Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Madrid trip report

[dostrovs]

My apologies for some procrastination. I just saw a kindly posted review of Playa de Las Americas restaurants on this site and realized that I have forgotten to summarise our experience around Tenerife and Gran Canaria where we spent 7 days this holiday season.

We arrived on Christmas day in Tenerife Norte. I was very much impressed by the efficiency of the Cicar rental agency. They have a window in the baggage claim section! Hence by the time you get luggage you already have a car key! The parking is right outside and you can start your venture immediately! Looking backwards I would do things differently logistics wise…Every ferry port has a Cicar office. I think getting the car upon arrival to the island by ferry would be more intelligent. FYE: If you are settled on taking the car around, check with your rental agencies (other than Cicar) if they allow travel from island to island. Many don’t.

Our first stop was Santa Cruz. Driving in this town is challenging even on Christmas day. Hotels do not have parking (or have one for very small cars) and instruct you to park in the city parking lot. Getting in and out of the city parking is an adventure. Another reason not to rent a car for the stay in Santa Cruz.

I did not make any reservations for Christmas day. Big mistake. The restaurants were open, but catered exclusively to the big parties of the locals. The tourists, like ourselves, were wandering around in hope of finding something to snack on… Eventually we encountered an outdoor tapas place serving predominantly southamerican/ caribbean food. I figured it was Venezuelan given some plates I have recognized. The food was OK, but nothing got stuck in my memory. We walked around this rather pleasant town and decided to skip dinner. Our hotel was a brand new AC chain (Bonvoy) one with a tiny pool on the roof. The Nuestra Senora de Africa market was closed on Christmas day…

In the morning we pretty easily boarded the ferry and in 1 hour 20 minutes drove off in Agaete of Gran Canaria. There is an option of direct ferry to Las Palmas (1 hour 40 minutes), but we wanted to drive around the island. After leaving our car in this surprisingly affordable (especially this time of the year!) Santa Catalina Hotel, we walked for about 20 minutes to the historical part of town.

Our first meal was in the universally praised Que Leche (1 sol)! Had to be booked well in advance. The service was dismal. The restaurant is not very big. Most of the time there was no staff in the dining room… To their defence, we came at 1:30, which is probably too early by the local standards…

• bombon de foie gras mousse (forgettable),

• huevos rotos con camarón (their signature dish on potato chips/shrimp/ truffled mayo and obviously eggs…OK but not overwhelming)

• aguachile de lubina (nice and fresh, but very forgettable because is served in every second restaurant all over the world),

• cochnillo negro (our waiter said that it was her favorite. Flavorful, but the skin was a bit tough for my taste)
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  

We skipped the dulce. Not sure it was my favorite restaurant, but certainly I would give it another chance. We may not have made a good selection…

For dinner we headed for (1 sol) Embarcadero - about 15 minutes walk from our hotel along the marina. We found the staff much warmer and more personable than in Que Leche! The restaurant, conveniently for non-spaniards, opens at 8 pm. The managing person helped us greatly with the plate selection.

• delicious fried artichokes with green sauce

• interesting deep fried eggplant with a different type of green sauce and arugula

• first time we tried papas arrugadas con mojo rojo - local small potatoes cooked in salt. The dish is good, but not for everyone.

• tuetano con tartar. I hate this dish, but somehow I let myself order it every time… Cold tartar completely obliterates the fatty goodness of the bone marrow. As well it is ALWAYS under seasoned. I promise you: This time was the last.

• they convinced us to try lubina cooked on the grill. Indeed very good and smoky. Reminded me of the grilled fish we had on the Galician and Asturian coasts.

I think that this restaurant is a very good choice in the central Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

I had nor reservation for lunch the next day because we did not decide on our travel plan. In the end we stayed in a hotel by the poolside (usually - not my thing). My wife did not want to go too far from the hotel. I found La Bodega de La Avenida (no soles). The restaurant was fully booked. We took a chance of walking there and asking for a table in person. Unassuming residential building. They were initially reluctant to give us a table but eventually conceded and our effort was rewarded with outdoor seats for 1.5 hour. It is a white cloth place. Interestingly most of the visitors seemed to be local. Every arriving guest was greeted with hugs and kisses by multiple staff members.

We tried:

• excellent wague cecina (1/2 ración)

• very tasty ensaladilla de marisco y cangrejo real (1/2 ración)

• croquetas de chuletón madurado

• small beef sandwich Don Pepito

• tarta de queso

We did not want to have a big meal. Every plate was well prepared. The menu is very interesting and would definitely return trying more sophisticated dishes. Definitely recommended.

The dinner took us to the most interesting place in Las Palmas: El Equilibrista 33 (1 sol)

Small place serving elevated canarian food. They have a tasting sequence option. The table next to us went along with it and the dishes appeared to be very interesting.

We ordered off the menu.

• Gofio maki. Their most promoted dish. Essentially instead of rice they use gofio (bland of different meals, but predominantly corn). It’s a bit difficult to understand the plate. I think the seasoning was very reasonable, but the texture of the cornmeal didn’t work well with the fish.

• Grouper ceviche canarian style. Very different from other ceviches. Mixed with fried gofio bread. We liked it a lot.

• Coconut mojo. Baby squid with shredded zucchini. Very flavorful play on the pasta dish. Excellent.

• Carajacas. Fried calf’s liver with caramelized onion and potato. Something very different from any liver we tried before. A real treat for liver lovers!

• Huevos mole (desert). This dish exists in multiple cultures, but it is the first time I have encountered it in the Spanish one. Egg Yolks with sugar and rum (aged with some rocal herbs). Excellent finish to the meal.

This restaurant gets an award for the most authentic meal we had on the Canary islands. Highly recommended. Excellent cost/value ratio.

The lunch on the last day took us to the restaurant most celebrated by locals - Ribera del Rio Mino (1 sol). It is a huge place. Reservations only by phone. Serves the food of continental Spain in the upscale environment. They call themselves Galician, but the food is from all over Spain. Large families coming on the weekend. We did not order too much.

• ensaladilla

• local crab soup/stew served in the shell

• another excellent grilled lubina

• cordero lechal
  

  
  
  
  

All the plates were executed impeccably. The service is a bit distant, but efficient. Definitely good restaurant, but there are plenty of similar places on the mainland.

Sunday dinner was a difficult affair to arrange. All the restaurants I had remote interest in were closed. We ended up in Allende (Triana location). There is one next to Santa Catalina Hotel but we decided to go to the historical part of town. The restaurant was not fantastic. It is a very average tapas place very popular with locals and tourists. We were not impressed with any of the dishes we tried ( berenjena con miel, albondigas, arenke).

The next morning we headed back to the ferry to Tenerife.

[linguafood (Natascha)]

Great report! I was on Gran Canaria with my besties at the time back in the early 90s. Trip wasn’t so much food-related, but we drove around the island one day and it is truly beautiful.

Will never forget the fresh mango juice from a lil truck in the mountains with a view of waterfalls

[Maribel]

@dostrovs
Thanks so much for your report on your Canaries dining, and especially of your meals on Gran Canaria.
Yes, finding an interesting place on a Sunday night is a major challenge!

Selfishly, I hope that you had time to continue your dining reports on Tenerife, but perhaps you went on to Madrid.
I’ve spent the past weekend doing research on Tenerife restaurants and dishes, as we plan an 8-night trip in October.
Unlike I think 95% of travelers to Tenerife our trip won’t be a beach/resort vacation, as we plan to stay in the historic towns, San Cristóbal de la Laguna & Garachico on the green north coast, not the beach centers of the south. So ours will be local food/local wine/history focused.

That crab soup/stew looks delicious! All of your photos are so much better than mine! I’ve never had a huevos mole dessert.

Again, thanks so much for your report and those photos, and I look forward to reading about your later dining adventures, especially here in Madrid.

[erica1]

Maribel, I just came across a fairly new hotel on Tenerife (north) that looks tempting…I wonder if you plan to visit this area..???

GRAN HOTEL TAORO, outside Puerto de la Cruz.

Opening of Gran Hotel Taoro: A Luxury Icon in Puerto de la Cruz

Once you return, I’ll ask you if you think a week in that area would offer enough interesting, food-wise..

[Maribel]

Yes, we certainly plan to visit because this hotel (housing celebs in its day), opened in 1890, had been closed for many, many years and has just reopened by the Ritz Carlton Abama and will have Michelin-star quality restaurants. Ricardo Sanz of Madrid will be supervising the Japo-Mediterrean space and Basque chef from Vizcaya, Erlantz Gorostiza, who earned his Michelin credentials, 2 stars, in Martín Berasategui´s MB of the Ritz Carlton Abama will head up the kitchen at Lava. He has trained with some of the finest in Spain.

The north just seems more interesting to us, as we would rather avoid the large beach resorts, water parks, heavily touristed areas of the south, even though there are several tempting gastronomic destinations in the south’s luxury hotels. For example, El Rincon de Juan Carlos, whose chef we’ve seen at SS Gastronomika.

[Maribel]

@erica1
Most of the very, very top rated restaurants (multi Michelin stars & Repsol suns) are housed in the luxury hotels in Adeje on the south coast. It would be tempting for a very, very special splurge to splash out at the adults only Royal Hideaway Corales Beach in Adeje, but there is a minimum stay requirement, and it’s just not our style nor within our budget. It would be a bit similar to your Lanzarote hotel.

But the Taoro is steeped in history and quite legendary as the first grand luxury hotel in Spain. It’s only a half hour from where we’ll be staying.

But there are plenty of Bib Gourmands and 1 Repsol suns in the north. I’ve been doing my research, and I believe we have a very solid list–no Japanese tasting menus or Nikkei cuisine, as we’re focusing on typical Canary Island dishes. We may even check out a guachiche. Most are located in the north. And there are furanchos as well.

[erica1]

Thanks, Maribel!!! I don’t think the South would be for us…and you know, we are more than fine with Bib Gourmands and Soletes and 1 Repsol sun…I’m going to do some reading, and will be very eager to hear about your trip…there is a flight from Santiago, direct, to Tenerife, so it might work with La Toja, for us IF a certain person agrees to extend a trip I’m planning for September..

[Maribel]

We’ll be flying into Tenerife North, directly from Madrid on Iberia Express. Several Repsol suns were awarded to Tenerife restaurants last night:
‘Cráter Identidad Canaria’ y ‘Troqué’, en Adeje; ‘Haydée by Víctor Suárez’, en La Orotava, y ‘Moral’, en la ciudad de Santa Cruz de Tenerife. We have the last 2 on our list. Two suns were awarded to “San Ho” in Adeje, but it’s fusion or what they call comida viajera and 2 tasting menus only.

[digga]

@Maribel You will surely eat better than we did (non-fancy Americans with a then-9-year-old who doesn’t prioritize eating) but we loved our trip to Northern Tenerife in April 2023.

A few highlights, though: We had a wonderful steel-dry white wine from Vilaflor (the highest vineyard in Tenerife). And we were told by one restaurant owner about Valentin, the goatherder who produces incredible goat cheese in Afur (sadly, we ran out of time to seek him out). One of the best things we ate was a simple pork sandwich at the very informal/counter service with patio Bar Chicho in Arafo where we were staying at a vineyard house (and I don’t normally eat meat but I made an exception that day).

One thing to note; if you are planning on taking the cable car to the top of Mount Teide, if you are sensitive to altitude, you may feel the effects. My kid and I did (I have had this issue elsewhere). My appetite was sapped the rest of the day but it was very much worth it; Teide is awesome. If you and your husband are driving, you will be “treated” to some harrowing switchbacks (and we’ve been to and driven in many mountainous places). The driver and passenger alike need a strong constitution, especially when the locals are behind you.

I look forward to your report. We were saddened to hear about the terrible fire that occurred in Northern Tenerife in the summer of 2023. It started in Arafo. I hope life has gone back somewhat to normal.

[dostrovs]

Maribel! I would love to reciprocate for all the wonderful information on the food of Spain we get from you, but our trip to Tenerife was centered around a very touristy part of the island. We were hoping for good weather which in December is usually (my understanding) in the South. And in fact we got some. I did my best to find interesting places to eat, but definitely could have done better if I would stay on the Northern side of the island. Santa Cruz was pretty wet, but not as cold.

Upon arrival in Tenerife we cancelled our lunch in town due to our exceptional dislike of driving inside this city. We headed to Playa de Las Americas to do the touristy things. We grabbed a pretty pathetic bite in a South Asian owned “tapas” restaurant. Not good. Not going to talk about it.

It was our first time in 16 years of staying in an all inclusive hotel. And “no”. We did not sign in for a meal plan. We got a very nice room with a view. The town itself is not much to talk about but the scenery from the upper floor room was spectacular. We just wanted a 3 night stay without much driving. My further communication with the local crowd revealed that the places down the Adeje coast are more interesting.

The dinner in El Lajar de Bello (1 sol) was the first real meal in Tenerife (La Playa de las Américas). Short taxi ride. We arrived by 8:30 and found groups of people already leaving. Extremely early for any restaurant in Spain. I figured they cater to mostly tourists. The menu was very interesting. The staff was extremely helpful. They advised 2 small plates and corte de vaca premium. The restaurant serves plenty of fish and arrozes. We felt like meat.

• Foie gras con tosta de maiz - excellent (I remember that the cost of this plate was spectacularly low…)

• ensaladilla - among the dozen we tried that week - probably my favorite. I am an ensaladilla addict.

• Among the multiple beef cuts from different parts of Spain we settled on the one from Tenerife. The beef was very flavorful with the side of Bearnaise. Bearnaise was not really necessary. The flavor of the beef was excellent on its own.

• the dessert of lingote( gold bar?) de mango - was a bit too sweet for my taste.
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

We enjoyed our meal and would come back if we had more than 3 nights in Tenerife.

My intention not to drive much was recoiled the next morning because of the venture to El Teide. Word of advice: Go there very early. The parking in the park is a very disappointing problem. We had no difficulties with ascension to the pick, but many other locations in the park were simply inaccessible because of inability to get parking. The traffic becomes horrible because multiple drivers are trying to find non-existent spots to park. The general feeling - kind of low key Mauna Kea without all the restrictions of the Big Island. Maybe it makes sense to get an all included guided tour…

We descended down from the park for about 1 hour arriving at the restaurant of my elevated anticipation, El Secreto de Chimiche (1 sol) in the town of (surprisingly) Chimiche. This place was the other one we visited specializing in food from the islands. Once again the experience was very good.

• crudo of the blue fish with some spices and cilantro (always shocks me how fishermen here on Long Island throw this fish away when they are catching it! Elsewhere in the world it is highly praised and expensive fish! I lightly salt the filets and keep them on a piece of kombu for a few hours. The best sashimi you can get on this side of the Atlantic!)

• Ensaladilla del mar - unusually presented. Was not their strongest dish.

• Very interesting grilled soft onions with local soft cheese - something I have never tried before! Enjoyed it very much.

• grilled local pimentos - good as always.

• Cabra (goat) asada - very local. Acquired taste. I liked it, but not for everyone.

• Tiramisu di platano y gofio - very interesting desert. Not really tiramisu. Just by the way it is plated.
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

I think the restaurant is very much worth the trouble of driving there (about 35 minutes from Playa without traffic).

For a light dinner we headed to Asador Goxoa (no soles, but Repsol recommended). It is a relatively short walk from the central part of town. The place is slightly upscalish but with a rather limited menu. excessive application of caviar to multiple dishes. We took 3 plates:

• tuna and tomato salad. Nothing special.

• steak tartare. Large portion. Nothing wrong with it.

• grilled squid with fresh vegetables was the best plate. Prepared to exactly the appropriate point of tenderness
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  , which is not easy with this creator.

I just discovered that the place has closed.

On our last day we had a fairly disappointing lunch in a seaside Italian restaurant in La Caleta. We went for the view on my wife’s request.

The dinner was in Char Fuego y Brasas (1 sol). It is a steakhouse. Apparently it is ranked in the “100 best steakhouses in the world” list. Honestly I never know what it means. Some of the restaurants from these lists are excellent, other ones plain awful. Our dinner was on New Year’s Eve. We had to go with a rather pricey prefixed menu. The menu included:

• excellent bread with batter/ champagne

• shrimp carpaccio with caviar

• small portion of Luisme steak tartar

• aged picanha carpaccio with cheese and truffles

• butter poached lobster tail (not sure from where)

• very sizable wagyu ribeye steak to be shared

• The dessert was torreja (french toast?) with vanilla cream.
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

I liked everything besides the pretty boring dessert. The plates were prepared immaculately. They clearly tried to show the best they have. I am sure it is not an economical place even on a regular night. I think it deserves a visit.

The morning after the very timid New Year celebration we headed to Madrid for a few nights.

[erica1]

Thanks ever so much for this report!
You mentioned flying to Madrid from Tenerife, and also mentioned Long Island–did you fly to Tenerife direct from the US, or did you have to fly via MAD? (I’m wondering if there is a route to Canarias that I’m not aware of…I thought that traveling from NYC always meant connecting in Madrid.(??)

I can feel my curiosity about Tenerife ramping up…your photos of Teide are beautiful! And good to know about the limited parking…thanks again!

[dostrovs]

erica 1! There is no direct connection between US and Canary Islands. The most logical stop over is Madrid with the multiple flights to the two Tenerife airports every day. Alternatively you can consider flights through London. I personally hate the mayhem of Heathrow. As well in many cases the flights to Canary from UK depart from Gatwick. The change between the airports is not easy. Flying through the other countries do not make much sense.
US visitors are not common in Canary Islands. Almost universally the taxi drivers and hotel/ restaurants staff are very surprised to see someone from USA.

[erica1]

Thanks, Dostrovs! I got a similar surprised reaction from taxi drivers/restaurant workers on Lanzarote. Canary Islands are unknown to most Americans, I think. Given the prices of resorts in the Caribbean, a winter vacation in the Canaries probably costs a lot less, even with the flights from the US via Madrid. That single visit, in 2024, sparked my interest in visiting other islands. We got to Lanzarote on a Vueling direct flight from Santiago; flight cost less than 100e if I am remembering correctly. Do you plan to visit again anytime soon??

[Maribel]

@dostrovs
My husband is the carnivore in the family and we’ll be sure to hit up Char Fuego y Brasas, as we’ve done a few of those on that infamous 101 list (Casa Julián, Asador Nicolás, Laia, El Capricho, Los 33) and I’m treating him to Lana for his birthday.

After our park visit I’ll make sure to include Chimiche, so thanks! And thanks to you and to @digga about the El Teide advice. I do suffer from altitude sickness, so I think it wise not to take the cable car, and perhaps our hotel could arrange a driver/guide, or we could opt for that guided tour, but I assume it would include that ascent via cable car.

Love your photos, once again!

@digga
I believe we tasted that Vilaflor white wine at the all Tenerife wines tasting at Madrid Fusion. I’ll certainly look for it again and for that cheese producer.

[dostrovs]

Erica1! We are not going to Canares in the nearest future, but will be going back to Spain in September. this time we will go back to Valencia/ Alicante/ Murcia circut.

Maribel! I would give a chance to El Lajar de Bello as well. I think the food was very decent with an interesting menu (despite their early opening for the tourists…)
As for the local wines, we did not have an ample opportunity of the degustations given very restricted time interval. I have to mention one I have enjoyed:
Los Quemados. Red syrah (usually it is not my favorite grape). I think it is from Reveron winery, but I may be mistaken. They served it in El Secreto de Chimiche. If I would have time, would have gone to the winery…

[Maribel]

I’ll add El Lajar de Bello to the list.

Your Valencia/Alicante/Murcia route is a nice one!! Fantastic rice dishes, terrific dining in Alicante these days (my favorite Nou Manolin & Piripi, Manero, La Taberna del Gourmet, the flashy El Portal, César Anca, Monastrell if you’re up for tasting menus, same owner as TdelG). And a visit to Bodegas Enrique Mendoza and Casa Agrícola Pepe Mendoza were treats for us.

I hope you include Dénia, as well. Miquel Ruiz (former Michelin starred chef) is no longer at his famous Baret de Miquel but has moved on to open the Cuc de Miquel Ruiz and gives cooking classes. Friends who live in Dénia recommend it highly.

We sampled some of the Murcia chefs´ dishes at their stands, both at Madrid Fusión and SS Gastronomika and were quite pleasantly surprised. My husband says we must put Murcia on our dining explorations list. It’s one of Spain’s vegetable gardens. And one of my favorite tapas is the marinera murciana.

The new Macarfi 2026 now lists restaurants in all of the peninsula (the guide started in Barcelona, then added Madrid, and now all the regions, save the islands).

These are Macarfi’s Murcia region top 10:

1. Cabaña Buenavista
2. Magoga
3. Frases
4. Barahonda
5. Kappou Makoto
6. Local de Ensayo
7. Estirpe
8. Gran Rhin
9. Por Herencia
10. Tándem

[dostrovs]

We have travelled uneventfully to Madrid the first day of the year. Our hotel in Salamanca district managed to find an open restaurant. It was Manero (I suspect the twin of the one in Alicante). We were very pleased with this opportunity. This tapas place has a long menu. Interesting interior. The service was dicy, but we forgave them this minor trouble on the first day of the year…

• leek with almonds

• ensaladilla

• gildas

• smallish lamb shank

• small bocadillo with morcilla
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  

All the dishes were very satisfying. Good choice for anyone looking for tapas variety exposure in unusual ambience.

The morning took us to Mercado de la Paz for a habitual meal in Casa Dani. Will repeat myself: the best way to enjoy the place is to come at the “American” brunch time. We usually show up around 11-12. Always no line. The menu is the same all day long. We usually get the notorious tortilla (tapa size) and morcilla. As well as some small fish plates. One of the best food experiences of Madrid.

The evening meal was the most anticipated one of the trip. The Madrid’s restaurant of the year, according to Madrid Academy of Gastronomy: Pabu (cocina de micro-temporada) 1 sol/ 1 star. The chef,Coco Montes, is Paris trained. The customer has 3 options: full menu (8 plates), 1/2 portions (8 plates), shortened menu (6 plates). There is a cheese course for a separate fee. The cheese is from France. They told me the name of the well known affineur who provides them, but I immediately forgot it.

Upon entering the place we felt overwhelmingly welcome. Only 7 tables. White glove service was impeccable. I think most of the individuals serving us spoke English, but I may be mistaken. Most of the options of the extensive wine menu were available by the glass. Thanks to the helium pumping technology they use on their bottles.

We went with the reduced portion menu. I found the fact that different bread was served with every course fascinating. It was not just bread. They were more like extra sides. I will include a picture of the menu. Discussing the dishes is useless because they change frequently and reflect the “micro-temporada”. All the plates were very flavorful and rather diverse in delivery. The “Parisian” training of the chef becomes very apparent with the variety of the sauces accompanying the plates. We did not skip the cheese. The meal was completed with fresh herb tea. We were given an additional slice of Roscon de Reyes (we dined around the time of the Dia de los Reyes) after the desert/ apre-desert courses.

I have not enjoyed that much a visit to the restaurant for a while. I can not put a finger on it, but we felt very happy with our experience. Maybe it is the marriage of Spanish food with French delivery…

We had lunch in La Monteria. It was our first time. The place is chaotic. Packed standing area. Very sizable sitting area was quickly filled with large families (we went on Saturday). Not sure if the waiting staff speaks English. We picked a few dishes. I asked for input from the waiter. She just shrugged her shoulders.

• warm codorniz (quail) salad - apparently a popular dish. We did not like it. Very sour.

• I fell again for the niscalos scheme. Not niscalos, just oyster mushrooms disguised as niscalos. Which is understandable because the season is the late September- November.

• decent tuna belly

• chopped and flash fried mollejas
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  

We were served very quickly. I think turning tables was the priority on Saturday. Would give them another chance, but so far underwhelming…

The last day of the trip we headed for Segovia. After visiting Spain a dozen times it was our first in that lovely town in Castilian heartland. On the first Sunday of the year the transportation was very busy with a local tourist. 35 minutes train ride from Chamartin and 10 min bus ride from the station. Good luck finding a taxi at the train station. We have enjoyed strolling the streets and wandering around a very imposing alcazar. Our meal was reserved at Jose Maria (1 sol). I suspect that this restaurant is one of the main reasons why people come to town. The place is enormous. Very timid exterior, but once you get inside you realize that the eatery probably occupies the entire block with multiple buildings remodeled as dining rooms. Initial feeling is inescapable touristy, but once you are assigned to your dining area you realize the classiness of the institution. Very precise service to the point. We spoke Spanish, but I would think they speak English. Interestingly the waiters recommend to order less rather than more. The portions are indeed imposing. Although the menu is long, everyone orders the same thing: cochinillo. I was hoping to try some cordero lechal, but the waiter was adamant: seria demasiado para dos personas.

• I was able to convince him to sneak us some morcilla (excellent!)

• after more negotiations he has permitted us to try Trufa de Segovia con huevos camperos y cremoso de patata - good

• cochinillo was definitely impressive, but an acquired taste. I expected the crunchier skin…For some strange reason I always like cochinillos in Mexico more than I like them in Spain. It is my personal bias. The Spanish families around were very happy with the provided creator.

• we finished with the “ponche de Segovia” cake. It was too much…

• I had a few glasses of an excellent house tempranillo.
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Jose Maria Ruiz himself greets every table during the meal and occasionally assists in slicing the cochinillos (with a side of the plate!).

I did only one “meal between the meals” during this trip (…getting old…). After picking up a few Alex Cordobez cheesecakes to go to the US (will repeat myself: small size ones are allowed to be carried on the plane), I stopped at a Cantabrian joint across the street - La Maruca. I have a feeling it is a chain… I enjoyed an excellent tortilla espanola with bacalao and fried onions. One of the best things I have tried during this trip. Highly recommend it.

This completes our intensely scheduled trip. Thank you for reading. Happy to answer any questions.

[Maribel]

Thanks so much for your Madrid-Segovia report and photos!

Agreed that there’s no better tortilla española than Casa Dani’s (but La Maruca’s is no slouch). And the portion size is one fourth of a whole tortilla, so we always share.

La Maruca, now with 5 branches, was brought to Madrid by the chef Paco Quirós of Santander’s Cañadío, who also opened a branch of Cañadío on Conde de Peñalver in the upper northeast Salamanca district. All the Marucas plus Gran Café Santander and La Primera feature the Santander mothership’s greatest hits: rabas, tortilla, ensaladila rusa, Cantabrian anchovies, cocido croquettes…They all serve the same menu. Cañadío is our “ace in the hole” for Sunday night informal dining.
His more gastronomic spot, with 1 Repsol sun, is La Bien Aparecida on Jorge Juan.

Yes, the bar at La Montería at the lunch hour, especially on weekends, is chaotic, as it’s extremely popular with a very loyal local crowd.
I would urge you to give La Montería another try, but in the quiet back dining room at night, when the atmosphere is far more sedate and there is an extensive list of “off menu” dishes. And go when it’s game season, as that’s their forte. Or try their morrillo and ventresca de atún. The last time I had wild mushrooms there this past January, they were listed on the menu as “setas silvestres”.

Manero at Claudio Coello is indeed the twin of Alicante’s Manero, which we love, and we also went to Manero on New Year’s Day (2 years ago), as it’s one of the few bets for a Jan. 1 a la carte lunch here in lieu of a very pricey hotel brunch.
There’s a new “super” Manero, very elegant, on Marqués de Cubas, around the corner from Las Cortes.

Great to know about your successful Pabú experience. Coco Montes trained at Arpege. The cheese course may be from the very famous cheesemonger Bernard Anthony. This cheesemonger also provides the cheese course at Lakasa.
Coco assured me via email that I could order a la carte as a single diner, but I haven’t yet been, although it´s high on my “to do” list. I must try it soon.

Of all the three Segovia roasting temples with a Repsol sun, Mesón de Cándido, Duque and José María, serving the same greatest hits, cochinillo and lechazo, José María is my favorite. You´re right, it´s a classy place and serves enormous portions!
On our last visit in Jan. we took half of our meal home with us! And yes, the wait staff speaks very good English.
The owner’s wines, Pago de Carraovejas from Peñafiel in the Ribera del Duero are stunning, and here their entry level P de C tempranillo is an absolute steal for the price/quality.

Thanks so much, again, for taking the time to share your dining experiences with us.

[erica1]

Absolutely terrific, and so informative, report!

I will say that the least enticing photo is of a dish that I would have thought would be a highlight: Jose Maria’s suckling pig. I don’t think they will ever use that photo on their website!! I was so surprised by the yellow-ish, flaccid-looking skin in the photo, and your comments, that I looked back to a report I wrote during my visit in 2006; here is an excerpt:

<<<The cordero asado here must be ordered by two persons and, knowing that we would be on the lechazo trail the next day, my partner ordered the famous suckling pig, whose adorable relatives are featured on the menu cuddled up in Jose Maria’s arms. The pig is no more than 3 weeks old and weighs a maximum of 4.5 kilos. This tiny animal is served with fabulous roasted potatoes. The meat is incredibly tender and the skin is so scrumptiously crispy that it is truly a wonder. The skin is so very crunchy that a large portion, including the tiny ear, actually bounced off the plate and onto the floor when we cut into it! Never mind…we completely demolished the entire portion.>>>

So, what went wrong? Does it vary day to day? Time of day? Placement of the animal in the hotter/cooler parts of the oven???

PABU is one of two restaurants, new to me, that I have at the top of my list for a future visit to Madrid. (The other is GOFIO). You had a dinner for the ages there! Thanks so much for the report, and all of the photos..

One question, for you or for Maribel: I remember that there is a bar in the entry area of Jose Maria and someone there told me that they serve tapas. Are there any tapas that might contain bits of the suckling pig or lamb?? Or can you eat portions of this at the bar? Or does that tapas area even still exist?? (I’ve not been back to Segovia since 2006, so a return seems essential..it’s great that its so easy to get there from Madrid..suitable for a lunch out of the city…)

[Maribel]

My own personal “jury” is still out on Gofio. It isn’t traditional Canaries cuisine, says the matriarch of our family, born and raised in the Canaries. It’s the contemporary version of some of the traditional dishes.

As to the cochinillo/tostón photo and lack of crispiness of the skin, I can’t explain that either.
@dostrovs Question? Did you dine there rather late in the lunch hour?

@erica, Yes, there is a bar area, the “Gastro Bar” and I believe that one can have an order of cochinillo there. The Gastro Bar menu here.

One can reach Segovia by the Alvia or Avant train that departs from Chamartín and arrives at the purpose built Guiomar AVE station outside of town and then catch the awaiting bus number 11 that takes you into the center and drops you off below the aqueduct square. To get back to the Guiomar station, at that bus stop there is also a taxi stand. Our family group did this in January.

Alternatively, one can take the Avanza bus from the Intercambiador de Moncloa. One can purchase tickets online or at the Avanza ticket booth at the Intercambiador.

Our family visits to José María and Segovia also include purchasing the traditional dessert, ponche segoviano at the bakery, Confitería Alcázar on the Plaza Mayor.
The recipe here.

We sampled a portion of the Lanzarote version of roast pig during the Saborea Lanzarote Festival–very crispy skin!