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 DEN OF JENIQUITY
ARCHIVEWelcome to the Fuertenews guide to Fuerteventura's finest eateries. The Den of Jeniquity restaurant guide has been researched and compiled over the last couple of years for Fuertenews mainly by Jenny Screen. Many thanks to her and the other writers for bringing us a gastronomic insight into what the island has to offer. Click on the name of the restaurant to read full review. ENJOY! ABUELO JACINTO...... Ever since the social club closed in Tamaragua, there has been nowhere to go locally for a bite and a drink. Well at last some of the locales are opening up in the shopping centre, most welcome of which is Abuelo Jacinto, a bar cafeteria. ALLO PIZZA...... Further more, at 4.80€ for an adult plate of fish & chips, what more can I hear you ask for? Hamburger and chips perhaps, well, the French man serves that too BAR JULIUS......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 BODEGUITA EL ANDALUZ......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) CABO RAIZ......Our first dish was a mixture of skinless red peppers and baby chanterelle(?) mushrooms with torn basil leaves in a dressing of chilli oil – lovely CAFE CENTRAL...Cafe Central is located on the sea front at the end of Calle Ballena. It has a lovely sheltered terrace from which you can watch the ferries come and go from Lanzarote. I decided to review this restaurant because our Hairbrain had been raving about it and I had also heard good reports from holidaymakers coming into the bar. CARACOLES...... This was followed by Pimiento Relleno Ternera which is a large pepper stuffed with minced beef and onions and then a Brocheta Cordero (a kebab of, yet again, extremely tender lamb). There was also a mixed kebab of chicken and chorizo and the often present Pollo Bleu which is a chicken fillet in a very rich blue cheese sauce served from under the grill CASA
MARCOS.......Casa Marcos is a traditional Spanish restaurant
located in Villaverde, on the la Oliva road just after El Horno. It
sits on top of a hill and has wonderful views of the sea and
surrounding countryside. DON ANTONIO......My main course was breast of duck with dandelion honey sauce. There were about eight plump slices of sitting amongst a lovely dark, slightly thick sauce which tasted scrummy. The lamb was served in three large fillet slices in a light thyme gravy. Both dishes were served with sliced courgettes with garlic and pasta ribbons (which was a pleasant change from either chips or Canarian potatoes DON CORLEONE......I succumbed to a dessert after enquiring whether their chocolate mousse was sin or con leche. I was pleased to hear that it was most definitely sin and was served very artily on a large plate – it definitely was the richest chocolate mousse I have tasted since being in Fuerte EL HORNO........When you walk into this restaurant you are greeted by the wonderful aroma of a log fire, which, on the day we went there, has a whole side of ribs roasting over it. El Horno means "the oven" and most of the dishes are roasted or barbequed. EL JARDIN ...........El Jardin is an example of what Fuerteventura does best, a friendly, out of the way restaurant with delicious food. Just the place to while away a sunny winter's afternoon. It is located in Triquivijate, off the main road (if you can call it that) and is surrounded by beautiful gardens with the sea sparkling in the distance. EL PATIO DE LAJARES......El Patio de Lajares is a lovely country house located on the road to the right just past Inpescasa in Lajares As you drive in through the gates you feel you are being transported into a different world. This feeling continues as you enter a lovely enclosed courtyard decorated with plants. EL TREN...... There are no less than 32 fish and seafood courses as well as 5 fish specialities, 18 meat courses with six flambé dishes and 9 meat specialities. A couple of dishes from the fish menu are Medallions of hake in green herb sauce with clams, Fillet of stone-bass stuffed with shrimps and avocado in crustacean sauce or boiled fish and potatoes served in stock with gofio (purée of toasted maize flour) FIFTH AVENUE..........Corralejo has some excellent restaurants, some of which have to be booked well in advance, well I think that another has just joined the ranks. 5th Avenue is tucked away in a quiet side street, Calle Antonio Hernandez Paez, opposite the Atlantico Centre. When you walk in the first thing that hits you is the decor. FOUR MUSKETEERS.....Since the Roadhouse moved to the harbour of Corralejo, the area around the dunes end of Avenida Grandes Playas has been a bit of a desert if you are in need of some refreshment. However, now you can rest your weary bones in the Four Musketeers. IL GIARDINETTO......The restaurant itself is decorated in cream and gold with yummy “distressed” furniture. The entrance is adorned with a huge display of maroon roses and each table is decorated with fresh roses and Baby´s Breath. There are 12 tables as well as a larger table for 6 in a separate alcove. We were welcomed by Guiseppe, the maitre d´ and led to our table near the entrance overlooking the pool and gardens LA CHAMA......For starters we chose the Russian salad and “Ropa Vieja” which is a typical Canarian dish, literally translated as “old Clothes” which essentially is a hearty soup containing all the leftovers from the previous day’s cooking and normally bulked out with chick peas. This particular dish included a good mixture of pork, chicken and vegetables along with the chick peas LA DOLCE VITA......While we were dining some neighbouring customers had the mixed kebab which arrived hanging on a large skewer from a cast iron frame served with rice, chips and vegetables and some other people were served two excellent looking fillet steaks served with either Roquefort cheese or pepper sauce, “Diana” style or with onions LA FACTORIA......For the calorie watching amongst us (uhhhh?) they serve a number of innovative salads such as Factoria (lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, paprika, beetroot, corn, carrots egg), Tropical (lettuce, orange, pineapple, corn, fruit of the season, yoghurt sauce), Italian (tomatoes, lettuce, mozzarella, green olives, oregano), Hot (cabbage, paprika, beetroot, cooked ham, tomatoes, hot chilli) and Russian (potatoes, green beans, carrots, olives, tuna, mayonnaise LA MAMMA......I ducked the starter (gulp!) as I was having my usual Poached Eggs Florentine (with cream spinach, ham and cheese) which is very rich and comes bubbling from the oven in an earthenware dish – other similar dishes to this are Courgettes with Meat Stuffing, Courgettes with Spinach and Roquefort Sauce and Aubergines with Meat, Ham and Cheese. LAS MARISMAS...... The starter consisted of 4 nice slices of goat´s cheese spinkled with oregano with sliced tomatoes and our main courses were of the usual standard. The squid romana was a bit anaemic but apparently tasted excellent and my veal escalope was very succulent both were served with chips and salad (quelle sorpresa!) LA PUNTILLA....This restaurant is located where the old Pancho Villa used to be - I wonder what happened to the old horse and trap that used to be outside? It has now been transformed into a traditional Spanish eatery. As it is opposite one of the most popular Spanish hangouts in town - the Avenida, you would think it would be sunk before it started, but in many ways it has something different to offer. LA SCARPETTA......We chose between us scamorza grill (smoked Italian cheese melted on the stove served with toasted bread) and the fish carpaccio (a choice of swordfish or salmon). I had the swordfish which was cut extremely thinly on a bed of rocket or ruccola LA TABERNA......La Taberna is one of the restaurants that never changes its quality of food. When you order you know exactly what you will be getting – each course has been perfected over the years and the standard never veers away from anything less than near-perfect. Each main course is served with a small bowl of side salad – finely shredded cabbage and accoutrements in a very light dressing - BUT the pièce de resistance is the most divine sauté potatoes – just like in England – no Canarian potatoes or chips here LA TASCA...... I chose the prawn cocktail with Hawaiian sauce (which has always been excellent) and Jen had the scrambled eggs with prawns and salmon (a very hearty starter). We also ordered the Paella Valenciana for two. The last time Jen had this, with other friends, she brought a “para llevar” back to the bar for me and it was one of the best paellas I have eaten since I´ve been here (and I´ve had a few paellas, I can tell you!) La Telegraphe.....La Telegraphe is located where the old Meson Eve was on the cobbled street. Those of you who read my reviews regularly will know that generally I am positive because I don't think there is any such thing as a perfect restaurant, just ones that suit some people more than others. However, this time I must say I was disappointed LOS COMPADRES......Their menu is simple Canarian fare but everything is superbly fresh and extremely well cooked. One of my favourite meals there (which I often have for a quick lunch) is simply the fillet of chicken in breadcrumbs served with a small salad and chips. Couldn´t be easier you think. It´s only when you have tasted their version that you are aware of the difference in quality and others you have had elsewhere. The breadcrumb coating really does taste fresh. LOS
PEPES...... Los Pepes in Calle Ballena has been known as
one of Corralejo's best restaurants for a long time. It has recently
changes hands and I had heard varying reports about it so thought I
would try it for myself. MARQUISINA 11......The view the other night was pretty spectacular with the moon hovering just over the horizon in a shady haze, rising quite rapidly during our stay and becoming increasingly brighter throughout its ascent until it was high up in the sky lighting up the whole of the sky and sea. The reflection on the sea was quite breathtaking. (Patrick Moore ain´t got nothing on me!) The restaurant is also one to beat for people watching MEDITERRANNEO...... I love the simplicity and freshness of the restaurant – everything seems exceptionally clean and well looked after and with only 11 tables provides an informal but cosy ambience. The background music is very subtle and there is a very calm atmosphere in the restaurant. MESON EVE...... They have an enormous collection of different seafoods including mussels, limpets, cockles, langostines and carabineros (enormous red prawns) all which you can choose to have boiled or grilled. In fact, the list of the fish and seafood has no less than 25 dishes varying from €4 to €7 each PENNY LANE......We followed this with ice-cream sundaes and a sticky toffee pudding with cream (it was a tough decision to choose between this and the Golden Syrup pudding – but there were definitely no complaints.) ROSIE O'GRADY'S......The Beef Stew had an lovely rich gravy with an extremely large amount of meat and my steak was done to perfection (medium rare). The vegetables (carrots, broccoli and cabbage) were all fresh rather than frozen and both dishes were served with a choice of jacket potato, chips or mashed potatoes SOTAVENTO ...... They have other speciality pastas such as Tagliatelle al Gabiano (with olives, smoked salmon, mussels and cream), Tagliatelle San Daniele (green pepper, ham, broccoli and cream), Papardelle agli scampi (with garlic and prawns) and, one of my favourites (only because it sounds so nice to order in Italian), is the Spaghetti Aglio Olio Peperoncino (with garlic, olive oil, and chilli pepper). They also do Ravioli and Gnocchi dishes. TANTALUNA ...... Both the dishes we chose were presented beautifully and imaginatively. Mel had lamb cous-cous which came with a perfectly formed pyramid of cous-cous, two succulent lamb chops and a ratatouille of vegetables with chick peas. I chose pork fillet served with a honey and apple sauce which was served with a side salad WAIKIKI ......My dish fulfilled all my expectations consisting of a fairly large earthenware dish filled with a ratatouille of carrots, runner beans, onions with tomatoes on which was laid a bed of sliced potatoes, courgettes and aubergines. On top of this was a lovely thick helping of melted cheese embedded with asparagus. Yum, yum, I hear all you veggies exclaim! YAMATORI ......The menu offered four set Teppan-Yaki meals – a vegetarian option (Sansai) at €25 and three others (at €30, €37 and €45 which included meat and/or fish). We opted for one vegetarian and the €37 (Hamabe) as this included the fish
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