In foodie terms, Vejer de la Frontera has more than a little in common with the town of Ludlow in Shropshire. Both are out of the way sorts of places that aren’t on what you’d call the conventional gastro circuit – and yet both are seriously foodie towns.
It’s all too tempting for a night out here to turn into a long, drawn-out tapas crawl from one bar to the next. And while there are too many great places in town to suggest a route, here I take you through just a few of my favourite Vejer de la Frontera restaurants…
Garimba Sur; Plaza de España, 32 www.garimbasur.com
Any tapas tour of Vejer should probably start at its heart – at sunset in the grand Plaza de España. Here you find Garimba Sur, whose beautifully decked out interiors feature a mix of striking wood and decorative azulejos (typical Andaluz tiles). Highlights include risotto de semola de trigo or arroz negro – washed down with a cheeky Vermouth or two (a drink that’s more commonly associated with Madrid) and a spot of people-watching.
Trafalgar; Plaza de España, 31
You don’t have to go far to get to the next of my recommendations. It’s just next door, in fact. Sitting out in the plaza you can feast on excellent escabeche de atun rojo (pickled red tuna) and the most divine rabo de toro (oxtail) you’re ever likely to come across. The wine list is unusual too, and you can get superb Ronda red Acinipo here.
El Jardin del Califa; Plaza de España, 12
Just across the other side of the plaza, the foodie fun doesn’t let up. El Jardin del Califa has been wowing all comers for years now, and from June onwards if you haven’t booked a table you’ll struggle to get in. Moroccan influences and a superb wine list that features noteworthy local drops like Barbazul, Gaurum and Cortijo de Jara are the order of the day here. Their Meze platter is so good they haven’t changed it for years. If they did, you suspect they might have a riot on their hands (at the very least this local resident would be up in arms).
Viña y Mar; Nuestra Señora De La Oliva, 8
Ramon’s Viña y Mar is the only Sherry bar in Vejer and is the place to go to work your way through more than 40 Sherries by the glass (including the entire Tradiçion VORS range) in the company of other aficionados. It’s not all about the Sherry here, though, as Kiko’s open kitchen also serves up delicious tapas and assorted nibbles (not least the Cantabrian anchovies that are served with your first Fino) and a handful of other worthy wines by the glass, too.
Casa Varo, Calle Nuestra Señora De La Oliva, 9
Just up the hill in the shadow of the church is Casa Varo. Juan and his family are nothing short of a Vejer institution and, once tried, their food is never forgotten. His carpaccio de atún de Almadraba (local tuna available all year round from a special supplier in Barbate) might just be one of the finest things you’re likely to eat in Vejer. From the albondigas de choco (cuttlefish balls) and simple salted anchovies served atop a finger of bread, to fine cuts of Iberian pork and local Retinto beef via a slice or two of local Payoyo Goat’s cheese, there’s almost nothing in here that I don’t love. With Pintia and Mauro featuring, the wine selection’s also great. A final word of warning: his zingy after-dinner shots can slip down just a little too easily.
Taperia; Corredera, 33
Back along the Corredera this place is small but has a lovely terrace. It’s an El Califa offshoot which means that, along with loads of other quality dishes (try the prawns with chili and ginger) you get to sample their Meze range and excellent wine list, only in a slightly more informal setting.
La Oficina; Calle Paseo de las Cobijadas, 1
La Oficina can be found at the tail-end of Juan Bueno. Standouts amongst the range of freshly cooked tapas are the retinto burgers and 'champi chocos' (mushrooms and cuttlefish), while it also provides a showcase for the ever-improving local wine.
Bar Navarro; Juan Bueno, 8
Bar Navarro is an unpretentious little place that specialises in pescados fritos (fried fish). For a casual evening, find a table on the tiny street, order a platter of fried fish and a bottle of white wine and watch the kids play and the people come and go. Beyond the fried stuff you can opt for a lovely calamar a la plancha (grilled squid), while in addition to the classic Barbadillo white wine they also serve an Enate Chardonnay from Sonmontano that’s well worth trying.
El Conejito; Calle Juan Relinque
Hidden away on Juan Relinque, on the way up to the new town, is El Conejito, or Pedro’s bar. The Jamón Pedro carves up for you is amongst the very best you’ll find in Vejer, and goes down superbly with a glass of Manzanilla and some olives followed by some superb albondigas.
Pepe Julian; Calle Juan Relinque, 7
Opposite Plaza San Francisco, Pepe Julian’s menu reads like a roll call of classic tapas. Fine Jamón? Check. Boquerones en vinagre? Check. Puntillitas (tiny deep-fried squid)? Check. They’re all there. Cast your eye to the right as you enter and you’ll see the owner’s cellar of special reds that don’t appear on the wine list. If you ask him very nicely indeed, you might even get to try one.
Meson El Palenque; San Francisco 2
And the award for best paella in town goes to… Meson El Palenque. Made to order, it’s best had with a lovely salad of tomato, lettuce, onion and simple, clean flavours, while I love to accompany it with a glass or two of Torres de Casta 2013, a delicious rosé wine. This place is also ideal if you’re a large group looking for a spot of lunch.
Bar Central, Calle Teniente Castrillón, 5
Bar Central is another family affair. Not even being greeted by the far-from-dulcet tones of Rod Stewart can take away from what has to be my favourite thing to eat in the whole of Vejer: anchoas y boquerones (anchovies on toast). It may not sound like much, but it’s a winning combination of salty, vinegary and tomato-y which if push came to shove, would be my last dish on earth (served with a glass of Manzanilla, of course). The retinto you get here is the BEST for miles around, too. Salvador cooks it to perfection (in my case, a flawless al punto), then serves sliced with a dash of sea salt, homemade chips and a bottle of Barbazul, a wonderfully silky drop from Taberner in Arcos.
Casa Leonor, Calle Rosario, 25
Afterwards, you might stroll over to the Flamenco Peña and see what’s on that evening. Gustav heads things up here, and at sister eatery Casa Leonor, where he’ll whip you up some piquillo peppers stuffed with cod to go with some fabulous music. In the Peña itself you can try local dish Almuerzo Campero – or farmers’ lunch – which can only be described as like a pork version of haggis.
La Posada; Calle Los Remedios, 21
La Posada is worth a visit because it’s one of the longest standing places to eat in town – and the walls are lined with lovely old black and white photos to prove it. It’s also the scene of some of the most memorable squid and fish that I’ve ever eaten.
Las Delicias; Corredera, 31
This extraordinary new restaurant in Vejer is the creation of the same Gasper Sobrino who was the interiors mastermind behind Garimba and the Gourmet Market. A beautifully restored theatre which opens out onto an outdoor terrace (where live music wafts out on hot summer nights), my favourite dishes here are the crispy tuna burgers and carpaccio de presa ibérica (pork carpaccio).
Marengo; Calle Santísimo, 1
‘Marengo’ is a term for someone who worked in the fishing industry in Malaga. And sure enough a) the owners of this great new eatery are from there and b) seafood features heavily on the menu. The prawns are sensational, wrapped in basil leaves and brik pastry before being deep-fried and served with a peanut sauce. In keeping with the Malagueño theme of the place, Botani, an unusual dry moscatel which hails from there, is a superb choice of wine.
Valvetida, Juan Relinque 3
Jesus, the driving force behind Valvetida, is a wonderful chef who marshals an ambitious and ever-changing small plate menu while his partner Tamara keeps things ticking over front of house. Dishes to share include the mouth-watering likes of black pudding and apple, crinkly potatoes to dip and burgers made from local Retinto beef. Desserts are to-die-for, too.
Mercado San Francisco
Perhaps the most surprising of 2013's new restaurant openings was the conversion of the Mercado de Abastos into fab foodie hangout, the Mercado San Francisco. Where once a food market stood, there's now a handful of tapas stalls (including one that sells sushi!).
You might think that this was a bold – even foolhardy – move to make in the middle of a recession, but I’ve got a funny feeling that it’ll be just fine. Vejer’s just that sort of town.
Like my pick of the best Vejer de la Frontera restaurants? Sign up to one of my cooking courses and I’ll take you to several of them and introduce you to my favourite dishes – with a perfect wine pairing.
