As if we hadn't fine-dined and party-ed enough at the close of this year! And at our age! Blimey! Whatever next? Discos till dawn?
We ate well at home on Christmas Eve and also on Christmas Day in Arriate.
We party-ed on the 27th in Montejaque - a house-warming, planned to dine for the first time at a new-ish Indian restaurant in Ronda
[LaSexta]
..... tried out a local venta that was new to my wife and ..... and we just saw in the New Year with a delicious "menú de degustación" in Fuente de la Higuera.
There's still a celebration to come - Three Kings Day on January 5th/6th.
***
Christmas Eve (Noche Buena)
Like most Spaniards do we ate at home. Rita suggested "raclette", so that's what we had. Before the meal we opened presents, typical in Germany, where Rita is from originally.
Read more about our Christmas Eve here.
[Apartamento Costa Blanca]
Christmas Day (Día de Navidad)
On Christmas Day we took it easy in the morning, phoned our families and got ready to go out for Christmas lunch at El Muelle de Arriate, otherwise known as Frank's.
[LaSexta]
Frank Röttgering and his chef Isa Molinillo García had put together a fascinating fixed menu. All drinks were included for a total price of 68 euros per person. Superb food! Great value!
Read more about our Christmas Lunch here.
December 27th (Fiesta de inauguración de una casa)
New arrivals in Montejaque, a Hungarian/German couple, Kryszta and Karl, threw a house-warming party for the handful of friends and near-neighbours they had already got to know.
We met them shortly after they bought the house, two doors down from Rita's. In fact they visited us for Kaffee mit Kuchen at the end of November.
[Dreamstime.com]
Karl was away in Germany for Christmas with his family, while Kryszta's son and daughter were visiting their mum in their new home.
We knew most of the people there. There were four other newcomers to Montejaque, whom we didn't know: a Belgian mademoiselle, a French/Spanish man, another Hungarian lady and a Canadian fellah.
All in all it was quite an international gathering:
- UK: Paul, Jill, John, Steve and Marg
- Germany: Rita
- Canada: Kevin
- Belgium: Karin
- Hungary: Agi, Kriszta and Ana
- Fr/Sp: Miguel
- Malta: John and Lorraine
December 29th
We had planned to go to this recently opened Bengladeshi restaurant for the first time with our Maltese friends John and Lorraine who were soon to fly back home on New Year's Eve.
In the end none of us went. You can't go out all the time! We'll do it the next time "The Maltesers" come.
[Facebook]
Instead Rita and I went to Venta El Pelistre in Llano de la Cruz.
I'd been going here alone a fair bit since my local - the Ronda Valley Hotel - was sold and closed for refurbishment.
[Diario SUR]
El Pelistre has been a revelation to me, not at all like the old "spit and sawdust" place I used to frequent for lunch years ago when I worked in Arriate.
Rita chose a tapa of salpicon de mariscos and calamares a la plancha, while I splashed out on a fresh lubina a la plancha con patatas and mixed vegetables.
[OK Diario]
All washed down with cerveza sin tostada, although I did have a glass of verdejo with my fish. Delicious!
46 euros plus tip = 50 euros!
December 31st (Año Nuevo)
Restaurante La Cascada at Hotel Molino del Puente is one of our favourite dining venues.
The food is first class and mine hosts, Ian and Elaine Love, have become friends over the years.
Their chef, son-in-law Tom O'Connor, is an outstanding cook, with experience on the Costa del Sol and in Tenerife.
Ian, formerly the chef, has retired from the kitchen and now runs the bar and helps out with waiting at table.
Family Photo - L to R: Ian, Elaine, Carly, Tom [Selfie]
He has also established an estate agency, LOVE Viviendas, with daughter Carly, Tom's partner.
Their office is at the hotel.
[Paul Whitelock]
So, to New Year's Eve. This year the restaurant offered a weekend package with accommodation, breakfast, the New Year meal included plus a guided tour of Ronda and a visit to a bodega. For locals who only wanted the New Year meal the price was 100€ per head.
We thought that was quite pricey, but at least all drinks were included, even a bag of 12 grapes! And it is Christmas-time when prices are loaded in any case.
For those who had stamina, there was a free bar until 3.00 am! We were in bed and fast asleep by then!
[Turismo de Ronda]
However, the food was outstandingly delicious, and we shifted some alcohol, I can tell you. Well, it was a long stint until after midnight.
We had an amuse-bouche, followed by four platos and a home-made dessert (see menu above left).
Rita enjoyed her glass of cava to start and the various wines which were matched to the food. No cheap supermarket plonk here!
Restaurante La Cascada dining room [Spain.info]
gravadlax y blinis [Paul Whitelock] ensalada de pechuga de pato [PW]
"Darby and Joan" [selfie] tarta de gruyere y cebolla caramelizada [PW]
ravioli de mariscos [PW] mousse de chocolate y Cointreau [PW]
As for me, a Type-2 diabetic, who shouldn't drink alcohol at all, I made an exception last night. A beer to start with, then the appropriate wines with each course: rosado de Barbadillo (Cadiz) with the first three courses, a white from Galicia with the fish dish and finally un tinto de Rioja with the carrillada de ternera. I had a nice tawny port after the meal to settle my stomach.
I thought I would most probably regret it in the morning.
Come m
idnight I had my 12 grapes ready. The idea is that as the clock strikes midnight you try to "polish off" your 12 grapes. If you do, you can make a secret wish for the new year.
I failed miserably to get through my grapes, but I made my wish anyway!
[Spain.info]
This ritual is similar to the British tradition of whoever gets the wishbone from the turkey or chicken on Christmas Day and snaps it gets to make a wish. And at midnight everybody gets to make their "New Year's Resolutions". It's similar in Germany.
January 1st, 2026 (Año Nuevo)
Surprisingly I had no hangover this morning and nor did Rita. Probably because we drank lots of water over the course of the celebration last night.
***
And something to look forward to in a week's time .....
January 6th (Día de Reyes)
[Calendarr]
Links:
Christmas / New Year 2025
Fine Dining at Christmas I - Christmas Eve
Fine Dining at Christmas II - Christmas Day
© The Guiri Gourmet
Pictures:
Apartamento Costa Blanca, Calendarr, Diario SUR, Ian Love, LaSexta, OK Diario, Paul Whitelock, Spain.info, Turismo de Ronda,
Thanks:
El Muelle de Arriate, Frank Röttgering, Google, Isa Molinillo Garcia, Wikipedia, www.eyeonspain.com, www.help-me-ronda.com,
Tags:
Año Nuevo, Apartamento Costa Blanca, Arriate, Calendarr, Christmas Day, Christmas Eve, Dia de Reyes, Diario SUR, El Muelle de Arriate, Frank Röttgering, Fuente de la Higuera, house-warming, Hungarian, Ian Love, Isa Molinillo Garcia, LaSexta, Love Viviendas, menu de degustacion, Montejaque, New Year's Day, New Year's Eve, Noche Buena, Noche Vieja, Paul Whitelock, Reyes, Rita, Ronda, Spain.info, tasting menu, Tom, Turismo de Ronda,
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