Jamón, jamón....eating out in Cadiz

If you have read any of the sight seeing tips from my last post, you may now be feeling a little peckish. Well Cadiz has plenty to satisfy the hungry traveller so you are in for a treat. With tapas galore available on every street corner and fish so fresh its still flapping, your only dilemma will be what to choose and when. Here are a couple of pointers to help you on your way.

Picos
You will get surprisingly fond of these short bread sticks, obligatory bags are handed out the minute you have settled into your chair at any bar or restaurant. It did become a bit of a joke, at the end of the trip my suitcase crunched and rustled its way back to the airport, full of complimentary picos that hadn't been snaffled whilst perched at bars.

Taberna Casa 'Manteca', c/ Corralón de los Carros, 66

Run by a retired bullfighter and filled from floor to ceiling with bullfighting memorabilia (plus a single framed photo of Nelson Mandela, spotted only after looking at my photos back home), Casa Manteca is at the quieter end of a small square in the Barrio de la Viña. The sign on the door is discreet but you will spot it by the sound of happy chatter spilling out of the tiny interior and around the sherry barrels outside. Tapas, simple but excellent, are served on squares of greaseproof paper. Jamon iberico, queso artesanale, longaniza picante, order them all with a cold glass of manzanilla. Exotic tinned fish line the shelves and can be ordered as tapas too, giant mussels en escabeche speared by cocktail sticks, boquerones en vinagre prettily spiralled on large white plates. This is the perfect pit stop at which you will be tempted to stay, listening to the animated chatter of local gossip whilst the proud eyes of toreadors from days gone by gaze fiercely down on you from the walls. 

Freiduria 'Los Flores', plaza de Topete, 4

Around the corner from the Mercado Central, this famous freiduria is manically busy, families, market traders and tourists surge eagerly through the doors as hard working waiters head out  in the opposite direction laden with plates of fried fish. If it swims, it can be deep fried and those just used to cod 'n' chips may get carried away with cuttlefish, squid, prawns and other fish. Cazón en adobo (marinated dogfish), is a local favourite and comes in battered meaty slices but its the tortillitas de camerones you have to try. Thin crisp fritters of tiny shrimps, these are a Cadiz tradition, a hot and crunchy contrast to an icy cold cerveza. Eat with your fingers greedily and be patient with the waiters as they rush past.

Café Quilla, playa de la Caleta

An afternoon of tapas should be followed by a siesta, a restful snooze before heading out for a sun downer at Playa de la Caleta. Cafe Quilla, a rusty modernist hulk resembling the hull of a ship, sits facing west on the pavement above the beach. Find a table in the sun and settle down with another glass of local sherry and a dish of olives to watch the sun set over the the Castillo de San Sebastián. The tables spill out onto the pavement, full with courting couples holding hands over a cerveza and chattering families drinking coffee and tea. A perfect place for an aperitif before wandering back along the moonlit sea walls in search of an evening meal.

Mesón Cumbres Mayores, c/ Zorilla, 4
Somewhat hidden at the end of a long street full of tapas bars and restaurants, this place is a must on any visit to Cadiz (unless you happen to be vegetarian*). Forget about ordering seafood, this is a temple to Iberian pork. Perch at one of the small tables precariously balancing on the cobbles outside or squash in amongst the stalls at the bar for plates of the best jamón de bellota, expertly carved from the counter. At the back, there is a more formal restaurant with linen covered tables nestled amongst hanging hams and strings of garlic.

Generous portions of Iberian pork secreto come with giant garlicky tomatoes and simply roasted potatoes or opt for a tasty stew of carrillada (pork cheeks) so tender you can eat them with a spoon. The pork will come rarer than perhaps you are used too and is significantly darker in colour but don't worry, it's perfectly safe and quite frankly, when it tastes this good you honestly wouldn't care if it wasn't anyway. 

In addition to excellent food, this restaurant also has the friendliest waiters who do their best to make you feel at home. After a plateful of pork secreto, you may tempted to stay in Cadiz a little longer just to return, it's that good.

Cadiz is definitely worth a place on any serious foodie's wish list, and I for one, will be back to sample some more. There are plenty more restaurants left on my host's recommended list, that I've yet to try.

*If you are vegetarian it's still worth going just for their tapas of tomatoes and oil, delicious!