances for them to do that, of course using the same common sense and powers of judgement as in any other form of communication - whether reading a magazine review or getting a tip from a work colleague etc. I do agree though, that there is a danger of too much information. I recently researched hotels in Paris on the Internet and each time I found one I was interested in I'd find a negative review. But you learn to balance the good and bad and sense which reviewers you feel more trusting of or in empathy with. Sorry - this has got really off-topic! Perhaps a list of other egullet-approved restaurant-review sites would be useful. It's hard to find something in English that's not PR puff. I like verema.com's review site but it's in Spanish and there are a few reviews that seem to have been 'planted'. Also as it's a wine site the emphasis is on the wine service. Any others? New thread?

Sorry if this should be a new thread... but... Omm and Moo I've heard mixed opinions about Moo. Personally I remember feeling a bit rushed by the service and underwhelmed by the food when I was there or at least not having enough breathing space to really notice the food. Though I must admit to being a bit distracted by other matters. I've also heard some clients having slightly off experiences in terms of the accommodation, though this mainly seemed to centre around the lack of net access in the rooms - the wireless net connections didn't work and the 'experts' sent to solve the problem knew less about it than the guests. Arola I think the problem here is it's quite a narrow concept aimed at a certain type of person. It's as much about the beauty of the staff and the cool music and decor as about the food - fun, modern but accessible tapas, and it's as much a cocktail bar as a dining destination. Though I haven't been there! It's just what I've trawled from friends' reports and reading feedback on the net. Don't think it's bad, just disappointing for fans of La Broche maybe? Gaig I can't help thinking a move to a Hotel that calls itself Cram (Anglo-centric though this opinion may be) can't be a good thing. I have read one fairly negative review - seemed to be saying acceptable food and less than acceptable service - though I think such moves tend to attract willfully negative attention. Other than that I've heard very little about it and would love to hear the opinion of anyone who's visited it at its new site. And I second the call for more information about Santamaria's new ventures. Any info on names, places?

Not a superstition - but I was told to do this to make the skin on my elbows smooth! I've also heard the curse of the curse while making hollandaise claim. I wouldn't like to call it superstition but food is intrinsically linked with the hindu religion including a great ritual where balls of solidified ghee are thrown at statues of dancing deities 'to cool them down'. Also lemons and limes are stuck on the front of cars and lorries to ward off evil. Someone else probably knows more!

What was MRs B's response? Printable?!

I think this is probably repeating what's already been written, but in the uk this leaf is known as lamb's lettuce or corn salad. There are different varieties that come under the lamb's lettuce 'umbrella' which have different looks and flavours. The 'packaged' canonigos I seem to see most of looks like 'favor' to me.

What a wonderful, kind act. A silver lining on the cloud of the war against terror, perhaps? (Not that that's why they won't let the ham in, rather it makes us all super paranoid about any infringement of the rules).

The only one I know on that list is Carmona. I stayed in the town a couple of years ago and had a drink in the parador. It's certainly a stunning place - an old fortified medieval palace with interesting mudejar architecture, lovely pool, great views. But I couldn't comment on the rooms or food. I stayed at the Alcazar de la Reina. A smaller hotel, it's another conversion of an ancient palacio with fantastic views over the plain and truly wonderful staff. Their not very well designed website http://www.alcazar-reina.es has photos of the rooms (though actually the rooms are a bit nicer than the photos make out). A double ranges from 93-187 euros a night - a bargain in low season. I thought the restaurant Ferrara was excellent - trad dishes given a creative, modern twist with beautiful presentation. The desserts were extra special. Nearby, yet another luxurious palace conversion is the Casa de Carmona www.casadecarmona.com. It's absolutely stunning - like staying in a stately home. The bar is a drinks trolley in the lounge - you just help yourself. Even the standard rooms are gorgeous and all individually decorated. The restaurant in the palace's old stables (the fanciest stables you've ever seen!) looks wonderful (see the website) but I haven't eaten there.

Each bedroom has its own private mini lounge opposite and yes you use your keycard to enter. But they are on opposite sides of a 'public' corridor - ie each floor has a corridor off which are the bedrooms on one side and the mini lounges on the other. So to move between bedroom and mini lounge you have to cross this corridor which is used by other guests and hotel staff and you have to remember to have your key card with you.

Just stayed at Casa Camper and, although the staff are extremely nice and helpful (not too hard as we seemed to be the only guests in the whole place - though it was monday night in freezing January!) and I do respect their attempts at promoting and following a somewhat 'green' ideology, I have to say I would not recommend it. The main problem for me was the, at first attractive, idea of including a 'mini-lounge' with each room. The problem is that this mini-lounge (where the tv is) is across the public corridor from the bedroom so you'd have to get dressed or leave behind your modesty if you wanted to hop between bed and lounge. Also the decor of the mini lounge itself was reminiscent of a doctor's waiting room - stark and rather bare, with an enormous intrusive fire escape notice and large plastic map of Barcelona as the only decorations - the map was pretty useless as only about 3 streets were named, not including the one the hotel was on! The bedroom was attractive, though a bit gloomy (the window looks out onto a shaded inner patio) and painted a slightly disturbing deep red. The bed was large and comfortable and the walk-in shower quite luxurious, though there were no extra little toiletry bits, just some standard gel and shampoo. This is probably to be applauded as a green measure, but I feel such sacrifices should be reflected in the price. The lobby is also rather unwelcoming, though the lack of other human presence didn't help. There's a small room off it where snacks (tiny salads and sandwiches, fruit, crisps etc) and hot and cold soft drinks are laid out all day for you to help yourself as much as you like - a nice idea. I think someone will bring stuff up to your room for you if you ask but it's not made clear. The space in the lobby where you can eat your breakfast, snacks etc has some very uncomfortable metal benches. There's generally a bit of a puritanical, self-improving air which is all very admirable but seems slightly out of place in a hotel charging 180 euros (I believe) for a double. Which is cheaper than many places but seems expensive for somewhere that wants you to deny yourself the creature comforts and little luxuries that you'd expect in similar hotels. There are signs everywhere extolling the Camper philosophies saying things like - 'take the stairs, not the lift' (elevator), 'inspiration comes from work'. It's all a bit odd - I think it's an example of form coming before function in the design - a problem that occurs too often in this design-led city. It's a shame too as it's a lovely old building (though there's no hint of its heritage from inside!) in a great spot and I do generally like the Camper company. I think they'll get a lot of good press because of the 'trendy' factor but I think the fashionistas and hipsters who end up there will be disappointed (though they may appreciate the hard and shiny surfaces ) and I should think the word of mouth won't be great. Sorry for taking up so much space on a hotel rather than a food topic. Hope it's of interest!

Xocoa. Shop plus chocolate-intensive restaurant! Carrer d'en Bot, 4. ← Just to avoid confusion, the Xocoa shop and restaurant aren't at d'en Bot anymore (the drug of choice on this street seems to be cannabis rather than cocoa now). But there is a Xocoa shop with a cafe next door on C/Petritxol in the Barri Gotic, which also has a couple of great old granjas for chocolate and churros/magdalenas/ensaimadas... etc Also, follow this street down to Plaza del Pi and there's a market in front of the church every other weekend where there's a stall selling artisanal chocolates made in the Catalan countryside by a South American cooperative (?!). The make is called Vall d'Or and they have rough-hewn bars containing eg, 100% cocoa, chewy pieces of orange, chili, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg, black pepper, as well as tequila truffles, chocolate covered cocoa nibs, and sticky brownies, jars of mole and an infusion of cocoa bean shells.

It was the same when I was there. There were a couple of guys at another table but they were the only other diners the whole evening. Though I overheard one tell the chef he worked for the New York Times, if I remember correctly, and he was going to tell their food/travel desks about it, which hopefully will help spread the word a little. At least it means one can get a table! Glad you enjoyed it! (phew!)

Glad you like Mam i Teca, tjdnewyork, it's one of my favourite places - the sort of spot with the right combination of quality food, simply but correctly (for the most part - perhaps apart from pasta!) prepared, friendly service, relaxed atmosphere, interesting wine and reasonable prices. The Dutch waiter is certainly very nice - a great addition. It was owned and run by two Catalans Alfons and Jordi, not sure if that's changed. The wine you're referring to could well have been the interesting, complex, fragrant Serrat de Montsoriu white from the Parc Natural de Montseny near Sant Celoni. It manages to cram in Albariño, Chardonnay, Treixadura, Loureiro, Cainho Blanco, Muscat and Reisling grapes, though it's mainly a blend of the first two. It's hard to find but you can buy it in Vila Viniteca. To get back on topic, another place open on Sunday that I've mentioned elsewhere is Meson David. Not on the Gaig level by any means, but good for solid Galician cuisine in a lively 'local' atmosphere. By the way, anyone been to Gaig in the unfortunately named Hotel Cram? I've read a slightly disappointing report. Any info on the hotel itself might be useful for egulleteers too? Does it live down to its name?

Anyone else ever tried Meson David (C/Carretas 63, in the Raval)? It's one of my favourite places but it's certainly not top cuisine and I do wonder what others make of it. The tables are pushed together and it's all very noisy and convivial with dodgy art on the walls and the TV on in the corner - that sort of place. But it's good for simple hearty meals and some traditional Galician dishes such as cocido gallego containing pig ear and trotter on potatoes. There are more easily palatable dishes such as pulpo gallego (slices of octopus tentacle sprinkled with paprika), lechazo - slow-roasted suckling pig knuckle, and some wonderful char-grilled chipirones (baby squid). The red wine is drinkable very cold and the sangria goes down rather too well and is lethal, as are the luminous green chupitos offered at the end of the meal. Best stick to beer. But it's all at ridiculously low (though scarily steadily increasing) prices. Most dishes are under 10 euros and many are under 5. However they do have a bad habit of deciding you actually want two salads instead of one etc so watch for that and check the bill if you're really on a budget. Somewhere more expensive (about 40 euros for 3 courses) but, I think, good value is Volpaia on C/Balmes 24. It's an Italian-fusion place with young but experienced and creative chef. But it really stands out for excellent service and great wine prices - they were very helpful with choosing wines and suggested cheapies rather than steering us towards pricey bottles. The food was mostly wonderful (egs scallops with foie and bottarga, orange-marinated prawns over a chickpea and truffle puree; cep risotto with chestnuts and parmesan crisp, and a fantastic bread selection) with a couple of bum notes - not terrible, just unsuccessful experimentation mostly, such as a 'light' deconstructed tiramisu when we were hoping for the calorific real thing. But despite these I'd definitely go again. And they do half rations so you can try a selection of things. It's so hard to find such good service in Barcelona I become quite militant in my support of any restaurant with it!

Hi I've posted some Granada suggestions in reply to your other post. If you're going to Estepona I'd suggest seeking out the resolutely unfussy fishermen's bar-restaurant La Escollera. Walk past the marina towards the docks and it's at the start of the beach. Sit at a terrace tables gazing at fishing boats on the sand and be served enormous portions of excellent fried and grilled fish and seafood (great navajas - razor clams). Ooh I'm so envious! Disfruta!

Some suggestions of restaurants in Granada for you - I don't live there but I've visited twice - the last time was in April/May this year. Ones I've tried: Ajo Blanco C/ Palacios 17, 958228128 A bar, not a restaurant. It doesn't 'serve' food but you get some excellent small tapas with your drinks. It has a wonderful collection of wines and owner Nicolas Fernandez is a kind and informative host. It's a bit hard to find, down some steps near the Santo Domingo church. Bodega Espadafor C/Almiceros 1-3, 958215464 Another tapas bar, a bit down at heel but rather atmospheric. the reason to come here is for its jamon asado - spit-roast pork tapa Los Diamantes C/Navas 26, 958227070 A tiny incredibly busy stand-up seafood bar. If you're lucky you'll get free fantastic prawns with your drink. Otherwise, they're worth paying for Iberos y Patagonicos C/Escudo del Carmen 36, 958220772 A newish restaurant along the lines of the 'creative cuisine' that's taken hold in Catalunya etc, unusual in Granada, eg using foam, unusual ingredient combinations. The dining room's up some stairs so you can't see in from the street. It's rather overly brightly lit. Meson El Trillo Callejon de Aljibe de Trillo, 958225182, www.granadainfo.com/trillo One of my favourite albaicin restaurants, less pretentious and more affordable than the other mirador carmen restaurants, if without the views. Ring the bell on the gate to gain admission to the pretty garden terrace - best to eat here rather than inside. The chef is Basque and the menu mixes basque and andalucian cuisine. The bacalao al pil pil (salt cod in a chili-garlic sauce) is superb. Portions are huge. Tragaluz C/Nevot 26, 958222924 An unusual and intriguing restaurant up near the Campo del Principe on the way to the Alhambra. It's part-owned by a local celeb - writer and academic Mustafa Akalay Nasser, who seems to have set the scene here as a place for thinkers and artists to meet and argue - don't be surprised if you get dragged into a political argument over the humus. The food is influenced by Moorish and Sephardic cuisine - tagines etc, all made from meticulously researched recipes and adapted with creative touches. Not tried Mirador de Aixa Carril San Agustin 2, 958223616, www.miradordeaixa.com I didn't eat here but I did visit and talk to the owner Paco Pastor. What I saw of the food and service looked superb. It's pricey, but it seems you're actually getting good service and cooking for your money rather than just paying for the view (as Paco hinted happened at other restaurants - but then I suppose he would!). And the view is wonderful! Cod poached in oil with prawns and peppers looked particularly good. As did the chocolate lagrimas de boabdil (tears of boabdil). Hope this helps. Have a great time!

Fresh cheeses are often eaten as dessert throughout Spain accompanied by a sweetener which I guess was traditionally honey, eg mel i mato in Catalunya (honey and mato cheese), and often with dried fruits and nuts too. I'd second Bux's guess that sugar is a more economical, but less satisfactory offering.