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I expect most of the English community in Corralejo has already visited this hidden treasure in the old town but for anyone who hasn´t (and for anyone reading this article who isn´t part of the English community for that matter) I urge you to do so for a truly delightful culinary experience.
As my place of work is only four doors away I was tempted to sample their fare immediately the restaurant opened. I have since been visiting there on a regular basis and Birgit even delivers a “one courser” down to the bar if I´m “eating in”. The welcome you receive by Birgit is second to none and she is a superb maitre d´. You are offered a speciality aperitif of cava with strawberry liqueur to drink while perusing the menu and the bread is served with a delicious homemade olive oil marinated with fresh herbs and chillis (served in those lovely tall skinny olive oil bottles of varying shapes and sizes). I get a certain satisfaction dunking chunks of bread into a small bowl of olive oil (yet again, so easily pleased!).
The first couple of months Birgit and Manolo were worried about building up their reputation and I promised her that, come the last three months of the year, they would be packed every night and, indeed, they now are. She even sends customers to have a drink in our bar while waiting for a table if none is available and we have a good reciprocal arrangement between us. She still talks to me and comes to the bar for a drink herself after seeing my Oliver and My Fair Lady dance routines at 4.00 in the morning after a vat or two of vino calapso! (And that´s a sight to be seen!). Just writing this article makes me want to visit there again – maybe tonight on my night off. Keep it going Birgit and Manolo – you´re cooking up a storm. |
Bodeguita El Andaluz
Birgit and Manolo took over this
locale in May of this year and I have to admit they had a fairly
tall order on their hands following the previous owner, the hugely
talented Italian chef Vito. I was informed that it had been taken
over by an Austrian lady (correct) and her Spanish partner from
Córdoba (correct). Why I imagined a frumpy middle aged “haus frau” I
cannot imagine, but Birgit could not be further from that (little
guapa rubia) and she and Manolo make a lovely couple complementing
each other both as individuals and at work. 
I would describe the menu as
fairly simple but the attention to detail is the most important
aspect to Manolo´s cooking. His starters include a very well
presented and robust “trilogy of avocado, mozzerella and tomato,
mini lettuce with roasted garlic, garlic prawns, manchego cheese in
olive oil and a speciality from Córdoba of Salmorejo Cordobés which
I can only describe as a very thick gazpacho type soup made from
tomatoes, bread, olive oil and garlic - another perfect bread
dunking dish but very rich. The choices of main course include steak
of the most superior quality and cooked exactly the way you ask for
it – never too well done or too rare, pork fillet, kebab and chicken
breast. All the meat dishes come with a choice of sauces – green
pepper, herb butter or creamy mushroom. If you fancy going down the
fish route, you can choose from the fresh fish of the day (normally
a choice of two) or sole fillet. They also serve chicken wings in a
basket covered in a spicy coating (the ingredients of which are a
well kept secret, according to Manolo). All the main courses are
served with fresh corn on the cob, grilled tomato and roasted new
potatoes with rosemary. The size of portions is not too daunting and
the dishes are beautifully presented, with the vegetables providing
an exquisite colour combination on the plate. I have as yet only
sampled one dessert as I have (surprisingly) been replete after my
main course but my one experience was a delight. The dish was a
strawberry, banana, an Amaretto cream affair – very calorific and
very more-ish. The list of desserts on the menu is definitely not
for the faint hearted or diet types among us (diet – que? – no
entiendo). There´s no lemon sorbet here. 
The wine list consists of a good
number of very reasonably priced wines as well as a few very good
Spanish vintages too. I normally go for the Marques de Caceres
rosado.