Best Tapas!

 I just thought I start a new thread to break up the quiet on this forum. 

Meson del asador in Jerez. Take El Gallo Azul as reference point. Walk towards Plaza del Arenal and turn right when you reach the plaza. After about a hundred meters turn right again into a a small alley. The Meson is straight ahead, you can't miss it. It is less than a 5 minute leisurely walk from El Gallo Azul. Great tapas, friendly staff. Get a place at the bar or counter, pick your tapas from a blackboard or the menu and enjoy. It's were the locals go! If you feel like an ice cream afterwards, there is a very good parlor just opposite the alley.

Buen provecho

Must give that one a try when we are over next.

On a similar theme Matt Dawson, the former rugby player now TV celebrity, wrote an article for the Daily Telegraph recently - Arcos de la Frontera 'Heaven on Earth' (he apparently has aplace at Arcos Gardens) in which he recommends: 

Cerveceria El Gorila (www.cerveceriasjerez.es)

tapas bar in the centre of Jerez

We haven't been there as yet but it is on our list of things to do.

Regds to all

Nigel and Diane

 Ah, I know that one from looking at it from the outside. Thought it was more of a watering hole but of course one never knows until one tries. I have a reason now to give it a shot. Thanks.

The best Tapas we've had in Arcos so far is to be found at Joven Flamenco a bar almost opposite the Romanber Office ! It doesn't look all that in the plasic display case but it is produced from the kitchen & the hot Tapas in particular is deelish..

 If you go up the hill, just before you enter into the old town on the left hand side is El Syndicato. We passed it by many times because it is not much to look at but it was recommended to us, we tried it and we loved it. Another favourite one, and a great place to sit outside with a fino is not 100% sure if I got the name right, La Taverna. It's on the road that you hit when you go,, up the hill and then down the hill''. Or go down the new road behind the apartments and then go up to the right. It's on the right hand side with a little plaza in front. Good for music as well. On the left hand side you'll pass an Asador where they have great chicken for take away. 

Hi All

Planning to go out to Arcos in the next month or so.  just for a few days whilst the furniture goes in.

So this thread is just what we needed

You all seem to know Arcos so much better than us so it'll be great fun trying to find all these places also a good test for our very beginners spanish

Ruth

I hope you are going to have a great time. Let us know about the places you find. 

Hi All

We had a drink at the Bar Hostel Zindicato - Calle de la Corredera (on the left going up past the three statues towards the Parador) just before the road narrows. Is that the same one you mention?

Didn't know the food was any good!

Regds

Nigel and Diane

 That's the one. My spelling might be a bit creative. The last time we were there we wanted to go back the following evening but they had closed for two weeks holidays. Even the kids were dissappointed. The place was recommended to us by an English lady who lives over on the other side of the old town. 

I knew there was something about that place.Although we have never been in I have noticed on many visits over several years now that it is always a very busy terrace with lots of folk who appear local or at least Spanish....i shall give it a go next time.

The barman was very attentive and the drinks very good in the Zindicato, though I would say it lacked atmosphere when we were there as it was very quiet. 

Keep the recommendations coming

Regds

 I'll give it a try. 

From our local Mercadona go left at the Sportsground, left at the next road (where the local church San Francisco is) about a block down on the left is a little plaza with chairs and tables. 

I just noticed that Google has updated its map service so if you type in Arcos de la Frontera and San Francisco you get the general area.The road is marked CA -6101 A bit to the right you see Calle de los Alamos. Where the word Calle begins you can see a little plaza. That's it.

A bit further down that road on the right side is the Asador de pollo. It can be easily missed. A bit further down from the Cafe with the huge palm trees( If you walk up the steps to the left of the Cafe you end up where El Gallo Azul, the sports shop, is, not far from the Romamber office. Handy to know if you want to walk into Arcos centre). There is a sign for it up at the by-pass.

You get on this road by either going down the new road behind the apartments and then turn right, via Mercadona, driving up the hill by the apartments, down the other side keeping to the left or from the by-pass.

I hope this helps!

We love to go to Arcos Gardens. The last time we were there with friends who expressed an interest in the houses and before we knew it we were sitting on a golf cart being shown around. Beautiful houses but heavy on the wallet.

What time of the day were you in Zindicato? The first time we went at 8 pm thinking we finaly got the hang of spanish kitchen times only to get a shrug and and a smile reserved for tourists. The kitchen opened at 9! If you go out late in Spain you can't go wrong whereas if you're to early.....

We always enjoy finding a 'venta' in the countryside and ordering from the 'menu del dia' to get a really authentic home-cooked lunch. Sometimes you have to ask if they have a 'menu del dia' otherwise they might try and give you the menu and you pay more ordering a-la-carte.

Our favourite in the area so far is the Venta Junta de los Rios which charges €7 per person for 3 courses, a drink, bread and salad. Note, this is only available week-days - on the weekends you order from the normal menu. You know it's good as it's full of locals, especially labourers who go there in their lunch-break. If you go, make sure to have a look in the adjoining shop - all sorts of bric-a-brac. There are some geese in the garden at the back which the kids like to see.

To find it, take the A-389 Arcos-Medina road that leaves Arcos immediately to the left of the 'Big House' Chinese restaurant (you must have seen that - opposite Carrefour). It's approx 6km on the left - you can't miss it. On the way back you get one of the best views of Arcos.

Sorry, I know it's not strictly a 'tapas' recommendation, pero bueno....!

Hi All

I think we went to the golf course when we first went out to see the development.  Duncan took us through the 'clubhouse' and onto a terrace lakeside, looking back to the Romanber building site on the otherside of the lake.  Is that Arcos Gardens?  Wherever it was we had a very nice lunch stop with a wonderful view and guess what, he paid!

We really are going to have to get to know the area better when we visit in July as all these directions leaves me dizzy!  Looking forward to the autumn when we can really wander around, when it's not quite so hot as it will be in a few weeks.

Thinking about the Parador, we had a great hour or so back in January there, a couple of vinos tintos, teeshirts and sandals, the complete english tourist, wondering why all the locals had coats on!

Ruth

Hi Ruth

That's the famous 'Meson de la Molinera' - a 3* Hotel with restaurant and outdoor pool. Seeing as our pool isn't ready we used the Meson's pool yesterday. They charge €5 per adult or €4 per child (they didn't bother charging us for the kids though). It has 3 pools - a large deepish pool, a kids pool and a baby/toddler pool. Loads of shade under trees/umbrellas. No changing room though - you either have to use the hotel's toilet or have a shimmy behind a towel. It's open all day (within reason) every day from mid June through the Summer months. Definitely recommend it.

Better say something about the food. The bar is great to relax in by the lake, and the food in the restaurant is OK. I wouldn't say it was the best and probably slightly over-priced due to the location.

Adam

Goes to show what I know!

We enjoyed the food, glad it's overpriced, what with sunset paying

Ruth

 Thanks for the tip with the Venta, Adam. Haven't done much exploring down that way ,yet.

If you want to change in the Molinera go down the steps by the pool. There is a whole row of changing rooms. I agree with you about the food.

Would like to echo comments made about Zindicato. Really good size tapas for €2 each. Very basic inside but always seems to be busy with locals, which is always a good sign.

Also worth a mention is Cafeteria Bonsay. Head out of the complex and walk up and over the hill to town and straight down the main road for only about 50 or so meters. It is up a side street on the right hand side opposite a shop called La Casa del Plastico (isn't google maps brilliant!). If you like pizzas then can highly recommend (food takes a while to come out but is worth the wait) and if I remember right about €8 for a pizza to comfortably feed 2.

Mick and Janet

Hi all.....just to venture off the tapas theme a tad but still foodie.....the white wine Barbadillo from Sanlucar is the most popular white wine in Sain apparently....known as "the  fish wine" presumably as it goes a treat with fish (rather than tasting like it !)....We often would buy this dry white when in Arcos...but recently discovered a local Arcos dry white which is a lovely drop.....light & very seco.....called La Tierra Blanca....( The White Earth)........it costs about 3.50 e a bottle & is in Carrefour...john.

 Excellent tips, thanks.