all about us | search reviews | links | message board | articles | submit review | ipod reviews | rage | top ten requested reviews | archive | double agents | best burger in London | buy | join spy | advertise on spy | local pages | oldsite | contact us
Home » Country » Europe

Spain

El Hidalgo, Jose Canalejas, 5, Segovia 921463529 Spain

El Hidalgo, Jose Canalejas, 5, Segovia 921463529 Spain

Jose Canalejas, 5, Segovia 921463529 Spain

Segovia is in Castile and its signature dish is suckling pig. You know this because there are pictures and models of them all over the place, in restaurant windows and doors, lying back in a 'come and eat me' sort of way. We applied rule one of tourism , avoiding any place with English on the menu, and went for El Hidalgo. This was quite a find. I'd like to be able to claim some cunning and research was involved but we chanced on it by pure luck. It was tucked away among some more expensive establishments and was dangerously near the cathedral in the 'let's rip off a tourist' zone but it was relatively reasonable. It is part of a hotel which was once a medieval palace and is built, like the rest of the old town, on a huge rock. When you go to the washrooms in the basement some of the corridor walls are those of a cave.

By Harry at 06/09/2006 - 12:43 | 2006 | Ambience | Approved | Other European | Review | Spain | £££/$$$ | add new comment | read more | 51 reads

Hostal Arenal, Pastor y Landero 21 (esquina) 41001 Seville, Spain

Hostal Arenal, Pastor y Landero 21 (esquina) 41001 Seville, Spain

Pastor y Landero 21 (esquina) 41001 Seville

We don´t often go for the Menu del Dia, because it´s usually more food than we want, but this one looked good. Each of our first courses had a fried egg slap in the middle, mine was spinach, L´s was pistou - very like ratatouille - both freshly home made and generous portions. I had a plate of various fried fish to follow, while L had cod in tomato sauce. The only slight criticism he had was that the tomato sauce gave both his courses a similar flavour.

By Daisy Middleton at 30/07/2006 - 16:08 | 2006 | Approved | Other European | Review | Service | Spain | ££/$$ | add new comment | read more | 51 reads

La Giganta Bar, Alhondiga 6, 41003 Seville, Spain

La Giganta Bar, Alhondiga 6, 41003 Seville, Spain

Alhondiga 6, 41003 Seville

The best Spanish bars are those which cater to people rather than to tourists, and La Giganta has been our best experience in Seville. The waiter, Ahmed (his mother is from Morocco) spoke no English, despite the two weeks he once spent in Hampstead, was tolerent of my ropey Spanish, and steered us away from ordering too much food. On our first visit we had media raciones of Hake with Basil Sauce and small, fried potatoes and Broad Beans with Squid. It was all fresh and delicious, just as it should be, and with two beers, a good bottle of red and 4 small cakes (Pasteles Arabes) it came to 25.40 euros. We sat at the bar, chatting to Ahmed; certainly the most friendly Sevillian we´ve met. Although it shows signs that it would like to be, Seville is not really a tourist destination. Yet.

By Daisy Middleton at 30/07/2006 - 15:45 | 2006 | Approved | Other European | Review | Service | Spain | ££/$$ | add new comment | read more | 100 reads

Bar Plata, Calle Resolana 2 Seville, Spain

Bar Plata, Calle Resolana 2 Seville, Spain

Calle Resolana 2 Seville

This was recommended by a local as "a bit touristy, but good" At 10pm it was still too hot to sit outside, and we fancied a bit of air conditioning (So London is sweltering at 36c ? We´ve just hit 49c in Seville, 50 predicted this weekend) I fancied a cool marble table by the window, but El Patron, tubby and waistcoated, had other ideas - he wanted us to sit over in a corner, behind a screen. I would like to point out that we are both clean, well dressed and incredibly attractive, and we have no idea why we were to be hidden away, nor why we consented to it.

By Daisy Middleton at 27/07/2006 - 19:52 | 2006 | Mediterranean | Rejected | Review | Spain | £££/$$$ | add new comment | read more | 79 reads
XML feed