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I have visited El Tren still only twice. The first time was shortly after it opened some six to nine months ago and had a lovely meal between three of us. My second visit was this week on my friend Sue´s last night on holiday so we thought we´d go somewhere nice. The location of the restaurant is second to none (on the seafront of Corralejo – next door to Los Pescaditos). There are a large number of rattan tables and chairs outside sheltered by glass wind panels and extra large sun umbrellas. The inside of the restaurant is decorated quite exquisitely with beautifully laid tables with bright yellow tablecloths and beautiful crockery and glassware. There is a different attraction of a model train running around the circumference of the restaurant close to the ceiling (very twee).
My first visit was a gastronomic affair with three courses. We also had a garlic bread roll with cheese au gratin each. I chose the avocado and prawns with Roquefort sauce which was extremely rich and, at the time I was not expecting it to be hot, followed by zarzuela (a fish and seafood ragout). Not content with all of this I topped it off with an ice-cream all washed down with the usual Marques de Caceres rosado. On this week´s visit we opted for a few tapas (Sue doesn´t eat half enough for my liking!). We chose the charcuterie assortment of cured ham, air-dried loin of pork and salami. The platter arrived laden with really excellent quality and succulent slices of meat. We also had the sautéed scallops with cured Serrano ham, shrimps and onions which at €2.10 each we thought rather pricey. We ordered two each but were very impressed when they arrived served in the shell in a rich creamy sauce. They were delicious. Our third dish was the kidneys in sherry sauce which were also of excellent quality. We were served with these dishes a very nice tomato bread as well as bread with alioli. Although not a long drawn out gastronomic affair the food was very rich and fulfilling. I have also been told the fried spicy marinated liver (Carajacas) is wonderful and, if I had spotted it on the vast menu, would have opted for that too. The number of main dishes is endless including salads, pasta and a few pizzas, egg dishes (either omelettes or scrambled eggs) and rice dishes (obviously including paellas). 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). This last dish is a Canarian speciality and need four hours´ notice. The meat dishes include filets mignons wrapped in bacon, roast shoulder of suckling lamb, grilled duckling breast or a number of sirloin and fillet steaks. It´s exhausting just getting through all the menu but I don´t believe this restaurant has a “Jack of all trades, master of none” label. I do believe the quality of all the dishes produced is extremely commendable and, although the prices are just a tiny bit pricier than other restaurants, I would say that, with the ambience, décor, service and surroundings the price of a meal is not unreasonable. I finished off my second meal with a very nice Café Parisiene from the list of speciality coffees. There are also a large number of desserts available. The restaurant commends itself on its very extensive and superlative wine list including reservas and champagnes. I would put this restaurant towards the top of the list for more special occasions and recommend it to anyone who has not yet indulged in its very large and imaginative menu. The restaurant
also serves a different lunchtime menu of snacks and
salads. |
Restaurante
The menu hosts an enormous array of dishes
starting with a tapas style menu (described as “To Nibble”). These
include a list or virtually every fish and shellfish available
including salmon, various squid dishes, cuttlefish, octopus,
grouper, tuna, lobsters, scallops, clams, razor shells, mussels,
cockles, oysters and limpets. There were also meat dishes including
kidneys in sherry sauce, fried spicy marinated liver and cured ham.
The starters include most of the above and other more commonly found
dishes such as avocado and prawns (but hot with Roquefort sauce),
smoked salmon (with asparagus glazed with Béarnaise on toast),
seafood stuffed peppers, melon with Serrano ham, pate, fried
mushrooms and prawns with garlic and cured ham and fried baby squids
with garlic and white wine.