Savory Spain & Portugal: 2008
When you take your tongue out sightseeing in Spain and Portugal, what are its favorite taste treats?
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Cordoba restaurant
If you're in Cordoba, try Pizarro Taberna Restaurante, Deanes 10, in the heart of the tourist district, near the cathedral. Definitely a cut above and reasonably priced. A tapa to try are the wonderful puntillitas, tiny fried calamari. And the homemade desserts are great too.
Linda Tracy
Sebastopol, CA USA Wed 10/15/2008
My best tapa in Southern Spain
The best tapa for me? Andalucian eggplant, cut very thin, a little batter, fried and served with "honey," which tastes more like light molasses. We're in Granada for 6 weeks and I have to have a regular fix of berenjenas con miel.
Linda Tracy
Sebastopol, CA USA Wed 10/15/2008
Less expensive food in Ronda, Spain
Eating in Ronda. For a great and less expensive meal in Ronda, to Bar Santa Maria at #40 Arminan (the main street in the old city). The food is excellant, the selections varied and the couple who run it are fun and he speaks good English. Try It!
C. Stewart
Portland, OR USA Tue 09/30/2008
Porto lunch
Porto, went to recommended Oro Viva block off the river. Just as reported, narrow room, nice people and good for a lighter lunch. Had the specials, very good. Still giving free glass of Port (good stuff too) if you show Ricks guide book. Say hi to Antonio.
Andrew DeWitt
Oshkosh, WI USA Sat 09/27/2008
Great Eats in Aveiro Portugal
In your travels in Portugal, if you are in or near Aveiro for the evening, find Barcos it is a great little place. Run by Antonio and his wife does the cooking. Great for fresh seafood.
Andrew DeWitt
Oshkosh, WI USA Sat 09/27/2008
Granada restaurant
I want to strongly recommend the Restaurante Arrayanes in Granada, Spain (and I don't understand why this is not mentioned in Rick's guide?). Absolutely wonderful Andalusian/Morrocan food, terrific service, esp. from the kind owner Mustafa, and an absolutely tranquil and peaceful oasis in the middle of the Albayzin maze. Cuesta Maranas, 4 (Albayzin bajo), telephone, 0034-664-53-98-10, www.rest-arrayanes.com. You will love it!
Emily Goldfarb
San Francisco, CA USA Sat 09/13/2008
Avoid Canto do Camoes In Lisbon
Avoid Canto do Camoes, Fado restaurant in Lisbon.
I have Ricks 2004 Spain Portugal book and think that the owner of this place MUST have changed since Rick wrote about this restaurant. The staff was rude and unwelcoming. The singing was great bit when the bill came, we were charged for many extras that were not even at our table. The bread and butter that was on the table when we arrived was 10 Euro. We were charge forunused pate that was on the table when we arrived and unused cheese that was on the neighboring table. The French group at the next table had the same experince...a bill that should have been 40 Euro was 80 Euro. I have been traveling with Rick Steve`s books for 10 years and this was the worst experince I had at one of his listed venues.
If you want to have a nice night...and not feel like you just got ripped off...please avoid Canto do Camoes.
I hope that Rick is updating his book and takes this into account.
Kat
New York, NY USA Sun 08/24/2008
Lisbon eating
Head to Restaurantores (which is a street with countless restaurants) downtown. There are lots of restaurants which menus in many languages. Ignore these. Find one with the menu written on a paper table cloth. Chose any of the "ementas touristicas" and enjoy your 3 course meal with wine and coffee for about 15 euros.
Michael
Toronto, ON Canada Fri 07/18/2008
Granada Restaurant Recommendation
Rick's guide does not have many restaurants in Granada but we wanted to recommend El Figon de Griana, Pasaje de Recogidas 1, 958 25 03 55 www.elfigondetriana.com. The soccer finals were on and NOTHING was open, nor cabs to take us anywhere. Delicious and reasonably priced, home cooked food. Portions were huge. We had peppers stuffed with seafood and beefstake with pate, plus first courses and wine and desert (for 2) for 35 Euros. Beautifully decorated with antiques and oil paintings.
Mary
Los Angeles, CA USA Wed 07/16/2008
Oxtail soup
The best food in Sevilla/south of Spain is, hands down, Rabo de Toro (oxtail soup). Also goes by Cola de Toro. The meat is sooo tender! Usually found in tapas bars/any sort of bar.
Lindsay B.
Sacramento/Barcelona, CA USA Tue 06/17/2008
I never cared for Spanish cooking
The last time I was in Spain was in 1990. I was there for 3 weeks. I loved Barcelona I didn't care much for Madrid. The one thing that disappointed me the most about Spain was the food. Pork, pork and more pork or it was seafood I never liked, varities like trout, mackarel, sardines, or anchovies. Also every dish was drowning in olive oil or was deep fried. Eating for those three weeks was a chore not a pleasure unlike France where I didn't have to search for fantastic food it was everywhere. I ended up eating at any Italian restaurant I could find. Back then foreign cuisines were very rare other than Italian. From some of the postings the food hasn't improved that much. I still like Spain though.
James Avilez
San Francisco Bay Area, CA USA Sun 06/15/2008
Disappointing Spain
what a disappointment. The food is just terrible. everything is greasy deepfried ham, cheese, and canned tuna. The bathrooms all emitted sewer odours - from indy hostels to international chains. Andalucia itself seemed to have a sewer odour. Ronda is highly overrated, and one white hill town is plenty. I wouldn't go back. Greece is 100% better - hospitality, food, and scenery.
Mari
Vancouver, USA Sun 06/01/2008
accomodations
Hotel Ateneo, a great find in Madrid. Great location, great rooms and very helpful staff. Reasonable price. Paid much more and got much less elsewhere in Spain. For example in Seville the Hotel Europa. Overpriced, tiny twin room with no windows. I am now very leary of any hotel when the words "rooms with character" are used in the description.
robin
grayson county, tx USA Thu 05/08/2008
hotel europa, Madrid
We spent 5 nights at the Hotel Europa the first week in April 2008. While we liked the hotel, bar and outside cafe very much, we could not control the HVAC in the room. It was cool outside so the AC had not yet been turned on but the room was quite warm and needed some air movement. The noise from the square and later the interior courtyard (where we moved to), was too great for a restful sleep. If the AC was on, we could have closed the windows and that would have been much better. We couldn't even turn the HVAC fan on to circulate the air. Also because of the hotel's location, the outside noise was going on well into the wee hours.
Bill & Rose
Dallas, TX USA Mon 04/14/2008
Water in Madrid
I noticed some previous comments on tap water in Madrid.
I´m currently living in Madrid and the tap water here is incredibly clean, cleaner than most tap water in US cities. I know this for a fact, since I tested the tap water for bacteria in a biology class here...it came out cleaner than some of the bottled water...
Jenna
WA USA Wed 04/09/2008
Savory Portugal
Three recommendations for Portugal:
1. For a great if pricy meal in Porto, try Casa Agricola. Elegant surroundings, excellent service, superb food. Some of the best pork I've ever eaten.
2. In Cascais, try Dom Manolo, about a block from the main beach. Grilled chicken is their specialty, and the grilled sardines were also very good.
3. In Porto, do try the wine tasting tour at Ferreira. It's on the main street in Vila Nova da Gaia, easy to find. The white and tawny ports they served were complex and very satisfying. For the same price, Sandeman could not begin to compete.
David Dooley
San Diego, CA USA Mon 03/31/2008
BAR-RESTAURANT BENTOMIZ
WE HAVE JUST RETURNED FROM A HOLIDAY ON THE SOUTHERN COAST OF SPAIN AND ON OUR TRAVELS WE SPENT SOME TIME IN THE MOST PICTURESQUE VILLAGE OF FRIGILIANA(A FEWKILOMETRES INLAND FROM THE COASTAL RESORT OF NERJA).ON THE MAIN STREET OF THE OLD TOWN WE DISCOVERED A LITTLE GEM-THE BAR-RESTAURANT BENTOMIZ.IT IS RUN BY HUSBAND AND WIFE ANNA AND MATTHEW(THE CHEFS)AND THEIR PARTNER ALISON WHO ALISON WHO COMBINES BAR AND FRONT OF HOUSE WITH EQUAL APLOMB.
THE FOOD IS A DELICIOUS BLEND OF INTERNATIONAL AND MEDITERRANEAN CUISINE AND IS ACCOMPANIED BY SOME FINE WINES.THE LUNCHTIME TAPAS WAS FANTASTIC AND WE DECIDED TO TRY THE MAIN MENU IN THE EVENING.THANK GOODNESS WE DID.MOUTHWATERING DISHES AND GREAT SERVICE IN A FRIENDLY AND INTIMATE RESTAURANT.WE CAN GIVE IT NO HIGHER PRAISE THAN TO SAY IT WILL BE THE PLACE WE EAT ON OUR NEXT SOJOURN AT BOTH LUNCTIME AND EVENING.
ADRIAN AND JANET LUCAS,MANCHESTER,ENGLAND
ADRIAN LUCAS
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND Fri 02/15/2008