Bar Julius

After having a break from writing a review last week due to my trip to England (Blondie concert and Ascot sweetie – both very nice thank you) you would imagine that I´d be full of ideas and champing at the bit to write something now – I wish it was that easy. I think I must have spent about 45 minutes standing in the street yesterday with “our Jo” choosing a restaurant to review. After an attempt to visit two for lunch both of which were closed we opted for a trip over to Lajares …… but after some reconsideration we decided to visit ANOTHER NEW BAR in Corralejo. This one is immediately behind Hiperdino and is a tapas bar and restaurant. I had in fact been recommended to go there only a short while ago by Margaret (hairdresser) who had been there twice for an evening meal and said it was definitely worth a visit.

The bar area is used for just drinks and tapas and the slightly more formal area around the corner is used for the restaurant. We actually opted for tapas but sat in the restaurant area nonetheless. The display of daily changing tapas on the bar was mouthwatering to say the least and we salivated over the dishes before we had even taken our table. The restaurant is decorated simply but effectively with paintings on the walls which give the illusion of looking out windows – plants and views and things. The dark wood tables are laid with maroon tablecloths and my nice big wineglasses.

We sat at our table with the menus and ordered a bottle of dry white (usual wine selection and reasonable prices). I actually chose a bottle called Diamante instead of the usual Viña Sol which I have seen before and fancied something “a little different”. The menu had a vast array of dishes under different headings – obviously starters which had a choice of 13 dishes – the usual stuff (no complaints though) – including tomato, tuna and onion salad, fruit salad, prawn cocktail etc. etc. There were eight fish dishes (as well as fresh fish of the day) and nine meat dishes (for example meat strips “Julius”, chicken Cordon Bleu, pork sirloin and chicken or beef escalope. There were also a number of speciality dishes which included pork trotters (bad enough!!) but also pork ears (no thank you! – poor little deaf piggy!) as well as liver with onions – I can´t believe I went to a restaurant that serves liver and didn´t have it. Also under specialities you could choose paella, lamb “Segovia” and T-bone “Avila” – but my journalistic skills couldn´t run to asking how these were prepared.

…..I will continue onto the list of 13 tapas (as well as the daily specials). Dishes available included cold cuts Iberico, ham pata negra (the good quality Serrano ham), pork loin Iberico, manchego cheese, majorero chese, grilled mushrooms or peppers, squid a la gallega ….. the usual stuff (although still no complaints whatsoever). The daily tapas included fideo (a type of paella but with short pasta), aubergines with tomato sauce, mussels, rabbit, baby goat and tuna salad. As well as tapas there was a list of montados (similar to mini bruscettas) topped with a choice of ham, salmon, pork loin, beef, anchovies, mixed cheese and paté. Finally, the list of desserts included crème caramel, tiramisu, strawberries, crepes, ice-cream and fruit. I´m out of breath now before I´ve even started!

We were given a small dish each of warmed bean stew as an appetiser which we had actually ordered as a tapas anyway – so we cancelled that – which was served with rustic bread and extremely good homemade breadsticks with aniseed (pan anis Jo informed me). We asked for alioli which we both agreed could have had a bit more garlic in it – but very good. We chose a fair number of tapas and were told by our waiter that we had actually ordered enough and he had to halt us – not like me(!). We had Russian salad, fried chorizo (these came whole – very good), montados with pork loin and paté, squid (in a sauce) followed by a large portion of manchego cheese (although Jo doesn´t like this – says it´s too hard!). I´m sure there was something else but I can´t for the life of me think what it was! (We were on our second bottle of wine by now as Derek had joined us). All the dishes were excellent and very rich. Derek had another Russian salad and a prawn cocktail (after declining Jo´s suggestions and said he was big enough and old enough to order on his own!).

We had explained that we were writing a review (Jo insisted that our bean stew appetiser was bought to us on the back of this) and we were given at the end of our meal a dish of six little cakes (profiterole size) – possibly not standard practice either. Jo and I thought how sensible it would be to place a cake in each of our cleavages and take a photo– God, how grown up? – Will Scoop Taylor (Fuertenews´ David Bailey include these photos, we ask?

The waiters were extremely helpful and played along with us with our increasing gaiety. Customers might recognise the owner who used to be the manager in Capri restaurant further down the street. Very much a Spanish clientele but a very good find for something off the beaten track away from the touristy side of town.